Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
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Reinventing journalism in Africa
SABC: The Changing media landscape in Africa has forced journalists to adapt to the immediate threat that digital media has brought to the news reporting space.
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Newsroom edition: the media is in crisis, gambling ads are not the answer
The Guardian: This week the Labor government is facing criticism for its proposal to put a cap on gambling advertising despite most people supporting an outright ban. But why water down legislation that holds such high community support? According to Bill Shorten, because the future of free-to-air TV depends on it.
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ALGERIA: IFJ calls for the release of journalist Ihsane El Kadi after 600 days in jail
IFJ: The founder and director of private online station Radio M and the Maghreb Emergent media, Ihsane El Kadi, has been deprived of freedom for 600 days. El Kadi, a vocal critic of the government, was sentenced to seven years in jail over foreign funding charges in June 2023.
CAMEROON: Cameroonian Social Media Activist Feared Forcibly Disappeared
Human Rights Watch: In a video circulated on social media on July 21, Steve Akam, alias Ramon Cotta, a Cameroonian social media activist, stands before a barrier in an outdoor space, handcuffed and surrounded by members of the Cameroonian police. It was the last time he was seen.
EGYPT: Kidnapped a month ago by security forces, journalist Khaled Mamdouh must be released
RSF: Journalist Khaled Mamdouh was taken in custody on July 21, accused of belonging to a terrorist group and spreading false information. He had been abducted from his home on 16 July.
ESWATINI: Two back-door attacks on journalistic freedom this week. Be alert! (Paywall)
News 24
GIJN: In Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, investigative journalism currently faces a series of severe challenges: a public mired in ethnic and religious extremism, a sharply partisan private media market with little tolerance for independent reporting, oppressive government regulation, and, not least of all, routine threats, intimidation, and arrests of members of the press.
GHANA: GJA commemorates 75 years of excellence today
GBC: The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) turns 75 years old today. The association sets and upholds high professional standards in journalism, enhances the skills and knowledge of journalists through workshops, as well as the promotion of ethical journalism and accountability among its members.
GHANA: We paid GBC $3 million for coverage of African Games – Sports Minister
Pulse: The Minister of Youth and Sports Mustapha Ussif has disclosed that the government paid the national broadcaster a sum of $3 million for the coverage of the 2023 African Games.
KENYA: Kenyan Protests See Journalists in the Firing Line
Foreign Policy: The scene in Nairobi’s city center on Aug. 8 was particularly violent, and Medics for Kenya treated five journalists wounded while covering the protests—the most they had seen in one day. Journalists were kicked and hit at by police with wooden sticks.
NAMIBIA: Namibia vulnerable to election misinformation
New Era: The scourge of mis- and disinformation is about to become even more conspicuous, as campaigning for Namibia’s Presidential and National Assembly elections is approaching its business end.
NIGERIA: FRCN champions AI Integration with new House-Style review
FRCN: A committee has been set up to review the House Style of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) to ensure that it maintains its leadership position as the flagship of radio broadcasting in Nigeria amidst the rise of digital platforms.
NIGERIA: Media outlets convene in Abuja for BBC-Led roundtable on Nigeria’s Media Challenges
Radio Nigeria: More than 20 media organisations on Wednesday converged on Abuja for a roundtable discussion on Nigeria’s media landscape.
NIGERIA: Society of Nigerian Broadcasters holds maiden conference in Abuja
TVC: The Society of Nigerian Broadcasters has held its first-ever national conference in Abuja, marking a historic milestone six decades after its inception.
SENEGAL: Senegal media sound alarm with news blackout
France 24: Media organizations in Senegal staged a blackout day on Tuesday (August 13) to protest against measures that they say amount to a crackdown on freedom of the country’s press.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC ‘poisoning’ minds of millions by using term GNU, Dali Mpofu tells court (Paywall)
News24
TUNISIA: Tunisia Hollows Out its Media Landscape Ahead of Elections
Human Rights Watch: When veteran journalist Elyes Gharbi announced on June 28 that he was leaving the “Midi Show” on Tunisia’s leading radio station, Mosaïque FM, after nine years, he did not explain why.
