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.
Every week, PMA compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!
PSM Innovations
Product Futures: Defining a new product vision for Australia’s national broadcaster
ABC’s innovation hub on Digital Product has rethought their ABC products to build a unified ABC experience for all Australians.
Presentation by Tim Hardaker, Group Product Manager at Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Strategic work is often the very best example of the Goldilocks principle. Make it too esoteric and intangible and your intended audience won’t be able to grab a hold of the message you’re trying to convey. But make it too prescriptive and determined and you’re going to miss out on those magical opportunities where someone takes your vision and finds a new and exciting way to apply it to their specific domain.
This was the conundrum we took into the Product Futures initiative from its very outset. The analogy we threw around as a team was, “how might we move the ABC’s digital product suite into the electric car future, not the flying car future?” How do we prepare a strategy for the future direction our teams are headed that’s practical, pragmatic and easily interpreted – and arguably most important, can be applied to their existing problems to solve – while remaining inspiring and ultimately inspiring our next great leap forward?
Learn more about the latest innovation from ABC
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
We want to hear from our members about what you are doing to best cover the crisis on a local level. Email us using the link below.
Public media research
Our PSM Research and Resources page brings together all the latest academic studies looking into the world of public media.
What we're watching...
Ferdinand Ayité lists the challenges facing investigative journalism in Africa
VOA: Togolese investigative journalist Ferdinand Ayité has won an award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Forced to flee his country following what he considers to be harassment by the authorities, he is known for his investigations into corruption. His newspaper, L’alternative, has ceased publication. Speaking to VOA, Ferdinand Ayité talks about the prize he was awarded and the reasons for his exile.
What we're listening to...
Important weapon in war: propaganda and disinformation on TikTok (German)
Deutschlandfunk Kultur
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Global Headlines
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ALGERIA: Media City, the media jewel that will light up the future (French)
Algérie Focus: The new Media City is about to become a reality in Algeria. According to the Algerian Press Agency, a source in the Ministry of Housing, Town Planning and Urban Development has revealed that the project will receive an impressive DZD 220 billion in commitment authorisations (programme licences), as well as DZD 60 billion in payment credits.
ALGERIA: Repressions grow in Algeria, is freedom of speech in danger?
Al Jazeera: Since February 2019, Mustapha Bend-jama, the editor of the daily newspaper Le Provincial, has been held by police forces and interrogated at least 35 times.
BURKINA FASO: Burkina Faso conscripts 2 journalists critical of junta, another fears kidnapping
CPJ: Burkinabe authorities must revoke the military conscription of journalists Issaka Lingani and Yacouba Ladji Bama and ensure the safety of journalist Boureima Ouedraogo in the face of kidnap threats, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Young African photographers provide new perspective on DR Congo conflict
RFI: For 30 years, conflict has plagued the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as rival armed groups fight for control of key mineral resources. The remote region has become off-limits to most foreign journalists – but a young generation of Congolese photographers is emerging to bear witness to not only the atrocities of war, but the population’s fierce desire to live.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia media sector alliance meeting opens in Addis
New Business Ethiopia: Ethiopia Media Sector Alliance (EMSA), an informal platform setup in 2019 to support the development of the media sector of Ethiopia, today held meeting to review its activities over the past four years.
GHANA: Journalists in Ghana are poorly paid, govt must initiate steps to address this challenge – NPP
Ghanaweb: Sylvester Tetteh, Memver of Parliament for the Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro constituency in the Ga south municipal district, has lamented Ghanaian journalists’ low pay and working conditions.
MALI: Good journalism: The Tuwindi Foundation launches a training course for journalists (French)
Mali Web: Some twenty journalists of all categories are taking part this week in a training course organised by the Tuwindi Foundation. The training is part of an ambitious project entitled “Strengthening freedom of expression and supporting democracy in sub-Saharan Africa, Mali”.
MALI: RSF calls on the authorities over the fate of a journalist killed and two others abducted (French)
RFI: In Mali, on 7 November, a journalists’ vehicle was attacked between Gao and Ansongo, in the north of the country. Journalist Abdoul Aziz Djibrilla of Radio Natta was killed in the attack, and two other Radio Coton colleagues were kidnapped. Saleck Ag Jiddou and Moustapha Koné are still being held captive today.
NAMIBIA: NBC urged to serve Namibia with integrity
New Era: Information minister Peya Mushelenga has urged the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to continue serving the nation at large with the highest standards of journalism and integrity.
