Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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What is...
Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
Week 24: What does PROMINENCE look like?
If you have a modern television remote, you are probably familiar with the buttons showing the logo of a digital service you could access with one press. While the lists of services might look different across remotes, they each have one thing in common – they indicate how easily accessible and discoverable each of these services are. The concept of being able to easily find specific content on a platform is known as prominence and it extends beyond your remote – it considers how discoverable content is on radio frequencies, where it’s placed on electronic programme guides, and what is served to you immediately in video-on-demand services or within search results. Regulators such as Ofcom in the UK already protect the prominence of PSBs on linear, traditional channels. But the UK government’s plan to overhaul existing broadcasting rules to ensure their prominence on smart TVs demonstrates the need to consider public media’s prominence through a digital lens, especially as more audiences make use of SVODs or own a smart TV where the developers behind the platform’s technology have the power to determine how discoverable content is. However, as the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities notes, prominence of content will rely on bargaining powers with global players, a task that may prove challenging for some PSBs.
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Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
CBC/Radio-Canada’s 2021 Annual Public Meeting – A window to the world
CBC/Radio-Canada: Our Annual Public Meeting (APM) [was] held virtually on June 16, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. EDT. This year, we’ll [opened] the border virtually so you can engage with our foreign correspondents and get a Canadian perspective on events happening around the world.
Apple Daily: Hong Kong police raid sparks rush on newspapers
BBC: People in Hong Kong have queued up to buy copies of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, a day after its newsroom was raided by police.
What we're listening to...
“They’re trying to really narrow the scope of press freedom in this city”— Hong Kong’s press arrests
The Economist: The raid of an outspoken pro-democracy newspaper, carried out under the city’s newish security law, has further spooked its media outlets. We ask what remains of press freedom.
Who is NPR (For)?
NPR: ‘Who is the media meant to serve? And why does it matter today, arguably, more than ever?’
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BOTSWANA: Botswana: Opposition Against The Outsourcing Of Public Broadcaster To American Businessman
Broadcast Media Africa: In Botswana, the impending outsourcing of the National Broadcaster to Steve Harvey, an American comedian and businessman, has elicited considerable opposition from all community corners.
BURKINA FASO: With Media Blocked, Burkina Faso’s Displaced Denied a Voice, Journalists Say
VOA: In the West African country of Burkina Faso, a de facto ban is preventing journalists from visiting sites for internally displaced people.
BURUNDI: CPJ, rights groups call on EU to uphold Burundi human rights commitments, including press freedom
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists and other human rights groups today called on European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and EU foreign ministers in a letter to uphold benchmarks set in 2016 when the EU suspended direct financial support to the Burundian government over its failure to protect human rights, democratic principles, and the rule of law in the wake of the country’s 2015 political crisis.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia announces ‘period of silence’ ahead of elections
Deutsche Welle: Ethiopian authorities have announced new rules for political parties and the media ahead of Monday’s poll. In the meantime, Facebook has removed a series of fake accounts which it had linked to the Ethiopian government.
GHANA: RTI Court case: MFWA disappointed at ruling
MFWA: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has received with disappointment the ruling on June 17, 2021 by the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court on its request to Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) for information on the closure of some broadcast stations.
KENYA: Despite changing times, KBC continues to shape Kenya’s history (Commentary)
KBC: With the growth of the media market, dissemination of unverified and undigested information, superficial coverage of events, bias, and poor quality have characterized the industry. But not Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
KENYA: Media council asks Wangamati to respect press freedom after journalist ‘threatened’ (Paywall)
Nation: The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has asked Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati to respect press freedom following allegations that his administration had threatened journalists.
LESOTHO: COVID-19 Media Relief Fund: PM Office Donates Food Parcels for Journalists (Announcement)
MISA: The Office of Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro has donated food parcels in contribution to the COVID-19 Media Relief Fund that MISA launched last year.
LIBERIA: Senate suspends media coverage
The New Dawn: The leadership of the Liberian Senate immediately suspended media coverage at the Capitol Building to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.
