Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
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BURUNDI: Second anniversary of closure of independent radio stations
RSF: No independent radio stations have been broadcasting in Burundi since the authorities closed them down two years ago this week. The government still harasses and persecutes journalists and media outlets although it is now trying to create a semblance of pluralism in order to defuse international criticism.
EGYPT: The silence in Sinai: Covering Egypt’s ‘war on terror’
Al Jazeera: We examine the challenges facing journalists trying to report the country’s growing ISIL-affiliated insurgency.
KENYA: The thriving corruption in the Kenyan media
The Standard – UReport: A team of media experts from the Deutsche Welle Akademie led by the Media Development Division’s senior adviser for Africa, Mr. Charles Achaye on Friday, held talks on corruption in the media industry at Maseno University.
MALAWI: DPP warned on abusing MBC
Malawi24: Though it was established to be a public broadcaster decades ago, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has been seen losing direction and being a propaganda tool for the ruling party.
MALAWI: Malawi opposition MP decries MBC hate campaign: Dausi in defence as Kabwila hits out
Nyasa Times: Kasungu South-East member of Parliament (MP) Khumbize Kandodo-Chiponda (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) has raised concern in parliament that the State broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) continues to use traditional leaders and the clergy to demonise the opposition and is running a hate campaign.
NAMIBIA: NBC and Kwese TV sign landmark agreement – more content for sport and music lovers
New Era: The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) launched its fifth and sixth channels in the capital yesterday.
NIGERIA: How a shortwave radio network is helping to counter Boko Haram
PRI: It’s easy to overlook the power of radio, when being hit by a firehose of apps, websites, video and social media. But when you’re out in the sticks, especially if there’s crisis or unrest, radio saves lives.
SOUTH AFRICA: In the Name of Democracy: No Easy Solutions for the SABC (Opinion)
Daily Maverick: The future of the public broadcaster is not only in the balance, the recent attempts to turn around the situation face a huge conundrum.
SOUTH AFRICA: Motsoeneng’s Conduct Warrants ‘Immediate Dismissal’ – SABC
Via allAfrica: Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s actions have been characterised as gross insubordination warranting immediate dismissal, the disciplinary inquiry heard on Thursday.
SOUTH AFRICA: New Communications Minister Must Review Entire DTT Programme
Via allAfrica: The new Minister of Communications, Ms Ayanda Dlodlo’s, recent announcement that she would revert to the pre-2015 policy on signal encryption must be followed up with an extensive public discussion to review all aspects of the stalled Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM) programme to deliver digital terrestrial television (DTT) throughout South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC awarded irregular contract to stop irregular expenditure, say Scopa MPs
Mail & Guardian: The SABC irregularly appointed a company to help them sort out irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
SOUTH AFRICA: Should the broadcasting Act be amended?
Mail & Guardian: The Act, specifically the regulations regarding television licence fees, prescribes payment of a fee for possessing a TV set.
GENERAL: BBC Looking To Spend 10 Million Dollars (US) On New Production Studios In Africa
Broadcast Media Africa: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has again indicated that it is looking to invest up to 10 million USD in the future of Africa’s digital media industry.
GENERAL: Why the role of the media is so important to free and fair elections in Africa
The Media Online: The news media is usually one of first casualties of bungled or contested elections. From the recent US elections, the UK’s Brexit vote to Zambia’s controversial 2016 presidential elections, the mainstream news media bore the brunt of much of the criticism that followed.
AFGHANISTAN: Gunmen attack Jalalabad TV station
AlJazeera: ISIL groups claims responsibility for the deadly attack on TV station in the capital of Nangarhar province, police say.
AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijan blocks access to critical websites in outrageous blow to freedom of expression
IRFS: The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) resolutely condemns the Azerbaijani authorities for escalating Internet censorship and prosecuting social media users.
BANGLADESH: Journos to be monitored while abroad
The Daily Star: The foreign ministry has directed all its missions to monitor the activities of the Bangladeshi journalists travelling abroad and find out whether they are involved in any anti-state activities.
BURMA: One lawsuit, three dangers to media freedom
SEAPA: The Myanmar Army’s filing of criminal charges against The Voice Daily newspaper editor Kyaw Min Swe and satirist Kyaw Zwa Naing (pen name: “British Ko Ko Maung”) is an alarming and emblematic example of the threats to press freedom and freedom of expression in the country.
