Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
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GAMBIA: Gambian Media Thriving Since Jammeh’s Departure
VOA: The scene is changing, but rights groups and journalists say there is still a way to go.
MOROCCO: RSF deplores Morocco’s ban on France 24
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Morocco’s ban on retransmission of the Arabic-language channel of France 24, the French state-owned 24-hour TV news network. The ban has been imposed amid growing Moroccan government concern about media coverage of protests in the northern Rif region.
MOZAMBIQUE: SNJ, IFJ Hold Workshop on Reporting Climate Change
IFJ: The Syndicato Nacional de Journalistas (SNJ) in Mozambique, in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) held a two – day workshop on “Reporting Climate Change” from 7 – 8 June, 2017 in Maputo, Mozambique.
NIGERIA: NBC Names Six States as Model for Digital Switch Over
This Day: The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, has said that Nigeria will adopt phased implementation of switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting (Digital Switch Over) (DSO), beginning with six states.
SOUTH AFRICA: Former COO To Take Legal Action Against SABC For Wrongful Dismissal
Broadcast Media Africa: Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the former Chief Operating Officer of the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has stated his intention to take the corporation to court over his dismissed.
SOUTH AFRICA: Here’s why Supra Mahumapelo severed ties with the SABC in the NW
City Press: Any journalist from the SABC can interview the North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo – just not those from the public broadcaster’s newsroom in his own province.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC staff rebel against bosses loyal to Hlaudi Motsoeneng
My Broadband: Senior journalists and editors at the SABC have filed a motion of no confidence against several news managers at the public broadcaster, according to a report by the Sunday Times.
SOUTH AFRICA: Update: What’s going on at SABC? #3
PMA: Since our last update in January, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has continued to face an ongoing crisis that has left the broadcaster in financial difficulties and caused controversial policies to reverse.
TANZANIA: Tanzania has banned a newspaper for two years as it tightens its media clampdown
Quartz: The ban of a weekly newspaper in Tanzania has heightened concerns among observers that the government of president John Magufuli is intent on exerting pressure on journalists and stifling freedom of expression.
TUNISIA: Online petition to call for reform of public broadcasting
Tunis Afrique Presse: Intellectuals and journalists have launched an online petition calling on the government and parliament to launch, as soon as possible, a comprehensive and radical reform programme for the Tunisian Radio and Television establishments.
GENERAL: BBC World News celebrates Focus on Africa
ScreenAfrica: Focus on Africa, the BBC World News weekday news and current affairs show for Africa, celebrates 5 years of broadcasting this week.
CHINA: China shutters entertainment news sites, citing ‘socialist values’ and cybersecurity
via IFEX: The crackdown has been justified under China’s newly implemented Cybersecurity Law, which emphasizes ideological control as a core component of maintaining state security.
CHINA: More restrictive orders issued against the media in China
IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has strongly criticised the latest restrictive order issued by the Central Propaganda Department on June 13, 2017. The IFJ calls on the Chinese government to take immediate steps to end its attack on press freedom in China.
INDIA: Freedom of expression debate fuelled by elites: Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati
The Economic Times
INDIA: Internet censorship in India is on the rise
CNN: India is becoming increasingly trigger-happy when it comes to preventing people accessing the internet.
INDIA: Special protection law eyed as more journalists get killed
Tehelka: India has witnessed the murders of at least four professional journalists in six months and the saddest part is that the largest democracy has failed to bring the culprit to justice, writes Nava Thakuria.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan censors leading news agency Ferghana
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that the Ferghana website, one of the leading sources of news about Central Asia, can no longer be accessed in Kyrgyzstan as a result of court-ordered blocking, which it condemns as an unwarranted act of censorship unworthy of Kyrgyz democracy.
NEPAL: Routines Galore (Opinion)
myRepublica: There is little difference among news channels in story selection and display. They differ only in explanation of their decisions.
PAKISTAN: Journalists in Pakistan under fire from many sides
Ap News: In addition to attacks from militants or criminals, Pakistani journalists are also facing threats from government agencies or the military itself.
PHILIPPINES: The War on Journalism in the Philippines
The McGill International Review
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea: Public broadcaster deems songs from pop star’s new album unfit
Freemuse: South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS has banned four songs from K-pop star Psy’s latest album from being broadcast due to their lyrics.
