News no longer automatically reaches its audience: algorithms and tech platforms manipulate what we see. What can journalists do to maintain visibility and credibility in that storm? We talked to Ariadne Papagapitos of Lighthouse Reports and Evelyn Austin of Bits of Freedom.

What challenges do journalists face when trying to reach their target audience?

Ariadne is impact director at Lighthouse Reports, an independent nonprofit for collaborative investigative journalism: “Until recently, stories were generally prepared by a homogeneous editorial staff and disappeared behind paywalls on websites. News became a product for the wealthy few. These days, reader numbers are dropping and young people no longer take out subscriptions. They generally get their news from social media. On those channels a few large tech companies determine what gets seen.”

Evelyn is the director of Bits of Freedom, a digital citizens’ rights movement that defends privacy and freedom of communication on the internet: “Those platforms, and now AI systems too, are the new gatekeepers and take the majority of the advertising incomes for themselves. Their algorithms focus on emotion and sensation: brief, provocative and easily digested, without distinguishing between real and fake, journalism and entertainment, quality and garbage. AI overviews in search engines mean visitors don’t look any further. As a result, thorough and more substantial journalism stories are getting less and less attention.”

What can you do as a journalist to reach your audience despite this?

Ariadne: “We often collaborate with content makers who have a large online following or a strong connection with our target audience. Sometimes a story gets picked up unexpectedly, like our investigation into PR agencies for the pesticide industry. The notorious, high-profile American podcaster Joe Rogan talked about it and it was shared by prominent MAHA* influencers. That raises tensions, but it does bring the subject to the attention of a new audience. The uneasy sensation is all part of that.”

Evelyn: “The big question is: how do you get noticed in an overcrowded information stream? Journalism has to compete with entertainment and misinformation. In the old days, your network determined your timeline, now the algorithm does. Since our court case against Meta, on Facebook and Instagram you can turn off the timeline generated by the algorithm and choose what you see for yourself again. This gives people more control.”

How can journalism reinforce credibility?

Ariadne: “Journalism strengthens credibility by focusing on audience needs and being transparent about its choices. Building real relationships with your audience, beyond the newsroom, creates accountability: explain how stories are made, who is heard, and why. That openness makes the work verifiable and builds trust.”

Evelyn: “Of course it’s tempting to keep adapting to the algorithm. We ask a lot from journalists and at the same time we tend to be quite negative about journalism organizations. I would really like to give some encouragement to journalists. Hold onto your professional integrity and standards, experiment with distribution channels where you stay in control. And keep explaining how you do your work and why it’s so important. Make this explicitly clear and fight for your right to exist.”

* Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) is a 2025 American government initiative, led by President Trump and minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aimed at curbing chronic diseases.