Lisbon, Nov. 11, 2025 (Lusa) - The chairman of The New York Times said on Tuesday that independence is at the centre of the journalistic mission and that we needed to explain better why journalism is important and an essential part of any healthy democracy.

A.G. Sulzberger was speaking at the Web Summit, which kicked off on Monday evening in Lisbon and ends on Thursday, on the panel ‘Truth in the age of propaganda and polarisation’.

We cannot be induced to become the opposition in any way. Independence is at the heart of our journalistic mission and we are very proud to have produced the largest amount of investigative journalism ever produced by a single news organisation on a single subject: The New York Times, Donald Trump, he said.

He added that they would continue to write about his successes, about the way he has transformed the political, international, and cultural landscape of the United States, and about his commitment to independence.

‘We will continue to look with the same scepticism at politicians from the other party as we did at Joe Biden,’ continued A.G. Sulzberger.

Independence is a real thing, he argued, noting that journalism should have a balanced position.

Furthermore, ‘I think we need to explain better why journalism is important in society, explain that if you're a voter, journalism is how you know if politicians are acting in your interests,’ he argued.

If you're an entrepreneur ‘or an innovator, journalism serves to protect the free flow of reliable information you need to make investments and bets, it's an essential part of any healthy democracy,’ A.G. Sulzberger concluded.

This year's event is expected to attract more than 70,000 participants, over 2,500 start-ups showcasing their products and services and more than 1,000 investors.

ALU/ADB // ADB.

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