The Future of Independent Journalism: Perspectives from Europe and the US

Across the U.S. and Europe, independent journalism is under attack- from lawsuits and surveillance to economic pressure and media consolidation. As ownership concentrates and smaller outlets struggle to operate, the information landscape fragments, making it harder to identify credible sources. The stakes go beyond journalism itself. Without independent media, accountability weakens and public debate fractures into polarized camps which is detrimental to democracy. Yet, new models are emerging: local newsrooms, independent investigative outlets, and cross-border collaborations are experimenting with ways to rebuild a shared public sphere.

This panel will explore the outlook of journalism and democracy from a European and American perspective:

The Attack: Legal, political, and economic pressures on journalism

Democratic Erosion: What happens when independent media disappears

New Models: Can emerging approaches replace traditional structures?

Speakers include:

Serena Danna is deputy editor of Open, an Italian digital news outlet focused on fact-checking and aimed at a younger audience. She previously served as deputy editor of Vanity Fair Italia and was an editor and reporter at Corriere della Sera, where she contributed to major features and international reporting and helped launch the cultural supplement La Lettura. She teaches journalism at IULM University in Milan and is one of the rotating hosts of “Prima Pagina,” the daily press review on Rai Radio 3. In 2011, she published the book “Prodotto Interno Mafia” (Einaudi).

Daniel Drepper is a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and an investigative journalist from Berlin in Germany. Drepper is the chairman of the association of investigative journalists in Germany. Before his time at Harvard he was head of investigative cooperations between the public TV stations NDR and WDR and the national daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. Before, Drepper was editor in chief of BuzzFeed News in Germany and co-founder of the investigative non-profit newsroom Correctiv. He is especially interested in building strong communities around investigative journalism about the climate and environment crisis.

John Hammontree is Nieman Felllow and the executive producer of podcasting for the Alabama Media Group. At Harvard he is looking at the rise of sports media and influencers and their effect on young men and the spread of misinformation. As the head of podcasting for AL.com, John is responsible for developing and producing podcasts and video series across the AL.com newsroom, including the flagship daily news podcast “Down in Alabama.” John co-created and executive-produced “American Shrapnel,” a forthcoming podcast and video documentary series about the radicalization of serial bomber Eric Robert Rudolph.