This op-ed by Caroline Vuillemin is published as part of the annual World News Day campaign. On 28 September each year, this international campaign promotes fact-based journalism and media literacy.
When communities are cut off by conflict, displaced by violence, or trying to survive a humanitarian crisis, reliable information becomes even more of a practical necessity. Local journalists and public interest media outlets are often the only actors capable of reaching those communities in their own languages and through trusted channels, with the information they need to make decisions, access assistance and hold power to account.
Humanitarian organisations recognise this: they depend on local media to reach affected populations in ways that few other actors can replicate. And yet, these are precisely the media organisations least likely to survive without sustained, long-term external support.
Committed media support networks, such as the Global Forum for Media Development and IFPIM, are working hard to convince policy makers and donors of the evidence that without a robust media and information infrastructure, there is no resilient society.
Operating in fragile and conflict-affected settings means constantly navigating insecurity, mis- and disinformation, displacement, political harassment and economic precarity. Fondation Hirondelle, a media development actor with more than 30 years of experience in such contexts, knows the difficulty of creating and sustaining public-interest media despite all odds.
Short-term, project-based funding – still the dominant model – does not build resilient newsrooms. It builds precarious ones. It forces editorial teams to chase grant cycles rather than serve audiences. It rewards visibility over depth, and activity over long-term impact.
On this 2026 World News Day, we are reminded of the importance of showing what goes into journalism that matters. This is backed up by evidence and academic research such as the global call from leading economists urging action to protect public interest media for economic prosperity and human progress.
Recognising the value of independent journalism, however, also means asking what allows it to continue.
If we are serious about independent journalism as a pillar of democracy and stability, we need funding frameworks that reflect that commitment.
This question is particularly urgent today. International funding for media and development is under increasing pressure, while the need for reliable, independent information is growing. At the same time, major donors are making decisions that will shape their priorities for years to come.
The European Union’s negotiations over its next Multiannual Financial Framework are one important example. The decisions now taking shape will define EU external action from 2028 onwards. At the heart of that framework is the Global Europe instrument, through which the EU supports democracy, human rights, resilience, development and humanitarian action in partner countries.
The choices made about the ways these resources are allocated will have direct consequences for the already limited share of international assistance that supports public interest media – including in fragile and conflict-affected contexts where that support is most needed.
Without explicit recognition of independent journalism as critical democratic infrastructure, and without flexible, long-term funding mechanisms to match, there is a risk of replicating the same structural failures that have left public interest media consistently underfunded.
This is not simply a question of protecting media organisations. When an independent newsroom disappears, communities lose more than a source of news. They lose access to verified information, a space for public debate and, often, a channel through which their concerns can reach decision-makers.
This is why funding for independent media should not be treated as an optional addition to democracy, development or humanitarian programmes. Reliable information is part of the infrastructure that allows these efforts to succeed.
2026 World News Day is an opportunity to demonstrate what journalism contributes to societies around the world – particularly in places where producing reliable information is difficult, dangerous and economically fragile.
Journalists and media organisations will continue to do this work because they believe in its value. But commitment alone cannot sustain independent journalism. If we want public interest media to remain present when communities need them most, they need predictable, flexible and long-term support.