Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
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CAMEROON: RFI calls for reporter’s appeal to be heard after 2 years in Cameroon jail
RFI: Two years after RFI correspondent Ahmed Abba was jailed in Cameroon, the station has called for his appeal against a 10-year prison sentence to be heard as soon as possible, so that a journalist who “was only doing his job in a difficult situation” can be freed.
EGYPT: Al-Sisi calls on media to support state and patriotism
Daily News Egypt: President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi called on Tuesday media outlets to support the state and create a “phobia” against its failure, adding that the “atmosphere” is adequate for such procedure.
GAMBIA: Barrow – ‘Press Freedom Has Been Restored’
DW: In an exclusive interview with DW, Barrow said the Gambian people are longing for justice for all crimes committed under Jammeh’s 22-year rule. Jammeh ruled the country with an iron fist and clamped down on dissent, as well as the media.
GAMBIA: ‘The press is already free’ – Gambian president asserts during second media meeting
AfricaNews: Gambian president Adama Barrow on Thursday held his second meeting with the media after six-months in office.
GHANA: Ghana’s Social Media Scene Opens New Spaces for Public Debate
Global Voices: During the 2016 Ghanaian presidential elections, amidst the intense jockeying for power, something else was asserting itself. Social media and online platforms became crucial avenues for the electorate.
GHANA: Who owns the Media in Ghana?
RSF: A lack of transparency and limited access to ownership information prevail in the media industry in Ghana.
KENYA: Fake CNN and BBC news reports circulate
BBC News: A fake news report about Kenya’s election that is made to look as if it is from broadcaster CNN has been circulating on social media.
MOROCCO: Morocco deports Spanish journalists
CPJ: The CPJ has called on Moroccan authorities to lift restrictions on journalists trying to cover matters of public interest, including protests.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC board fills senior vacant positions
The Citizen: The public broadcaster announces the filling of vacant positions of CEO, COO and CFO in acting capacities.
ZAMBIA: Publications could be shut down under Zambia’s “state of threatened public emergency”
IFEX: The International Press Institute (IPI) [has] expressed concern over the imposition of emergency powers in Zambia and recent comments made by the inspector-general of police that some publications could be closed while the 90-day state of emergency was in place.
ZIMBABWE: Amid a backdrop of government oppression, this Zimbabwe startup is working on the future of news
Poynter: The financial news startup regularly juggles breaking business news, dishing up headlines on WhatsApp and experimenting with chatbots to grow its audience.
ZIMBABWE: Public Outcry Over Police Brutality on Journalists in Zimbabwe
AllAfrica: In yet another example of what human rights campaigners are calling excessive use of force by police, plain-clothed police officers have allegedly brutally attacked three Alpha Media Holdings journalists accusing them of taking pictures in the Harare central business district.
REGIONAL: ‘China is everywhere’ in Africa’s rising technology industry
CNBC
AZERBAIJAN: The Perks of Being a Journalist in Azerbaijan
TOL: Presidential initiative to hand out free flats to media professionals, praise them for being “helpers” appears at odds with the country’s lack of press freedom.
CHINA: China to further beef up internet control
IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on the Government of China to clarify the usage of privately-run VPNs (Virtual Private Network) in China. The IFJ also calls on the Government of China to end its attempt to control and stifle the free flow of information in the online space.
INDIA: ‘Immediate’ Tax Demand of Rs 429 Crore is Blatantly Unlawful, Says NDTV
The Wire: Broadcast channel NDTV has called a tax demand notice of Rs 429 crores from the income tax department (IT department) “blatantly unlawful” and characterised it as part of a larger attempt by various government organisations to “intimidate and paralyse” the news organisation.
INDIA: Will India embrace digital radio broadcasting?
LiveMint: Radio industry executives and experts are less than enthused about telecom regulator Trai’s consultation paper on digital radio broadcasting as they do not see any real benefit in the move.
KYRGYZSTAN: Reporter Canned After Asking President Tough Question
Eurasianet: A journalist for an online news website in Kyrgyzstan says he was fired this week shortly after asking an “inconvenient” question at a press conference with President Almazbek Atambayev.
