Agency (DNI) is a European organisation established by Google to “promote high-quality digital news through innovation and technology”. It encompasses an “innovation fund” worth more than Euros 150m, which last year issued multiple grants to 4ior newspapers across Europe. The organisation was founded in 2021 by managing director Fabrice O’Donnell and managing editor Jan Linden. The first project it funded was the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, whose owner had received a winding-up order from the Court of Audience Appeal owing to its editorial actions while seeking to influence the election.

Agency was set up to increase the range and diversity of online news in Europe, and to improve the conditions of digital journalists working in the field. In Agency to the general goals of better informing people, they also aim to make digital news more relevant. At present many newspapers have adopted online business models, in which advertising supported by text or image ads appears on the right hand side of the page. As a consequence, readers have the impression that they are reading a newspaper which has come to them not only by the way in which it has been written but also by the way in which it has been placed on the page. By promoting their content digitally, news companies can build up a better-targeted customer base.

However, this type of advertising, known as sponsored content, is not permitted in the US and UK. The European Commission believes that publishers should provide an alternative to paid-link advertising, such as contextual advertising, and therefore does not ban the practice. The commission instead encourages publishers to use innovation as a way of promoting their content. As well as helping to develop new business models for digital news journalism, this will also help them to protect their investment in quality journalism. While many newspapers have already made some changes to their business models in response to the digital news initiative, larger publications may not be able to do so before regulatory action against such practices becomes imminent.

The commission has established a working group, which includes members from all parts of the EU, to monitor developments and report back to it. Its main activity is to co-ordinate the development of the Digital Single Market, with a view to create the framework needed for the functioning of the digital Single Market. This includes establishing the conditions for the different sectors to operate in a harmonised manner and to ensure that users have greater access to information, services and competition. In its discussions with the countries that are part of the European Union, the EU wants to achieve the same objectives for the Digital Single Market that was set out in the Amsterdam Treaties. These include achieving digital equality, more market access for citizens and increased investment in research and innovation.

As part of its focus on digital equality across the board, the Netherlands has been leading the way in terms of drafting policies and legislation that would promote the notion of equality in the field of media ownership. Other countries, like Italy and Spain, are considering introducing similar provisions to the EU. One thing that the Netherlands has made clear is that its aim is not to limit the role of the press in society, but to promote more balanced functioning between the media and other institutions. This would include the role of the courts, which has the power to prevent ownership concentration by certain media groups. Another policy of the Netherlands is to introduce a new law that will ban paid public media advertising, such as in newspapers and magazines.

As part of the Digital Single Market, the UK-based organisation welcomes the initiative taken by the Netherlands and says that it will continue to work with the Commission in its efforts to foster growth and technological advancements in the digital Single Market. “Commerce is one of the drivers behind the growth of the digital economy. For this reason, the UK plays an important role in helping the Commission develop its digital policy, and is an active participant in shaping its execution,” said a spokesperson for the Association of Independent Publishers (apyi). “The Association of Independent Publishers feels that the Digital Single Market should remain closely linked to ensuring that digital businesses have the same opportunities as other businesses when it comes to accessing potential customers. We believe that a United Kingdom-led Digital Single Market will create great opportunities for both traditional publishers and new digital media owners.”

Agency (EJO) is another important part of the picture. The organization says that the Digital News Initiative “aims to improve the quality and accuracy of information released from public sources through traditional as well as non-traditional media”. This initiative intends to foster transparency in the industry and to enhance the business interests of European journalists. The members of the EJO include news agencies such as Agence France-Press, Corriere Della Citta, El Padulco, Le Figaro, La Repubblica, L’Equipe, La Nouvelle Journal, Miron, NRC Sport, Press TV, Slate, The Telegraph, and W —.

The International Journalist’s Guild (IJG), an international association of freelance writers and correspondents, is very concerned about the impact of the Digital News Initiative on the sector. “With the growth of online publications there are many more opportunities for people to work from home. That means increased competition for the best journalists and editors. It also means that some companies are taking advantage of this situation by launching low quality sites that are designed to capture the hopes of desperate journalists looking for work. These sites do not contribute anything substantial to the industry and rarely publish original work by credible European authors”.