‘…When search engines operate in a non-transparent manner, journalistic work becomes invisible — and devalued …’
19. October 2025
Danica Bensmail is the federal managing director of the dju, the German Union of Journalists. Here she explains why transparent, independent, and manipulation-free web searches are so important for media professionals.
‘Free access to reliable information is the foundation of every democracy and the core of journalistic work.
Journalists and authors must be able to control how their content is found. Search engines must not be allowed to unilaterally determine how, or even if, information is displayed, filtered or prioritised. If they operate in a non-transparent manner, journalistic work becomes invisible — and devalued.
We need search systems that function transparently, independently and without manipulation, in the interests of users and in the service of a vibrant public sphere.’
Danica Bensmail
Federal Managing Director dju – (German Union of Journalists)
Danica Bensmail
Federal Managing Director dju – (German Union of Journalists)
Information about the #FreeWebSearch Charter
Who decides what billions of people find on the internet – and what they don’t? This question of power is addressed by the #FreeWebSearch Charter, published by a European alliance of civil society, academia, and media organizations under the initiative of the Open Search Foundation. With ten clear principles, the initiative aims to put control over web search back in the hands of society.
