World News Day, supported by over 1,000 news providers including major outlets like The New York Times and Reuters, emphasizes the importance of journalism amid declining trust in news media. Organizers note a significant drop in global trust since 2026 and highlight that social media and AI chatbots are becoming primary sources for news despite being less trusted than traditional providers. Branko Brkic, co-organizer of World News Day, stresses the need for news organizations to collaborate and adapt to survive an "existential threat."
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
World News Day, observed on Monday, gathered over 1,000 news providers globally to promote the importance of journalism amid what organizers call an "existential threat" to the industry. Participating organizations like Reuters, the New York Times, and the Kyiv Independent shared editorials, advertisements, and cartoons emphasizing the value of trusted journalism. According to the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report from 2026, trust in news hit a record low as people increasingly turn to social media and AI chatbots for information. Branko Brkic, co-organizer of World News Day, stressed that once-rival media companies must collaborate or risk disappearing entirely. The event highlights the critical role of journalism in investigating and explaining significant events while addressing public anxiety, disengagement, and cynicism towards news.
Written for “World News Day Messaging” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
More than 1,000 news providers around the world have signed up to support World News Day on Monday, which aims to promote the role of journalism at a time when organisers say the industry faces an "existential threat".
Participating media organisations, including the New York Times, Reuters and the Kyiv Independent, are sharing editorials, ads and cartoons to highlight the value of "trusted journalism".
asserted
organisations → publish → journalism
Trust in news dropped to a new low globally in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute's latest Digital News Report, which noted that people are increasingly turning to social media and AI chatbots for news.
uncertain
people → drop → news
Branko Brkic, co-organiser of World News Day, said media organisations that were once rivals must work together, adding: "If we do not change the game, we are just not going to exist."
asserted
we → say → game
Declining trust in news
World News Day has grown since it began in 2018, and its message that "trusted journalism matters" aims to highlight the role of news providers in investigating and explaining important events.
asserted
journalism → decline → events
It comes against a backdrop of what the recent Reuters Institute report described as "anxiety, disengagement, and cynicism" towards news among the public, "but also openness to new sources and formats, and continued belief in what news at its best can offer".
asserted
news → come → best
Social media and video networks overtook news organisations' own websites and apps as the main source of online news last year, but are trusted less, the report said.
asserted
report → overtake → news
In another report, published earlier this month, UK media regulator Ofcom, external also said people now get news from a wider variety of sources, with YouTube "growing rapidly" and 20% of people using AI tools to access news.
asserted
% → publish → news
But growing choice has gone hand-in-hand with greater uncertainty about who and what to believe, and traditional providers are still seen as more trustworthy, accurate and impartial than online platforms, Ofcom said.
asserted
Ofcom → grow → platforms
Brkic, who founded South Africa's Daily Maverick, accepts that the media landscape has changed, and said established news organisations must respond.
"The old days are not coming back.
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days → found → Maverick
We need to form a new equilibrium, and the only way we can do it is that if we actually join forces," he said.
asserted
he → need → forces
"If we continue like this, we're just going to be weak individual players waiting to be taken out.
asserted
we → continue → this
If we don't change something pretty fundamentally and pretty urgently, we're just going to be roadkill."
asserted
we → change → something
Brkic said the mainstream media has "committed mistakes", but professional and reliable journalists play a vital role in society.
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journalists → say → society
"We need to talk to our audiences and explain to them, it's not in your interest not to choose truth and trust," he said.
asserted
he → need → truth
"We cannot function without a thing called the truth, without facts."
asserted
We → function → facts
The definition of "the truth" is often contested, however, as seen in US President Donald Trump's long-running battle with what he labels the "fake news media".
asserted
he → contest → what
Brkic added: "This is the information-based society.
asserted
This → add → ?
We are the infrastructure for that information-based society.
asserted
We → base → society
And that society is actually going to really struggle without us."
asserted
society → go → us
The Aporia