UGANDA: Burnt UBC Kololo Tower: Experts Point to Poor Maintenance As Cause (Paywall)
Uganda Radio Network: Several sources privy to the issue and well-informed telecommunications engineers interviewed for this story have contested UBC’s explanation. According to all of those interviewed, the fire was unlikely caused by a lightning strike.
Addis Ababa University: Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa , in partnership with AAU , is set to offer a highly innovative, integrated, and practical world-class training program firmly rooted in Ethiopian market realities.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban use license suspensions, arrests, closures to pressure media in Afghanistan
VOA News: The suspension of broadcast licenses, arrests and closures of news outlets in Afghanistan show that the Taliban continue to exert pressure on media, watchdogs say.
AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijan presses new charges against three detained in AbzasMedia case
OC Media: Azerbaijani police have pressed new charges against two of AbzasMedia’s staff members and an economist detained during the crackdown on independent media.
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh’s New Democracy Under Threat From Flood of Misinformation
The Diplomat: The country’s democratic revolution is being targeted by both external and internal sources of misinformation and propaganda.
BANGLADESH: How a reporter mined social media and went to morgues to document police violence in Bangladesh
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: “Our priority was to reveal what the government was trying to hide,” says Zyma Islam about the work of her team in the weeks that changed her country.
BANGLADESH: Journos for extensive reforms of media ownership, management
Bangladesh Post: Journalists at all levels have called for extensive reforms in various aspects of media ownership and management to ensure journalism free from the influence of powerful classes.
BANGLADESH: Twenty journalists injured in Chittagong Press Club attack
IFJ: Approximately 20 journalists were injured after several unknown individuals attacked a press club in Chittagong on August 14, while journalist Moniruzzaman Monir was seriously injured in an attack by a group of unknown people in Dhaka on August 13.
BANGLADESH: Unidentified men vandalise office of media group in Bangladesh; assault woman journalist
Deccan Herald: Unidentified men armed with hockey sticks and batons on Monday vandalised the office of a media group and assaulted a woman journalist here in the Bangladeshi capital, media reports said.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong court dismisses bid by media tycoon Jimmy Lai to overturn conviction
Reuters: Hong Kong’s top court on Monday unanimously dismissed the bid to overturn the convictions of media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six other pro-democracy campaigners for an unauthorised assembly in 2019.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong press freedom in further decline, according to press group survey of journalists in city
HKFP: According to the results of the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s annual press freedom index, published on Tuesday, the rating recorded by reporters was just 25 out of 100, the lowest since the survey was first conducted in 2013.
INDIA: Censorship for digital content?
DW: A draft bill has drawn sharp criticism for attempting to regulate independent news content creators on social media as well as streaming services.
INDIA & RUSSIA: Growing unease about Russian state-owned media targeting Opposition leaders
The Hindu: The Indian government is concerned about India-based Russian state-owned media targeting Indian Opposition leaders on social media and is likely to take it up with Russian authorities, official sources indicated.
INDONESIA: Indonesia must prevent return to New Order era mouthpiece media (Opinion)
Nikkei: Proposed amendments to Indonesia’s broadcasting law have sparked significant concern among journalist organizations, which fear for the future of press freedom and investigative journalism.
INDONESIA: Journalist’s car vandalised by unknown assailants
IFJ: The car of Tempo Media Group investigative journalist Hussein Abri Dongoron was vandalised in a targeted attack in Jakarta on August 5, with authorities unable to confirm the assailants’ motives.
JAPAN: NHK apologizes for on-air claim on ownership of Senkaku Islands
The Asahi Shimbun: Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) apologised after its Chinese news presenter said on the air that the disputed Senkaku Islands belong to China, although they are also claimed by Japan and Taiwan.
JAPAN & UKRAINE: Ukraine’s public broadcaster gets outside broadcasting van from Japan
NHK: Ukraine’s public broadcaster has received a large outside broadcasting van from Japan. The vehicle is expected to help it continue and strengthen broadcasting activities amid Russia’s invasion.
KYRGYZSTAN: Financial support for projects building trust in independent media
IJnet: Organizations working in Kyrgyzstan, including media organizations, can apply. The British Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic announces a call for applications for the Small Projects Program.
