[OPINION] Clicks, code and control: How journalism is being strangled

Tarık Toros*

Across the world, fundamental moral values, the principles that have provided social cohesion for centuries, are being systematically undermined.

Yet historical patterns suggest that societies eventually return to tested values and shared principles. Periods of instability have, at times, strengthened the long-term commitment to coexistence, justice and democratic order.

Social norms and ideological landscapes evolve. But certain principles remain constant.

When individuals give their word, they are expected to keep it. Consistency between actions and statements reflects personal integrity. Dignity and respect remain essential for building trust, both at the individual and institutional levels.

In contrast, betrayal, manipulation, cruelty, racism and hatred erode not only personal relationships but also the foundations of public life. These values, or the lack thereof, shape states and their governance.

This raises a critical question: What response is appropriate when these principles are deliberately distorted, weaponized or sacrificed to entrench power structures?

In many societies, dissent is misdirected toward convenient targets, while systemic abuses by those in authority are met with silence. This dynamic reflects neither genuine opposition nor democratic engagement, but rather complicity.

Throughout history, regardless of a nation’s governing system, one constant remains: Power holders inevitably fear public mobilization. They deploy police, intelligence services and legal mechanisms to suppress opposition. They manipulate public narratives through state-aligned media.

Yet, despite these efforts, complete control remains elusive.

When public concern reaches critical mass, even authoritarian leaders are forced to react. They simulate dialogue, promise reforms, adjust legislation when necessary, all designed to contain dissent without relinquishing control.

At times, internal tensions compel governments to sacrifice scapegoats, symbolic gestures to deflect pressure while maintaining strategic direction. The broader objective remains unchanged.

This dynamic was captured by Turkish author Ahmet Altan in a 2009 speech delivered in Leipzig: “Like all living beings, humans are violent.”

But we have two qualities that set us apart. First, we add our minds and our awareness to this violence, turning nature’s innocent cruelty into something darker, something sinful. Second, we carry a force that stands in direct opposition to this. We have a drive to protect the weak and stand against injustice.

We call this force conscience. Our whole life, our whole identity, our entire being, they are shaped by one simple question: “Which part of us do we choose to nurture?”

The integrity of both individuals and societies depends less on rhetoric and more on the consistent choice to develop this protective, ethical dimension. That choice is not singular, it recurs daily, shaping governance, institutions and public life.

The erosion of democratic principles today coincides with the rapid transformation of digital spaces, particularly the internet.

For many journalists, the internet remains the last viable space for free expression, a platform to circulate information and hold power to account.

In an environment where traditional public squares are surveilled or suppressed, a single social media post can surpass physical demonstrations in reach and influence.

Digital platforms offer immediacy, expansive dissemination and measurable public response. This explains why authoritarian regimes increasingly seek to control online spaces. The internet that defined global connectivity over the last three decades is rapidly disappearing.

Traditional search engines are being replaced by AI-powered tools. Algorithms now regulate visibility, determining what content is amplified and what effectively vanishes from public discourse. Numerous journalists and independent publishers report a similar pattern: “My posts once reached hundreds of thousands. Now I’m lucky to reach a thousand.”

This is not merely anecdotal. It signals a structural threat to press freedom and democracy. The decline in organic traffic undermines independent media revenues, limiting the production of investigative reporting. As resources dwindle, critical stories go untold, weakening the pillars of democratic accountability.

AI technologies exacerbate this crisis by extracting and reproducing content from news outlets without attribution. Traffic, visibility and financial benefits flow disproportionately to large technology firms such as Google rather than to the journalists generating original work.

The impact is visible even among major news organizations. The UK’s Mail Online recently reported a 50 percent drop in site traffic. For smaller, independent news platforms, particularly those exposing corruption or abuse, the consequences are existential.

While Google and Meta have established licensing agreements with some major media entities, smaller outlets, often those reporting at the grassroots or uncovering local injustices, are excluded from these arrangements. Their digital reach diminishes, and their financial sustainability deteriorates.

This situation demands coordinated response strategies.

Journalists, media organizations and advocates must collaborate to develop protective frameworks that ensure the survival of independent journalism.

Collective action, shared resources and sustained support mechanisms are essential to prevent small, critical voices from disappearing entirely from the media landscape. At present, such efforts remain fragmented and insufficient.

Without intervention, the internet risks becoming an ecosystem dominated by homogenized, algorithm-driven content, a reality incompatible with press freedom and democratic resilience.

But despite these trends, I still believe this:

Humanity has always found a way back to core values, though the path is rarely linear and often painful. Conscience remains the noblest rebellion we have ever formed against cruelty, against injustice, against the darker parts of human nature. And what separates us from the animals isn’t just reason, it’s how we choose to use it.

That choice, to protect, to speak, to resist, is still ours to make.

*Tarık Toros is a well-known journalist and political commentator currently living in exile in the UK. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Bugün TV, which was seized by the Turkish government in 2015 and subsequently closed down. Toros co-founded MoonStar TV, a YouTube platform dedicated to providing independent journalism for Turkish-speaking audiences. Through his personal channel and other platforms, he analyzes political developments, governance and social issues in Turkey.