The third edition of Voices — European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom, organised by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) and the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS), took place in Florence from 10 to 12 March 2026.
The conversation continues in this #EUIUpFront episode, where Marie Palmer, Research Fellow at the CMPF, and Roberta Carlini, Part-time Assistant Professor at the CMPF and at the Centre for a Digital Society (under RSCAS), ask a fundamental question: Does society still need journalism in the age of artificial intelligence?
The two scholars discuss the economic pressures AI places on a profession that is still grappling with the impact of social media and search engines. Advertising revenue has shifted to a handful of technology companies, and audiences are beginning to ask why they should pay for information that AI can provide for free. Yet, as Palmer and Carlini observe, journalism's most essential work — holding power accountable, cultivating sources, bringing new stories to light — depends on human skills that no algorithm can replace.
The conversation also raises questions about what happens to the quality and diversity of public information when AI systems, trained on vast amounts of data, shape what audiences see. The speakers draw a striking parallel with food regulation and ask why no equivalent transparency exists for the information we consume. They argue that AI tools can empower journalists and newsrooms, but that without intervention, AI risks narrowing the range of voices in public debate rather than expanding it.
The #EUIUpFront conversation series brings together EUI scholars to discuss the most pressing topics of our time from diverse perspectives.
Watch all #EUIUpFront videos on the EUI YouTube channel.
Marie Palmer is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the European University Institute. She coordinates the centre's flagship project, the Media Pluralism Monitor, which documents and evaluates the health of media ecosystems across the European Union. Her research interests include social and geographical inclusivity in media production and news content. In parallel with her research activity, Marie trains professional journalists and journalism students.
Roberta Carlini is a Part-time Assistant Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the EUI, where she works with the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom and the Centre for a Digital Society. Her research focuses on the economic dimension of media pluralism and media freedom, including media ownership concentration, digital markets, and media sustainability. A former journalist specialising in economic and social issues, her recent publications include a working paper on updating EU and US copyright regimes in the age of AI and a book chapter on the growing tendency towards media ownership concentration in the digital ecosystem.
Palmer and Carlini are among the authors of the 2025 Media Pluralism Monitor report, which assesses the state of media pluralism across the European Union.