This is a critical moment for the future of journalism and democracy – with authoritarianism on the rise, and escalating attacks on journalism and media freedom globally. The Centre for Journalism and Democracy investigates the threats facing journalism, assesses the impact of these on civil life, and designs interventions to help address them.
The Challenge
Journalism and democracy are under attack globally. Reporters are being murdered in war zones and jailed for doing their jobs at unprecedented rates. Independent media outlets are pressured and smeared by political leaders, while journalists are harassed, abused and threatened online and off. Viral disinformation and conspiracy campaigns are polluting information eco-systems as Big Tech companies dismantle the guardrails. And the business model for public interest media is failing.
Threats to free and independent media pose a profound risk to democracy, social cohesion, and our ability to hold powerful actors and entities to account. Declining media freedom goes hand in hand with democratic backsliding – and it is one of the most significant issues facing open societies around the world.
What We do
The Centre for Journalism and Democracy brings together researchers and practitioners to examine these issues. Its research and events explore the pressing issues facing journalism, the impact of these on public life, and interventions to address them. We partner with journalists, think tanks, NGOs, and policy-makers to explore how ethical, public interest journalism can be reimagined and protected for future generations.
Our Home
The Centre is based in the School of Communication and Creativity at City St George’s, University of London. It brings together researchers from across the university, particularly those in journalism, policy and law.
City’s Department of Journalism is the biggest and best-known centre for journalism education in the United Kingdom, with over 7000 alumni working at the top of newsrooms around the world, from the BBC and Washington Post, to Al Jazeera, Tik Tok and the Times of India.
Researchers in City’s School of Policy and Global Affairs provide policymakers, activists, business and commercial sectors with world-class research and insight to make sense of the changing global landscape.
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Main Photo Caption: Photographers wearing helmets and gas masks cower behind a pillar, taking pictures at an anti government protest while piles of tyres burn behind them. Ukraine, Kiev. Vincent Mundy – PANOS