Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
Click on the drop-down menus below to reveal the latest regional stories.
CAMEROON: Cameroon widens clampdown to curb Anglophone protests
Deutsche Welle: After cutting off the English-speaking regions from the Internet, targeting media outlets and stripping Cameroon’s beauty queen of her crown for speaking her mind, the government has now set its sights on journalists.
CAMEROON: Government censors coverage of anglophone minority unrest
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
CAMEROON: Threats against media organizations in Cameroon (French)
IFJ: In a statement broadcast on the CRTV (Cameroon Radio and Television) broadcast on January 20, the National Council of Communication President Peter Essoka threatened to suspend or close newspapers “having broadcast seditious and disturbing content “.
KENYA: Media has key role in ensuring election is fair and credible
Daily Nation: National attention is once again being focused on the media, with the electioneering ahead of the August 8 General Election having unofficially begun.
SOMALIA: Journalists among wounded in Mogadishu hotel attack
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): At least four journalists were wounded in an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu today, according to media reports and Somali journalists.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC inquiry: Muthambi crucified in draft report
Independent Online: A draft report by MPs inquiring into the problem-ridden South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) crucifies Communications Minister Faith Muthambi, suggesting she may have violated the law by overstepping her mandate and unduly interfering in the affairs of the public broadcaster.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC may be at risk of becoming technically insolvent
Eyewitness News :Parliament’s inquiry into the SABC’s board says it noted evidence about its financial management, sustainability & funding model.
UGANDA: Why Don’t Our Local TV Stations Give Weather Forecasts, Warnings
via All Africa: Souring record temperatures continue to be recorded all over the country since late 2016 albeit a lack of mention by many media houses especially local television broadcasters.
ZAMBIA: Govt, private media not foes
ZNBC: Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Kampamba Mulenga, has reiterated that there is no enmity between government and the private media.
ZIMBABWE: Digitisation Programme On Track
via All Africa: The country’s digitisation programme is purported to be 25 percent complete.
REGIONAL: Africa is home to only one fully fledged democracy
Quartz: The African continent is home to only one fully fledged democracy, Mauritius, according to a recently released index from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
CHINA: Media workers jailed in China continues to rise
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): The IFJ has documented 51 cases of journalists and other media workers who remain jailed or detained in China because they exercised their right to free speech and respected the public’s right to know.
HONG KONG: How China banned a Swedish journalist from the country using visa restrictions
Hong Kong Free Press: When Swedish journalist Jojje Olsson left Beijing, the city that had been his home for eight years, he had no idea that he would be banned from re-entering the country. He has never been given an explanation, and cannot even visit on a tourist visa.
HONG KONG: Radio Television Hong Kong enhanced charity efforts
ABU: Established in 1988 with the aim of connecting the local community to charities with the help of the city’s most respected media organisations, OSC is one of Hong Kong’s most beloved charity efforts.
INDIA: Digital Violence in India: Silencing women’s voices online and what we need to do about it
CIMA: In my country of India, as elsewhere in the world, online harassment of women and marginalized genders and sexualities is rampant. This stands in stark contrast to the Internet’s initial promise of providing equal opportunity for all.
INDIA: Indian government to respond to criticism of radio news restrictions
PMA: After an investigation, India’s Supreme Court has asked the Indian Government to explain its decision to prevent FM stations from airing their own news.
INDONESIA: Dialogue, media literacy needed to tackle hatred, fake news
The Jakarta Post: Dialogue among different cultures and faiths as well as media literacy programs for the public are needed to resolve the current challenges of freedom of expression, such as hate speech, fake news and hoaxes, experts have said.
INDONESIA: Indonesia is fastest growing country for internet use – report
Rappler: Indonesia is almost 3 times over the global average with a 51% growth year-on-year.
JAPAN: New NHK President assumes post
ABU: Mr Ryoichi Ueda took his position as the new President of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) on Wednesday 25 January 2017. He took over from Mr Katsuto Momii, who completed his three-year term the previous day.
JAPAN: New president of NHK should not rush into simultaneous broadcasting
The Japan News: As the head of a public broadcaster, he will need to work on establishing transparent management and the production of high-quality programs.
MYANMAR: Myanmar’s Rohingya: Truth, lies and Aung San Suu Kyi
BBC News
PAKISTAN: Pakistan TV anchors sexually harassed at workplace
IFJ: Two journalists – Tanzela Mazhar and Yashfin Jamal – have accused PTV Lahore’s Director News of sexual harassment; and taken up social media and TV talk shows to push for investigation after their complaint to PTV authorities yielded no results.
PAKISTAN: PML-N govt has given away Rs 11bn to Pakistani media in 3 years, unprecedented in country’s history
Outlook Pakistan: PMLN government has given more than Rs11 billions of taxpayers’ money to different Pakistani media houses apparently to run its advertisements of various projects.
THAILAND: Media lashes out at ‘control’ moves
Bangkok Post: Thirty media organisations are stepping up moves against a bill they say will pave the way for the regime to control the media.
