Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
Week 40: What do IN-LANGUAGE SERVICES look like?
With a commitment to universalism and accessibility, many public service broadcasters strive to reach diverse audiences with in-language services. Providing these services offers audiences a way to interact with public media content beyond the country’s native language(s). In-language services allow public media to not only keep the public educated, informed, and entertained – regardless of the language they speak – but also ensure that diverse communities are both reflected and included. They can look like the creation of original content in multiple languages, such as SBS’ use of audiograms across its in-language social media channels and KBS World’s online broadcast streaming across 11 languages. And, when COVID-19 put added pressure on public media to deliver public service messages, many broadcasters’ in-language services looked like the expansion of their content to include the translation of news content in non-native languages, such as Yle’s increased COVID-19 news offerings in Arabic, Somali, Kurdish, and Persian.
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As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
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Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're listening to...
PMA goes to Radiodays Europe in Lisbon
PMA: Last week, Public Media Alliance attended our first in-person conference since the start of the pandemic. One of the major themes across Radiodays Europe was how public media broadcasters are trying to be more creative and unique in how they provide listeners with their content. We spoke to Nikolai Thyssen from DR, and Olle Zachrison from Swedish Radio about how their organisations are turning to innovation to stay relevant.
What we're reading...
Impartiality is still key for news audiences. Here’s how to rethink it for the digital age
RISJ: Our research shows people still value the ideal of impartial news. A new report offer suggestions to adapt it to a challenging environment.
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ETHIOPIA: Social Media Misinformation Stokes A Worsening Civil War In Ethiopia (Listen)
NPR: Hate and division on Facebook are not just a problem in the U.S. That’s one of the messages whistleblower Frances Haugen took to Congress last week, where she accused Facebook’s algorithms of quote, “literally fanning ethnic violence in Ethiopia,” a country that’s endured nearly a year of civil war.
THE GAMBIA: Media Council of The Gambia Has a New Executive Secretary
The Point: The Media Council of The Gambia (MCG) on October 11, 2021, welcomed its new Executive Secretary, Bai Emil Touray, at a handing over ceremony held at the premises of the Gambia Press Union where the Secretariat of the MCG is housed.
GHANA: GBC trains reporters in multi-skilling
GBC News: The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has trained 50 members of its staff in multi-skilled journalism and digital content production as part of GBC’s transformation drive.
GHANA: Govt. Urged To Replace Struggling TV License Fee With A Media Tax
Broadcast Media Africa: Professor Amin Alhassan, the Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), is encouraging the government to implement a media tax to replace the current “struggling” TV licence fee.
GHANA: MFWA meets National Security Chiefs on Press Freedom and Safety of Journalists in Ghana
Modern Ghana: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has led a group of journalists to hold discussions with the Minister for National Security, Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah, and the National Security Coordinator, Major General Francis Adu Amanfo (rtd), over concerns about Press Freedom and safety of journalists issues in Ghana.
GHANA & LIBERIA: GBC trains some staff of Liberian Broadcasting Service
GBC News: Some staff of the Liberian Broadcasting Service, the public broadcaster in Liberia, have ended a five-day training programme at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in Accra.
GUINEA: Africa: First Worrying Signs for Press Freedom in Guinea Since Last Month’s Coup
Via AllAfrica: What with an army raid on a media outlet and privately-owned TV channels prevented from covering “national coordination” meetings, some media have had problems reporting the news since last month’s coup d’état in Guinea. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the transitional authorities not to obstruct journalists’ work.
KENYA: President Kenyatta appoints Benjamin Maingi new KBC Board chair
KBC: President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed Engineer Benjamin K. Maingi to be the Chairperson of the Board of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation for a period of 3 years starting 6th October 2021.
MALAWI: High Court rules Sumbuleta case will be public, not in camera
Nyasa Times: Former director general of state broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Aubrey Sumbuleta, will have a public trial after the High Court dismissed the State’s application that the case be heard in camera.