NIGERIA: Media practitioners as the unprotected watchdog (Column)
The Guardian Nigeria: A vibrant media is one of the pillars of a viable democracy. But there cannot be a vibrant media where the safety of media practitioners, who act as watchdogs of the society, is not protected.
NIGERIA: MRA trains journalists on use of FOI Act
Tribune Online: Journalists have been tasked to always embark on investigative journalism for the good of Nigeria and its citizens.
SENEGAL: Senegalese journalist Pape Sané detained on false news accusations (Press release)
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to release Walfadjri press group journalist Pape Sané, who was arrested November 13 on false news accusations, and drop all legal proceedings against him.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC WELCOMES NOMSA CHABELI AS GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Press release)
SABC: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) a leading force in public broadcasting proudly announces the appointment of Ms Nomsa Chabeli, as its new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO).
SUDAN: ‘Nothing prepares you to cover a war at home.’ The vital mission to cover Sundan’s conflict (Opinion)
CNN: I have reported on conflicts around the world for over two decades, but nothing prepares you to cover a war at home. To see familiar places occupied and demolished. To fully plunge the depth of your helplessness.
SUDAN: Sudan activists condemn RSF detention and ‘enforced disappearance’ of journalists
Radio Dabanga: The Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) has strongly condemned the prolonged detention of Abdelrahman Warab, a journalist with Sudan News Agency (SUNA), by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the sixth consecutive month.
TOGO: Two journalists held in custody for defamation
IFJ: The Publication Director of Le Flambeau des Democrates newspaper, Loic Lawson and freelance journalist, Anani Innocent Assous were taken into police custody on 13 November and are being prosecuted for ‘defamation and incitement to violence’. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the arrest and detention of the journalists and calls on the Togolese authorities to drop all the charges against them and release them.
REGIONAL: “African media houses must do more investigative reporting to stay relevant”
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Manasseh Azure Awuni, editor-in-chief of The Fourth Estate, speaks about the challenges faced by the profession in his native Ghana and beyond.
REGIONAL: Data journalism training (Opportunity – French)
IJNet: Journalists from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo or Senegal working for a recognised media organisation and with at least four years’ professional experience in journalism are eligible to apply.
REGIONAL: STAY SAFE ONLINE: A GUIDE FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN JOURNALISTS (Resource)
Media Defence: In the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa, an astonishing 90% of journalists have raised their voices, not only to report the news but also to share a haunting truth – they are under siege in the digital realm.
AFGHANISTAN: World Television Day: The Taliban’s Guidelines That Restrict Television Freedom in Afghanistan
AFJC: The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) announced today its concerns regarding the restrictions imposed on television stations in Afghanistan by the Taliban. These guidelines, both quantitative and qualitative, have had a devastating effect on the media in the country.
AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijan arrests fourth independent journalist in a week
Reuters: Police in Azerbaijan on Tuesday arrested Aziz Orujev, head of the Kanal 13 internet television channel, the fourth independent journalist to be arrested in the country in a week.
AZERBAIJAN: Journalists Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgizi detained for 4 months
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to call on Azerbaijani authorities to release Abzas Media director Ulvi Hasanli, chief editor Sevinj Vagifgizi and Hasanli’s assistant, Mahammad Kekalov. The EFJ believes that the two journalists and Kekalov are the victims of police manipulation to prevent them from continuing to investigate the corruption of those in power in Azerbaijan.
BANGLADESH: Journalist assaulted while covering political clash
IFJ: Journalist Md Nahid Hasan was assaulted by a group of 20 to 25 people while covering a clash involving members of a youth and student organisation associated with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League on November 20.
INDIA: The Hundred-Year Battle for India’s Radio Airwaves
WIRED: The Indian government has a monopoly on radio news, allowing it to dictate what hundreds of millions of people hear. With an election approaching, that gives Prime Minister Narendra Modi a huge advantage.
JAPAN: Nationwide Survey Shows 68% of People Trust Traditional Mass Media in Japan
The Japan News: The percentage of people in the nation who said that they trust mass media, such as newspapers and television, is 68%, according to a survey conducted by SmartNews Media Research Institute.