THAILAND: Media to crank up opposition against controversial oversight by govt panel
The Nation Multimedia: Concerns centre on ‘professional council’ that could revoke journalists’ licences
THAILAND: Thai Media Legislation Triggers Protests
Voice of America: Thai media organizations, battling to halt a media reform bill they see imposing restrictions on press freedoms, including licensing, are pressing the military government to review the legislation.
AUSTRALIA: ABC announces ‘transitional measures’ for shortwave radio listeners
The Guardian: Broadcaster offers ‘comprehensive advice on how to best access emergency information, ABC news and entertainment’ after shutdown.
AUSTRALIA: Why the media need to tread carefully when reporting research findings
The Conversation
FIJI: FTV makes a loss of $469k
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC): Fiji Television Limited has made a loss of $469,000 for the first 6 months of this financial year compared to a profit of $2.4 million for the same period last year.
MELANESIA: Dismay in Melanesia as ABC ends shortwave
Radio New Zealand: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation ended its shortwave service to the region today saying it’s not viable and too expensive to maintain.
NEW ZEALAND: Fake news isn’t anything new, but does New Zealand have a problem?
Stuff
NEW ZEALAND: Public discourse under threat from fake news
Scoop: Activist group fears public discourse under threat from fake news
VANUATU: Pioneering Vanuatu freedom paper Daily Post celebrates 5000 issues
Pacific Media Centre: Marc Neil-Jones’ newspaper Vanuatu Daily Post has celebrated an historic milestone today – 5000 editions of a paper that has championed media freedom in the Pacific.
REGIONAL (PACIFIC): Pacific ‘cyberbullying’, PNG student protests, ‘free’ media featured in PJR
Asia Pacific Report: Student protests at the University of Papua New Guinea, Australian journalism training in the Solomon Islands, “cyberbullying” in Fiji, independent campus media, and RNZ International’s reporting of the Pacific are among topics featured in the latest edition of Pacific Journalism Review.
ALBANIA: Small Country, Big News: Foreign Reporting In Albania
European Journalism Observatory (EJO): Albania’s foreign news coverage follows a pronounced pro-European and pro-American agenda, according to new research.
AUSTRIA: Introduction of DAB + in Austria – tendering process started (German)
Info DIgital
OSCE
CZECH REPUBLIC: Journalists failing in refugee coverage according to Prague conference
Radio Praha: A two day series of seminars about media coverage of the refugee crisis in Central Europe and the Baltic States has just wound up in Prague. And most of the messages have not been complimentary…
GERMANY: Germany May Be Less Vulnerable to Fake News
eMarketer: Public TV and newspapers still get the nod as sources of political news.
GREECE: Premier’s worrying embrace of hostile media group
RSF: Concern about Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ motives in suddenly trying to rescue DOL, a cash-strapped media group that he has often criticized in the past and only recently accused of disinformation and colluding with business interests.
IRELAND: Falling trust in Irish media needs to be addressed
The Irish Times: Review of press council and ombudsman could help revive public confidence
POLAND: Poland considers French-style TV regulation
Broadband TV News: Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the president of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, has called for the introduction of regulatory controls on media such as those found in France.
PORTUGAL: Second part of Digital Media Days examines changes in storytelling
EBU: The second of the EBU’s inaugural Digital Media Days in Lisbon (23 – 25 January) shifted the focus from strategy to storytelling – in particular redefining how public service media tells stories in the digital era.
ROMANIA: The revival of investigative journalism in Romania
Romania-Insider: After years of apathy, investigative journalism kicked back to life in Romania in the online world. What led to this revival in 2016 and what were the major stories that broke last year?
SCANDINAVIA: EU Competition Commissioner praises impact of Nordic drama series and role of PSM
EBU: The European Parliament witnessed the power of Nordic drama series during a fascinating event organized by the EBU’s Nordic Members on Tuesday 24 January.
SPAIN: Spanish public TV, among the cheapest in Europe (Spanish)
El Periódico: The FORTA states that both state and autonomous companies cost each Spanish 38.9 euros a year, half the EU average
SPAIN: The challenges of the Catalan audiovisual sector (Spanish)
El Periódico: Measures to encourage consumption among citizens themselves and other countries should be incorporated.
SPAIN: The National Court declares justified the ERE, which resulted in the dismissal of 1,600 RTVV workers (Spanish)
ABC: The ruling also rejects the succession of companies with the new Valencian Corporation of Media (CVMC)
Media File: Tucked away in the basement of Sweden House, Sweden’s official embassy and culture center in D.C, lies a small exhibit commemorating the country’s two hundred and fifty year-old Freedom of the Press Act.
SWITZERLAND: Shrinking Audience For Quality News
EJO: Swiss people still trust the media, especially if they regularly consume news from traditional news providers, such as the national public service broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG).
UK: BBC reports record international web traffic
Digital TV Europe: BBC.com, the UK corporation’s international news platform, received record web traffic in 2016.
UK: Fake news inquiry launched by MPs to examine ‘threat to democracy’
IBT: Culture, Media and Sport Committee to look into how fake stories spread ‘propaganda’ online
UKRAINE: BBC Ukrainian content comes to Novoye Vremya website
Association for International Broadcasting (AIB): Content from BBC Ukrainian is now available to the users of the popular Ukrainian news website, Novoye Vremya, as it now carries news stories from the website bbc.ua, in Ukrainian and Russian, in text and video.
