The business of news is changing, and not for the better. When clickbait headlines generate more revenue than months of hard-hitting investigative research, truth becomes the first casualty. In this editorial, I reflect on the challenges we face at The concrete News to maintain editorial independence.
A free press must not be answerable to corporate boards or viral algorithms. It must remain answerable only to the people. We must foster community-supported journalism to keep truth free from influence.
Independent journalism is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. When we allow click-driven algorithms to dictate what is important, we fail in our duty as watchdogs of society. We must rebuild trust by delivering factual, deep-dive reporting directly to our readers.