Athens Democracy Forum explores challenges facing modern journalism
The Athens Democracy Forum held a session on Tuesday titled “Rethinking Journalism: A Crisis of Confidence,” where experts discussed the challenges facing modern journalism.
During the session, some of the most pressing issues journalists face today were explored, including finding alternative funding sources, reporting on less popular stories, staying relevant to younger audiences, and addressing the need to focus on local communities.
Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, President of International at The New York Times, proposed taxing social media platforms to fund local journalism.
“A 1% tax on social media platforms’ revenue, based on last year’s figures, could generate about $8 billion, which would be a strong start in supporting local journalism,” he argued, adding that journalism is facing an existential crisis.
On the other hand, Dr. Battinto L. Batts Jr., dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, described journalism as being in a “transition period.”
Batts proposed that communities should fund local journalism in the same way they pay for essential services like internet access, clean water and security. “Effective local journalism should be considered part of the community’s infrastructure,” he stated, adding that “People should support it just as they support other necessities.”
The discussion was moderated by Pamela Paul, columnist for The New York Times.
The 12th Athens Democracy Forum, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation in cooperation with The New York Times, is being held in Athens from October 1 to 3.
For more information, visit https://www.athensdemocracyforum.com/.