NIGERIA: Arrest Killers Of Slain Radio Host, Badejo – NUJ Urges Makinde, Security Agencies
Channels TV: Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Sunday urged Governor Seyi Makinde and the security agencies to apprehend the killers of Titus Badejo, a journalist who was shot dead on Saturday night in Ibadan.
NIGERIA: Groups reject bill seeking to empower NBC to regulate DSTV, Startimes’ tariffs
Premium Times: The groups say giving NBC such power is wrong because the sector is price-sensitive and could drive away investors.
NIGERIA: Nigeria: Press Council Bill – Reps’ Public Hearing May Affect Press Freedom, Good Governance – NPAN
Via All Africa: The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) says the House of Representatives’ public hearing on the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act Amendment Bill, which begins today, may have important consequences on the freedom of the press in particular and good governance in general.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa: SABC To Score Big Win With Pay-TV “Must Carry” Content Regulations
Broadcast Media Africa: The South African broadcasting regulator, ICASA, has published draft regulations that support the continuance of “must-carry” restrictions. However, a new commercial partnership mandate might see MultiChoice pay the SABC to keep the public broadcaster’s three main channels on its DStv platform.
SWAZILAND: Swaziland: Campaigners Tackle Swaziland Absolute Monarch On Lack of Media Freedom (Commentary)
Via All Africa: Media freedom in Swaziland (eSwatini) is getting worse and a regional campaign group is calling on absolute monarch King Mswati III to respect human rights.
TANZANIA: Tanzania: ‘Social media has brought power back to the people’ says Jamii Forums founder (Interview – Paywall)
The Africa Report: Things have changed for the better – so far – under Tanzania’s new President Samia Suluhu Hassan, but it’s too early to say for sure, says Maxence Melo, founder of Jamii Forums. Tanzanian laws that suppress digital space must be repealed, he tells The Africa Report.
UGANDA: The dilemma of Uganda’s radio lessons
The Independent (Uganda): With schools closed again because of the second wave of COVID-19, the Ministry of Education has revived radio lessons to ensure continuity of learning.
ZAMBIA: Zambia’s broadcasting regulator threatens to revoke Muvi TV’s license
CPJ: Lusaka, Zambia, June 16, 2021 — Zambia’s broadcasting regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority, must stop harassing private broadcaster Muvi TV and should publicly reaffirm the editorial independence of media outlets ahead of the August 12 general elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
ZIMBABWE: Everybody knows that the dice is loaded – Zimbabwe’s fake TV liberalization unraveled (Commentary)
Balancing Act: Zimbabwe’s long-awaited TV liberalization is finally underway with the much-trumpeted granting of six licenses. The catch is that all but one of these licenses have been given to Government entities, military-controlled companies and Government cronies.
ZIMBABWE: Parliament backs motion for a freer media and information as a public good
MISA: The motion on, Information as a public good, moved on 15 June 2021, was supported by other legislators, among them, Honourable Webster Shamu, who urged the government to observe the provisions of the Windhoek Declaration which calls for media freedom.
REGIONAL: SADC ignores media in Vision 2050
MISA: MISA writes to the Chairperson of the Southern Africa Development Community, President Filipe J. Nyusi of the Republic of Mozambique regarding the safety and security of journalists and the implementation of contentious cybersecurity laws in the SADC region.
CHINA: Behind the scenes at China TV: soft power and state propaganda (Paywall)
Financial Times: Insiders describe the political interference in the English-language channel, which has fallen foul of western regulators.
HONG KONG: Apple Daily: Hong Kong police raid sparks rush on newspapers (Watch)
BBC: People in Hong Kong have queued up to buy copies of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, a day after its newsroom was raided by police.
HKFP: Hong Kong’s Department of Justice has dropped a charge of improperly accessing public records against a reporter for a Beijing-owned newspaper, two months after another journalist investigating alleged police misconduct was convicted and fined on an identical charge.