MALAYSIA: As Malaysia steps up social media controls, TikTok calls for self-regulation of online content
SCMP: TikTok Malaysia’s head of public policy urges government against taking top-down approach to moderating content on social media.
NORTH KOREA: North Korea defector journalist speaks for those who can’t escape
VOA: Just two years ago, Zane Han couldn’t have imagined his life today: living in Seoul and writing whatever he wants about the North Korean government, which once tried to control his every move.
PAKISTAN: IFJ joins local affiliate in condemning attacks, torture of two Pakistani journalists
Arab News PK: Journalist Khursheed Rajput of Tando Adam was allegedly tortured by local police on August 9, while journalist Kashif Ghafoor Arain was attacked and robbed on August 11, in separate provinces across Pakistan.
PAKISTAN: Misogyny in Pakistan’s media
IFJ: Misogynistic dialogue is rapidly consuming Pakistan’s online digital forums, with women journalists and media professionals standing at the forefront of these online attacks.
PAKISTAN: Pakistanis frustrated by slowdown in internet service
VOA: From sharing memes to sealing deals, millions of Pakistanis are struggling to communicate digitally as internet and data services have slowed down across much of the country.
PHILIPPINES: Court overturns order to shut down news site Rappler
IPI: The IPI global network welcomes the recent ruling by a Philippine court that overturns a 2018 regulatory order to close the independent news outlet Rappler.
PHILIPPINES: Philippines investigates allegations of Chinese journalist acting as state agent
SCMP: Authorities in the Philippines are investigating claims that a Manila-based foreign journalist could be a Chinese agent, an allegation that analysts say reflects an ongoing campaign targeting the Southeast Asian country through covert operations.
TAIWAN: PTS XS, a small public television station, officially launches. Innovative and good-looking, it strides into the golden era of Taiwan’s self-made children’s and children’s programs. (Press release)
PTS Taiwan: Taiwan’s first cross-media audio and video platform “PTS XS” exclusively for children and teenagers will be officially launched on August 20. To welcome this important moment, Public Television held a grand opening press conference at the Taipei Hotel on August 16.
THAILAND: Statement from the Public Broadcasting Service of Thailand (Thai PBS) regarding inappropriate behavior by journalists during interviews (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: As for the incident where a reporter for Thai PBS was threatened by General Prawit Wongsuwan with a slap on the head while the reporter was performing an interview at the Office of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand under Royal Patronage (Ban Amphawan) on the afternoon of Friday, August 16, 2024, and the video clip of which was widely disseminated through mainstream media and social media.
VIETNAM: Vietnam retools its propaganda strategy for the social media age (Opinion)
SCMP: Vietnam’s attempts to change its social media approach are complicated by tight controls and the public’s low trust in government messages.
AUSTRALIA: ABC NEWS launches new look and features, welcomes back iconic news theme (Press release)
ABC: ABC NEWS, Australia’s most trusted news source, will launch a new design, features and functionality for the ABC NEWS website for all audiences next Monday 19 August as well as unveiling a new on-air look.
AUSTRALIA: Gambling levy proposed to help wean Australian media companies off betting ad addiction
The Guardian: A 2% levy on gambling companies’ revenue would help compensate for the $240m in advertising income that media companies would lose if the Albanese government adopted a total ban.
AUSTRALIA: Lifestyle, culture websites argue for their slice of Meta’s pie
AFR: The media regulator has ruled outdoor travel website We Are Explorers and mens lifestyle site Man of Many cover issue of “public significance” and should be allowed to negotiate with US social media giant Meta if the Albanese government enforces the News Media Bargaining Code.
AUSTRALIA: Powerful groups have hijacked Australian media narratives on climate change, new analysis shows
Crikey: A new scholarly analysis of 30 years of news reporting in Australia has found that journalists have overwhelmingly failed to report on climate change in a way that benefits all of society.
FIJI: Journalists use talanoa, tradition to find their voice
Pacific Media Network: As climate change, exploited fisheries, declining human rights, decolonisation, and geopolitics challenge the Pacific, approaches to news media and journalism education in the region are also under scrutiny.
MARIANAS & US: VOA Is Shuttering Its Marianas Shortwave Site
Radioworld: The Voice of America is shuttering its Robert E. Kamosa Transmitting Station in the Northern Mariana Islands.