CAMBODIA: Cambodian minister threatens to close media outlets that defy sweeping election rules
CPJ: Cambodian authorities should allow media outlets to cover local elections freely and without fear of closure for running afoul of overly broad guidelines restricting election coverage, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
CAMBODIA: NEC ‘code of censorship’ slammed
The Phnom Penh Post: Media experts and observers yesterday called the National Election Committee’s media code of conduct a “code of censorship” that violates Cambodia’s Constitution, warning it should not be used “to justify any clampdown” on media covering the upcoming June 4 commune elections.
CHINA: China’s Next Internet Crackdown
The Diplomat: China’s new Cybersecurity Law takes effect on June 1. Together with regulations issued over the past month by the Cyber Administration of China (CAC) — including on news reporting and commentary — the new legal landscape threatens to tighten what is already one of the world’s most restrictive online environments.
CHINA: Power, Money, and Fake News in China
The News Lens: News readers may have developed fairly robust fake news detectors when it comes to political manipulation of the news, but with a fundamental lack of separation between political and commercial power – it becomes hard to meaningfully assess the potential distortions within news copy.
INDIA: Jharkhand to get satellite Doordarshan channel: Venkaiah Naidu
LiveMint: Venkaiah Naidu says the DD Ranchi programmes will be aired on the DD Bihar till the new 24×7 satellite Doordarshan channel for Jharkhand is launched.
INDIA: RSF calls for an end to social media ban in Kashmir
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Indian authorities to restore access to social media platforms in Kashmir, blocked since bloody protests in the region last month, and urges an end to threats against journalists and citizen-journalists.
INDONESIA: Indonesia seeks updated media regulation
Advanced Television: Indonesian government officials and international TV executives have called for modernised rules for the country’s broadcasting sector during a high powered Regulatory Roundtable in Jakarta.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s Social Media Crackdown Alarms Critics
VOA: A Pakistani government crackdown on social media to deter anti-military content has prompted accusations of curbing freedom of expression and victimizing political activists.
PAKISTAN: Escalating Crackdown on Internet Dissent
Human Rights Watch: The Pakistani government is increasingly clamping down on internet dissent at the expense of fundamental rights, Human Rights Watch said today.
PAKISTAN: Pakistani journalists direly need safety training
The News: Speakers at a training workshop said that Pakistan is considered one of the most dangerous countries for media professionals in the world, where proper training for the safety of journalists is direly needed.
PHILIPPINES: Facebook fortifies news literacy in Philippines
Philstar: Amid the proliferation of fake news online, social media giant Facebook has engaged journalists and media practitioners in fortifying its efforts to improve news literacy in the Philippines.
SOUTH KOREA: Viewers angry over commercial breaks
The Korea Times: MBC and SBS, two of Korea’s three major public broadcasters, surprised and angered viewers after they interrupted programs with commercial breaks last week.
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s kid-focused newspaper Crinkling News wants to teach media literacy to young readers
Nieman Lab: Creating a newspaper for kids means “allaying fears while at the same time explaining in the most basic terms what’s going on.”
AUSTRALIA: SBS faces $27m advertising revenue hole
The Australian: The Special Broadcasting Service will miss out on $27 million in potential advertising revenue over the next four years after the government withdrew legislative amendments that would have allowed SBS to double prime time ads it shows on television.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Media council unveils updated code of ethics as guide for elections
Pacific Media Centre: Journalists, reporters and media practitioners in Papua New Guinea have been urged to use the industry’s revised code of ethics to guide their conduct during next month’s 2017 General Election.
TONGA: Tongan prime minister launches attack on public broadcaster’s independence (Opinion)
Stuff: Paul Thompson, CEO of RNZ and president of the Public Media Alliance.
GENERAL: Pacific-wide study aims to understand how journalists cover climate change
Asia Pacific Report: Climate change is at the heart of a unique regional study into journalism culture in the Pacific.
BALKANS: Alternative media: Overcoming lack of media freedoms in the Western Balkans? (Opinion)
European Western Balkans: Similar to democratisation itself in the region, the transformation of the media landscape in the Western Balkans (WB) is an open-ended process that can never be fully consolidated, a process that has been marked by significant progress, but also by patterns of regression.