SOUTH KOREA: What’s behind South Korea’s fact-checking boom? Tense politics, and the decline of investigative journalism
Poynter: “Fact-checking” is now one of the biggest buzzwords in South Korean journalism.
VIETNAM: Vietnam: End attacks on activists and bloggers
via Ifex: Pattern of thuggish assaults against rights campaigners across country
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s Ten moves into voluntary administration
Real Screen: Australian free-to-air TV broadcaster Network Ten has been placed in voluntary administration after failing to secure a new financing model.
AUSTRALIA: Government can support public interest journalism in Australia – here’s how (Opinion)
The Conversation: Independent journalism’s importance to healthy democracies is undisputed. In a time of rising autocratic tendencies around the world, this independent check on power is more needed than ever.
NEW ZEALAND: Fake News and the 2017 General Election
Radio New Zealand: Fake news and ‘alternative facts’ invaded Northern Hemisphere politics during the US presidential election and Brexit campaigns, according to Dr Gavin Ellis, lecturer in Media and Communication at the University of Auckland. And he considers that New Zealand is not immune to this post-truth era.
NEW ZEALAND: TV facing the future
Radio New Zealand: TVNZ’s multimedia series What Next pondered New Zealand 20 years from now. Over five consecutive nights, it aimed to spark debate about big issues facing us all, and even prod politicians into action. Did it succeed?
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ scoops New York radio awards
RNZ: RNZ’s new podcasts and key on-air presenters have been recognised with wins at the prestigious New York Festival Radio Awards announced today.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: How traditional and social media will impact on PNG elections
Asia Pacific Report: This study investigates traditional sources, social media and independent blogging websites to determine where a voter can locate quality information.
TONGA: Tonga broadcaster saga prompts media freedom discussion
PMA: Media freedom has come under the spotlight in Tonga ever since the prime minister threatened the public broadcaster over his dissatisfaction of their reporting. Our 2017 travel bursar, Koro Vaka’uta, went to Tonga to investigate.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: International Conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina Concludes Collapse of PSM ‘Completely Unacceptable’
EBU: An international conference on public service media (PSM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina has concluded with an agreement that the failure of PSM in the country would be completely unacceptable.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Czechs prepare to fight disinformation onslaught as elections loom
Deutsche Welle: With the Czech elections slated for October, officials are worried that a growing disinformation campaign backed by the Kremlin could destabilize the country’s democracy.
FRANCE: Fears for freedom of French media under Macron
ECPMF: French journalists and media companies are already worried that the new government of President Emmanuel Macron plans curbs on their freedom.
FRANCE: Public Media: the government’s roadmap (French – Subscription)
Le Monde: The owners of France Televisions and Radio France are invited to accelerate joint projects.
FRANCE: RSF calls again for repeal of law that criminalizes receiving leaks
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reiterates its call for the repeal of French legislation criminalizing the receipt of leaked information after labour minister Muriel Pénicaud reacted to the publication of leaks in Libération about the government’s proposed labour law reforms by filing a criminal complaint against persons unknown.
FRANCE: Strike hits France 24
Broadband TV News: International news channel France 24 was hit by a 24 hour strike on Thursday.
GEORGIA: Concerns grow at cancellation of ‘critical’ shows at GPB
OC-Media: Tens of demonstrators gathered in front Georgia’s Public Broadcaster (GPB) in Tbilisi to protests against their recent decision to cease broadcasting joint programmes with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Media watchdogs have condemned the move.
GERMANY: Controversial documentary on European anti-Semitism finally to air this week
Times of Israel: Germany’s Channel 1 has announced it will broadcast a documentary on anti-Semitism in Europe that has become the subject of unwanted controversy over the last five months.
RUSSIA: Index condemns arrest of protesters and journalists at anti-corruption rallies
Index: Over 1,500 protesters were reportedly detained by riot police on 12 June 2017 during anti-corruption demonstrations in cities across Russia.
SCANDINAVIA: Radio listening in the Nordic countries 2016 (Research)
Nordicom: More than seven of ten Nordic people listen to the radio every day, via FM/DAB or live transmissions online. This means that listening to flow radio remains fairly stable.
