New video makes the economic case for investing in public interest media to mark World News Day 2026

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Paris, 25 September: Ahead of World News Day on 28 September, the Forum on Information and Democracy (FID), in partnership with the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), has released a short video renewing the call for governments and policymakers to invest in public interest media.

One year ago, the High-Level Panel on Public Interest Media, which was convened by FID and comprising 11 leading economists, published a landmark statement making the economic case for such investment. The statement was picked up by over 80 media outlets and helped shape World News Day's call to action.

Twelve months on, the situation has not improved. Financial pressure on newsrooms continues to intensify, while the rapid growth of AI is reshaping the information ecosystem faster than public interest safeguards can keep pace. Google's AI Overviews are reducing referral traffic to news publishers, and the introduction of advertising within AI chatbots threatens to divert further revenue away from journalism. Meanwhile, the cost of inaction is measurable: disinformation is estimated to cost the global economy $417 billion a year, with Russia alone spending an estimated $1.85 billion annually on foreign propaganda.

Drawing on the High-Level Panel's statement and the recent Value of Journalism report published by the International Fund, UNESCO and DW Akademie, the video presents this evidence in a concise, accessible format. It is a call to action directed at governments and policymakers, and is intended to raise awareness among a wider public.

The video is available with subtitles in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, alongside a vertical version for social platforms.

Read the High Level Panel of Economists Statement

Read the Value of Journalism Report

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