HONG KONG: HK pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily may shut down this week – memo
Euronews: Next Digital’s pro-democracy Hong Kong tabloid newspaper Apple Daily will cease publication on June 26 if its board decides at a meeting on Friday it can not continue to operate, the newspaper said an internal memo seen by Reuters.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader refuses to say how media can avoid arrest in wake of Apple Daily raids
The Guardian: Carrie Lam denies arrest of senior editorial figures at pro-democracy paper and seizure of its assets was an attack on press freedom
Hong Kong: Hong Kong’s Apple Daily limps towards the end of an era as newsroom suffers exodus of staff
HKFP: Remaining journalists at the embattled daily tell HKFP that they will stay on until the bitter end as bosses at the newspaper prepare to make a last ditch attempt to have HK$18 million worth of assets seized by the authorities returned.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s liberal media are under pressure (Paywall)
The Economist: Since China imposed a national-security law on Hong Kong a year ago, restrictions on the city’s media have sharply escalated. The latest clampdown came on June 17th when police arrested Ryan Law (pictured), the chief editor of Apple Daily, an outspoken pro-democracy newspaper…
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s RTHK fires popular pro-democracy radio host Tsang Chi-ho
HKFP: Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK has fired a pro-democracy radio host as part of what it says are plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of its radio channels.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong pro-democracy media executives appear in court
France 24: Two executives from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Apple Daily appeared in court on Saturday charged with collusion after authorities deployed a sweeping security law to target the newspaper, a scathing critic of Beijing.
HONG KONG: U.N. decries “further chilling message” for Hong Kong media freedom
Reuters: The Hong Kong police raid at pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily “sends a further chilling message for media freedom”, the chief U.N. human rights spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.
INDIA: Chasm between deeds & words: Modi’s speech on freedom & democracy at G7 Summit
Media India Group: For once, a G7 Summit dedicated an entire statement to importance of freedom of expression, both online and offline, as well as a free media and civil society…
INDIA: Modi’s Godi
The Telegraph: The Narendra Modi regime has dragged India to rank 142 out of 180 in the latest World Press Freedom Index with a crafty mix of overt and covert tactics.
JAPAN: Japan: Foreign journalists to be tracked by GPS at Tokyo Olympics
IFJ: The president of the Tokyo Olympics, Seiko Hashimoto, announced on June 8 that international journalists will be tracked by GPS while they are in Japan.
MYANMAR: Detained US journalist makes appearance in Myanmar court
Al Jazeera: Danny Fenster makes an appearance on an ‘incitement’ charge, but the US consular authorities have not been able to see him.
MYANMAR: Burmese journalists need our support (Callout)
MEAA: Australia must do more to support Burmese journalists who have been forced to flee Myanmar following the military coup in February. The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has urged Foreign Minister Marise Payne to issue a stronger condemnation of the military junta’s attacks on freedom of expression, and to provide safe haven to journalists fearing persecution.
NEPAL: Media Action Nepal calls to value journalism, respect journalists’ right to work (Callout)
Media Action Nepal: Media Action Nepal’s serious attention has been drawn to the plight of the journalists from Annapurna Post who were forced to resign without getting their due salaries and rightful remuneration.
PAKISTAN: Radio Pakistan DG appointed
Dawn: Mohammad Asim Khichi, a senior grade 20 officer of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has been appointed as director general of Radio Pakistan.
PHILIPPINES: Facebook starts labeling state-controlled media in PH
Rappler: A measure that first rolled out in the US in June 2020 now applies to Philippine pages.
SOUTH KOREA: ‘From Crisis to Innovation’: KBS Shares Sustainability Strategies at the ABU-Rai Days 2021
KBS: KBS is currently focusing on its priority initiative to increase the TV licence fee with the ultimate goal to enhance essential public services and ensure financial sustainability in the age of New Normal. The ABU-Rai Days 2021 has served as a timely opportunity for KBS to share the latest developments and experience in the course of achieving the innovation goal.