EBU: From May 18 to 19 2017, 40 representatives from more than 20 international broadcasters and members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) gathered in the Bulgarian capital Sofia to discuss the most pressing issues facing international broadcasting.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Leader’s Call to ‘Liquidate’ Journalists Was a Joke, His Office Says
The New York Times: His latest incendiary remark came on Sunday. In Beijing for an international conference to discuss Beijing’s $1 trillion “One Belt, One Road” plan to shake up the global economic order, Mr. Zeman was chatting with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, when he appeared to suddenly suggest that journalists be killed.
FRANCE: What’s in store for public media in France?
PMA: Macron’s victory in the French presidential elections may soon transform the country’s public media landscape.
FRANCE: “Elysée doesn’t intend to do the newsroom’s job”
RSF: In response to criticism from French media groups and journalists’ associations about an apparent attempt by President Emmanuel Macron’s aides to decide which journalists accompany him on trips, the French president’s office wrote to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) today to reaffirm its full respect for media freedom.
KOSOVO: Journalists Stampede to Join Parties in Kosovo
BalkanInsight: The last few weeks have seen a veritable rush of journalists, analysts and civil society activists joining political parties in Kosovo, a month before the snap elections are due to take place.
NORWAY: How Norway’s publishers are banding together to fight fake news
Digiday: Norway has a parliamentary election on Sept. 11, and the country’ media outlets are sharpening their fact-checking tools. In the biggest of the efforts, four of the country’s media organizations have formed what they say is a first-of-its-kind fact-checking collaboration.
RUSSIA: 12 newsrooms in 5 years
Meduza: On May 13, 2016, the biggest independent news company in Russia fired its top three editors. According to multiple inside sources, the dismissals were the result of pressure from the Kremlin, following the authorities’ anger about several recent investigative reports.
RUSSIA: Russia’s Double Standard on Dealing with “Fake” News
Global Freedom of Expression: Russia’s efforts to flood the media landscape in both the United States and the European Union with hacked emails and fake news have been well documented. Less known are Russia’s own moves to drain its information space of news and facts that do not conform to Kremlin narratives.
SPAIN: RTVE seeks US OTT opportunities at LA Screenings
Rapid TV News: Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has attended the LA Screenings to gain visibility for its growing over-the-top (OTT) options across the Americas.
SPAIN: RTVE.es, the alternative window that does deserve Eurovisión in Spain (Spanish)
Vanitatis: While Spanish TV mistreats the most viewed non-sport event of the year, its web team continues to innovate with more than modest means.
SPAIN: Spain: VoD on the rise
Advanced Television: VoD is increasingly popular in Spain with 51 per cent of all Internet users already paying for online TV services, according to the Televidente 2.0 report published by the firm The Cocktail Analysis and Telefónica.
UK: BBC Worldwide reviews future of BBC Store
Broadcast: BBC Worldwide has kicked off a review of BBC Store which could result in the closure of the 18-month old download-to-own service.
UK: BBCW sets £500m sales target (Subscription)
Broadcast: Distributor keen to ramp up digital income.
UK: S4C names next Chief Executive
Insider Media: A senior figure in the Welsh Government has been named the successor to Ian Jones as chief executive of S4C.
UK: The UK’s video consumption habits, in 5 charts
Digiday: Digital video viewing has become mainstream, and mobile is driving the growth, according to recent studies of the U.K.’s video-viewing habits.
UK: UK general election: political party manifestos present a mixed bag for press freedom
RSF: In the run-up to the 8 June 2017 snap general election in the UK, political parties have released manifestos outlining their plans for governing in the event they are elected. The Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat party manifestos contain a number of pledges with both positive and negative implications for press freedom.
UKRAINE: Ukraine bans Russian media outlets, websites
CPJ: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko should immediately reverse his order obstructing at least 19 Russian media companies, four popular Russian websites, and banning at least 13 journalists from entering the country for a year, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
GENERAL: European Parliament approves content portability
Broadband TV News: EU citizens can use online services such as Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime, Spotify, Deezer while in another EU country for holidays, studies or business, after the European Parliament approved measures allowing portability of online content.
GENERAL: Media Pluralism Monitor 2016 – Results
European University Institute & CMPF: In 2016, the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) has examined 28 European Union member states as well as two candidate countries, Montenegro and Turkey and the results show that none of these countries is free from risks for media pluralism.
