Antonio Zappulla on the Thomson Reuters Foundation's enduring support for the Reuters Institute

For the first time in decades, autocracies now outnumber democracies. Three out of four people on the planet live under autocratic regimes. That means we are living in a world where people’s rights and the free flow of information are increasingly scrutinised and compromised.

Like wildfire, the influence of these autocratic leaders has spread through emerging news channels, propaganda, and platform disruption. It has fanned the flames of existing culture wars and fuelled distrust in institutions – including the media – to deepen societal divisions.

In a post-truth information environment saturated with noise, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s rigorous, independent research is more important than ever. Indeed, it is not just a research institute but provides infrastructure for evidence-based decision-making across the media industry worldwide. The Digital News Report is a compass that guides many sector leaders to understand audiences at a scale that would be unfeasible otherwise. The global reach of the Fellowship is testament to the Institute’s profound influence – 23 journalists from 19 countries tackling questions from AI attribution to reporting from exile.

This is why the Thomson Reuters Foundation is proud to provide core funding for the RISJ. For 20 years our two organisations have collaborated to strengthen the media industry and support journalists to best reach their audiences with high-quality, public interest information.

In these changing times, our commitment to strengthening free, fair, and informed societies remains unshakeable. We see independent journalism as a critical lever for democratic resilience. Amid a climate of short-term funding and increasing distrust, we are committed to investing in independent journalism and credible insights and data that support its long-term survival.