PHILIPPINES: NTC orders radio stations in Mindanao, Visayas shut down over expired franchise
Rappler: The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued a cease-and-desist order against radio stations affiliated with Fairwaves Broadcasting Network.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS “The consent system for appointing news directors and others violates the Broadcasting Act”… Media union: “We will report violation of collective agreement” (Korean)
KBS: KBS requested negotiations with the union, saying it could not recognize the current collective agreement that requires the union’s consent to appoint five major positions, including the news director.
SOUTH KOREA: Park Min Inaugurated as the 26th President and CEO of KBS.
KBS: The newly appointed President and CEO of KBS, Park Min, assumed his position on 13th November 2023 at KBS headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. In his inaugural speech, Mr. Park identified internal factors as the root cause of KBS’ current crisis.
TAIWAN: NPP calls for NCC probe into BCC, Homeplus
TAIPEI TIMES: The National Communications Commission (NCC) should not only investigate whether Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) contravened the broadcast regulations banning political parties, the government or the military from owning, managing or investing in media, but should also investigate whether Homeplus Digital contradicted its business plan by selling shares to shareholders affiliated with SET Network, the New Power Party (NPP) caucus said yesterday.
THAILAND: Thai Broadcaster Removes Taiwan Interview, Alarming Media Analysts
VOA: Media analysts are criticizing a Thai broadcaster’s decision to delete an interview with a leading Taiwan official after China’s embassy in Bangkok complained.
Thai PBS: Thai PBS World opens a public forum “AI and the future of newsrooms” to prepare for media changes in the AI era, showing leadership in AI innovation, changing the face of journalism based on media ethics, accuracy and reliability.
AUSTRALIA: ABC Radio Australia launches in Gizo, Solomon Islands
ABC: The ABC has established a new FM transmission service for ABC Radio Australia in the second largest urban population hub in the Solomon Islands, the town of Gizo in Western Province. Residents of Gizo and surrounds on its island of Ghizo will now be able to enjoy the full suite of ABC Radio Australia’s content and program offering.
The Guardian: The Doctor Who showrunner sympathises with Australian fans annoyed about its move to Disney+ but hopes the show will provide something ‘positive and optimistic’.
AUSTRALIA: NITV HD coming from 5 December 2023 (Press release)
SBS: National Indigenous Television (NITV) is excited to be upgrading to high definition (HD) on channel 34 next month, with a standard definition (SD) broadcast of NITV to also become available on channel 36.
AUSTRALIA: WA activists say they believe footage ABC provided to police resulted in them being charged
The Guardian: Three Western Australian environmental activists say they believe that footage provided by the ABC to police under a “compulsory legal process” has likely resulted in them being charged with criminal offences.
Fijivillage: People’s Alliance founding member, Ajay Bhai Amrit says it is a disgrace for Fiji to be ranked as the worst place in the Pacific region for journalists in the latest assessment by global press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
FIJI: USP strike on the cards after council blocks staff papers in pay row
Asia Pacific Report: The Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) will now make necessary submissions to go on a strike.
NEW ZEALAND: Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters attacks state-funded media independence
RNZ: Newly sworn Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has accused state-funded media organisations of a lack of independence from the previous government.
NEW ZEALAND: Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters continues media attacks during first Cabinet meeting photo opportunity
RNZ: Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has again taken a swing at media during a photo opportunity for the first Cabinet meeting of the new government.
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand on Air board member Andrew Shaw quits over comments about Winston Peters
RNZ: New Zealand on Air says board member Andrew Shaw has resigned over a post he made regarding Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.
NEW ZEALAND: Willie Jackson defends journalism fund, state-funded media independence
RNZ: Attorney-General and former National Party leader Judith Collins says the incoming government will have a good relationship with media, after Winston Peters accused state-funded media organisations of a lack of independence from the previous government.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG’s Masiu warns USP journalism students to defend free press
Asia Pacific Report: Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any vibrant democracy and society’s collective responsibility to safeguard and protect it, says Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Information and Communication Technology Timothy Masiu.
BELARUS: Tech Giants must stop being complicit in the repression of Belarusian journalists in exile
EFJ: The EFJ calls on Tech Giants to stop supporting the Belarusian dictatorship and to protect media freedom wherever it is threatened.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Bosnian Serb Leader’s ‘Threatening’ Attack on N1 Journalist Condemned
Balkan Insight: Organisations gathered in the Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium have condemned Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik’s recent attack on an N1 journalist, calling on him to end such ‘intimidating practices’.