NEW ZEALAND: Fund Launched to Support Media Projects in Pacific Languages (Press release)
PMN: Pacific Media Network and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples are pleased to announce the launch of a new fund aimed at supporting media projects in Pacific languages in Aotearoa.
NEW ZEALAND: Tina Ngata: New Zealand media is soaked in oil and racism (Opinion)
E-TANGATA: We cannot overstate the importance of the news media in upholding colonial supremacy. It can set norms through promoting science and fact, but it can also shape public opinion by appealing to emotions, values or desires.
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ set to move into pay-TV and sports rights; Who’s in line to be Stuff’s new CEO? New RNZ board members tipped
The NZ Herald
NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA: Stuff CEO Laura Maxwell to stand down, owner Sinead Boucher to take over
RNZ: Stuff chief executive Laura Maxwell will depart the business, a little over a year after taking on the job.
REGIONAL: Islands Business: ‘Big picture’ style journalism is the future for media
Asia Pacific Report: In the expansive landscape of Pacific journalism, one magazine stands for unwavering command and unfiltered truth. Islands Business, with its roots deep beneath Fijian soil, is unafraid to be a voice for the Pacific in delivering forward-thinking analysis of current issues.
AUSTRIA: ORF editor-in-chief defends duel final between Nehammer and Kickl (German)
Der Standard: On Monday, ORF editor-in-chief Johannes Bruckenberger defended the timing of the ORF election confrontations with a final duel between Chancellor and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer and FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl against massive criticism from the SPÖ.
BELARUS: Media crackdown continues 4 years after contested Belarus election
VOA News: Belarus sentenced two more journalists to prison last week in what media groups say is a continuation of a crackdown on media since the contested 2020 election and protest movement.
CROATIA: Climate journalist from Faktograf attacked twice
IFEX: Journalist Melita Vrsaljko was filming an illegal dumpsite in Nadin, central Croatia, when she was first attacked; the following day, she was assaulted at her home. Her attackers are the sister and father of a powerful local politician.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Radio: Radiožurnál strengthened its position as the most listened to radio station (Press release – Czech)
Parliamentní: The current results of the national survey of radio listenership in the Czech Republic by Radioprojekt for the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2024 show an increased interest in listening to Czech Radio’s news stations. CRo’s overall reach remains stable with a market share of 26.2%.
FINLAND: Act on the Finnish Broadcasting Company to be amended to increase openness
Finnish Government: The Ministry of Transport and Communications has launched a legislative project to amend the Act on the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Yle.
FINLAND: Yle renews its organization – changes in the management team (Press release – Swedish)
Yle: With the changes, the company wants to better tackle future needs. The goal is increased efficiency and flexibility in the business. The changes will come into effect gradually during the autumn.
GERMANY: ARD interrupts evening program – children take over
Zeit: Under the motto #KINDERstören, ARD interrupted the program on Sunday evening at prime time at 8:15 p.m. and drew attention to the needs, rights and problems of children.
GERMANY: Gamescom 2024: Exclusive pre-sessions: experience the ARD games “GreenGuardiansVR” and Tatort-Game (Press release – German)
ARD: Solve puzzles, play games, immerse yourself in virtual reality (VR) together: From August 21 to 25, ARD will be presenting its gaming portfolio at this year’s Gamescom. In Hall 10.1, all gaming fans can take part in live streams from the ARD Twitch channel and podcasts, as well as test out ARD’s latest game innovations.
ITALY: EU, RAI appointments and rights. A summit with many issues (Italian)
Il Giornale: … On another front, however, it is the League itself that is shuffling the cards. It concerns the Rai nominations on which there is still no unanimity of views.
ITALY & RUSSIA: Russia opens criminal probe into Italian journalists who entered Kursk (RFI)
RFI: Russia’s FSB security service said it had launched a case against “foreign journalists Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini, who illegally crossed the State Border of the Russian Federation”, according to the RIA news agency.
KOSOVO: Application for Eurovision 2025 Rejected
Eurovoix: Kosovan local media is reporting that Kosovo will not be allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Switzerland.
RUSSIA: Even in exile, Russian journalists not ‘100% safe’
VOA News: Journalists who fled Russia for European cities live under threat, surveillance, pressure.
