Editorial Independence Means Technological Independence
From Google to Microsoft, European newsrooms often rely on tools built in Silicon Valley. Some are trying to break free, turning to open-source alternatives or home-grown solutions.
Media independence is no longer just a matter of editorial or financial autonomy—it’s also technological. As trust between major tech platforms and the press continues to erode, European newsrooms are starting to look differently at the tools they use every day.
X and Facebook, once seen as indispensable for audience reach, have largely turned away from news. Google, still the primary traffic driver for most publishers, keeps changing the rules of its search engine and now floods it with generative AI, threatening a source of visibility that remains vital for many outlets.
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.