Intersections of Media Viability and Public Interest Journalism at WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025

Reclaiming Journalism as a Public Good in the Digital Age

Moderated by Mira Milosevic, Executive Director of GFMD, and Anna Oosterlinck, Head of UN at ARTICLE 19, the session focused on reaffirming journalism as a civic necessity and essential infrastructure for democratic societies. The dialogue addressed gaps in the current WSIS framework, emphasised the need for inclusive digital public infrastructure (DPI), and set forward concrete actions for embedding journalism and media sustainability into the post-2025 WSIS vision.

Anna Oosterlinck and  Mira Milosevic

Watch the session recording here: WSIS 2025 – ROOM E – day1 – Zoom

As the WSIS+20 review process unfolds, the dialogue reflected on the legacy of WSIS Principle 55 and Action Line C9 on Media, which is a strong starting point to institutionalise the role of media pluralism, independence of journalism and public interest media, and access to information in global digital governance frameworks.

A clear consensus emerged: journalism must be recognised and protected as a public good, essential to democratic participation, public accountability, and the realisation of human rights. Yet, the digital environment in which journalism operates has grown increasingly hostile. Monopolistic tech platforms, opaque algorithmic systems, and rising infrastructure costs have imposed new burdens on independent and public interest media, especially in the Global Majority.

Media sustainability is at a breaking point, with diminishing revenue models and growing dependence on proprietary infrastructure threatening the survival of local, investigative and community media.  A redefinition of what is understood by digital public infrastructure is needed, not as a purely technical or state-driven infrastructure, but as an open, human rights-based system designed to be accessible, transparent, participatory and equitable.

Participants pointed out that the current WSIS+20 frameworks do not adequately reflect today’s challenges: from unchecked platform power to the systemic marginalisation of independent journalism in global digital governance. It was emphasised that to truly future-proof digital governance, media considerations must be integrated across all relevant action lines, beyond the traditional silo of Action Line C9. Voices from Zimbabwe, Costa Rica, and Indigenous and women-led organisations stressed the need for community-driven and culturally grounded approaches to digital infrastructure. They called on WSIS and DPI processes to uphold cultural sovereignty, gender equity, and locally led, context-sensitive design principles.

If WSIS+20 is to deliver on its vision of a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented digital future, independent journalism must be recognised as essential infrastructure for democracy

Key outcomes of the session

• Clear reaffirmation of the need to embed media sustainability and equitable infrastructure access into the WSIS+20 outcome document.
• Recognition that digital public infrastructure must serve journalism, just as it supports e-governance and digital economies.
• A collective push toward cross-platform collaboration—aligning WSIS+20 media advocacy with related global processes, such as the Global Digital Compact, Financing for Development, and the Internet Governance Forum.

Forward-Looking Actions

To shape a meaningful and inclusive post-2025 agenda, the session identified the following recommendations:

• Integrate Journalism in WSIS+20 Outcomes: Formally recognise journalism and media sustainability as priorities aligned with the Global Digital Compact’s information integrity goals.
• Create Follow-Up Mechanisms for C9: Establish concrete monitoring, funding, and capacity-building structures for C9 implementation, especially in the Global Majority.
• Invest in Inclusive Infrastructure: Support open, human rights-respecting alternatives to platform monopolies that empower independent, local, and public interest journalism.
• Strengthen Multistakeholder Dialogue: Expand and deepen cross-sector engagement through forums like the IGF to collaboratively shape the future of WSIS governance and digital policy.

DC-Journalism Input for to Elements Paper for the WSIS+20 overall review

The Dynamic Coalition on the Sustainability of Journalism and News Media (DC-Journalism) emphasises that independent journalism and public interest media are essential to a rights-based, inclusive, and development-oriented digital future. Their role in providing fact-based, multilingual, and locally relevant information is vital to the health of the information ecosystem and democratic participation worldwide.

While we welcome the WSIS+20 Elements Paper’s recognition of human rights and inclusive digital transformation, we urge stronger integration of media sustainability, freedom of expression, and platform accountability across all Action Lines—particularly those focused on content governance, digital economy, infrastructure, and AI. This includes addressing online threats to women journalists and vulnerable groups, ensuring safeguards against harmful platform and AI design, and building the resilience of the entire media ecosystem through sustained support.

📄 Our detailed submission to the WSIS+20 Review is available here: FOR ENDORSEMENT_ GDRC-WSIS Written Input to Elements Paper – Google Docs

Join Our Advocacy Efforts

Independent journalism and public interest media are essential to a human rights-based, inclusive, and development-oriented digital future. Their role in providing fact-based, multilingual, and locally relevant information is vital to the health of the information ecosystem and democratic participation worldwide.

To future-proof digital governance frameworks, the outcomes of the WSIS+20 Review should reaffirm the WSIS+10 Resolution by:

1. Fostering a multistakeholder and human rights-based approach: We advocate for a transparent, inclusive, and accountable review process that ensures meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders, including the media sector, as stipulated in the GDP-WSIS Coalition Five-Point plan that we endorsed.
2. Preserving the commitments under Principle 55 and Action Line C9: The sustainability and independence of journalism and public interest media are critical for any digital governance framework and for fostering resilient information ecosystems. The WSIS+10 Outcome Document, in particular para. 47 sets a key framework that must be upheld and preserved in the WSIS+20 review process.
3. Consider media perspectives across the WSIS review process: Issues of media independence, safety, viability, and access to fact-based information intersect with Principles and Action Lines on access to ICTs, content governance, cultural diversity, and international cooperation.

To ensure that journalism, digital public infrastructure (DPI), and information integrity are meaningfully embedded in the WSIS+20 outcome document through a human rights-based, multistakeholder approach, we invite all WSIS+20 stakeholders—governments, civil society, private sector actors, and UN agencies to actively support and engage with GFMD’s WSIS+20 advocacy efforts, including:

• Read and share GFMD’s WSIS+20 Position Paper to inform policy discussions
• Contribute to the ongoing consultations outcome documents of the WSIS+20 Review process (know more here)
• Join Civil Society efforts such as GFMD’s working group on UN Advocacy or the Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS

Strong support has already been expressed across the global media development community for these priorities. We now call for this momentum to translate into action—recognising that without sustainable, independent journalism and public interest media, no inclusive digital future can be achieved.