GENERAL: Pay models in European News (Report)
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: More and more news organisations are implementing paywalls, as legacy revenues continue to erode and digital advertising increasingly go to large technology companies
GENERAL: Trust Gap Between Traditional and New Media Widening Across Europe
EBU: Levels of trust in traditional media are increasing across Europe as people question the veracity of what they see and read online. Public trust in traditional media (broadcast media and the press) increased in the last year as trust in the internet and social networks continued to fall.
ARGENTINA: Public Media in Argentina is devoid of meaning (Interview – Spanish)
El Telégrafo: The journalist Cynthia García, known for her investigation on the offshore companies of the ex presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso, participated yesterday to the forum “Freedom of Expression in a Political Context”. Talking to El Telégrafo, she analyses the status of journalism in her country.
ARGENTINA: Public and Private Media (Opinion – Spanish)
El Telégrafo
BRAZIL: The dismantling of public media by Temer’s government will be a topic of debate at the USP (Portuguese)
Brasil de Fato: The event will take place this Wednesday, at 6pm, at the School of Communication and Arts (ECA) of USP.
ECUADOR: Attacks on freedom of expression follow Ecuador’s contentious election
World Movement for Democracy: The World Movement for Democracy is alarmed to report there has been a recent crackdown on freedom of expression in Ecuador after President Rafael Correa’s former vice president, Lenin Moreno, narrowly defeated opposition candidate Guillermo Lasso in the April 2 runoff elections.
Index on Censorship (Sage): Journalists in Mexico are facing threats from a corrupt government and violent cartels, and they can’t always trust fellow reporters either, writes Duncan Tucker.
MEXICO: EPN announces actions to protect journalists (Spanish)
Televisa: In Los Pinos, President Enrique Peña Nieto met with members of the National Conference of Governors (Conago) to coordinate actions to be taken in light of recent crimes against journalists and human rights activists.
MEXICO: Mexican reporter’s murder leads to widespread protest of violence against journalists and impunity
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: When Javier Valdez’s colleague Miroslava Breach was killed in Chihuahua on March 23 of this year, Valdez wrote on Twitter, “No Al Silencio” (No to Silence), a rejection of censorship and violence against the press in his country. Following his own murder, Valdez’s colleagues have picked up those words to continue the fight.
MEXICO: Sixth journalist murdered this year: why doesn’t Mexico protect its media?
RSF: After yesterday’s murder of a journalist in Sinaloa state and an armed attack on a group of seven reporters three days ago in Guerrero state, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sounds the alarm yet again and urges the Mexican authorities to reinforce protection for journalists and end impunity for crimes of violence against the media.
IRAN: Posting political opinions: how Iran’s social media is shaping its presidential election
DW: Media outlets in Iran are either state-run or tightly controlled. But ahead of the presidential election, social media is enabling freedom of expression to bloom – even if only a little bit.
ISRAEL: Israel broadcaster enters new era after tearful farewell
Your Middle East: Israel’s new public broadcaster went live Monday after reforms to television and radio stations, seen as integral to the country’s history, threatened snap polls and evoked tearful on-air tributes.
ISRAEL: Focus on PSM | Israel
PMA: Since last summer, Israel’s public media landscape has been affected by countless debates and controversial proposals regarding the future of public service broadcasting.
TURKEY: Warning on Turkey after new arrests and magazine closure
ECPMF: Turkey’s press freedom crisis continues. A German radio reporter and a Turkish national newspaper journalist are the latest media workers to be detained.
GENERAL: How the Middle East uses social media: 5 key trends
IJNET: Here are five key trends that journalists and news organizations working in the region need to consider
CANADA: Canadian journalism group calls for public inquiry after journalists arrested in Hamilton
Global News: As journalists cover breaking news, a working relationship with emergency services personnel is essential in order to keep residents informed of incidents that impact families, neighbourhoods and communities.
CANADA: CBC announces leadership changes at The National following ‘appropriation prize’ controversy
CBC: CBC News has shuffled the leadership of its flagship program following a controversy on social media this week involving numerous Canadian media figures, including the managing editor of The National.
CANADA: CRTC licence renewals threaten Canadian programs, say critics
CBC: Film and TV creators say we’ll see fewer Canadian shows because of licencing renewals approved this week.
CANADA: Mobile journalism is helping CBC focus on digital storytelling
Journalism.co.uk: Canada’s national broadcaster CBC has been shifting its priorities from producing television news to digital content, and the introduction of mobile journalism in its regional offices has been a big part of the process.
