Momentum
Momentum
Momentum – Journalism and Tech Task Force is a global initiative based in Brazil, dedicated to exploring the complex intersections between journalism and technology and their impact on public debate and the information environment. Through research, mobilization, promotion of dialogue and scenario analysis, our activities seek to contribute to an independent, plural and sustainable media ecosystem – something fundamental to democracy.
Momentum – Journalism and Tech Task Force builds solutions that can positively impact the media ecosystem. From contributions to new regulatory models and public policies in the area, to guidelines for the development of technology that serves public interest journalism. Through regional and transnational collaboration, we want to ensure that views from the Global South are represented in this debate that is of global interest.
The initiative is supported by the International Fund for Public Interest Media – IFPIM. It has IRIS – international resource for impact and storytelling – as fiscal sponsor. In Brazil, it is incubated at InternetLab, a research center on human rights and technology.
What’s at stake?
Media companies and organizations around the world are facing a variety of challenges, including a crisis in business models, changes in consumer behavior, low reader trust, and technology-related issues. The result is a vulnerable ecosystem whose strength and independence are under threat.
While technology has always played a fundamental role in the formation and evolution of media companies, the current relationship between large technology platforms and journalism is characterized by a structural dependence that is causing growing concern.
The relationship between these platforms and the news industry is not only complex, but marked by a significant asymmetry of power. On one side, we have some of the most influential companies on the planet; on the other, a struggling industry that has lost its economic relevance and capacity for innovation. Traditional models of distribution, growth, and revenue, predominantly based on advertising, are no longer effective. Beyond specific success stories, global journalism is facing a serious sustainability crisis.
This asymmetry is even more evident in the markets of the Global South, which, despite their relevance to the platforms, are not prioritized in the discussions and negotiations that shape the relationship between large technology companies and the news ecosystem.
This situation is accentuated with the arrival of Artificial Intelligence. Generative AI and LLMs (large language models) are a milestone in technology and will reshape the media industry. AI, while presenting itself as a great opportunity, can also have an even more acute impact on an industry that has long been facing a deep crisis. In either case, we can assume that in the near future we will see a drastic change in relation to the production, distribution and access to news.
Momentum emerges to think strategically about these issues, seeking innovative solutions that can contribute to the construction of a new vision for journalism, capable of innovating according to the demands of current times and thus guaranteeing its financial sustainability and independence. We explore ways to balance power relations in the market, with the aim of ensuring that quality journalism has the necessary resources to continue performing its social function as one of the pillars of democracy.
