Inside AFP

On the second day of the World News Media Congress in Copenhagen, AFP's Global News Director, Phil Chetwynd, participated in a panel discussion titled "The Forces Shaping Journalism and What to Do About Them." 

The session addressed the mounting external pressures on journalism that are significantly influencing newsrooms and their future. Panellists offered insights on how to sustain and strengthen independent and reliable journalism amid increasing challenges related to press freedom, AI, and revenue generation. 
 
“What concerns me the most is the damaging of the journalist's role in society,” said Chetwynd. “We've had populist leaders for the last 10 years constantly [...] de-credibilising the role of journalists in society. I fear that we get to the point where many people in society actually don't think that we have the right to play that role,” he added. 

When discussing the challenges posed by the development of AI, Chetwynd expressed optimism about the technology's potential to enhance newsroom efficiency, while also emphasising the need for cautious and thoughtful implementation. 

“The only things we have as journalists are trust and facts, so we always have to remember that the stakes from errors are huge,” said Chetwynd. 

“We have to remain cautious about how we use this technology. We should always have a human at the end of the chain, and we have to be extremely transparent about how we explain what we're doing with this technology to our clients,” he added. 

Phil Chetwynd was joined by Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Co-Founder & CEO of Rappler, and Jennifer Wilton, Editor in Chief at Die Welt. The discussion was moderated by Emily Bell, Founder and Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.