DENMARK: Engine Mille, Mr. Skæg and Jonas Madsen from ‘Ultra Nyt’ teach the Danish children (Press release – Danish)
DR: DR Lær will contribute to making teaching in primary schools even more varied and fun. As something new, DR Lær has now launched a teacher panel.
FRANCE: Creation of a committee of overseas experts (Press release – French)
FranceTV: This committee of multi-disciplinary experts is a consultative body for both the development strategy of the Réseau des 1ère and the enrichment of France Télévisions’ national units. During the discussions, the experts placed their work within the framework of a ‘programmatic and strategic’ approach.
FRANCE: France 3 regional news programme suspended due to staff strike (French)
Le Dauphiné Libéré: All the professions are rejecting the new organisation introduced last September, and denouncing the deterioration in working conditions. The unions are calling for “a halt to the new news slots Ici 12/13 and Ici 19/20”. Management is not considering this.
FRANCE: Médias en Seine 2023: what we learnt at this annual French festival about the future of news
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Speakers discussed media literacy, reaching young audiences, making newsrooms more diverse and building news products around archival footage
GERMANY: “New8”: ZDF presents first series projects (Press release – German)
ZDF: After the starting signal for the cooperation between eight public broadcasters six weeks ago in Rome, the first projects of the new fictional cooperation were presented today in London as part of the industry meeting London Content.
GERMANY: ZDF and 3sat as partners for culture (Press release – German)
ZDF: The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) is continuing its successful media partnership with ZDF. ZDF program director Nadine Bilke and SPK President Hermann Parzinger signed the extension of the cooperation until the end of 2024 on Thursday, November 23, 2023.
GEORGIA: Eric Scherer – The Public Broadcaster does a great job to ensure free and independent media, it’s important to maintain that (Press release – Georgian)
TV1: We believe public media is a solution for society. We need to strengthen in order to increase the trust between us and the people, – said the Chairman of the News Committee of the Union of European Broadcasters, Eric Scherer.
GEORGIA: Tinatin Berdzenishvili – To raise awareness of violence against women, a 16-day campaign is planned on the airwaves of the public broadcaster, with which we are associated for the fourth year. (Press release – Georgian)
TV1: For the fourth year, the First Channel of Georgia joins the campaign against violence against women, said the General Director of the First Channel of Georgia, Tinatin Berdzenishvili.
ICELAND: Increased power in publishing RÚV with a contract with Öldu music (Press release – Icelandic)
RÚV: RÚV and Alda music have signed a new publishing agreement for all content of the National Radio. RÚV places great emphasis on increasing access to material from its collection and has published a considerable amount of material in recent years.
ICELAND: Treat the media like naughty kids (Icelandic)
RÚV: The Minister of Media says the restrictions on journalists’ access to Grindavík are a hindrance to reporting. Suggests that the arrangement be changed. Journalists and reporters say this hampers their work.
ITALY: Rai for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (Press release – Italian)
Rai: Lights, colors and a schedule to say “enough!”
ITALY: Saviano fires: “Out of Rai for revenge” (Italian)
Il Giornale: The outburst for the skipped show is an accusation against Viale Mazzini: “It’s convenient for the bosses not to talk about it”.
ITALY: The new “Rai” WhatsApp channel is available (Press release – Italian)
Rai: Press releases, promos, prime time and audience figures: this and much more in the new WhatsApp Rai channel.
NORTH MACEDONIA: Ruling against Investigative Reporting Lab and its editor must be overturned
IPI: Decision by judge recommends that ministry shuts down one of the country’s leading investigative journalism platforms
POLAND: In the new government, Dominika Chorosińska will be responsible for the media. She worked at TVP Info (Polish)
Press: In Mateusz Morawiecki’s new cabinet, which will probably last only two weeks, actress Dominika Chorosińska has become the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, supervising public media.
POLAND: Outgoing Polish government changes public media statute on last day in office
Notes from Poland: On the last day in office of the outgoing Law and Justice (PiS) government, changes have been made to the statutes of public media outlets TVP, Polskie Radio and the Polish Press Agency (PAP) at the request of culture minister Piotr Gliński.
POLAND: The fight for public media. The move of the Minister of Culture (Polish)
Interia Wydarzenia: Minister of Culture prof. Piotr Gliński wants changes to the statutes of TVP, Polish Radio, and the Polish Press Agency. He submitted an application to the National Media Council in this regard.