OSCE
REGIONAL: EBU welcomes EU UHF spectrum agreement
Advanced Television: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has welcomed the vote by the European Parliament’s Industry Committee on the long-term future of the UHF frequencies.
REGIONAL: Media freedom under serious threat in many European countries
Relief Web: PACE has expressed its concern at the many cases of serious threats to media freedom in Europe listed by the Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, set up by the Council of Europe in 2015.
UNESCO
BRAZIL: In Brazil, journalists overcome economic crisis with entrepreneurship
International Journalists’ Network (IJNET): With an economic crisis that has put millions out of work, Brazilian journalists are rethinking the ways in which they can sustain themselves. They discovered they can best work together training each other and investing in their own businesses.
COLOMBIA: Investigative journalists use digital tools to map massacres from the armed conflicts in Colombia
Knight Center: Journalism in the Americas: This story is part of a series on Innovative Journalism in Latin America and the Caribbean.
MEXICO: UAC broadcaster obtains Single Concession Title (Spanish)
La Jornada Maya: The Radio will provide telecommunications and broadcasting services
MEXICO: Telecommunications Institute provides 66 strategic projects (Spanish)
GrupoFórmula.: Each project will have to promote and encourage users and audiences to have better public service options at affordable prices through the promotion of competence and free competition of regulated sectors.
MEXICO: Radio and TV accuse IFT of attempted censorship (Spanish)
El Universal: Guidelines can lead to censorship, they warn; broadcasting, helpless to outside transmissions
LEBANON: Lebanon contemplates measures against ‘immoral’ television
Gulf News: Committee to look into complaints against LBCI television after Hezbollah MP describes contents as ‘unacceptable’
TURKEY: Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of January 22
CPJ: Keep up to date with the latest news from the ongoing media crackdown in Turkey.
TURKEY: Turks Face a Choice: Erdoğan or Democracy
Freedom House: Now that constitutional amendments on a stronger presidency have cleared the parliament, referendum voters must decide whether to endorse their leader’s power grab.
CANADA: Canada’s media industry needs major federal cash injection: report
The Globe and Mail: Canada’s media industry needs a major shake-up to survive in the digital era, starting with the creation of a federally funded agency that would distribute up to $400-million a year to news organizations that can no longer afford to fulfill their civic duties, according to a new think-tank report.
CANADA: What’s the public interest in the future of Canadian media?: Public Editor
Toronto Star: A new report from the Public Policy Forum takes on the future of media business in 21st century digital Canada.
US: Knight Foundation report: Public radio needs to work harder to adopt digital-first orientation
Current: Public radio’s strategies for building audience on digital audio platforms are at risk of falling behind emerging podcast networks, according to a new report from the Knight Foundation.
US: Newsonomics: Rebuilding the news media will require doubling-down on its core values
Nieman Lab: Journalists and publishers need to breathe new life into the social contract with readers: The audience holds the media accountable, the media holds the powerful accountable.
US: NUJ condemns US journalists’ arrests
National Union of Journalists: The union has reacted to the news that at least six media workers could face long prison sentences and substantial financial penalties as a result of doing their jobs covering the protests against Donald Trump’s inauguration.
US: PBS SoCal preps for bigger role in national production
Current
US: Tell Congress: Don’t Let Trump Destroy NPR and PBS
Free Press: The Trump administration is already pushing a plan to axe funding to hundreds of local NPR and PBS stations around the country.
Nieman Lab: The Carnegie Commission on Educational Television’s 1967 report established the framework for the modern system of public television and radio — and prompted the first political fights over its future.
2017 Biodiversity Story Grants
Internews Earth Journalism Network: Internews’ Earth Journalism Network is offering a second round of reporting grants to support the production of in-depth stories that highlight previously untold threats to global biodiversity or explore new conservation-based solutions.
Deranged and Deluded: The Media’s Complicity in the Climate Crisis
Dissent Voice
Finding your MoJo and keeping it safe
International News Safety Institute: Trigger warnings, contingency plans and shooting at the floor. We speak to Yusuf Omar about some of the safety considerations for mobile journalists.
IPDC’s Monitoring & Reporting Mechanism: On the safety of journalists and the issues of impunity
UNESCO: In the past decade 827 journalists have been killed for carrying out their jobs: reporting the news and bringing information to the public.
Local Media Consortium position statement on so-called fake news
Local Media Consortium
.Radio top level domain name ready for launch
EBU: 2017 is a big year for radio. The EBU is launching a new Top Level Domain (TLD) name – .radio – for the radio community which will progressively change the way people are reaching internet resources linked to radio.
Solutions that can stop fake news spreading
BBC News: There may be actual solutions to the spread of fake news.
We must not turn our backs on journalists who lack our freedom
The Guardian: Let us not forget that too many reporters, photographers and bloggers around the world lose their liberty, and their lives, simply for trying to do their job.
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All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
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