THAILAND: Thai PBS visited the area to alleviate the Covid-19 crisis in the project “City communities must survive…the mouth must be full” (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS
THAILAND: Thailand: Censorship laws stifle criticism of government vaccine rollout
IFJ: Citizens and journalists may face criminal prosecution under Thailand’s censorship laws for criticising the government’s AstraZeneca vaccine rollout, produced by a company owned by Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges the government to repeal the censorship laws and ensure freedom of expression is protected.
VIETNAM: Vietnam introduces national social media guidelines
Deutsche Welle: New social guidelines encourage users to post positively about the country. However, given the country’s track record on dissent, the guidelines also serve to tighten the government’s control.
REGIONAL: Amid COVID-19, Fake News Crackdowns Do Damage Across Southeast Asia
The Diplomat: Multiple governments in the region have used misinformation laws to suppress critical reporting on COVID-19.
AUSTRALIA: ABC announces proposal to increase Western Sydney presence (Press release)
ABC Media Centre: The ABC has announced its intention to relocate around 300 employees from its Ultimo headquarters in Sydney to new facilities in Parramatta.
AUSTRALIA: Australia accused of ‘excessive and unnecessary’ secrecy
AP: Australia’s suppression of information seen as pivotal to a free and open media is at the center of accusations that the country has become one of the world’s most secretive democracies.
AUSTRALIA: Multicultural podcast helps overseas workers break into the industry, connect communities
ABC News
AUSTRALIA: Netflix and local TV industry united on no content quotas for streaming apps
The Sydney Morning Herald: Netflix is urging the government to abandon a proposal to introduce content quotas for international streaming services, warning it would raise the costs of creating programs and put further pressure on an already under-resourced production sector.
AUSTRALIA: This SBS journalist was allegedly bullied, harassed, then sacked. Now she’s fighting back. (Paywall)
The Sydney Morning Herald: When Pallavi Jain moved from Canberra to Sydney to work at SBS in 2013, she thought it would start a new chapter in her life. Jain was grieving a marriage breakdown and far away from her family in India, but loved Australia and was committed to making it home… “It was a big thing for me. It felt like a new beginning,” she said. “I thought this would be a new start.”
FIJI: Fijian Media Association agrees way forward
FBC: The Fijian Media Association convened a virtual special general meeting yesterday.
NEW ZEALAND: Hui over Christchurch terror attacks puts media under the spotlight
RNZ: A counter-terrorism hui intended to help heal the wounds inflicted in Christchurch two years ago sparked a walk-out which hit the headlines. The news media were also there to be questioned about their rights and responsibilities after 15 March 2019.
NEW ZEALAND: Police v Newsroom: ‘We’re journalists, not criminals’ (Watch)
Newsroom: Melanie Reid criticises “heavy-handed” Crown Law as Newsroom faces a criminal charge over an Oranga Tamariki uplift video. David Williams reports.
NEW ZEALAND: The case for a non-commercial public broadcaster (Opinion)
Stuff: The case for a free-to-air, non-commercial public broadcaster and online media outlet “needs to be renewed in the light of the dramatic technological developments of our era”, Peter Davis writes.
ALBANIA: With Parliament Decision, Albania Deals Fresh Blow to Media Freedom (Paywall)
Balkan Insight: Journalists in Albania will no longer have access to parliament, shutting off one of the last public bodies where they could freely meet contacts and ask questions.
BELARUS: Belarus: harassers of journalists’ association will be held accountable (Callout)
EFJ: The Belarusian Ministry of Justice has just ordered an inspection of the activities of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). The letter that BAJ received this Monday morning demands that the independent representative organisation of journalists submit thousands of documents dated since 1 January 2018 to the Department of Non-Profit Organisations of the Ministry of Justice.
BULGARIA: How Bulgaria hit rock bottom on press freedom
Al Jazeera: The space for independent media is shrinking as moguls monopolise the industry, but some are cautiously hopeful about the future.
FRANCE: La Maison de la Radio adds Music to its name (French)
Le Figaro: On June 16, the building will be officially renamed the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique.