SPAIN: FORTA asks for help for Spanish public television, the cheapest in Europe (Spanish)
La Vanguardia: The Federation of Organizations and Autonomous Radio and Television Entities (FORTA) has asked the parliamentary groups for help in evaluating public television and not charging VAT because it jeopardizes their survival. In addition, has highlighted the “cheapness” of the Spanish public media that costs 39 euros per capita per year, compared to 67 euros on average in Europe.
SPAIN: PSOE and Podemos agree on the reform for RTVE’s overhaul (Spanish)
El País: Ciudadanos is close to the agreement that will be voted in plenary on June 22.
SPAIN: Spanish telcos must continue to pay for RTVE
Rapid TV News: Spain’s Supreme Court has dismissed appeals against the law which forces telcos in the country to help fund the public broadcaster, RTVE.
SPAIN: Rajoy calls for an agreement for RTVE to “be like the BBC” (Spanish)
infoLibre: He states in an interview with RNE that he would like to “be able to have an independent and funded public television,” despite continued complaints from workers about manipulation and cuts.
UK: New Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon faces some unwelcome drama
The Guardian: The broadcaster’s possible move from London, the verdict on Bake Off and competition from streaming services make for a tricky agenda.
UK: UK research: teens switch from live TV to ‘on demand’
Broadband TV News: Children and teenagers are increasingly watching TV through a smartphone and using on demand services, as viewing habits among young people continue to shift towards mobile and on demand streaming, a study has shown.
GENERAL: Experts debate the future of public service media
London South Bank University: London South Bank University hosted a panel of international media experts to debate how public service media need to adapt to suit ever-changing audiences
GENERAL: OSCE must urgently appoint new representative on freedom of the media
Index: Index on Censorship has joined with seven other organisations to urge OSCE to appoint a new representative on freedom of the media
ARGENTINA: French television stations and Argentina shake hands (Spanish)
La Nacion: France 24 will have a fourth TV channel in Spanish language from next September, with a schedule of six hours for the first period.
MEXICO: In Mexico, impunity piles up along with journalists’ bodies
Yahoo News: It can be deadly to ask questions about multibillion-dollar drug cartels or government corruption in Mexico, where more than 100 journalists have been killed since 2000.
MEXICO: Mexican journalists and activists denounce the government for alleged espionage via malware
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: After The New York Times published an investigation reporting the use of malware to infect devices of journalists and critics of the administration of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, a group of journalists and human rights defenders in that country formally denounced a spying case allegedly carried out against them by Government agencies.
MEXICO: Mexican journalists to Pena Nieto: Stop the killings
Deutsche Welle: Journalists have marched across Mexico to call for an end to impunity for people who kill reporters. The family of Javier Valdez, who was murdered in May, led Thursday’s protests in his home state of Sinaloa.
GENERAL: Latin American laws on access to public information are among the best in the world: Unesco report
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: More than 100 countries in the world have a law in their national legislation that allows access to public information. Latin America is the region with developing countries that has advanced most in this respect, even surpassing certain aspects of the laws of European Union countries, according to the recent Unesco report, “Access to Information: Lessons from Latin America.”
QATAR: Qatar’s crisis is about freedom of expression (Opinion)
via IFEX: “It is not only a diplomatic crisis, but a crisis for free expression in an already restrictive region.”
QATAR: Stop using journalists as “political footballs” in Qatar crisis, demands IFJ
IFJ: The IFJ has called on the authorities in a number of Arab states to stop using journalists as “a political football’ as hundreds of media staff face the axe, families risk being torn apart and TV stations, newspapers and websites risk closure.
PALESTINE: Palestinian Authority Once Again Censors Websites of Rivals and Critics
Global Voices: The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Attorney General issued a Directive for the dozen Palestinian ISPs operating in the West Bank to block 11 websites affiliated with political rivals and critics of President Mahmoud Abbas.
SYRIA: A Syrian Drama (Blog)
BBC Media Action: On the sixth anniversary of the Syrian war, Caroline Nursey, our Executive Director explores how a radio drama is helping bring communities together despite years of conflict.
TURKEY: Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of June 11, 2017
CPJ: MP and former editor Enis Berberoğlu jailed for life for being newspaper source.
