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, dialogue promotion, and scenario analysis, our activities aim to contribute to an independent, pluralistic, and sustainable media ecosystem – which is essential for democracy.

Momentum – Journalism and Tech Task Force builds solutions that positively impact the media ecosystem. Our work ranges from contributions to new regulatory models and public policies in the field to guidelines for technology development in the service of public-interest journalism. Through regional and transnational collaboration, we strive to ensure that perspectives from the Global South are represented in this debate of global interest.

The initiative is supported by the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and has IRIS – International Resource for Impact and Storytelling – as its fiscal sponsor. In Brazil, it is incubated at InternetLab, a research center for human rights and technology.

What’s at stake?

Media companies and organizations worldwide face many challenges, including a crisis in business models, shifts in consumer behavior, low reader trust, and technology-related issues. The result is a vulnerable ecosystem with its strength and independence under threat.

Although technology has always played a key role in shaping and in the evolution of media companies, the current relationship between big tech platforms and journalism is marked by a structural dependency that raises growing concerns.

This relationship between tech platforms and the news ecosystem is not only complex but also characterized by a significant power asymmetry. On one side, there are some of the most influential companies on the planet; on the other, a struggling industry that has lost economic relevance and innovation capacity. Traditional models of distribution, growth, and revenue, predominantly advertising-based, are no longer effective. Despite specific success cases, global journalism faces a serious sustainability crisis.

This asymmetry is even more evident in Global South markets, which, despite their relevance to platforms, are not prioritized in the discussions and negotiations shaping the relationship between big tech companies and the news ecosystem.

This scenario is intensified with the emerging technologies. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) are a technological milestone set to reshape the media industry. While AI presents a significant opportunity, it may also impact more acutely an industry that has long faced a profound crisis. In any case, we can expect a drastic shift in news production, distribution, and access in the near future.

Momentum aims to think strategically about these issues, seeking innovative solutions that can help build a new vision for journalism, enabling it to innovate according to current demands and thus ensuring its financial sustainability and independence. We explore ways to balance power relations in the market to ensure quality journalism has the necessary resources to continue fulfilling its social role as one of the pillars of democracy.