Truth in the Balance: Defending Democracy in the Intelligent Age
20 January 2025
In a new blog, EBU Director General Noel Curran addresses the critical challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation, and the rise of AI to democracy and media trust. He underscores the pivotal role of public service media in providing impartial, fact-based information, despite growing pressures from governments and tech platforms alike. Noel calls for a united effort among media organizations, governments, and civil society to safeguard access to reliable information and protect democratic values.
As global leaders gather in Davos for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, under the theme ‘Collaboration for the Intelligent Age’, the stakes for democracy are high.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report for 2025 starkly underscores the urgency of this moment: the perceived risks from misinformation and disinformation continue to grow and are again seen as the greatest threats to society over the next two years. Rapid advances in AI will increase those threats. They are not abstract. They are not futuristic. They are here now.
Two other powerful forces also heighten the risks.
On the one side, more governments are cracking down on the free press, seeking to control or marginalize organizations like public service broadcasters, whose very independence they see as a threat. On the other side, tech oligarchs who claim to champion free speech, are presiding over platforms where the truth is often buried beneath a torrent of outrage, lies, and unchecked amplification.
In a world where fact checking is touted as an obstacle to free speech, those who want to corrupt and manipulate public information flows thrive.
The Crisis of Free Speech and Trust
Free speech is more than a principle; it is an integral part of the democratic process. Yet, it comes with responsibilities. The right to speak freely is not a right to say what you like - to incite hatred, to malign, to spread lies.
While free speech is a cornerstone of democracy, free-for-all speech is increasingly being used to undermine democracies.
Social media has had so many positive impacts on society and the world. But our recent experience also tells a troubling story. An algorithmic world, without checks and balances, favours the extremes, the loudest voices and the clever or wealthy manipulators, be they individuals or states. It also gives unprecedented power to those who control the algorithm.
In a world where even the concept of truth is questioned by some of its most powerful leaders, how do we ensure citizens have access to trusted, impartial information? The answer to this question will determine the future of our democracies.
The Role of Public Service Media
Public service media (PSM) are not the sole guardians of truth, but I believe their role is becoming more and more important. Across Europe, PSM rank as the most trusted sources of news in 91% of countries. They continue to be the biggest investors on the Continent in quality News and Current Affairs. Our Members spend around EUR 6 billion every year in news and employ over 45, 000 journalists.
From ARD Faktenfinder in Germany to RTBF Faky in Belgium, to BBC Verify, to Vrai ou Faux in France and many, many others, they continue to invest heavily in fact-checking when others are ceasing their commitments.
This role is more critical than ever. It must be defended and protected from Government interference and from hungry AI news aggregators feeding off other people’s work without attribution, oversight or financial compensation.
Regulation
We live in a world where ‘regulation’ is increasingly being labelled as a ‘dirty’ word. Backward, regressive, out of touch with modern technological developments. We’ve all read the script. But we should stand back and ask ourselves who is writing this script? Not the general public, who struggle to grasp what is real or not in the online world. Not those who believe in democratic election processes which are not open to foreign manipulation. Not those who invest in content only to see it used openly by others for their own gain.
The self-righteousness of those attacking any regulation of Big Tech is matched only by their self-interest.
In Europe we have a Digital Services Act and a European Media Freedom Act that give us leverage and protection if properly applied. If the EU enforces them to the most ambitious level, Big Tech platforms would have to behave differently. We cannot walk away from these just because of what is happening on another Continent.
A Call to Collaborate
Collaboration is also key. Those who champion press freedom, those investing in their content who want to see it protected, those who believe in accountability and transparency, whether in public service media, commercial media, or civil society, must work more closely together to combat a common threat. We at the EBU are very open to such discussions.
The alternative, as one prominent journalist said last week, is that we usher in a `world without facts`. If we wait too long, that will already be a reality.
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