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CAMEROON: Cameroon Journalists Decry Intimidation, Detention by Both Government, Separatist Fighters
VoA: On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, journalists in Cameroon are protesting what they said are abuses by both the government and separatists fighting for the independence of the English-speaking areas from the majority French-speaking state.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia Cautiously Embraces New Era of Press Freedom
VoA: Ethiopia’s historic strides toward democracy and openness have given journalists in the country hope for greater freedom to report the news.
KENYA: Kenya named among most dangerous countries for journalists
KBC: According to the latest report by the Media Council of Kenya, journalists are routinely subjected to physical attacks, threats and intimidation while in line of duty.
KENYA: Media calls for a rethink on state advertising agency
The Star: Kenyan media has called for a review of the Government Advertising Agency’s role as they marked this year’s World Press Freedom Day.
KENYA: Press freedom will strengthen our democracy, let journalists work
The Standard: As the Press Freedom Day was marked yesterday, media practitioners took stock of the gains and drawbacks in the industry.
MOZAMBIQUE: Misa Warns of Deteriorating Press Freedom
Via All Africa: The Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) warned on Friday of a deteriorating situation for the press in Mozambique.
NAMIBIA: Namibian media not free enough – editors
The Namibian: Editors and experts in the media sector yesterday said despite Namibia’s good rankings on media freedom, more needs to be done to improve access to information for journalists and media practitioners.
NIGERIA: Judge calls for repeal of anti-press laws
The Guardian (Nigeria): A member of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, Justice Dupe Atoki, has called for a repeal of all laws that run contrary to press freedom.
RWANDA: Opinion: Rwanda’s Paul Kagame – an enemy of the media parading as a statesman
Deutsche Welle: Paul Kagame’s rigorous suppression of the media has made him Rwanda’s unchallenged leader. So don’t buy it when he suddenly says journalists should not be jailed for insulting the president, warns DW’s Fred Muvunyi.
SENEGAL: Senegal Set To Switch Off All Analog Signal In September Next Year
Broadcast Media Africa: The Senegalese authorities have revealed that they are preparing to cut the signal of analog television in the country soon.
SOUTH AFRICA: Local radio is plugging gaps in South Africa’s mainstream media coverage
The Conversation: Beyond the choreographed photo opportunities and big rallies, there is a local dimension to South Africa’s election campaign that is going largely unnoticed by the national media. As a result, important insights into political dynamics are being missed.
SOUTH AFRICA: SA journalism’s credibility needs work – Media Monitoring Africa
The Citizen: Inaccurate and unfair reporting, using too few sources, and presenting allegations as fact are just some of the issues which need to be addressed.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC appoints new acting COO
Mail & Guardian: The newly appointed board of the SABC has moved to replace Chris Maroleng, who was dismissed last week, by appointing Dr Craig Van Rooyen as acting chief operations officer (COO) with immediate effect.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC says ‘Sunday World’ reporting on its execs ‘extremely concerning’
Eyewitness News: The public broadcaster claims the publication’s reporting on its board executives and staff was misleading malicious and bordered on harassment.
SOUTH AFRICA: The SABC is close to a total blackout: CEO
Business Tech: The SABC is potentially facing a total broadcasting blackout because of spiraling debt woes and lack of relief funding, the Sunday Times reports.
SOUTH SUDAN: UN, peace monitors ask South Sudan to respect freedom of press
The East African: South Sudan reporters are often the target of government officials, especially when highlighting human rights violations and abuse of power.
UGANDA: Diplomats condemn order suspending Ugandan journalists
Reuters: Diplomats and rights groups condemned Ugandan authorities on Friday for ordering the suspension of more than 30 senior journalists after TV and radio stations covered protests by supporters of a pop star turned politician.
UGANDA: Uganda “suspends” 39 journalists for covering politician’s arrest
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the orders that the Uganda Communications Commission has given to 13 radio and TV stations to “suspend” a total of 39 news executives and producers in a crude attempt to stop them from covering opposition activity.
REGIONAL: Southern Africa: Media freedom muzzled as journalists are targeted for telling the truth
Amnesty International: Media freedom remains under threat in several countries in southern Africa with journalists put in jail for simply doing their job, Amnesty International said today as it took stock on World Press Freedom Day.
GENERAL: Five steps to fight fake news and false information on WhatsApp
Africa Check: Always ask yourself (and other users) these five questions before you forward a WhatsApp message. Be aware before you share!