Harvard’s Shorenstein Center: A new paper by Yeganeh Rezaian, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2016) and Iranian journalist, shines a light on the difficulties women reporters face while working in Muslim countries, as well as the importance of the stories they tell.
GENERAL: Media Blocked, Threatened in Dispute with Qatar
Human Rights Watch: Actions by Other Middle Eastern Countries a Blow to Free Speech
CANADA: Disruption: Change and Churning in Canada’s Media Landscape (Report)
House of Commons: Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
CANADA: Encore: Indigenous governments need to protect freedom of the press
CBC Radio: Wawmeesh Hamilton, an Indigenous reporter in Vancouver, said a key to the success of new First Nation governments would be the enshrining of protections for Indigenous journalists.
CANADA: Journalists at centre of police surveillance scandal testify at Chamberland commission
CBC: Radio-Canada investigative journalist Marie-Maude Denis said sources need to be able to trust journalists, and police surveillance undermines that confidence.
US: James Pagliarini: PBS: A lot of quality for a little investment (Opinion)
Twin Cities
US: More Americans are watching morning talk shows and listening to podcasts
Poynter: The Pew Research Center’s annual State of the News Media report shows more Americans are watching Sunday morning political talk shows and listening to podcasts now than in previous years.
US: Putting a Value on Trust and Love in Today’s Media Environment (Interview)
Media Village: Consumers are consciously curating their media choices, migrating towards subscription-based platforms with limited ads and to media brands they trust. At the same time, advertisers are stepping up efforts to place their brands in trusted environments. This has created a challenge for media brands seeking sponsors and advertisers seeking to build an opt-in audience and to market themselves as trusted.
7 business models that could save the future of journalism
Ijnet: Some of these strategies are already proving that journalism will continue to exist in the future.
As AI enters newsrooms, journalists have urgent responsibility
Columbia Journalism Review: All new technologies have their champions and their naysayers, luddite matching tit for tat with techno-utopian. The arrival of artificial intelligence in newsrooms is no different. Some see its various iterations as tools for reducing grunt work; others see a field full of ethical land mines. Most see a little bit of both.
Audience trust in social media as news source is falling, Reuters survey finds
Journalism.co.uk: Tomorrow’s News 2017 shows that news consumers are becoming more savvy to the spread of misinformation online.
Charting new ground: The ethical terrain of nonprofit journalism (Report)
American Press Institute: A different kind of revenue, one that has nothing to do with advertising or subscriptions, is playing a larger role in journalism today.
Explainer: what is public interest journalism?
The Conversation: Public interest reporting is often equated with watchdog or investigative reporting. But it can include other factual stories that serve the public interest.
Royal Television Society: Execs are always on the look out for the latest online sensations, hoping that the YouTubers can bring their fan base with them to traditional telly. But, as the latest RTS Futures event discovered, the talent doesn’t necessarily need TV.
How does the media on both sides of the Mediterranean report on Migration?
EJN: A study by journalists, for journalists and policymakers
Investing in Online Video News (Research)
Journalism Studies: A cross-national analysis of news organization’s enterprising approach to digital media
Migration and the Media (Research)
LSE: Media & Communications: The new research project from LSE’s Department of Media and Communications will, among other things, focus on understanding how the different histories and politics of European countries shape the variety of attitudes towards the crisis.
News agencies are conservative on user generated content (Research)
Journalism Research News: News agencies are conservative on user generated content
This free tool will help you make beautiful timelines
Poynter: Timelines are a great way to make your stories visual, and there are several tools to help you build them. This week, we explore a free, easy way to build beautiful, interactive timelines.
Traditional Media Embraces a Bold New Digital Frontier
Huffington Post: The Ogilvy Media Influence team conducts a survey of global media each year to gain new insights about the trajectory of the media industry and to assess the opinions of journalists from around the world. This year the survey, which assessed the opinions of more than 250 news media professionals across North America, Asia Pacific Countries (APAC), and the European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA), uncovered an interesting and somewhat predictable shift in how journalists view the way we access news today.
Want a “news-style soft article”? That’ll be $15. Or splurge and discredit a journalist for $55,000
Nieman Lab: Plus: Can machine learning fix (some of) the fake news problem? And Facebook wants you to help it answer some hard questions.
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All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Header image: Broadcast tower. Credits: pbkwee/Creative Commons
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