NAMIBIA: ‘NBC doesn’t have enough money’
The Namibian: THE NBC does not have the required operational budget for this financial year, said spokesperson Umbi Karuaihe-Upi.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC Commemorates Black Wednesday (Press Release)
SABC: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) joins the nation in commemorating Black Wednesday.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC mourns loss of Western Cape technician Patrick Mgoqi
SABC News: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in the Western Cape is mourning the death of one of its technicians, Patrick Mgoqi.
TUNISIA: Rights groups condemn escalating attacks on journalists
Via IFEX: Rights groups condemn continued incitement by opposition figures for foreign intervention into the country’s affairs, and the unabated attacks on journalists.
REGIONAL: 11 journalists killed in Africa in less than nine months, AFEX demands a tough response from governments to end the impunity (5 October)
AFEX: For the past 273 days spanning January-September 2021, eleven journalists have been killed across sub-Sahara Africa in an orgy of repression that has scores of other acts of violation against press freedom.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban’s Fraught Claims of Media Freedom in Afghanistan
Polygraph.info: In fact, Taliban violence and bullying has forced scores of media closures, often targeting outlets employing women. Journalists are fleeing in fear.
AFGHANISTAN: Under the Taliban, Afghan journalists face fresh threats and uncertainty
NPR
CHINA: China to ban private investment in the nation’s news industry
CPJ: Chinese authorities must drop plans to ban private funding of the news media, and allow news organizations to operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
CHINA: China Media Directives Reveal Granular Detail of State Censorship
VOA: The welcome committee for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was leaving nothing to chance: from the color of lettering on signs to orders on how to cover the deal that secured her return, state media were under strict instructions.
HONG KONG: Forget the ‘small minority,’ the national security law has silenced Hong Kong society (Opinion)
Hong Kong Free Press: There was a reception last month for the “media sector.” This gave a little foretaste of what the media sector is likely to consist of when the national security police have finished pruning it.
HONG KONG: Security chief accuses media outlet of ‘demonising’ Article 23 legislation
South China Morning Post: Hong Kong’s security chief has spoken out against “demonising” a long-shelved piece of local national security legislation that the government is seeking to revive, accusing a media outlet of “maliciously smearing” the proposed bill.
INDIA: Jammu and Kashmir authorities detain, question 5 journalists; hold Salman Shah, Suhail Dar
CPJ: Authorities in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir must immediately release journalists Salman Shah and Suhail Dar, cease detaining and questioning journalists in relation to their work, and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and independently, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
INDIA: Prasar Bharati to auction archival content to TV, OTT platforms to boost revenue
India Today: Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcasting agency, has decided to auction its archives with the hope of monetising the content through sale to television and OTT platforms.
JAPAN: Japanese TV Drama’s Gay Character Sign of LGBTQ Acceptance or Just Opportunism?
Mirage News: The recent Tokyo Olympics offered hopes of Japan adopting more nuanced and inclusive views of LGBTQ lifestyles and challenges.
MALAYSIA: Making it ‘on air’, and alive out of the pandemic (Paywall)
Malaysiakini: Malaysia’s media landscape has not escaped the collapse of the business model that has long underpinned the nation’s journalism over the past seven decades.
Article 19: On 14 October 2021, the UN General Assembly elected Malaysia to join the Human Rights Council for a term that will last from 2022 to 2024.
MYANMAR: Covering Myanmar is Becoming Impossible, Say Local Journalists
VOA News: Eight months after Myanmar’s military coup, life for the country’s journalists is getting “harder and harder,” local reporters say.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s new social media rules explained
GEO News: On October 13, the government notified new online rules for Pakistani citizens and social media companies operating in Pakistan. So what exactly do the ‘Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules, 2021’ state?
PAKISTAN: Speakers liken PMDA ordinance to ‘martial law on media’
Dawn: The Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) ordinance is a black law aimed at imposing a sort of “martial law” on the media, speakers at a seminar, organised by the Hyderabad Union of Journalists at the Press Club, concluded on Saturday.