CANADA: RADIO-CANADA TAKES BIG DATA AT THE SERVICE OF FINE KNOWLEDGE OF ITS AUDITORIES
Les Médias Francophones: Stéphane Caron joined Radio-Canada’s Digital Media team last June as Senior Director, Business Intelligence. He was entrusted with the strategic project of fine audience knowledge as his primary mandate. He answers five questions about this project.
US: End of CPB funding would affect stations of all sizes (Subscription)
Current: Service cuts and adjusting budgets can only go so far, says Station Resource Group co-CEO Tom Thomas.
US: How NPR considers what new platforms — from smartwatches to fridges — will get its programming
NiemanLab: “Generally, we try to get to ‘yes’ faster than we try to get to ‘no.‘”
US: How US Espionage Act can be used against journalists covering leaks
CPJ
US: PBS President Paula Kerger: ‘Let us build on the wonderful legacy to which we were entrusted’ (Subscription)
Current: Delivering the keynote speech at the PBS Annual Meeting Tuesday, Kerger said public broadcasting is at “an inflection moment.”
US: Podcast Covers Perils Of Potential CPB Funding Loss.
Inside Radio: If Republicans in Congress go along with President Trump’s proposal to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in next year’s federal budget, local public radio stations could be stripped of many of the resources that allow them to service their communities.
US: What to do with public TV’s ‘spectrum auction’ windfall
CJR: “Now that the auction results are in, there’s a real danger that some of the biggest winners won’t use the money for local journalism or anything else in keeping with public media’s mission”.
US: When local stopped being cool (Opinion)
Columbia Journalism Review: Let’s return to journalism’s roots, where every story is tied to a community.
Alternative facts challenge journalists to rethink role
DW: From targeted propaganda to fake news, the media industry has struggled to meet the challenges of false information on the internet. But some journalists warn that facts may not be enough.
6 tips for writing broadcast stories
Poynter: Great stories hang in the viewer’s ear and catch the viewer’s eye. Here are some guidelines for writing for broadcast (and beyond).
Disaster Recovery Plans in Broadcast are Key—What Every Plan Should Include
Converge: Let’s explore why disaster recovery is essential in broadcast and what a disaster recovery plan should include.
Facebook promised to tackle fake news. But the evidence shows it’s not working
The Guardian: Following pressure from users, the social network introduced tools to stem the spread of false information. But the rollout has been rocky at best.
How Google envisions the future of journalism
DW: From the prospect of innovation to the challenges of the industry, Google has offered an optimistic prognosis for journalism. DW caught up with Google’s head of publishing and news in Europe to discuss the details.
Internet shutdowns – an explainer
DW Akademie: With governments increasingly pulling the plug on Internet and social networks during critical periods such as protests and elections, it’s time to get informed about Internet shutdowns.
Local news outlets find an unlikely ally in the duopoly
Digiday: Talk to a big publisher about Google and Facebook, and you’ll hear the strains of a dysfunctional relationship. But there’s one publishing sector that’s surprisingly having a bit of a honeymoon period: local news.
News – Fact checking : Get it right every time! (Opinion)
Journalism Fund: Nils Hanson, editor-in- chief of the Swedish “Mission Investigate”, feels that probably nothing is as important as pre-publication fact-checking.
Provocation narratives introduce political bias in international news
Journalism Research News: Sandrine Boudana and Elad Segev, both of Tel Aviv University, explore the use of provocation narratives and how those narratives introduce political bias in international news. They aim to demonstrate that journalists tend to use provocation narratives selectively in reference to certain “bad guys.”
Publicizing terrorism: How journalists should cover attacks
DW: With militant groups seeking to publicize attacks in the news, publishers have questioned how to best cover terrorism. But solutions aren’t always easy. DW’s Lewis Sanders reports from the ICI World Congress in Hamburg.
Repression is the Mother of Invention: Civil Society Groups Embrace Technological Innovation
Eurasianet.org: Activists and innovators are joining forces to improve watchdog capabilities in Eurasia.
Smarter Journalism: Artificial Intelligence in the Newsroom
EJO
This tool tells you when sources try to make quiet changes online
Poynter
Tips on fighting fake news from the people who debunk it for a living
Quartz: “Fake news” is making headlines this year, but online hoaxes are nothing new. They’ve existed for as long as the internet has been around.
What I learned working with Kenya’s first fact-checking project (Blog)
IJNET
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