CEO Statement: The Alliance Applauds the Release of the Cairncross Report
We applaud Dame Frances Cairncross and her team for the release of their final report on the sustainability of high-quality journalism in the United Kingdom.
News organizations around the world today are confronted with a multitude of challenges that, just a few decades ago, were unimaginable. From declining ad revenues to the spread of misinformation online and a digital marketplace dominated by a few select platforms, the financial futures of news organizations are under threat. The Cairncross Review takes a measured and in-depth look at these and other issues, demonstrating the UK Government’s commitment to high-quality journalism and an informed democracy.
The report’s recommendations, including calling for an investigation into the online ad marketplace and the establishment of a code of conduct between publishers and the online platforms, take news publishers’ concerns seriously and present options for other countries to follow. The Alliance was honored to provide the Review with insights into the news industry in the United States, and we’re pleased that the final report reflects many of the issues we raised.
A healthy democracy depends on the availability of reliable news and information. The Cairncross Review proposes some solutions to the issues facing news publishers, not just in the UK, but around the world. Now is the time for lawmakers to act.
Read more: UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport press release
David Chavern is former President & CEO of the News/Media Alliance. Chavern has 30 years of experience in executive strategic and operational roles. Prior to the Alliance, he completed a decade-long tenure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
