More than 1,000 news organisations across the world are backing World News Day on Monday, in a coordinated effort to defend the role of journalism at a time when organisers say the industry is facing an existential challenge. Outlets including The New York Times, Reuters and the Kyiv Independent are publishing editorials, advertisements and cartoons to underline the value of trusted reporting and the public interest function of journalism.

The campaign, which first began in 2018, has broadened into a global show of support for fact-based news, with AFP also confirming its participation alongside hundreds of other organisations, media associations and individuals from more than 100 countries. Organisers say the message remains the same: that trusted journalism matters because it helps explain events, scrutinise power and serve citizens and democracy.

The timing is stark. The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026 says trust in news has fallen to its lowest level since the study began in 2015, based on a survey of almost 100,000 people across 48 markets. The institute says social media and video networks have now overtaken news organisations’ own websites, apps and television as the most widely used routes to news, while the public’s relationship with journalism is increasingly shaped by anxiety, disengagement and cynicism.

The report also points to a growing role for creators, influencers and AI chatbots in news discovery, even as those channels are trusted less than traditional outlets. In that environment, Branko Brkic, who co-organises World News Day, said news organisations that once competed for audience and influence now need to act collectively. "If we do not change the game, we are just not going to exist," he said, reflecting the sense among organisers that journalism must adapt quickly if it is to retain both relevance and credibility.

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Source: Noah Wire Services