DG8 Summit 2024: Journalist safety, censorship and the role of third-party platforms

The leaders of eight international public service media broadcasters – the DG8 – from like-minded democratic nations Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, met on 12 and 13 November in Sydney under the presidency of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

ABC Chair Kim Williams delivered the opening address to the DG8 group and the summit concluded with members reaffirming their cooperation around shared interests: the importance of guaranteeing all citizens access to balanced and independent information, the fight against misinformation, disinformation and censorship, and the centrality of editorial independence and journalistic safety as pre-conditions for press freedom and the public’s right to be informed.

Read more: The leaders of 8 international public service media broadcasters – the DG8 – met in Sydney to discuss key challenges for public media

During the summit, DG8 members discussed the following areas of common concern:

•    JOURNALIST SAFETY: An increasingly dangerous global media environment with the growth of repression and the harassment of journalists highlights the importance of ensuring journalist safety and editorial independence.

•    MEDIA TRUST AND THE VALUE OF PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA: In keeping with their core mission as trusted news providers, DG8 members reaffirm their role as champions of efforts to provide audiences across the globe with accurate and verified news, countering misinformation/disinformation. The members note the need for greater media literacy and training.

•    ENGAGING WITH THIRD-PARTY PLATFORMS: DG8 members note the need for increased engagement from Platform Owners (Big Tech, Social Media companies), urging greater accountability and transparency around measures being taken to counter mis- and disinformation, deep fake content and fraudulent copyright which are endangering individuals and communities, and lowering trust in public institutions. The DG8 urge Platform Owners to provide and enable users access to trusted news content and verified information as these are proven cornerstones of healthy and productive democracies and societies.

•    CENSORSHIP: DG8 members note the increasing censorship and blocking of free independent media outlets, including international public sector broadcasters in countries across the globe and the frequent exile of committed journalists from these countries. DG8 members also note the need for increased funding and research of censorship circumvention tools.

About the DG8

The DG8 comprises eight international public service media organisations from Australia (ABC International), Canada (CBC/Radio-Canada), France (France Médias Monde), Germany (Deutsche Welle), Japan (NHK WORLD-JAPAN), Switzerland (SRG SSR), the United Kingdom (BBC World Service), and the United States (U.S. Agency for Global Media).

Collectively, DG8 members generate more than 1.5 billion user contacts every week in more than 75 languages, giving them a significant journalistic impact worldwide. Through their delivery of professional, balanced and verified news and information, DG8 members are at the forefront of the fight against misinformation and disinformation, content manipulation and propaganda.