RUSSIA: Independent Russian journalism persists from Latvia (Listen)
NPR: Russian independent news media is still functioning from Riga, Latvia. The exile presents challenges to newsgathering and press freedom.
RUSSIA: Russia Extends U.S. Journalist’s Pretrial Detention
RFE/RL: A Russian court has extended by two months the pretrial detention of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal being held on spying charges that he, his newspaper and Washington call “false.”
RUSSIA: Russia presses criminal case against award-winning journalist Masha Gessen
The Washington Post: Russia has opened a criminal case against the prominent Russian American writer and journalist Masha Gessen, accusing them of spreading “false information” about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine — part of a continuing crackdown by the Kremlin on voices critical of its war.
RUSSIA: Russia ‘Spits’ on EU Sanctions in Escalating Propaganda Battle
Bloomberg: The European Union promised to shut down the flow of Vladimir Putin’s propaganda after Russia invaded Ukraine, slapping sanctions on state-backed media RT and Sputnik days after the attack.
RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Moscow claims Ukraine targeted group of Russian journalists in drone attack
Anadolu Ajansi: Moscow said Wednesday that Kyiv targeted a group of Russian journalists with a drone strike in Ukraine’s front-line region of Zaporizhzhia.
RUSSIA & US: RSF urges U.S. State Department to designate Alsu Kurmasheva as “wrongfully detained”
RSF: Prague-based journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Alsu Kurmasheva has been detained in Russia since October 18th.
SLOVENIA: RTV Slovenia will stop operating multiplex C (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: With the shutdown of multiplex C, multiplex A will be the only terrestrial digital broadcasting network with coverage of the entire Republic of Slovenia. The user of multiplex C will be informed about the shutdown and further options.
SPAIN: RTVE Play, leading free platform in Spain (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: RTVE Play, the Corporation’s online live and video on demand platform, occupies the first position among all free options in Spain, according to the latest reports from the VOD measurement tool in Spain SigmaDos30 and Barlovento Comunicación.
SPAIN: The RTVE Equality Observatory holds a day on sexual violence and the media (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: This Thursday, the RTVE Equality Observatory held the conference “Sexual violence: the media as a reflection of social change and the challenges faced by new scenarios” .
SWEDEN: This is how we think about Sveriges Radio’s future resources (Press release – Swedish)
SR: How much funding has Sveriges Radio actually asked for for the next license period? Sveriges Radio’s CEO Cilla Benkö writes about the company’s finances until 2033.
SWITZERLAND: Syndicom calls for better protection of staff against algorithms (French)
Cominmag.ch: In Switzerland, the journalists’ union is stepping up to defend workers against the abusive use of artificial intelligence by employers.
UK: Frontrunner in Telegraph newspaper takeover bid accuses rivals of hypocrisy
The Guardian: Jeff Zucker of Abu Dhabi-backed Redbird IMI insists editorial independence of titles would be protected
UK: Gen Z driving early adoption of Gen AI, our latest research shows (Press release)
Ofcom: Teenagers and children in the UK are far more likely than adults to have embraced generative artificial intelligence (AI) according to Ofcom’s latest study into the nation’s online lives.
UK: Media Bill to maximise potential of British TV and radio (Press release)
Gov.uk: Culture Secretary promises to remove “Sword of Damocles” anti-free press laws as she opens Second Reading of the Media Bill.
UK: S4C and Media Cymru launch training programme and development fund to target global formats (Press release)
S4C: S4C are working in partnership with media innovation Consortium Media Cymru to offer a free, specialist training programme on creating, financing, packaging and selling global formats that will appeal to television viewers around the world.
UK: UAE-backed bid for Telegraph raises fears of Gulf ‘newswashing’
The Guardian: Deal could be referred to Ofcom but some analysts say concerns about foreign influence may be overstated
UKRAINE: Ukraine’s Parliamentary Press Restrictions: Protecting Journalists Or The Government?
RFE/RL: As it prepares to start membership talks with the European Union, Ukraine faces a fundamental debate about freedom of speech, a key EU value: Does Russia’s full-scale invasion still justify restrictions on accredited journalists reporting from inside parliament?
REGIONAL: EBU AIMS TO PROTECT UHF FOR BROADCASTING AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AT WRC-23
EBU: With the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 opening in Dubai today, the EBU’s Walid Sami expressed optimism that crucial UHF spectrum used by broadcasters for both content production and distribution would be preserved for these purposes.
