"With shrinking public investment, the rise of global platforms and increasingly fragmented audiences, the Swiss and European media ecosystems are facing a profound crisis. Trust in journalism is eroding, while “news fatigue” is leading parts of the public to turn away from traditional media altogether. How can trust and public engagement be rebuilt? How can journalism be rethought so that it informs, connects and sustains democratic debate? And what concrete alternatives exist to reduce dependence on major digital platforms? Beyond an economic crisis, what is at stake is the media’s ability to produce local, reliable and independent reporting, a vital foundation of democratic life.