GERMANY: ARD and ZDF are expanding their media libraries into a common streaming network (German – Press Release)
ZDF: The ARD and ZDF are building a joint streaming network of their media libraries.
GERMANY: ARD and ZDF media libraries: personal recommendation (German)
Süddeutsche Zeitung: ARD and ZDF are planning a personalized streaming network. That sounds big – and above all, it raises questions.
GERMANY: German law increases government surveillance and hacking powers, removes protection for journalists (Callout)
CPJ:The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern after Germany’s Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, removed legal provisions that exempted journalists from surveillance during terrorism investigations.
GERMANY: Income from the license fee remains stable (German)
Süddeutsche Zeitung: For the Corona year 2020, the pandemic has not yet had any effects on the income from the broadcasting fee. But that should change in 2021.
GERMANY: RTL and ProSieben: The new news literacy (German)
Deutschlandfunk: The private television stations in Germany have launched an information offensive and are engaging prominent television faces from ARD. The corona pandemic plays a role in the change of strategy – but so does Netflix.
HUNGARY: Hungary: Deterioration of press freedom under the pretext of COVID-19
IFJ: Since the beginning of the pandemic, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has used COVID-19 as a pretext to extend his grip on the country, notably on the media. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns the anti-democratic practices adopted by the government.
IRELAND: Licence fee ‘outdated’, Oireachtas Cttee hears
RTÉ: An Oireachtas committee has heard that Ireland should follow other European countries in moving away from the problematic and “outdated” licence fee, which “doesn’t make sense any more”.
ITALY: Court orders RAI to reveal its sources and Italian press rebels (Spanish)
Swissinfo: The decision of the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) of Lazio to order journalists from an Italian public television station, Rai, to reveal their sources, equating them with public officials, has put the country’s press on a war footing…
ITALY: Italy cable car: Outrage as video of the crash shown on TV
BBC: Italy’s public broadcaster Rai has faced strong criticism for airing leaked CCTV footage of a fatal cable car crash that killed 14 people.
KOSOVO: Parliamentary committee initiates sacking of RTK board
Prishtina Insight: The dismissal of the board at public broadcaster Radio Television Kosovo has been initiated and will be sent to the Kosovo Assembly for approval.
MALTA: More promises at international level that government will protect journalists, end impunity
The Shift News: The government has adopted multiple Council of Europe (CoE) resolutions on media freedom, including ones to protect journalists, ensure an end to impunity for those who harm them, and categorise crimes against journalists as a separate and more severe type of crime.
RUSSIA: Alexei Navalny, Social Media, and the State of the Free Press in Russia
Nieman Reports: The space for independent Russian journalism is shrinking, but a handful of small outlets still offer an alternative to state media.
RUSSIA: Journalism Watchdog Warns That Russia Is ‘Killing Off’ Independent Media
RFE/RL: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned of the “gradual disappearance” of independent media in Russia, and urged President Vladimir Putin to repeal a “draconian ‘foreign agents’ law” that has been used to target RFE/RL and other news outlets.
SLOVAKIA: Kuciak Case Retrial An Opportunity to Break Global Cycle of Impunity in Journalist Killings
IPS News: A ruling last week ordering a retrial in the murders of a Slovak journalist and his fiancée has led to a “unique” opportunity to break a global cycle of impunity in journalist killings, press freedom groups have said.
SLOVENIA: Slovenian Press Agency marks 30th anniversary (Paywall)
STA: The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a ceremony in front of its headquarters in Ljubljana on Sunday amid a rather uncertain financial situation to mark the day 30 years ago when it published its first news article.
SLOVENIA: Wielding Twitter, Europe’s ‘Marshal Twito’ Takes Aim at the Media (Paywall)
The New York Times: Prime Minister Janez Jansa of Slovenia, which will take on the European Union’s rotating presidency next month, is using what press freedom groups call ‘Trumpian’ tactics.
SPAIN: Disappointment in RTVE with the new president: changes are being slow and do not reach the newsrooms (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: In the three months that Pérez Tornero has been in office, he has not been able to cover the Directorate of Informative Content and there are hardly any changes in the programming.
