Independent Media is the Only Form of Legitimate Media
3 days ago: FOSS Force 2026 Independence Drive Lacks Independence From GAFAM's 'Linux' Foundation
A site we routinely link to (in Daily Links) has just mentioned Julian Assange and asserted that journalism is changing, not going away. Information is still possible to find and share online, it's just less tightly controlled by corporate media and oligarchs-owned social control media (which many quit in droves and some liberal nations restrict access to, citing threats to health, national security, and basic facts).
From the article in question: (emphasis added by us)
Journalism isn’t disappearing; its economic and institutional foundations are.Journalism was never simply about publishing information but rather about the systems surrounding publication: verification, accountability and liability. Those systems reduced errors, tested evidence and imposed consequences when journalists got things wrong. Much of the modern influence economy now preserves journalism’s reach while discarding many of the constraints that once made it credible.
Australia’s legal system recognises that distinction. Defamation law, shield laws and qualified privilege protections don’t simply protect anyone posting online. Courts routinely examine whether journalists acted reasonably, verified allegations, sought responses from subjects and followed recognised editorial processes. Journalism has never merely meant broadcasting opinions to an audience. It has meant exercising influence within identifiable standards of professional conduct.
That distinction is collapsing faster than most institutions seem willing to admit. And many Australians are oblivious to the change.
The old media order fractured years ago. Digital platforms destroyed the gatekeeping monopoly once held by newspapers and broadcasters. Bloggers, podcasters, streamers and independent commentators now shape political narratives at extraordinary scale. In many respects, that disruption has improved democratic debate. Independent voices exposed institutional failures, challenged ideological conformity and widened public participation in public discourse.
The publication of classified material by actors operating outside traditional journalism (such as Julian Assange) has accelerated public distrust towards governments, intelligence agencies and large media institutions. It has blurred distinctions between journalism, activism, disclosure and information warfare. Many Australians have likely concluded that institutional journalism has become too close to political, corporate and bureaucratic power. Independent media has rapidly moved into that collapsing trust space.
Independent media is, indeed, what we need to demand more of. █