RUSSIA: YouTube crackdown threatens press freedom and expands online censorship
IFJ: Russian internet monitoring services reported widespread slowdowns of online platform YouTube on 8 August, making it nearly inaccessible without using virtual private networks (VPNs). YouTube has remained one of the few platforms of free expression in the country, amid the government’s crackdown on independent media.
SLOVENIA: The Ministry proposes to increase the RTV contribution to 14 euros per month (Slovenian)
RTV SLO: The Ministry of Culture sent a decree for interdepartmental coordination, which would raise the RTV contribution by 10 percent. If the decree is approved, the contribution for an individual household would no longer be 12.75 euros, but 14.05 euros per month.
SPAIN: Media freedom coalition calls for an end to Spain’s repressive “Gag Law”
IPI: Sánchez’s government urged to uphold press freedom amid “democratic regeneration” plans.
SWEDEN: Foreign reporting on location from around the world (Blog – Swedish)
Swedish Radio: Foreign journalism is prioritized and important for Sveriges Radio, writes director of foreign affairs Anders Pontara.
SWEDEN: SVT does not replace climate correspondents when they leave (Swedish)
Dagens Nyheter: After 27 years at SVT, Erika Bjerström is leaving her position to become a freelancer, reports Expressen . SVT is not appointing a new climate correspondent.
SWITZERLAND: Fake or fact: SRG and SBB launch new module for SBB school and adventure train (Press release – German)
SRG: Starting today, the rolling classroom will travel through Switzerland with a new train carriage on the topic of “fake news”. The aim is to make young people aware in a playful way and to distinguish between fake news and facts. The new module focuses on media literacy.
UK: Channel 4 and TikTok partner for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games (Press release)
Channel 4: Channel 4 and TikTok are teaming up to inspire a new generation of fans to follow the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, showcasing the sporting prowess of Paralympians in exciting and engaging new ways.
UK: S4C enjoys highest weekly viewing hours for S4C for fifteen years – thanks to National Eisteddfod programmes (Press release)
S4C: S4C has seen significant growth in the number of viewing hours and reach of the channel over the week of the National Eisteddfod this year (7 – 13 August) with viewing figures over three times the usual weekly level on S4C.
UK: Update on implementing the Media Act (Press release)
Ofcom: The Media Act is designed to protect public service broadcasting while fostering innovation, so that UK audiences can enjoy the services, video and programming they love.
ARGENTINA: Cooperative and community media demand official guidelines (Spanish)
El Resaltador
BRAZIL: X suspends business in Brazil over censorship row
BBC: X, formerly known as Twitter, has closed its office in Brazil over a censorship row.
CHILE: TVN’s new strongman: A strategic profile that promises changes (Spanish)
El Filtrador: In the midst of a restructuring that responds to the multimillion-dollar losses that TVN has accumulated over the years, the state-owned company has chosen its expert to occupy a key role – recently created – within the channel.
CHILE & VENEZUELA: More than 40 Chilean journalists support Venezuelan journalists for violation of press freedom (Spanish)
La Tercera: According to the statement issued, since the elections in Venezuela at the end of July, up to 70 violations of editorial freedom of reporters living and working in the Caribbean country under the regime of Nicolas Maduro have been reported.
COLOMBIA: 55% of journalists in Colombia do not report threats against them (Spanish)
VOA: 44.4% of journalists in Colombia have been victims of human rights violations, and 55% do not report threats against them due to the lack of response from state agencies to protect them, the Ombudsman’s Office said in a report.
COLOMBIA: “The left without media power is a left with its hands tied behind its back”: Pablo Iglesias in Noches de opinión (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: Spanish political scientist, Pablo Iglesias , spoke with internationalist, Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir , about hegemonic media, alternative media and democracy. Exclusive interview for the program ‘Noches de opinión’ on Señal Colombia.
NICARAGUA: Nicaragua is running out of journalism: media and journalists are unable to survive in exile (Spanish)
Infobae: News platforms that moved their editorial staff to other countries due to the persecution of Daniel Ortega’s regime are closing or facing serious problems due to lack of resources, while dozens of professionals are leaving their profession because their salaries are not sufficient to live abroad.