SWEDEN: Knowledge and education need more focus – not less (Swedish – Blog)
UR: In a press release, Sofia Wadensjö Karén comments on the Moderates’ media policy program, which was presented today.
SWEDEN: SVT Play is this year’s streaming service according to a new survey (Swedish – Press release)
SVT: During May, Tv.nu conducted a comprehensive survey of over 2000 streaming users in Sweden and among the Swedish streaming users, SVT Play was ranked as the streaming service of the year.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss parliament greenlights media support package
Swissinfo.ch: Parliament has approved an annual financial package of CHF150 million ($166 million) to help struggling newspapers and online media in Switzerland.
UK: BBC tightens security after anti-vaxxer ‘death threats’ to staff
The Guardian: Details of journalists exchanged on messenger apps by opponents of lockdown and Covid vaccines along with calls for lynchings
UK: C4 privatisation would lead to regional cuts, broadcaster warns
The Guardian: Channel 4 chief says ‘our model puts public service before profit’ ahead of announcement on future.
UK: Channel 4 privatisation – how would it work and who would buy it?
The Guardian: Selling off the publicly owned UK broadcaster could depend on changing its business model.
UK: Consultation: The Future of Media Plurality in the UK
Ofcom: Ofcom has today launched a programme of work to help inform our next steps on media plurality in the UK and ensuring that the regulatory framework for media plurality remains fit for the online world.
UK: SVoDs to face Ofcom scrutiny?
Advanced Television: Reports have emerged that the UK government plans to regulate global OTT services in the same way as linear broadcasters.
REGIONAL: EU prepares to cut amount of British TV and film shown post-Brexit
The Guardian: Exclusive: number of UK productions seen as ‘disproportionate’ and threat to Europe’s cultural diversity.
REGIONAL: Social Media Academy shares Nordic knowledge digitally (Swedish)
Nordvision: During the past year, Nordvision’s member companies have come together to inspire and share knowledge about the work of reaching users via social media.
GENERAL: Journalism Under Threat – How Can It Survive the Crossfire (Speech)
EBU: EBU Director General Noel Curran delivers the BBC Lecture at the Prix Italia – 16 June 2021.
ARGENTINA: Argentine media will have gender equality and trans quota (Spanish)
La Diaria: Congress passed a law promoted by feminist journalists that promotes fair representation in public, private and community media
BRAZIL: EBC confirms TV newscast of positive news and denies government pressure (Portuguese)
Poder360: “Bom de Ver” program will be broadcast by TV Brasil; Minister of Communications reportedly negotiated an attraction, according to the newspaper.
BRAZIL: Minister Fábio Faria on reports critical of Bolsonaro abroad: ‘left-wing media’ (Portuguese)
Blasting News: In this report by Blasting News, Communications Minister Fábio Faria speaks about the privatisation of EBC as well as critical reports of President Jair Bolsonaro in the international press.
LatAm Journalism Review: In an environment of increasing restrictions on access to public information, constant attacks by the president against journalists, and a high level of impunity for crimes against press professionals, digital media in Guatemala strive to make and maintain investigative and in-depth journalism.
ECUADOR: Sale of seized media and reforms for public media in government plans (Spanish)
El Universo: The beginning of the sale of the seized private media and legal reforms so that the public media are state-owned and administered by the citizens are two objectives of the Government of Guillermo Lasso, in the communication area.
MEXICO: In recognition of journalistic work (Spanish – Callout)
El Universal
NICARAGUA: Nicaragua: Crackdown on Critics Ahead of Election (Callout)
HRW: United Nations Should Escalate Pressure to Protect Rights, Ensure Free Elections.
NICARAGUA: Nicaragua Denies Entry to New York Times Journalist Amid Escalating Crisis (Paywall)
The New York Times: The refusal to admit the reporter comes amid a nationwide crackdown on journalists, opposition politicians and civil society groups.
