Future-Proofing Media Freedom: A Modern Market Failure

How can we ensure the financial survival of independent media organizations?

Audio

Published 20 October 2020

Updated 25 November 2022 — 68 minute listen

Image — A woman sits in front of a display made up of the names of murdered journalists, at the Global Conference on Press Freedom on July 10, 2019 in London, England. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.

Ben Horton

Former Head, Director’s Office

Julie Posetti

Global Director of Research, International Center for Journalists

Future-Proofing Media Freedom, the new mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed, is a collaboration between Chatham House, Luminate, and the International Center for Journalists. Presented by Ben Horton, host of the Undercurrents podcast, and Dr Julie Posetti, Global Director of Research at the ICFJ, the series explores the challenges facing public interest media in the 21st century and highlights how a range of actors are seeking to tackle them.

The rise of the major social media platforms and the internet-driven proliferation of news and analysis which is free at the point of delivery, has fundamentally undermined traditional media business models. From the controversies over the BBC licence fee model, to the slow death of local news outlets, the economic strain has rarely felt more pressing. Beyond advertising and subscription business models, what solutions exist to ensure the survival of independent media organizations? 

Find out more:

Luminate

International Center for Journalists