Vision and Values
The internet was supposed to democratize information and art alike. And, to some extent, it has: it is now easier than ever to produce and share written and audiovisual content and, in many parts of the world, to circumvent state censorship. But as we are presented with a constant stream of content – often directed by opaque tech-platform algorithms – high-quality and credible works can seem like needles in a haystack.
In fact, the digital transformation has helped to usher in a crisis of journalism, not least by upending traditional media business models and facilitating the proliferation of misinformation and propaganda. And it has shifted the film industry’s priorities away from creating potent art capable of catalyzing social and political change, with the quest for online “virality” encouraging instead the generation of endless easily palatable content.
Among the myriad crises the world is facing today, the crises of journalism and the film industry might seem to be of minor concern. They cannot compare, one might argue, to climate change and environmental degradation, to skyrocketing inequality and societal fragmentation, to democratic decay and the revival of authoritarianism, to the collapse of multilateralism and the growing militarization of international politics.
But a lack of free, high-quality, and trusted journalism exacerbates every one of these destructive trends, as social movements depend on access to reliable, accurate information. And our failure to give meaningful filmmaking the attention and support it deserves amounts to neglect of a powerful potential lever for change.
