Defending the Media, Protecting Democracy

Ticket

Saturday 14 March – 14h00

Espace Pitoëff - Librairie

Rue de Carouge 52, 1205 Geneva

As public funding declines and private platforms gain dominance, the media landscape in Switzerland and across Europe is undergoing a decisive shift. Local, reliable and independent journalism, a cornerstone of democracy, is under growing threat.

“With shrinking public investment, the rise of global platforms and increasingly fragmented audiences, the Swiss and European media ecosystems are facing a profound crisis. Trust in journalism is eroding, while “news fatigue” is leading parts of the public to turn away from traditional media altogether. How can trust and public engagement be rebuilt? How can journalism be rethought so that it informs, connects and sustains democratic debate? And what concrete alternatives exist to reduce dependence on major digital platforms? Beyond an economic crisis, what is at stake is the media’s ability to produce local, reliable and independent reporting, a vital foundation of democratic life.

This event is part of the Agora section.

Discussion

Jean-Paul Philippot
Director General, RTBF
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Gilles Marchand
Head of the “Media & Philanthropy Initiative”
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Valérie Perrin
Regional Secretary of the SSM
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Moderators

Serge Michel
Journalist, editor-in-chief of Heidi.news and director of Kometa publications
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Language(s)
Discussion in French only