GENERAL: Is Africa’s thumbs down to media freedom a case of follow the leader?
Deutsche Welle: A minority of Africans now supports media freedom, a key survey shows. Attacks on the media by politicians and inaction by the media and its watchdogs could be to blame for the decline, the lead author of the poll says.
GENERAL: The Popularity Of Mobile Money And Mobile Content On The Rise In Africa
Broadcast Media Africa: In recent years the African continent has seen the growing convergence between mobile money platforms and mobile content providers.
BANGLADESH: Stop laying off media workers unethically
The Daily Star: Journalist leaders yesterday threatened that they would go for tougher agitation programmes if their four-point demand, including gazette notification of the ninth wage board, is not met before Eid-ul-Fitr.
INDIA: The WhatsApp election
The FInancial Times: It is the most influential social media platform in many parts of the world — it could also shape the country’s political future.
INDONESIA: How a press freedom index in Indonesia creates change
Free Press Unlimited: In a joint effort with the National Press Council, PPMN (Indonesian Association for Media Development) produced their first national press freedom index in 2016. When they first started, they didn’t expect it would be an education and emancipation tool for press freedom within a year.
INDONESIA: More of the Same Isn’t Good
SEAPA: The year 2019 marks the second decade of Indonesian media’s reform era. Although strongman Soeharto stepped down as president of Indonesia in 1998, it was only in 1999 that reforms began in the country’s media industry, with the passage of the landmark Press Law (Law No. 40 of 1999) on 23 September that year.
MALAYSIA: Ensure women represented at decision-making levels, media told
Malaysiakini: This World Press Freedom Day, the media has been asked to ensure that women are included in their organisational structure, especially at the decision-making level.
MALAYSIA: Journo groups launch media council proposal, seek feedback
Malaysiakini
MALAYSIA: Still Waiting for Reforms
PCIJ: Shortly after Malaysia’s historic 9 May 2018 elections, a new feeling of freedom had swept across the country, and even the most jaded of journalists were giddy with excitement. The poll results, after all, had brought the first change of government in the country since Independence in 1957.
MYANMAR: Myanmar frees Reuters journalists
Deutsche Welle: The two reporters were arrested in Myanmar in late 2017. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan auctions 70 DTH channels
Advanced Television: PEMRA says it had offered capacity for 70 satellite TV licenses in seven categories – eight in News & Current Affairs, 27 in Entertainment, five in Sports, two in Agriculture, 12 in Regional Languages, four in Health and 12 in Education genres.
PHILIPPINES: The State of Philippine Media, under Duterte
PCIJ: In the last 34 months under President Rodrigo R. Duterte, cases and incidents of attacks and threats on the Philippine media continue relentlessly, with hardly any major efforts at investigation or solution by responsible state agencies.
PHILIPPINES: Why Foreign Funding of Philippines Media Isn’t the Problem
GIJN: What’s happening to press freedom in the Philippines today is nothing short of alarming. Once one of Asia’s freest media, the nation’s independent news outlets are under sustained attack by President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies, ranging from legal and political assaults to harassment by armies of online trolls.
SINGAPORE: Singapore fake-news bill raises fears of censorship
Coda Story: According to Singapore’s draft law ministers get to decide without any judicial review what online content is true or false simply if it offends them. Other countries may do the same.
SRI LANKA: Press Freedom in a State of Emergency
Daily FT: It is at a quite critical juncture that Sri Lanka as a country comes upon Press Freedom Day this year given the tragic incidents that took place on Easter Sunday, which once again has brought Sri Lanka’s Press Freedom to a crucial focal point.
SRI LANKA: Social media temporarily blocked again
News First: Access to a number of social media platforms including Facebook and Youtube have been temporarily blocked.
THAILAND: Some Good News, But Mostly Bad
SEAPA: With still no new government as of early May 2019, free speech in Thailand continues to be restricted by special laws imposed by the military junta, officially known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which seized power from an elected civilian government in May 2014.
THAILAND: Time to set the press free (Opinion)
The Bangkok Post: A warning has been given. Thailand is inching closer towards becoming a new China when it comes to press freedom.
REGIONAL: Why Pakistan and India coming down on World Press Freedom Index?
The News: No one can kill a story by killing a journalist. Many slain journalists often became story of courage and bravery after their murder.