REGIONAL: EU laws to protect press freedom in jeopardy, campaigners claim
The Guardian: Proposals in European Media Freedom Act on stopping the hacking of phones and guaranteeing press independence have been diluted, say journalists
REGIONAL: SLAPPs against journalists in Europe: Exploring the role of self-regulatory bodies (Academic Study)
Sage Journal: Reports show that media freedom is under pressure worldwide. Violence against journalists has a legal facet that takes the form of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) that aim at silencing critical speech. While in some countries there are legal protections against SLAPPs, in Europe a debate is only recently being carried out, mainly fostered by professional journalist associations and civil society.
REGIONAL: Violence against female journalists: Don’t allow it, prevent it!
EFJ: To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25 November 2023, the Gender and Diversity Expert Group (GENDEG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) reminds all media workers and media organisations that violence is not part of the job.
ARGENTINA: Argentina’s Milei ushers in atrocity denialism, trolling and attacks on the media
Index on Censorship: After far-right economist Javier Milei won Argentina’s presidency on Sunday night, it didn’t take him long to set his sights on the media.
ARGENTINA: “The privatization of public media is a democratic setback” (Spanish)
El Ciudadano: This is what the Inter-American Organization of Human Rights Defenders (OID) understands, which expressed its “rejection of the threat” from President-elect Javier Milei regarding the fate of Public Television, National Radio and the Télam news agency.
ARGENTINA & MEXICO: RED México condemns project to privatize public media in Argentina
Mas Noticias: Given the project to privatize the public media in Argentina, announced by the elected president, Javier Milei; The National Public Media Network of Mexico issued its position through social networks, demonstrating against the privatization project of that nation’s public media.
BRAZIL: EBC participates in debate on Public Broadcasting (Press release – Portuguese)
EBC: Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) participated, this Monday (27), in the national agenda of the Brazilian Society of Interdisciplinary Communication Studies (Intercom), in an online event whose central theme was “For citizen and accessible broadcasting : National Public Communication Network (RNCP)”.
BRAZIL: Organizations demand punishment for attackers of indigenous people and journalists (Portuguese)
Agência Brasil: Social organizations demand punishment for people who, in recent days, attacked at least two Guarani Kaiowá indigenous people from Mato Grosso do Sul, Canadian journalist Renaud Philippe, 39, anthropologist Ana Carolina Mira Porto, 38, and forestry engineer Renato Farac Galata , 41.
BRAZIL: UERN signs partnership with EBC to join the network (Press release – Portuguese)
EBC: The State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) and Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) signed a partnership, this Thursday (23), for the institution to join the National Public Communication Network (RNCP).
COLOMBIA: A state crime solved 20 years later: the secret agent who tortured a Colombian journalist convicted (Spanish)
El País: One of the police officers who harassed the reporter Claudia Julieta Duque must go to prison and must compensate her financially.
COLOMBIA: RTVC supports “Mini Input 2023”, the international public television exhibition, now in Colombia (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: Mini Input 2023 takes place this November 23 and 24 in the Culture Building of the Medellín Chamber of Commerce, with more than eight hours of programming of the best national and international public television content.
GUATEMALA: Press Guild denounces criminalization of journalists (Spanish)
VOA: Guatemalan journalists reproach their country’s justice system for investigating a group of them for having published information about judges and prosecutors accused of corruption and abuse of power. Human Rights Watch calls for constant international scrutiny of the government’s actions.
HAITI: ‘I’ll be killed if they find me’: Radio reporter Maxo Dorvil flees Haiti amid gang violence
CPJ: Haitian radio journalist Maxo Dorvil fled the country on November 7, 2023, after reporting that he was shot at twice in less than two weeks near his home on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince.
HONDURAS: #PENsar libre, a campaign that seeks to raise awareness about the role of journalists in society (Spanish)
Pasos de Animal Grande: In order to remember and value the role that journalism plays in Honduran society and the role of the State in guaranteeing the full exercise of the right to free expression, the #PENsar libre campaign was launched this Wednesday.
JAMAICA: Journalists charged to continue holding those in power accountable
The Gleaner: Garfene Grandison, corporate communications manager at J. Wray and Nephew (JWN) Limited, has challenged journalists to continue to be guardians of democracy, holding those in power accountable and ensuring that the truth is not buried beneath the noise of misinformation and misrepresentation.
