Big Techâs quest to corral and monetise online attention has seen them become the media landscapeâs âinvisible handâ, quietly shaping the character of news and terms on which independent media organisations exist. This has eroded journalism informed by public values, assisting the spread of misinformation, polarisation and extreme views. Independent media organisations are now struggling to survive.
On the one hand â by enabling influencersâ creatorfication of news â Big Tech systematically squashes the status and importance of journalism. And on the other â through auto-summarisation, the application of AI-generated content and encouraging polarised reaction â Big Tech also finds new ways to squeeze the value of independent media, where it still exists.
This roundtable will explore how independent media can thrive without relying on Big Tech, by focusing on sustainable audience engagement, innovative approaches to news delivery, business capacity building, and the sharing of best practices.