REGIONAL: With a Crippled Local Media, Dangerous Times for Press Freedom in Kashmir
The Wire: In Kashmir, World Press Freedom Day is a reminder of how fundamental principles of press freedom are easily trampled.
SEAPA: Throughout Southeast Asia, too many journalists face risks as a result of their profession, including violence, harassment, and criminal charges.
AUSTRALIA: ABC announces new managing director
ABC: ABC Chair Ita Buttrose has appointed David Anderson as the new managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
AUSTRALIA: ABC appoints David Anderson as managing director
The Guardian: David Anderson, a 30-year veteran at the public broadcaster, has been appointed ABC managing director by the chair, Ita Buttrose, replacing the sacked Michelle Guthrie.
AUSTRALIA: ABC cuts ‘inevitable’ if Coalition government returns, managing director warns
Brisbane Times: The ABC is facing “inevitable” job cuts and programming disruption if the Morrison government is returned to power, the national broadcaster’s new managing director has warned.
AUSTRALIA: David Anderson’s appointment as ABC managing director is a relief and will further steady the broadcaster (Opinion)
The Conversation: The appointment of David Anderson as managing director and editor-in-chief of the ABC is something of a relief.
NEW ZEALAND: Christchurch trial: New Zealand media agree to curb white supremacy coverage
The Guardian: Reporting guidelines devised and signed by five major news organisations.
NEW ZEALAND: Rare win for Radio New Zealand over The Edge
Stuff: Radio New Zealand has secured a rare audience victory over pop music station The Edge as it prepares to rethink its music strategy, including the possibility of a digital radio station.
NEW ZEALAND: Uncharted waters for media freedom
RNZ: Any complacency about extremism here was extinguished by the attack in Christchurch on 15 March. The media claimed this marked “the end of our innocence.” We’re still in the top 10 for global press freedom but our media need to be vigilant against incursions on their freedoms too.
GENERAL: Pacific countries score well in media freedom index, but reality is far worse
The Conversation: When Pacific countries reflect on the state of their media today, marking World Press Freedom Day, they know the reality is much worse than the ticks they got from a global media freedom watchdog last month.
GENERAL: Pacific media freedom and news ‘black holes’ worsen for World Press Freedom Day
Asia Pacific Report: While Pacific countries have got off rather lightly in a major global media freedom report last month with most named countries apparently “improving”, the reality is that politicians are becoming more intolerant and belligerent towards news media and information “black holes” are growing.
BELARUS: Use Europe Games to Spur Media Freedom
CPJ: Press Freedom Day Throws Spotlight on Need to Assure Safe Reporting.
BELGIUM: Should we entertain to re-interest citizens in politics? (French)
RTBF: It is undoubtedly the question, or rather, the questions that are at work in the minds of the public service media: how can we re-interest citizens in politics, in this context of a crisis of confidence…
BULGARIA: Bulgaria’s press navigate harassment, threats in pursuit of stories
CPJ
DENMARK: How we cover the choice: TV 2 has a special responsibility (Election coverage) (Danish)
TV2: TV 2 carries a special responsibility to resist and reject any attempt at intimidation.
FINLAND: Yle journalists: “It’s time to expand what it means to be Finnish”
Yle: Susani Mahadura and Yagmur Özberkan said it’s time for some of the outdated terminology used to describe people living in Finland to be broadened.
FRANCE: France Televisions to trial 8K over 5G at French Open
Broadband TV News
FRANCE: French public broadcaster irritated by new feature of YouTube (French)
Le Monde: To prevent any risk of propaganda, the US platform will warn the user when a media has public funding. The public service fears being assimilated to chains close to power.
FRANCE: Research: French youth abandoning TV
Advanced Television: Data from French media measurement company Médiametrie shows a continued viewing decline for the country’s main commercial broadcaster, TF1 and public broadcaster France Télévisions.
GERMANY: ARD & Co. Shaping the Future (Opinion) (German)
Der Tagesspiegel: Politics must protect public service broadcasting. However, two wishes to ARD and ZDF may be expressed.
GERMANY: Contributions now [available for] longer in public media libraries (German)
Süddeutsche Zeitung: The new State Broadcasting Treaty, which came into force this Wednesday, brings advantages for media users as well as public service broadcasters and newspaper publishers, according to Rhineland-Palatinate Media Secretary Sheike Raab (SPD).
