Media industry
fromNieman Lab
14 hours agoThe fight for independence
Independent American journalism outlets will decline in number in 2026 due to consolidation, political hostility, and economic pressures.
Without a fundamental shift in how newsrooms think about and build technology, journalism's independence is in jeopardy. The threats are not abstract. Link referrals to newsroom websites are declining from both search engines and social media sites because tech companies want to keep users engaged in their own platforms. Information held in the cloud can be subpoenaed, often in secret, putting sources and journalists at risk.