PHILIPPINES: With press freedom under attack, PH journos amplify call to fight back
Rappler: Challenges that emerged amid the repeated attacks by the Duterte administration on Philippine media took center stage at the 2021 Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar, which saw eight seasoned journalists come together in a virtual forum to discuss best practices to uphold press freedom.
SINGAPORE: ‘Hard choices’ for Singapore media after controversial law passed
Al Jazeera: Concerns about the effect of ‘foreign interference’ law in the country where media already operate under strict regulation.
SINGAPORE: Singapore cancels news site’s license; critics cry intimidation
ABS-CBN News (via AFP): A Singaporean news website often critical of the government had its license canceled Friday for failing to declare funding sources, with the editor slamming it as “harassment and intimidation” of independent media.
SINGAPORE: Withdraw Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill (Call out)
HRW: Today, eleven undersigned organizations called on the Government of Singapore to withdraw the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill (‘FICA’). FICA’s provisions contravene international legal and human rights principles – including the rights to freedom of expression, association, participation in public affairs, and privacy – and will further curtail civic space, both online and offline.
SOUTH KOREA: Korea Communications Commission to guarantee media access to “Inclusion and Innovation” (Korean)
SBS News: Sign language broadcasting for the disabled will be expanded more than now. The Korea Communications Commission has come up with a media inclusion policy for the underprivileged, including this.
TAIWAN: TaiwanPlus tries to change the narrative on self-ruled island
Al Jazeera: New media outlet launched as the democratic island, which is claimed by Beijing, faces an increasingly hostile China.
AUSTRALIA: ABC announces independent review of complaints handling processes (Press release)
ABC Australia: The ABC Board has commissioned an independent review of the national public broadcaster’s editorial self-regulatory system and complaints handling.
AUSTRALIA: ABC radio strikes rich vein of gold in New York (Press release)
ABC Australia: ABC programs Stuff the British Stole and Earshot have won gold at the New York Festivals Radio Awards, which celebrate outstanding audio content from around the world.
AUSTRALIA: News Corp’s climate zeal (Watch)
ABC Mediawatch: News Corp’s dramatic U-turn over climate policy. Critics call its Mission Zero campaign ‘greenwashing’ but we argue it is a significant shift for Australia’s largest media company.
AUSTRALIA: SBS named as one of Australia’s most innovative companies for its digital language services (Press release)
SBS: SBS has been recognised as one of Australia and New Zealand’s Most Innovative Companies, in the prestigious annual list published by the Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine, from over 700 nominated organisations.
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND: Pressure piling up on tech titans – Australia leading the charge
RNZ: Big tech platforms have failed to tackle the misinformation and toxicity they spread – and their dominance of the market for digital media revenue is becoming increasingly obvious. Australia’s government has confronted them on both fronts and the news media have benefited. Can others – including ours – follow their lead?
NEW ZEALAND: How NZ’s Public Interest Journalism Fund can help ‘normalise’ diversity
Asia Pacific Report: The announcement in February of a new $55 million, three-year Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) by Minister for Broadcasting and Media Kris Faafoi suggested a revitalisation of tired old traditional media models.
NEW ZEALAND: International Recognition for RNZ (Press release)
RNZ: Three RNZ podcasts have won awards at the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Awards, presented today in an online ceremony hosted from New York.
NEW ZEALAND: Thank you very much for your kind injection (Listen)
RNZ: Super Saturday’s vaxathon was the biggest and longest local live TV broadcast we’ve seen for years. While some critics carped about the entertainment value, all that mattered in the end was pumping up the jabs.
PACIFIC ISLANDS: Mana Classes to strengthen Pacific media reporting (Opportunity)
PINA: In an effort to strengthen the capacity of Pacific islands media to accurately report on issues that are pertinent to the Pacific, such as climate change and waste, a series of training sessions have been lined up for the next few weeks to achieve this.
ALBANIA: Albania’s Rama decries ‘dangers’ of online media freedom
Deutsche Welle: Albanian Premier Edi Rama has said online media can cause damage in the same way as Nazi propaganda, pedophilia and terrorism. Critics say he is using this view to justify his attempts to restrain media freedoms.
