Addressing “Lawful but Awful” Content
What are the best ways to manage online content that is “lawful but awful”?
Our Work
Advancing independent media, an open internet, and informed policy through global research, dialogue and innovation.
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An Open Internet: Press Freedom’s New Frontline
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AI Applications in Investigative Journalism
Issue Primers
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Addressing “Lawful but Awful” Content
What are the best ways to manage online content that is “lawful but awful”?
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Journalists & Online Abuse
How can we better protect the press from online harassment and abuse?
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Journalists & Cyber Threats
How can we better ensure the digital security of the press and protect against cyber threats?
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Protecting an Open Internet
How can we encourage the protection of an open internet?
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Building News Relevance
How can the news media remain relevant, particularly with young audiences and underserved communities?
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Building News Economic Sustainability
How can public policy addressing economic support for news enable independent, competitive journalism without creating political or legacy bias?
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Addressing Disinformation
How can we ensure that mechanisms to stem disinformation aren’t used to restrict press independence or free speech?
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Synthetic Media & Deepfakes
How do we protect societies from synthetic media and “deepfakes”?
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Artificial Intelligence in Journalism
How do we enable the benefits and manage the harms of artificial intelligence in journalism?
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Modernizing Copyright Law
How can copyright law be modernized in a way that benefits independent, competitive journalism and an open internet?
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Enhancing Algorithmic Transparency
How can public policy enhance algorithmic transparency and accountability while protecting against political or commercial manipulation?
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Algorithms & Quality News
How can we ensure that algorithms identify and promote fact-based, independent journalism?
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Open Distribution of News
What are sustainable models for open distribution and consumption of news and information?
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Evolving Technology & Media
How will evolving technology and media formats change societal expectations for and relationships with news?
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Enhancing News Diversity
How can public policy enhance an open, innovative environment for a diverse press?
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Internet Shutdowns, Press Freedom and the Global Information Crisis: Iran as a Case Study
Iran emerges as a prominent example of decline in both internet and press freedoms. It serves as both a distinctive case marked by its own intricate challenges as a country and a microcosm of the global threats to press and…
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What Independence Really Means for Indie Journalists
This group is more able to innovate, represent diverse communities, and tell stories that might escape institutional newsrooms — stories we need more than ever. But independence, it turns out, is not so simple.
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Who Pays for Local News in India
And Why the Answer Should Matter to Every Journalism Market in the World
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Takeaways from the India AI Impact Summit
The scale of the India AI Summit has expanded significantly from the early global AI gatherings just a few years ago.
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Newsroom Policies for AI in Journalism
The third briefing from the AI and Journalism Research Working Group finds that organizational AI policies tend to prioritize principles and values over practical guidance.
Quick Data Hits
54%
of journalists surveyed reported that their governments are exerting excessive control over their work.
Read full post: World Press Freedom Day 2025: About Half of Surveyed Journalists Report Their Government Seeks Too Much Control Over Their Journalism
22%
of U.S. adults regularly turn to individual content creators or influencers for news and information online our survey found.
Read full post: Americans who Rely on Content Creators or Influencers for News are Active Consumers who Value the Role of Journalism in Society
36%
of journalists surveyed said that AI will have a positive effect on enabling an informed public.
Read full post: What It Means to Do Journalism in the Age of AI: Journalist Views on Safety, Technology and Government
Policy Analysis & Other Research
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South African Indie Info Providers: Responding to Resource Constraints with Creativity and Collaboration
South African newsrooms are shrinking. CNTI’s new report finds the indie info providers responding to that collapse with creativity, collaboration and a pointed push to decolonize local media.
Media Attention
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CNTI featured on “The Corder Report”
“There’s a really cool organization out of America, the Center for News, Technology & Innovation.”
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Independent journalists are mission-driven, but financially strained, a new report says
“Journalism isn’t immune to the larger trend of the gig-ification of labor.”
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Can journalists really make a living on Substack?
A few high-profile writers are thriving. For most, it’s still a grind.
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We know more about creator journalists than we ever have
CNTI’s new report is the most comprehensive look yet at the independent journalism economy – and it bummed some of you out.
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‘I’m playing the long game’: Journalists are striking out alone and discovering the business is toughest beat of all
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AI for Human Propaganda
While journalism cultures around the world grapple seriously with the impact of AI, China’s closed and repressive media system can only celebrate the trend as…
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AI Versus Accuracy? We’re Willing to Make the Trade-Off
When asking AI about the news, readers “know the answers they are getting are not perfect.” They keep asking anyway.
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AI Basic Training: Newsrooms Offer Little Practical Guidance
Announcements & Event Outtakes
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An Open Internet: Press Freedom’s New Frontline
In partnership with the George W. Bush Institute, CNTI recently convened a global roundtable on the state of press freedom, bringing together journalists, media executives, researchers, legal experts and more.
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Takeaways from the India AI Impact Summit
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Be Prudent, Be Deliberative, Be Prepared
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CNTI Ethical Principles and AI Policy
Guest Essays
Opinions from experts working across journalism and technology.
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What Independence Really Means for Indie Journalists
This group is more able to innovate, represent diverse communities, and tell stories that might escape institutional newsrooms — stories we need more than ever. But independence, it turns out, is not so simple.
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Who Pays for Local News in India
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The Hardware of Democracy: Upgrading Journalism’s Next Operating System
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Integrating Emerging Technology in Newsrooms Must Preserve Journalistic Agency
Digital safety for journalists must be addressed at multiple levels: by governments, technology companies, publishers, and researchers. Progress will require dedication and cooperation.”
— Amy Mitchell, Executive Director of CNTI