PARAGUAY: Foreign journalist denounces manipulation of his article on Peña in a government agency (Spanish)
ABC Color
PERU: IRTP presents renewed educational and entertaining content from Canal IPE (Press release – Spanish)
IRTP: The National Institute of Radio and Television of Peru (IRTP) presented the relaunch of its television platform Canal IPE, a children’s channel that renews its proposal of educational and entertaining content with innovative formats, firmly maintaining the commitment to continue being a reference of Peruvian identity for all children, adolescents and young people nationwide.
VENEZUELA: IAPA strongly rejects terrorism charges against four journalists (Spanish)
El Diario: The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) rejected the charges brought against four journalists by the Venezuelan regime for terrorism and inciting hatred.
VENEZUELA: Journalists in Venezuela challenge Nicolás Maduro’s repression with artificial intelligence: this is the initiative (Paywall – Spanish)
El Tiempo: La Chama and El Pana are two virtual reporters created to protect the identity of those who report in the neighboring country. There are a dozen media promoting the initiative.
VENEZUELA: RSF records 70 attacks on press freedom in 15 days (Spanish)
RSF: In addition to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s ban on the use of X (formerly Twitter) and the messaging app Signal, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has counted at least 70 attacks on press freedom by the Venezuelan authorities since the presidential election on 28 July.
REGIONAL: Caribbean Media Encouraged to Enhance Environmental Reporting
WinnFM: At the 55th Annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, held at Naia Resort and Spa, Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, delivered a keynote address emphasising the importance of media in promoting environmental awareness in the Caribbean.
GAZA: At least 123 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza
IFJ: At least 123 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed, several have been injured and others are missing during the war in Gaza.
GAZA: Women Press Freedom Condemns Israeli Military’s Assault on Palestinian Journalist Salma al-Qadoumi
The Coalition for Women in Journalism: In the past 317 days, over 100 journalists, including 21 women, have been killed in this conflict—an average of one journalist every three days.
IRAN: IFJ backs Association of Iranian Journalists’ calls for its office in Tehran to reopen
IFJ: The Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ) has called upon the recently elected president, and newly formed government, to reopen its office in the capital Tehran, 15 years after it was closed on the orders of Tehran’s prosecutor.
ISRAEL & UK: Israel spokesperson accuses BBC’s Mishal Husain of pro-Palestinian bias
The Guardian: The BBC has defended Mishal Husain, a presenter on its Radio 4 Today programme, after she was accused by an Israeli government spokesperson live on air of “blindly repeating what terrorist organisations … feed you”.
TURKEY: RSF: Erdoğan’s 10 years of presidency marked by legal harassment, censorship against journalists
Bianet: Over the past ten years under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s presidency, Turkey has witnessed a significant decline in press freedom, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The organization highlights the concerning levels of media control, censorship, and persecution that have come to define Erdoğan’s presidency, which began in 2014.
TURKEY: Turkey blocks access to report on press freedom
SCF: A Turkish court has blocked access to Bianet’s Media Monitoring Report, which documents rights violations related to press freedom, the Free Web Turkey platform reported on Monday.
TURKEY & CHINA: Turkish journalists on China-sponsored Xinjiang tour give positive reports
VOA: Turkish journalist Erdal Emre shared his impressions about a recent media tour of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China.
CBC: In a small radio studio located in a converted meeting room on the second floor of First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) in Regina, students put on headphones, adjust microphones and begin checking audio levels by discussing what they had for breakfast.
CANADA: Liberal government refuses to say if it approved bonus for CBC CEO Catherine Tait
The Globe & Mail: The Liberal government is refusing to say if it approved a bonus for the head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., as Opposition Conservatives demand answers and New Democrats call for a ban on bonuses.
CANADA: On the Middle East, public trust and the meaning of impartiality (Blog)
CBC: Last week, I received two emails from two different people within a day of each other. Each complainant told me they no longer trust CBC News journalism. Why? One complainant said we are a purveyor of “pro-Israel propaganda.” The other said our journalism is plagued by “anti-Israel bias.”
CANADA: TVO Continues to Champion Black Youth with Summer Program Partnership (Press release)
TVO: For the fourth year, TVO Media Education Group (TVO) proudly hosted students from the Black Student Summer Leadership Program (BSSLP).