ALBANIA: Albanian Government Pledges to Ensure Media Law Meets Venice Commission Recommendations
Exit: The Albanian government told the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Riberio, that they will modify the “anti-defamation” package in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission before adopting them.
AUSTRIA: 1.38 euros more per month: ORF Board of Trustees decides to increase fees
Der Standard: The eight percent increase could bring ORF around 43 million more per year in 2022 and a good 52 million more from 2023.
BELARUS: Belarus’ most famous media outlet wants its title back – and its people freed
Open Democracy: Staff from Zerkalo – born from the ashes of TUT.BY – discuss being branded ‘extremists’, having 15 colleagues arrested, and how they continue their work in exile.
CROATIA: Ex-HRT Director-General, Suspected of Graft, Released from Custody
Total Croatia News: A former director-general of the HRT public broadcaster, Kazimir Bačić, was released from custody on Monday evening, his lawyers said on Tuesday morning.
DENMARK: DR3 series honored as the best European TV documentary series of the year 2021 (Press release – Danish)
DR: The program series ‘Efterskolen’, which DR3 premiered earlier this year, received a Prix Europa on Friday night in Potsdam, Germany.
FINLAND: From the editor-in-chief: The news media also have work to do on equality (Finnish)
Yle: Girls all over the world face false information and assumptions about themselves. Children and young people, regardless of gender, have the right to receive reliable information and to see a diverse picture of humanity in the media.
FINLAND: Yle’s Donate Speech project was awarded a Prix in Europe (Press release – Finnish)
Yle: Yle, the State Development Company Vaken (current Climate Fund), Solita, Aalto University and the University of Helsinki’s Donate Speech project have won the award for the best digital audio project of the year at the Prix Europa festival.
GERMANY: Video recording of the press conference on the ARD program reform on October 15, 2021 (German – Watch)
ARD: Video recording of the press conference on the ARD program reform with ARD chairman Tom Buhrow, ARD program director Christine Strobl, ARD editor-in-chief Oliver Köhr and Florian Hager, channel manager ARD media library.
GBC Gibraltar: Newswatch aired on Friday night for the last time, having been on your screens for over 30 years.
GREECE: Justice Ministry must withdraw amendment on ‘false news’
IPI: The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today urge the Greek government to withdraw proposed amendments which would introduce fines and jail sentences for journalists found guilty of publishing “false news”.
ITALY: Italy: Journalists face fresh violence covering ‘green pass’ protests
IPI: The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are highly concerned about yet another series of violent attacks and threats to journalists and media workers covering protests against the government’s pandemic-related measures across Italy.
KOSOVO: Kosovo: Several journalists attacked during riots in Mitrovica
EFJ: Tensions increased in the Northern part of Kosovo after police undertook an anti-smuggling operation in Mitrovica on 13 October. Several journalists covering the riots, as well as citizens and police officers, were attacked by protesters.
MALTA: Statement of the joint press freedom mission to Malta (Statement)
RSF: On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, our five organisations have undertaken a joint press freedom mission to Malta, in follow-up to our initial joint mission at the one-year mark in 2018.
NETHERLANDS: Netherlands should better protect privacy of freelance journalists
IPI: Despite new regulations, personal information of freelance journalists still accessible via Dutch Chamber of Commerce, potentially risking journalists safety.
PORTUGAL & SPAIN: The European Federation of Journalists unanimously approves a motion in defense of the public media (Spanish)
APM: It was presented at the FEP assembly by the Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain and the Sindicato dos Jornalistas de Portugal.
RUSSIA: ECPMF condemns Putin’s censorship
ECPMF: The Russian government designated renowned media lawyer and member of the ECPMF Executive Board Galina Arapova as a “foreign agent” – “An obvious attempt to silence a prominent and courageous defender of media freedom,” says ECPMF chairperson Yannis Kotsifos.
SLOVENIA: The European Parliament warns of the worrying political situation in Slovenia (Spanish)
Swissinfo: The European Parliament’s Committee on the Interior, Justice and Civil Liberties (LIBE) warned today that there are reasons for concern in Slovenia over attempts to pressure the media and public bodies and the aggressive political debate, fed especially from the Government.
