The Fightback
The Battleground is the Fightback
Journalism is under attack. From vested interests, on the right as well as the left. In social media, as well as from traditional media. The digital revolution may not replace newspapers with Facebook. But it is challenging the essence of the news media and may very well up the profile of power-friendly tabloids.
The situation is compounded by years of declining circulation of old brands as a consequence of the Internet, and the increasing compromise of journalism through commercial pressures, click bait and influence exerted by media moguls on behalf of their political interests. This has allowed a rise of populism in politics to go largely unchallenged, and propaganda largely unchecked.
Europe is under attack. For over 60 years, European integration has reinforced respect for freedom, democracy, human rights, equality and the rule of law on the continent of Europe. But these values are not acquis, not in Europe, nor in the world. 100 years after the First World War, populism and nationalism are again threatening our way of life. More than ever, there is a need for quality journalism to scrutinise developments, shed light on events and speak truth to power.
What’s needed is a new kind of news media, one that shines a light behind the headlines, inspires trust, and promotes ethical journalism. Not as a niche practice, but as a common standard readers can identify with and turn to in times of change. A media, in short, for the public good, which can counter populist narratives and challenge prevailing orthodoxy.
ENTER THE BATTELEGROUND. A news service of big picture analysis and reflection on the stories of our times, TheBattleground.eu will arm readers with relevant background and critical insights to navigate the news flow and interpret events in our changing world. Tackling important topics at critical moments in the news cycle, TheBattleground.eu will publish the salient facts of a story, expose people or parties who are behind false narratives and explain their motivation.
Context is key. No story exists in a vacuum, but few are presented beyond their immediate, national news appeal. Focusing on European news through a global lens, TheBattleground.eu will highlight the geo-political context and connections which illuminate current events in ways today’s news media, with its diminishing word count and dependence on wires, has neither the depth nor space to provide.
Providing perspective — returning to the story again and again — The Battleground will bring continuity and focus, allowing audiences to deepen their understanding of news topics and debates, freed from depending on individual and isolated articles. Perspective, after all, is not just a long read.
The approach is one Team Battleground holds dear. Led by longtime news and current affairs veterans, with expertise covering Europe, as well as the US and the Middle East, TheBattleground.eu will deliver the cosmopolitan, illuminating stories absent from media coverage of the EU and Europe for far too long.
The Battleground may not break populism’s blockade of the press. But it will erode faith in lies, and set a new standard for what journalism ought to do in Europe, if not the world.
The Battleground, in short, is the fightback.