HUNGARY: “RTL as the last bastion of independent media” (German)
Tagesschau.de: A study shows how much the forces on Hungary’s media market have shifted since Orban took power. One expert says, “the last bastion of big, independent media” is RTL.
ITALY: What you need to know about press freedom in Italy in 2019
The Local: Freedom of the press is not something you can take for granted in Italy. On World Press Freedom Day, The Local takes a look at the main issues affecting Italian media.
MALTA: Reporters Without Borders lays out reasons for Malta’s decline in press freedom ranking
RSF
POLAND: The Curious cases of Waldemar Sadowski vs Polish TVP
Visegrad Insight: The Polish public media is being taken to court over the alleged dissemination of propaganda and disinformation.
SPAIN: Spain has a new government and its fact-checkers had an impact on the campaign
Poynter: Maldito Bulo and Newtral coordinators reveal the backstage of misinformation fight during the last Spanish campaign.
UK: Concerns over new BBC Radio Wales morning show
BBC News: The Welsh Government has raised concerns about schedule changes at BBC Radio Wales, claiming that there would be “no serious news programme” broadcast at breakfast time.
UK: Foreign Secretary sets out his vision to improve media freedom around the world (Speech)
FCO: Speaking at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event hosted by the African Union in Addis Ababa, Jeremy Hunt set out his vision to improve media freedom.
UK: Guardian records first operating profit since 1998
BBC News: The Guardian recorded an operating profit of £0.8m for 2018-19: its first such profit in two decades and the culmination of one of the most significant turnarounds in recent British media history.
REGIONAL: Central and Eastern Europe’s Captured Media
Project Syndicate: Media freedom in Central and Eastern Europe is arguably at its lowest level since the region’s dictatorships were toppled in the early 1990s. With local oligarchs buying up outlets and foreign media operators fleeing the region, it is likely to deteriorate further.
GENERAL: Broadcast media remains most trusted, says EBU report
Digital TV Europe: Broadcast media remain the most trusted media throughout Europe, according to the EBU’s latest Trust in Media report.
GENERAL: Freedom of expression: report assesses the situation in 2018
CoE: A report, published today on the eve of World Press Freedom Day (3 May) by the Council of Europe´s Information Society Department, maps out the major threats to freedom of expression in Europe in 2018 and the actions that governments should carry out to counter them as a matter of priority.
GENERAL: What journalism has to do (German)
Deutschlandfunk Kultur: Aggrieved, defamed and even threatened: Public service media and independent journalists are under attack in more and more European countries. They have an important role to play in preserving democracy.
BRAZIL: In unprecedented report, government reports 64 communicators killed in last 20 years in Brazil
Knight Center: Between 1995 and 2018, 64 communicators – journalists, broadcasters and bloggers – were murdered in Brazil because of their profession.
BRAZIL & HUNGARY: What Not to Follow: Dangerous Lessons from Hungary
HRW: Eduardo Bolsonaro, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies and son of President Jair Bolsonaro, has just come back from Europe, where he visited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. After the visit, he thanked Orban for lessons on “dealing with the press.”
COLOMBIA: Media and press freedom
El País: The absence of a strong and free press is the best breeding ground for radicalism, disinformation and populism.
JAMAICA: Guard Press Freedom, Media Advocates Warn
The Gleaner: Press freedom advocates have called for global leaders and citizens to stand up for the right of journalists to hold state actors accountable and push back at attempts by rogue groups in harming members of the media.
MEXICO: Another journalist murdered in Mexico, fourth this year
RSF: The journalist Telésforo Santiago Enríquez was gunned down in cold blood on 2nd May 2019, in the southern state of Oaxaca. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Mexican authorities to shed all possible light on his murder.
MEXICO: López Obrador’s anti-press rhetoric leaves Mexico’s journalists feeling exposed
CPJ: During his daily press conference on April 15, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador told reporters, “If you go too far, you know what will happen.”
MEXICO: The front line of Mexican media is DIY community radio
CJR: To reach the broadcast room of Radio Amiltzinko, 100.7 FM, Leo Perez leads me through the dusty streets of Amilcingo, Morelos, a town about two hours from Mexico City that is home to several thousand residents of the Nahua, an indigenous group.
NICARAGUA: After a year of protest in Nicaragua, Ortega’s crackdown on the media continues
Amnesty International: The public unrest that began in Nicaragua just over a year ago has subsided, but repression by the government of President Daniel Ortega has not.
