Authoritarian influence ‘strengthened’ by cuts to independent media, report warns
BBC Media Action is among the organisations sounding the alarm over funding cuts to independent media that are strengthening authoritarian influence worldwide.
It comes as a new report shows that up to 80% of independent media outlets surveyed across the globe have reported downsizing, closure and less ability to report or investigate.
Authoritarian Utopia: The Impact of Funding Cuts on Independent Media has been published by Netherlands-based Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and conducted in collaboration with a media development consortium led by BBC Media Action, Internews and FPU.
BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international charity, working in 30 countries and in more than 50 languages, supporting independent media essential to democracy and development.
Among the report’s key findings are that 80% of media outlets surveyed reported funding cuts and reductions in activity, while 26% reported losing over half of their funding.
Media outlets are reporting lay-offs, salary cuts, a reduction in quality and quantity of reporting and even skipping meals in order to continue their work.
The report also shows that where independent media decline, authoritarian interests are filling the vacuum. Local media partners have reported on this dynamic across different continents.
In Sudan, one media outlet said political crises combined with reduction in funding for media has resulted in weakened democratic institutions and little independent oversight.
In Pakistan, media outlets have reported increased influence from China and Pakistan’s own military, with claims that journalists have been approached with financial packages and opportunities to work in digital media to further these interests.
In Jordan, a media outlet reported increased risk of misinformation as independent media outlets are no longer able to fact-check at the same scale, and gaps are filled by organisations aligned with authoritarian agendas.
The report also shows a noticeable decline in resources and time-intensive forms of journalism, such as investigations, monitoring local governance and thematic coverage of environmental justice, politics, and minorities, LGBTQ+ and gender issues.
Community media has been disproportionately impacted, in particular those outlets that serve rural areas or vulnerable communities.
Media outlets also report that fact-checking platforms can no longer operate at scale, which results in a rise in the spread of harmful and misleading content, including the use of deepfake technologies and the widespread sharing of fabricated news across social media platforms.
The report recommends action including commitments to sustainable, long-term funding; investments in local media; donor co-ordination; cross-border collaboration; and emergency funding mechanisms to help independent media respond to sudden disruptions.
Earlier this week, the UK government launched its green paper and public consultation on the future of UK media, which includes plans to give established broadcasters more visibility on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, in part to improve access to trusted news online.
Ruth Kronenburg, executive director of Free Press Unlimited, said: “The report calls for a shift: independent media support is a strategic investment in Europe’s security, stability, and influence – not merely solidarity or a commitment to free expression.
“For the EU, the question isn’t affordability. To remain a credible geopolitical actor, preserve influence, strengthen democratic partners, and counter authoritarian interference, such support must be treated as strategic infrastructure, essential to democratic resilience like election support, rule of law, anti-corruption and cyber defence.”
Simon Bishop, CEO of BBC Media Action, said: “We are in an information revolution. More information is available than at any time in human history. Yet so much of it is toxic, and we see a growing number of malign actors weaponising it to drive division and distrust.
“This report highlights that at the very moment the world needs trustworthy information, independent media, a traditional reliable source, has been massively hit by cuts in aid funding. The losers are democracies, cohesive societies and individuals who need trustworthy information to make informed decisions to improve their lives. The winners are authoritarian regimes and malign actors.”
Meera Selva, CEO of Internews Europe, said: “It is clear we cannot have peace, security or even democratic elections unless we have independent media and a digital space that gives citizens clear, relevant and trustworthy information.
“This is no longer about press freedom or the survival of the media sector. It is about whether governments can keep the lines of communication open with their own populations and ensure that public discourse is fit for purpose.”