PERU: Peru: strong campaign of harassment and persecution against foreign media correspondents (Spanish)
IFJ: The National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) denounced that Paola Ugaz and Jacqueline Fowks, both Spanish media workers, are suffering attacks and threats in the framework of the polarized electoral process that took place in the country in recent months.
URUGUAY: Uruguay: intense debate after DW report (Spanish – Watch)
DW Español: A media bill revealed the clash of two opposing models on the role of the state in regulating radio and television services.
ISRAEL: Israeli lawyer Eitay Mack on bringing transparency to surveillance exports that threaten press freedom (Commentary)
CPJ: “Many countries are using these technologies to put people in jail,” Israeli lawyer Eitay Mack told CPJ in a recent video interview. He was describing advanced surveillance capabilities, such as those that CPJ has documented being used to target journalists like Omar Radi and Maati Monjib, who were both jailed in Morocco in 2020.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: ‘We have failed’: Journalists unite and demand truthful coverage of Israeli occupation
Middle East Eye: Over 250 journalists, including reporters from The Washington Post, WSJ and LA Times, sign a letter calling on the media to stop obscuring oppression of Palestinians.
SAUDI ARABIA & EGYPT: Saudi, Egypt form joint team to unify media vision
Middle East Monitor: The Saudi minister confirmed that the world has become a mobile media outlet… Saudi acting Media Minister Majid Bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi announced the formation of a working group to develop a unified media vision with Egypt, stressing that there is an urgent need to unify the two countries’ media horizons.
SYRIA: Kurdish authorities in Syria revoke Kurdistan 24 license, close offices
CPJ: Authorities in north and east Syria should reverse their decision to revoke Kurdistan 24’s broadcasting license and should allow it to work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
TURKEY: International groups call Turkey to investigate allegations on Mumcu and Adalı killings
Free Turkey Journalists: 18 press freedom groups sent open letters to Justice Ministry, political parties to request thorough investigations.
YEMEN: A ‘slow death’ for Yemen’s media: the country’s journalists report through displacement and exile
CPJ
CANADA: An important word from our Indigenous colleagues
CBC/Radio-Canada: To mark National Indigenous History Month, we invited some of our Indigenous colleagues to take part in a special edition of our Spotlight series, inspired by the superb podcast Telling Our Twisted Histories.
CANADA: CBC Manitoba presents a Day of Indigenous-led Programming
CBC News: June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a time for learning about, appreciating and acknowledging the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.
CANADA: CBC steps up diversity push
C21 Media: Canadian pubcaster the CBC will now require at least 30% of all key creative roles on indie productions to be held by those who self-identify as Indigenous, black and/or people of colour, or those with disabilities.
CANADA: Defending Journalism: A difficult decision explained (Statement)
CBC/Radio-Canada: During the 2019 federal election, CBC/Radio-Canada took the Conservative Party of Canada to Court over its use of our journalistic content in its political advertising. We initiated this action to defend an important principle: public trust in journalism.
CANADA: From fighting fake news to finding little pieces of Canada around the world, our foreign correspondents answered Canadians’ questions at the Annual Public Meeting (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: In these challenging times, CBC/Radio-Canada at the service of Canadians. During the public broadcaster’s virtual Annual Public Meeting yesterday, Canadians learned more about how CBC/Radio-Canada stepped up to inform, enlighten and entertain them throughout the pandemic.
US: How 3 creative news organizations are reinventing local news in the Midwest
Poynter: An Ohio news outlet that’s owned by its readers. A newsletter for Iowa’s Black residents. And an Ohio newsroom modeling solutions journalism.
US: How the pandemic prepared public media to build an audience-centered culture (Paywall)
Current: By rethinking what we do for our communities and how, many organizations developed the skills needed to embrace change and improve audience service.
US: How to build the next generation of public radio listeners (Paywall)
Current: Stop wringing your hands over how to attract Millennial and Gen Z audiences — focus on creating programs that give them more reasons to listen.