LatAm Journalism Review: One month after Hurricane Otis, journalists in Acapulco, Mexico, struggle to report in the face of a lack of infrastructure, damaged equipment and personal losses.
URUGUAY: TV channels against media bill and want to be paid for political propaganda (Spanish)
DPL News: The political party financing bill in Uruguay has sparked an intense debate, with one of the most controversial points being the allocation of propaganda minutes on television.
REGIONAL: New map sheds light on the state of disinformation legislation in Latin America and beyond
LatAm Journalism Review: One of the central themes of contemporary political debate, disinformation motivates political and legislative responses from governments around the world.
LatAm Journalism Review: The role of journalists in the face of the challenges and opportunities presented by new artificial intelligence (AI) tools was the starting point for the second Ibero-American conference “More Women, Better Journalism,” held by the Women In The News Network (WINN) on Nov. 16.
IRAN: RSF: Journalists in Iran “Deserve to Be Celebrated, Not Imprisoned”
Iranwire: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for the release of two journalists imprisoned in Iran, saying they are “paying, like many of their colleagues in the country, the price of their duty to inform.”
IRAQ: Iraqi Kurdish Journalist Dedicates Award to Fellow Reporters
VOA: When Niyaz Abdullah accepted an award this month, the Iraqi Kurdish journalist used her speech to highlight the challenges for Kurdish media, activists and politicians.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: ‘Direct stories from Palestinian journalists are essential. This is their war to tell’
Middle East Monitor: Representative of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), Shuruq As’ad, says no one could tell the story of Gaza better than Palestinian journalists living there because they want to see change and humanise the Palestinian experience.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Nearly 60 journalists and media workers killed since start of Israel-Hamas war (Listen)
NPR: The Committee to Protect Journalists says nearly 60 journalists and media workers have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began, it’s the deadliest period since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: The Israel-Hamas war is deadly for journalists. Lives are being lost, and truth (Opinion)
The Guardian: The numbers alone are dreadful. Journalists are being killed in the Israel-Hamas war at the rate of more than one every day since 7 October – at least 53 so far, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ.
LEBANON: Proposed media law poses grave threat to freedom of expression
Amnesty International: The Lebanese Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee is on the verge of concluding discussions behind closed doors on a new media law that, if approved by the Parliament’s General Assembly in its current state, would severely curtail freedom of expression and press freedom in Lebanon and undermine crucial human rights safeguards, the Coalition to Defend Freedom of Expression in Lebanon said today.
LEBANON: Two journalists were killed in an airstrike in Lebanon (Icelandic)
RÚV: Eight people were killed in two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon yesterday, Lebanese media say, including two Lebanese journalists and a high-ranking Hamas official.
TURKEY: Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog imposes millions in fines on government-critical mediaSCF: According to a recent statement by Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Utku Çakırözer, Turkey’s broadcasting regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), has imposed millions in fines on news channels critical of the government.
TURKEY & SWEDEN: Turkey demands Sweden silence journalists, shut down news outlet to secure NATO bid approval
Nordic Monitor: In the midst of prolonged and deliberately protracted negotiations between Turkey and Sweden concerning Ankara’s endorsement of the Nordic nation’s NATO membership bid, Turkish negotiators have introduced a scandalous demand by insisting that their Swedish counterparts agree to the closure of Nordic Monitor, an investigative news website based in Stockholm, managed by two exiled Turkish journalists.
CANADA: APTN says funds needed from online streaming giants to help promote Indigenous voices
BNN Bloomberg: The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network says online streaming services should be required to contribute funding to the Canadian broadcasting system in the face of shrinking resources that are making it more difficult to tell Indigenous stories.
CANADA: Fall economic statement includes $129-million for news organizations
The Globe and Mail: Ottawa’s fall economic statement includes a $129-million boost for eligible news organizations through an increase to a tax credit allowing them to claim up to $29,750 per journalist.
CANADA: Regulatory, Telecom & Media News – Online Streaming Act hearings get underway
Broadcast Dialogue: The CRTC has kicked off three weeks of hearings on the Online Streaming Act, with Quebecor and Bell urging the commission to expeditiously consider regulatory burdens placed on broadcasters as they wade through a bad advertising climate and foreign competition.