SPAIN: ‘The great consultation’ to know the public opinion about RTVE exceeds 50,000 responses (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: ‘La gran consultation’, RTVE’s transmedia participation campaign to find out which public radio television people want and the role that citizens expect from it, has received more than 50,000 responses since its launch.
SWEDEN: P4 Story: 20 minutes about a news item that has shaken people and places in Sweden (Press release – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: October 20 is the premiere for P4 Story – a podcast where local P4 newsrooms dive deep into news that left deep traces in Swedish societies. For 20 minutes each week, the listener gets to hear a news item that touches. First out is the section “Fixed on poisoned ground in Jönköping”.
UK: TechScape: UK online safety bill could set tone for global social media regulation
The Guardian: Up for discussion in the Guardian tech newsletter: Facebook and Google will be watching closely as MPs and peers consider proposed landmark legislation.
UK: BBC boss offers to meet black executive after claims he was blocked from job
The Guardian: The BBC director general, Tim Davie, has offered to meet a prominent black media executive who, it is claimed, was blocked from a senior job at the broadcaster after making public interventions on race.
UK: Floella Benjamin leads calls to protect £60m public service fund (Paywall)
The Times: Baroness Benjamin has led calls for the government to protect a £60 million public service television and radio fund amid fears that ministers plan to end the scheme or maintain it by raiding BBC funding.
UKRAINE: Strengthening the media regulatory environment is one of the topics of the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit
Council of Europe: On October 12, 2021, in a joint statement following the 23rd Ukraine-European Union summit, the importance of strengthening independent media and the regulatory environment was highlighted.
REGIONAL: EU: Pegasus project prize win highlights importance of media freedom
Amnesty International
REGIONAL: Europe heats up on risk map for press violations: The Eastern region a serious concern. (Report)
The Coalition for Women in Journalism: As The Coalition For Women In Journalism keeps documenting cases of violations against women journalists, it raises concerns about their safety in Europe, especially in the eastern part of the continent.
REGIONAL: Is the EU doing enough to protect journalists?
DW: Maltese reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb attack in 2017. Four years later, the EU has pledged to strengthen the safety of journalists. Many, however, feel these promises won’t be enough.
REGIONAL: MEPs want protection for media, NGOs and civil society from abusive lawsuits
European Parliament: The EU needs rules against vexatious legal actions intended to silence critical voices, according to the Parliament’s Civil Liberties and Legal Affairs committees.
REGIONAL: ‘The Invisible Hand of Media Censorship in the Balkans’ (Watch)
Eureporter: Antoinette Nikolova, founder of the Balkan Free Media Initiative, presented the main findings of a report entitled: “The Invisible Hand of Media Censorship in the Balkans”. […]
ARGENTINA: Audiovisual public media from all over the country formed a representative association (Spanish)
Grupo La Provincia: Audiovisual public media across the country today took a “historic step” by signing the charter of the Argentine Association of Public Audiovisual Communication Services Providers, an entity that will represent national and provincial state management channels and university channels.
ARGENTINA: Democracy and television: provoke critical reflection or invite hypnosis? (Spanish – Events)
TVP: 70 years after the birth of national television, Radio y Televisión Argentina SE promotes a reflection on the medium and the challenges in the current scenarios. The discussion tables can be seen on the YouTube channel.
ARGENTINA: More changes in the government’s communication policy: Public TV once again has a daily news program (Spanish)
El Diario: Desiguals, which until now had a weekly edition, gets into the present day with a daily format, political columnists and reports. Change in presidential ideas regarding communication and the “right to an editorial line.”
ARGENTINA: National Radio Antarctica will be in charge of four women (Spanish – Watch)
TVP: Romina Zabalza, María Rodríguez, Claudia Albarracín and Mariela Churquina will be the four responsible for the air of LRA36 National Radio Arcángel San Gabriel in 2022 that operates in Antarctica Argentina and transmits from the Esperanza Base, in 15476 kHz band of 19 meters in short wave and 97.6 MHz FM.
