Fight against Big Tech dominance becomes our priority, says Nienke Venema, director of wealthy media foundation SDM

The Stichting Democratie & Media (SDM), a Dutch foundation with approximately 150 million euros in assets, is redirecting its strategy to prioritize the fight against the growing dominance of Big Tech and artificial intelligence. Nienke Venema, the foundation's director since 2015, explained that this shift is necessary because global tech giants are increasingly controlling the information landscape and public information dissemination, which strikes at the core of SDM's mission.

“

But this time calls for something else. Large global tech giants increasingly dominate our information landscape, our public information provision – and that touches the core of what the Democracy and Media Foundation was founded for.

Established with the ideals and capital of the resistance newspaper Het Parool, SDM's statutes mandate advocating for pluralistic media and their role in a democratic legal system. In previous years, the foundation supported various organizations and initiatives aligned with this dual objective, including journalism trade publications, research journalism chairs, digital rights organizations, and transparency initiatives. These grants, funded by investment returns, amounted to about 2.5 million euros annually.

“

It's not just about the survival of media companies. It's also about the question of which digital infrastructure determines our public sphere: algorithms of tech giants over which no one has control, or a media landscape based on democratic values.

However, Venema stated that the current era demands a different approach. She believes that international technology companies and the rise of AI pose a serious threat not only to the Dutch media landscape but also to democracy itself. SDM's new strategy, "Course '26-'30," emphasizes that the issue extends beyond the survival of media companies to encompass the nature of the digital infrastructure shaping public discourse – whether it is controlled by algorithms of tech giants or grounded in democratic values.

“

We have decided to fully dedicate ourselves to this issue. It is the most important question of our time.

Consequently, SDM will drastically reduce its financial support for many of its previous beneficiaries. Venema acknowledged that this change will be difficult for organizations losing funding but assured that the foundation is not cutting support abruptly and that most affected parties have been understanding. She stressed that a new reality has emerged, necessitating this strategic pivot to address the most critical issue of our time: the influence of Big Tech and AI on democracy and public information.

“

It is of course inconvenient for the organizations that lose their funding as a result. But we never stop all at once. In general, the people affected react with understanding.