US: $10M Budget Woes Trigger More New York Public Radio Layoffs
RadioInk: Eleven months after cutting its workforce by 6% due to budget shortfalls, New York Public Radio will again lay off staff due to a projected $10 million budget shortfall.
US: “AI reporters” are covering the events of the day in Northwest Arkansas
Nieman Lab: AI-generated local news has finally arrived. That is, it has arrived in Northwest Arkansas.
US: How LGBT programs have fared in pubmedia, from ‘American Family’ to today’s challenges
Current: While documentaries and other programs about LGBT issues are still being made, producers attribute the decline of such shows to the growth of gay representation in other media and a shift in the political climate.
US: How nonprofit news outlets are using AI to save time and money
Current: Drafting fundraising emails, scraping databases, translating stories and aggregating links in newsletters are just a few ways nonprofit news outlets are using AI.
US: John Lansing, the steady CEO who led NPR through the pandemic’s crises, dies at 67
NPR: Former NPR chief executive John Lansing died Wednesday at his lakeside home in Wisconsin, just six months after relinquishing his role at the network and just two weeks after turning 67 years old. His cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
US: NPR’s Katherine Maher tackles big questions about public media’s role (Paywall)
Current: In a PMDMC keynote, Maher described building a “common national fabric” for civic dialogue and defining what audiences want.
CNN: For more than a century, Americans have been turning to a trusted and reliable source for local news: the radio. Now, the terrestrial broadcasts are facing an existential threat as listeners and advertising dollars rapidly shift, forcing stations to slash staff and even sign off the air for good.
US: RSF urges both presidential campaigns to commit to strengthening press freedom
RSF: After the United States fell to an unprecedented 55th place in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index in 2024, the next American president must work to strengthen the country’s press freedom record at home and abroad.
US & CANADA: Lessons from Canada: California Journalism Preservation Act will help save local news (Opinion)
Sacramento Bee: Misinformation thrives when local news dies. Local news is critical to keeping residents informed and holding government officials accountable.
Does legacy news help or hurt in the fight against election misinformation?
Nieman Lab: The year 2024 has featured a series of pivotal and hotly contested elections around the world, and the U.S. presidential election — the campaign for which has gone through a whipsaw of a summer, to say the least — is still to come…
Fastest-growing news publishers on Tiktok since start of 2023 revealed
Press Gazette: Five of the biggest news publishers in the UK and US have increased their core Tiktok followings by more than two million people in just over 18 months.
From the Battlefield to the Campaign Trail
Nieman Reports: How safety training for journalists has evolved.
Guidelines for ethical reporting on children in conflict
IJNet: When reporting on children in conflict zones, journalists must take care to consider children’s rights and minimize harm. Their reporting must also be “trauma informed” – based on understanding what a trauma survivor is experiencing, and letting this guide how they interview and photograph survivors.
Leaders hostile to the press: survival tips from Argentine journalist Hugo Alconada Mon (Spanish)
GIJN: Hugo Alconada Mon is used to being unpopular in Buenos Aires’s inner circles. The investigative editor of La Nación, Argentina’s most prominent newspaper, has spent more than a decade investigating how corruption infiltrates politics.
Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists
AP News: Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms has shut down CrowdTangle, a tool widely used by researchers, watchdog organizations and journalists to monitor social media posts, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company’s platforms.
Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline − like this one
The Conversation: Typical news readers prefer news headlines with simple language over more complex wording.
Reporting the long arc of trauma recovery
Nieman Storyboard: A Seattle Times intern resisted easy news angles to learn the truth of recovery for five women mountain bikers who survived a cougar attack.
Seasoned reporting: charting changing tastes in the field of food journalism
Journalism.co.uk: Food journalism has undergone a major transformation, evolving from its core tenants of recipe sharing and restaurant reviews to a multifaceted exploration of food’s impact and influence on culture, politics, and society.
The silent war: how journalists face coordinated discrediting worldwide
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Two days before the crucial Nigerian presidential election of February 2023, the website for the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) went dark…
The winning formula for local news: a compilation of good ideas
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: There are many local news teams producing brilliant journalism who are fast approaching their final “lights out” moment. If you clicked on this story, you probably already knew that.
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