BRAZIL: Bolsonarista attacks and GloboNews cameraman threatens death in Aparecida (Portuguese)
Poder360: The film reporter Leandro Matozo , from GloboNews , was attacked this Tuesday (12.Oct.2021) by a supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro in the city of Aparecida , in the interior of São Paulo.
COLOMBIA: Colombia found responsible for 2000 kidnap and torture of journalist
The Guardian: The Colombian state has been found responsible for the kidnap, torture and rape of a prominent journalist who was abducted while reporting on her country’s civil war, in a landmark ruling from the inter-American court of human rights.
COLOMBIA: “Here we work for citizens, not for consumers”: RTVC manager (Spanish – Watch)
Revista Semana: Álvaro García reflects on the contents of the public media system, which should reflect the diversity of the country and its regions.
EL SALVADOR & NICARAGUA: Closure of the media creates “information desert” in Central America (Spanish)
Artículo 66: The Inter-American Press Association warned about the difficult situation that EI Salvador and Nicaragua are going through, where the independent press is increasingly surrounded by the regimes that hold power in those nations.
PERU: Augusto Álvarez indicates that one should be alert that if media related to the government are financed with public resources (Spanish)
RPP: The journalist Augusto Álvarez Rodrich indicated that one should be alert in case media related to the government may be receiving public financing.
SURINAME: Journalists want change in communication with government (Dutch)
DWT Online: “I hope the government takes good note of what is in that letter. And that they see that it is an urgent matter and will act on it.” This was emphasized by journalist Ivan Cairo on Monday afternoon shortly after he and a group of colleagues submitted a letter of protest to the Cabinet of the President on behalf of the ‘Media Collective’. In their writing, the journalists have expressed their dismay at the state of affairs at government press conferences.
VENEZUELA & COLOMBIA: Is disinformation circulating among Venezuelans? Data journalism disclosures (Spanish – 6 October)
VOA: From the direction of the Colombiacheck medium, the Venezuelan journalist Jeanfreddy Gutiérrez has a privileged look at the migrants that involve both countries and what has been published about them.
REGIONAL: How Latin American Governments Are Fighting Fake News
Americas Quarterly: Governments and civil society have tried a number of different approaches to fight misinformation. But the barriers are formidable.
REGIONAL: ‘Journalism in Times of Polarization and Disinformation in Latin America:’ Sign up for free webinar in English, Spanish and Portuguese (Event)
Knight Centre for Journalism in the Americas: LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin will host a webinar on polarization, disinformation and the role of the press in protecting democracy and freedom of expression in the region.
IRAN: Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of journalists imprisoned in Iran
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is extremely concerned about the treatment of journalists imprisoned in Iran, who are being denied their most basic rights, including essential medical treatment, visits from their families and phone calls with them.
IRAN: Iran: Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2020
RSF: Two journalists arrested for reporting that children were raped
IRAN: Online harassment against women journalists in the Iranian diaspora
Article 19: ARTICLE 19 has published a briefing in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) looking into the toxic and often violent space women journalists reporting on Iran inhabit.
JORDAN: Jordan: Lèse-majesté pardon should pave way for larger decriminalization of free speech
IPI: The IPI global network of journalists, editors and executives for independent journalism welcomed the move by King Abdullah of Jordan to pardon those convicted of lèse-majesté, the crime of insulting the king.
TURKEY: Erdogan Says Media Are ‘Incomparably Free,’ But Turkish Journalists Disagree
VOA News: Turkey’s president has brushed aside criticism of the country’s press freedom record, telling a U.S. broadcaster the country is “incomparably free.” But his comments on CBS came in the same month that several journalists were fighting lawsuits.
TURKEY: Turkish Media Face 18 Trials in One Week
VOA News: Eighteen journalists, nearly all of whom work for Kurdish media outlets, stood trial at hearings across Turkey this week. Lawyers and media rights groups say the trials show how Turkey’s laws on terrorism and protests can be used to detain or harass journalists.