VENEZUELA: El Bus TV: News bulletins on the bus in Venezuela (Watch)
BBC News: A group of local journalists has been trying to offer independent news to the public in Venezuela, by getting on buses and staging TV news bulletins.
VENEZUELA: Venezuelan authorities restrict internet, block outlets amid unrest
CPJ: NetBlocks, an independent, international civil society group that monitors digital censorship, reported early yesterday that state-run internet provider CANTV restricted access to multiple websites and social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Android services.
REGIONAL: Association of Caribbean Media Workers World Press Freedom Day message
Nation News: The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has called on journalists across the region to “embrace the tenets of good journalism by giving verified facts without the taint of bias.”
Relief Web
ISRAEL: Netanyahu to cut half billion shekels from public broadcasting
The Jerusalem Post: Early media reports claim the Prime Minister means to ask all coalition members to agree to reduce the funding of the Kan public broadcast service.
SYRIA: Hundreds of media workers killed in Syria
MEMO: Hundreds of media workers have been killed and/or detained in Syria since conflict erupted in that country in 2011, a UK-based watchdog reported Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.
TURKEY: Top Turkey court rejects jailed journalist appeals
Aljazeera: Court also rules in favour of three journalists, saying their rights were violated in crackdown after 2016 coup attempt.
TURKEY: The world’s largest prison for journalists
Amnesty International
CANADA: Canadians struggle to distinguish between real and fake news: survey
CTV: Canadians are increasingly skeptical of the news they consume and struggle to distinguish fact from fiction or propaganda, a new survey suggested Thursday.
CANADA: CBC must diversify revenue to protect it from political whims, president says
City News: CBC president Catherine Tait says the public broadcaster must continue looking for new commercial revenue streams in order to protect it from the whims of politicians.
CANADA: Seizing the opportunity: Using digital as a springboard for Canadian culture at home and abroad
CBC/Radio-Canada: At the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Catherine Tait, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, presented her vision for ensuring a thriving Canadian cultural sector and what the public broadcasting is doing to ensure our country’s place in the digital world.
US: House Appropriations subcommittee approves funding increase for CPB (Paywall)
CPB: A House Appropriations subcommittee approved a bill Tuesday that would increase CPB’s funding to $495 million in fiscal year 2022, a $50 million increase from the prior year.
Nieman Lab: It’s a fitting change to make near the end of Jarl Mohn’s time as NPR CEO, where he’s breathed new life into radio shows some thought had dim prospects for growth.
US: Public Broadcasting: First Funding Bump In A Decade?
Radio+Television Business Report: A House Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday recommended $495 million in advance funding for public broadcasting in fiscal year 2022, the first increase for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 10 years.
US: Ukraine made a comedian its president. Here’s what US media can learn (Opinion)
CJR
A study compared Finnish and American students’ ability to detect fake news
Quartz
An unlikely mix: Journalism and reality TV
Aljazeera: We look at how journalism is getting the reality TV treatment across the globe.
Case Studies in Collaborative Local Journalism (Report)
RISJ: In this report, we analyse the potential for collaborative journalism initiatives to address the challenges facing local news.
Grand Theft Europe: A Cross-Border Investigation (Project)
Correctiv: Fraudsters are every year robbing Europe’s citizens of 50 billion euros in tax money. A Europe-wide investigation by 63 journalists from 30 countries, coordinated by CORRECTIV.
“I believe that drones can be used for good, I believe that they can be transformative” (Interview)
DW Innovation: For a long time, drones were a) very expensive and b) almost exclusively used for spying, instilling fear, and killing people. This has significantly changed in recent years.
Inside Facebook’s war room: the battle to protect EU elections
The Guardian: The social media firm is deleting billions of fake accounts as it takes on a torrent of fake news, disinformation and hate speech.
Only 9% of the world lives in a country with press freedom
Rappler: Reporters Without Borders says that the press freedom situation in 91% of the world is considered difficult, very serious, or problematic.
“We Have To Be As Good As We Possibly Can In What We Do” (Interview)
Viewpoints | Medium: Can we fix the news? Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of the Guardian and author of “Breaking News“ is optimistic. An interview about the future of news and the importance of journalism in our modern world.
World Press Freedom Day: How many journalists died last year?
BBC News: At least 95 journalists were killed last year during the course of their work, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
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Header image: On The Air. Credit: Alan Levine/Creative Commons
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