In the relentless churn of the digital age, where information flashes and fades in an instant and opinion is often mistaken for fact, a singular beacon holds steady: the unflinching light of real journalism.
On World News Day, we pause to recognize this vital force—a profession and a calling dedicated not to clicks or virality, but to the foundational principles of truth, accountability, and public service.
Real journalism, with its methodical pursuit of verification and its courage to shine a light in dark places, possesses a profound and enduring value that transcends the daily news cycle, anchoring our societies in shared reality.
This journalism is not defined by the speed of a tweet but by the depth of its impact. It is the investigative report that exposes corruption and triggers reform. It is the compassionate story from a conflict zone that humanizes distant statistics and mobilizes global aid. It is the local correspondent who sits through endless council meetings so that a community understands the decisions shaping its streets and schools.
These are the stories that resonate, that change laws, that save lives, and that, piece by piece, build the historical record of our time.
They are the result of journalists who often work at great personal risk, armed with nothing but a notebook, a camera, and a sacred commitment to getting the story right.
This year’s World News Day calls on all of us to actively #ChooseJournalism.
This choice is a conscious decision to support the independent, fact-based news organizations that serve as bulwarks against the tide of misinformation. It is a commitment to value and financially sustain the work that holds power to account, gives voice to the voiceless, and provides the context we need to navigate an increasingly complex world.
By sharing the stories that have moved us, informed us, or outraged us into action, we do more than just consume news—we participate in the ecosystem that makes it possible.
We affirm that #FactsMatter, not as a slogan, but as the non-negotiable bedrock of an informed citizenry and a healthy democracy.
On #WND2025 and every day, let us celebrate and champion the indispensable work of journalists everywhere, for their light is what guides us all.