CANADA: CBC inks deal with ABC Commercial for ‘The Wonder Gang’
If.com.au: Canadian audiences have joined the quest for knowledge undertaken by ABC original series The Wonder Gang, which has been sold to the country’s national public broadcaster, CBC.
CANADA: Government and Big Tech must tackle online harassment against journalists (Opinion)
The Globe and Mail
CANADA: The planet is changing. So will our journalism. (Editorial)
CBC: CBC News commits to doing even more climate change journalism.
CANADA: Pathways to prosperity: a CAJ mentorship event (Opportunity)
CAJ: The CAJ is hosting an evening for journalists to ask questions and learn from four of this year’s CAJ mentors.
US: Facebook criticizes journalists for reporting on leaked docs about company
The Hill: Facebook is criticizing news outlets for reporting on leaked documents about the company ahead of the release of what Facebook called a “coordinated series of articles.”
US: Facebook launches an ‘Audio’ hub in the US for podcasts, live audio and short-form clips
Tech Crunch: Facebook is expanding its investment in audio initiatives with the launch of a new “Audio” destination in its mobile app in the U.S., where users will be able to discover in one place all the audio formats Facebook now hosts, including podcasts, Live Audio Rooms and short-form audio.
US: How Public Radio is Trying to Save Print
The Verge: The Chicago Sun-Times needs help. After being bought and sold several times over the last decade, the 73-year-old paper is looking for a more stable home … and it may have finally found it in an unexpected place: a radio station.
WJCT News: WJCT Public Media announced today that the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations has awarded a grant of $500,000 to its Local Journalism Initiative, aimed at strengthening local news reporting in Northeast Florida.
US: New funding expands reach of public radio’s hip-hop/R&B format (Paywall)
Current: Three more public radio stations will adopt a CPB-backed music format designed to appeal to younger and more diverse audiences.
US: Reporters covering protests in California get new protections under law signed by Newsom (Paywall)
San Francisco Chronicle: Journalists in California will be allowed to cover protests without police interference under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
US: Statement from Patricia Harrison on the Death of General Colin Powell
CPB: “It was an honor for me and my public media colleagues to work with him and Alma Powell on behalf of young people through America’s Promise Alliance and public media’s American Graduate initiative, helping youth stay on the path to a high school diploma.”
Even with the Nobel Peace Prize, press freedom remains under fierce attack (Opinion)
Hong Kong Free Press: Under the pretext of tackling “fake news” or foreign interference, governments are working to suppress the media, writes Robert Gerhardt.
How to Improve Your Coverage of LGBTQ+ Communities (Event)
Poynter: In this webinar, journalists will learn how to accurately cover and meaningfully engage LGBTQ+ people.
Impartiality is still key for news audiences. Here’s how to rethink it for the digital age
RISJ: Our research shows people still value the ideal of impartial news. A new report offer suggestions to adapt it to a challenging environment.
Special Rapporteurs launch the 2021 Joint Declaration (Event)
Article 19: The 22nd Joint Declaration addresses concerns about the degradation of political culture in many parts of the world and the rise of “strongman politics”, often promoting majoritarian populism, emboldening isolationist attitudes and railing against democratic institutions and limits on the exercise of power.
Reuters Institute: The project, funded by the European Climate Foundation, will provide members with unique access to leading experts, forums, and research.
UNESCO to hold Remote Radio Week
Asia Radio Today: Organized by UNESCO in partnership with WHO, Remote Radio Week is an online training programme aimed at building the capacity of local radio stations to produce accurate and professional radio content in the event of containment measures or emergencies, including financial difficulties.
What would an effective social-media regulator look like?
CJR: Last week, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before a Senate subcommittee about the company’s propensity for disregarding its own research into the harms done by its content algorithms, particularly among young girls who use Instagram, its photo-sharing site.
‘More reporting:’ How journalists should cover threats to democracy
CNN Business
Journalists: Protect Yourself with These Quick Resources
CAJ: Supporting reporters who continue to receive an onslaught of hateful emails and messages targeting their identities is deeply important to the CAJ.
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