Microsoft’s approach to the current media crisis

Independent journalism and press freedom are vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals but are currently facing huge challenges, according to Teresa Hutson, corporate vice president of technology and corporate responsibility at Microsoft.

“Journalism and independent media are under threat around the world. We see this with the rise of authoritarianism, an increase in threats across online, and legal and even physical threats against journalists, particularly affecting journalists who hold governments and power to account,” she said.

The environment for journalism is “bad” in seven out of 10 countries and only satisfactory in three out of 10, according to the World Press Freedom Index. In 2022, at least 67 journalists were killed in relation to their work — an almost 50% increase from 2021.

“There's the big problem with the declining effectiveness of the newsroom business model that is foundational to all of this,” Hutson said. Research found that in the United States over 360 newspapers had shuttered following the COVID-19 pandemic, while in recent weeks thousands of job cuts have been made across the industry.

But without quality information to shine a light on inequities and hold institutions to account, upholding democracy and democratic values can be difficult.

“What we need for a democratic society is facts. We can’t hold power to account, we can't participate in government, we can’t make informed decisions, we can't engage with our fellow citizens in democracy without facts,” Hutson said. “It all accrues to SDG 16 on promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions; one of which is journalism.”

"Journalism can promote the stories of underrepresented communities and help bridge divides. That supports SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 10 on reducing inequalities,” she added.

Sitting down with Devex, Hutson explained how Microsoft’s new Journalism Hub and Media Viability Accelerator will help to support journalism business models and press freedom, how this work fits into the technology company’s portfolio, and the role it sees technology and artificial intelligence playing in the future of journalism.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

How is Microsoft working to support local news ecosystems and restore trust in news?

At Microsoft, we believe that we have a responsibility to advance and protect people's fundamental rights and address the challenges that technology can create.

On May 3, we launched a journalism hub, a resource center for the journalism community around the world. This new online tool is a one-stop shop for media to access tools, technology, and services from across Microsoft and our partners that can help them rebuild capacity in local news ecosystems, restore trust in news, and build their businesses. With this hub we are, at scale, giving access to the various assets that Microsoft can bring to the equation.

Democracy relies on an informed public but in recent years many independent media organizations have gone out of business. Without independent news sources to inform, track, and keep public officials accountable, democracy around the world is at risk. We are providing tools for journalists through this hub, including data visualization tools and discounts on Microsoft 365 to help their businesses. We think about the ways in which our technology can increase the efficiency and reach of a newsroom through the tools we offer. This can help improve research, reporting, and other editorial needs.

We are also thinking about how we can help to restore trust in news. This isn't just a news problem. Trust in traditional institutions has fallen across the board; trust in government, higher education, science, and media. To work on this issue for journalism, we’ve partnered closely with NewsGuard to build its publisher rating tool — that shows trust scores and ratings for news and information websites based on their adherence to nine journalistic criteria — and include it in the hub. It’s also easy to install the tool on our Edge browser. We've also included digital media literacy tools in this hub to help readers of news become more informed consumers.

Finally, the hub also includes tools that reduce risks for journalists, including tools to address cyberthreats and how we can help to reduce some legal risks. We have a number of tools to enhance their online safety, including AccountGuard for journalists on Microsoft 365, which helps protect their online presence from cyberattacks. We have also worked with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP to develop and support a program called ProJourn, which is providing journalists with no-cost legal help.

How does the work that you do in journalism fit into Microsoft’s overall portfolio and mission?

Our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. We will do this in a way where we advance fundamental rights, support inclusive growth, create a sustainable future, and earn trust. My team is focused on fundamental rights; specifically, how we are using data and technology to advance and protect fundamental rights. We think about where technology can help close the digital divide and, as technology gets more advanced, how we can deliver access to connectivity and make sure technology is accessible for people with disabilities. We think about how technology can protect and advance equitable and fair societal systems. We think about this in our work related to justice as well as about how we engage as a business in a responsible way.

Foundational across all of this is a need to support and advance democracy. Business does better in a democracy. About 95% of our business is done in democratic countries. Democracy creates stability, predictability, and an environment where people can live, work, and thrive. Journalism is core to that.

What would your call to action be for the global development community around press freedom?

Stay engaged and support your local news. More than anything else, we need an informed public and consumers of independent media. We encourage people to check out our journalism hub and partner with us to deliver even more tools and resources. Try Bing and the AI tools available and let us know how they are useful to you so we can make more of those opportunities available. Help promote digital and media literacy so that we have a world of critical thinkers and consumers of news. We need everybody in the ecosystem to lean into it.