CANADA: Teachers strike outside CBC/Radio-Canada offices
CBC News: Hundreds of Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) members showed up outside CBC/Radio-Canada’s Montreal offices Sunday evening, while Quebec Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel was in an interview with Tout le monde en parle.
US: Antiracist Journalism: Creating accountability infrastructure for equitable local news
Columbia Journalism Review: It’s been over three years since news organizations around the U.S. pledged to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their newsrooms, and six years since I began talking with representatives of Philadelphia area newsrooms hoping to push their organizations towards greater equity and community engagement.
US: Are public media podcasts facing a “Moneyball” moment?
NiemanLab: In an era where the “easy money” is gone, celebrity sluggers are beyond reach, and commercial outfits are pulling back, public radio orgs can win by leaning into data and ideas that helped them create the art form.
US: Can This Public Radio Show Get ‘Middle America’ to Tune In?
The Daily Beast: Public radio’s listenership is decidedly liberal. A new weekly radio show from a former NPR producer seeks to change that.
US: NPR’s Books We Love is Back! (Press release)
NPR: Washington, D.C. – Books We Love – NPR’s annual, interactive reading guide – is back with more than 380 new recommendations for 2023!
US: With return of ‘Lost Notes,’ KCRW reinvests in limited-run podcasts (Paywall)
Current: The next season looks at L.A. as a “prismatic reflection point” in artists’ development, says producer Myke Dodge Weiskopf.
US: Your Local Newspaper Might Not Have a Single Reporter
The Wall Street Journal: The Gleaner, the local newspaper in Henderson, Ky., has sections focused on features, sports, news and opinion. What it doesn’t have: a single reporter on staff.
BBC Podcasts Premium launches in Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean
Broadcast Pro Middle East: BBC Podcasts Premium provides early access and ad-free listening to a variety of the BBC’s most popular titles for Apple Podcasts listeners.
Designing an App for Audio Journalism — From the Ground Up
The New York Times: It’s not often that you get to build a new product from the ground up. At The New York Times, cross-disciplinary collaboration is at the heart of many of the company’s digital innovations, and design played a pivotal role in imagining, expressing, and validating the various avenues a to-be-defined product might take.
Echoes from the desert: Five seasoned reporters reflect on the vanishing landscape of local news
Reuters Institute for the study of Journalism: Journalists from Nigeria, France, Brazil and the US on the weakening of local newspapers and on what may come next for journalism in their home regions
How Journalists Can Protect against Slapp Cases and Other Legal Threats
GIJN
How the Kennedy assassination helped make network TV news wealthy
Nieman Lab: In journalism, bad news sells. “If it bleeds, it leads” is a famous industry catchphrase, which explains why violent crime, war and terrorism, and natural disasters are ubiquitous on TV news.
On the front lines of the local news crisis, a lot of pain but some reason for hope (Opinion)
Poynter: Growing news deserts are leaving far too many people without a trusted source of information. But there’s also been positive news lately.
Poytner: In a story that has generated both shock and disdain, Futurism’s Maggie Harrison reports that Sports Illustrated published stories that were produced or partially produced by artificial intelligence, and that some stories had bylines of fake authors.
NiemanLab: When the comedian Sarah Silverman sued Meta over its AI model LLaMA this summer, it was pretty big news. (And that is, of course, kind of the point. Silverman is actually one of three co-plaintiffs in the case, but not as many people will click a headline about Kill City Blues author Richard Kadrey or Father Gaetano’s Puppet Catechism author Christopher Golden.)
These newsgames are promoting media literacy in young people
IJNet: On the occasion of Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2023 hosted by UNESCO, The Fix looks into ways media literacy can be improved among Europe’s young people.
Tracking lost pro-Palestinian posts
Columbia Journalism Review: In the weeks since October 7, when Hamas attacked Israeli civilians, and during the bombardment and invasion of Gaza that followed, people across social media have complained about posts in support of Palestinians being restricted or removed.
Using TikTok to drive young people to the news
IJNet: To engage young people, journalists first need to be on the platforms they’re using. TikTok is one such platform.
What does OpenAI’s rapid unscheduled disassembly mean for the future of AI?
NiemanLab: Forgive media companies if they felt a little schadenfreude this weekend. For the past two decades, they’ve been criticized (often rightly, sometimes wrongly) for making terrible management decisions in the face of digital disruption.
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Header image: A row of people on the mobile phones. Credit: Michael Fousert / Unsplash.com
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