US: PBS and WORLD Channel Honor Juneteenth with Thematic Programming Collections (Press release)
PBS: To honor Juneteenth and provide audiences with a variety of ways to learn more about the historical impacts of racial injustice and systemic racism against African Americans, PBS and WORLD Channel are presenting a collection of programs currently available on broadcast and digital platforms.
US: StoryCorps Announces 2021 One Small Step Communities, Expanding to Six New Cities to Foster Conversations Across American Political Divides (Press release)
CPB: Public Media Stations Will Broaden StoryCorps’ Nationwide Initiative to Build Connection Despite Political Differences.
US: Trump spied on journalists. So did Obama. America needs more press freedom now (Opinion)
The Guardian: Before Trump, Obama’s justice department did more to hurt press freedom than any administration since Nixon. Here’s how we stop history repeating.
65th IPDC Bureau approves 55 new media development projects
UNESCO: On 18 June, the Bureau of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) approved at its 65th meeting support for 55 grassroots projects in 39 developing countries, including three regional projects.
At-risk journalists who must flee home countries often find few quick and safe options (Feature)
CPJ
Christian Eriksen broadcast, the BBC and the question of public interest
The Conversation: The BBC apologised for broadcasting images of Christian Eriksen’s collapse, but were they just giving the public what it wants?
Does the world need a New Deal for journalism?
Nieman Lab: Should the government step in to save the news business? No one is arguing that journalism, as an industry, couldn’t use the help. But from the power and people it strives to hold accountable? How many journalists trust politicians to make decisions that affect their livelihoods?
Facebook Journalism Project and IJNet Launch a Toolkit for Reporting on Refugee Communities (Resource)
Facebook Journalism Project: On the occasion of World Refugee Day, The Facebook Journalism Project and ICFJ’s International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) are pleased to launch a media toolkit for Reporting on Refugee Communities in both Arabic and English. This comprehensive toolkit will act as a resource for journalists covering refugee stories by identifying ways to avoid stereotypical narratives.
GB News will flourish if the success of partisan, rightwing TV in Australia is any guide (Commentary)
The Guardian: Observers warn established UK media that they write off the new channel and its chief, Angelos Frangopoulos, at their peril.
How to consume news while maintaining your sanity
The Conversation: The daily deluge of information produced by the news media can drown consumers in confusion and anxiety, but there are steps you can take to filter out the noise and remain enlightened.
Indispensable: The importance of local staff for correspondents (German)
Bayerischer Rundfunk: How important are local employees for reporting?
Media experts demand public service Internet
Advanced Television: A group of media experts, under the banner of The Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto, have declared that: “The Internet and the media landscape are broken”.
Strengthening Media Viability: A Handbook of Innovative Practices
UNESCO: UNESCO announced, on 17 June, it has commissioned a handbook of innovative media strategies and practices that are strengthening independent news media’s ability to provide news and information to societies at a time when their very existence is under threat.
The report “A New Deal for Journalism” neglects the working conditions of journalists
EFJ: The Forum on Information and Democracy published yesterday its report titled “A New Deal for Journalism”. The report presents, among other, a plan to guarantee up to 0.1% of GDP per year to journalism “in order to preserve its social function for the future”. The document however neglects the central issue of journalists’ working conditions and the worrying precariousness of the profession.
The perfect storm: How Covid compounded journalism’s mental health crisis
EJO: Endless hours in front of the computer screen with only a short break for lunch in the kitchen a few metres away, then back to the grind until the sun goes down and you curl into bed…
Two continents, two political systems — and two attempts to change how online media gets regulated
Nieman Lab: The U.K. wants to regulate Netflix and other streaming services the same way it does British TV networks — including punishments for “bias” and “inaccuracy.” Meanwhile, Nigeria wants to do something similar, but in a more authoritarian context.
Why intersectional reporting can’t ignore people of color with disabilities (Opinion)
NBCU Academy: There isn’t only a “race issue,” “disability issue” or “LGBTQ+ issue.” All types of discrimination are influenced by one another, and journalists need to treat them as such.
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