JAPAN: Japanese public broadcaster broadening horizons beyond TV
Nikkei: NHK chief seeks foray into streaming; private-sector players fear a crowding out
MALAYSIA: Radio still a strong medium in Malaysia, says survey
Asia Radio Today: 97.2% or 20 million Malaysian listeners spend an average of 14 hours a week tuning in to radio, according to a survey conducted by Commercial Radio Malaysia and market research institute, GfK.
MALDIVES: Broadcasting regulator fines state media over defamatory content
Maldives Independent: The broadcasting regulator has slapped a fine of MVR200,000 (US$12,970) on the state-owned Public Service Media over defamatory remarks made by a ruling party lawmaker at a televised press conference in April.
MALDIVES: Maldives police rough up, arrest journalists covering opposition rally
IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the roughing up and arrest of journalists covering an opposition rally in Male, the Maldives on July 26. The IFJ demands respect to journalists’ rights and action against police officials involved.
MYANMAR: Detained Myanmar journalists defiant at ‘unlawful association’ trial
Reuters: Three Myanmar journalists accused of breaking the law by covering an event hosted by a rebel army were defiant as their trial began in the country’s northeast on Friday, in a case that has raised concerns about freedom of expression.
MYANMAR: Journalists On Trial In Myanmar
NPR: A high-profile case involving the arrest of three Myanmar journalists has sent a chilling effect through the country’s media. Rachel Martin talks with Yangon-based journalist Poppy McPherson.
PAKISTAN: Crackdown on Online Criticism Chills Pakistani Social Media
The New York Times
PAKISTAN: UN Committee urges Pakistan to protect freedom of expression and fight impunity
via Ifex: The UN Human Rights Committee has published its Concluding Observations regarding the situation in Pakistan. The Experts heeded concerns noted by the Pakistan Press Foundation, IFEX and the International Network for Human Rights (RIDH) in their alternative report and called for the State to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and privacy, and to end impunity.
VIETNAM: Vietnam Crackdown Widens as More Activists Arrested
The Wire: Vietnamese police arrested four activists for anti-state activities on Sunday, the police ministry said, in a widening crackdown on critics of the Communist Party that human rights groups have described as alarming.
9News: The ABC could be chasing commercial revenue in an effort to replace money the public broadcaster lost after government funding was cut, the boss of Australian Associated Press has acknowledged.
AUSTRALIA: ACTF calls for children’s quota for the ABC
IF: The ABC should be mandated to commission minimum levels of new Australian children’s content each year, according to Australian Children’s Television Foundation CEO Jenny Buckland.
AUSTRALIA: SBS CEO Michael Ebeid hits back at commercial rivals over criticisms
The Australian: Michael Ebeid has dismissed suggestions the Special Broadcasting Service is driving up the cost of international programming amid mounting criticism from commercial rivals.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ’s new app has you covered for news and programmes
RNZ: The app, which is available via iTunes and Google Play, has been updated so you can follow breaking local and international news, listen live to your favourite RNZ radio stations and programmes, and enjoy video or audio on demand – anytime, anywhere, on or offline.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Media freedom watchdog notes PNG election slips
RNZ: An international media freedom watchdog has condemned media freedom violations which it found have marred Papua New Guinea’s ongoing general election.
WEST PAPUA: Lack of media interest ‘puzzling’ says veteran journalist
Pacific Media Centre: A New Zealand media educator has criticised the lack of New Zealand mainstream media coverage on a crucial Pacific issue in a new VICE report on the rise of Maori and Pacific solidarity for West Papuan independence.
GENERAL: Asia Pacific OTT revenues to exceed US$24BN by 2022
Rapid TV News: A quarter of all households in the Asia Pacific will likely subscribe to a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service by 2022, up from a tenth in 2016, according to Digital TV Research.
GENERAL: Climate change in Asia-Pacific, advocacy journalism in PJR
Asia Pacific Report: Climate change research ranging from Australia and Indonesia to Fiji and Vietnam feature in the latest Pacific Journalism Review in the first publication to focus on media and global warming in the region.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Business booming in Czech fake news industry
EuObserver
FRANCE: Emmanuel Macron’s businesslike media strategy is worrying the French press
NewStatesman: The new president’s media style is more reminiscent of corporate PR than traditional political briefings.
FRANCE: Fact-finders reveal free media face new challenges in Macron era
ECPMF: Bosses who wield great economical and political power because of a concentration of media ownership, verbal threats and physical attacks on journalists are just some of the problems uncovered by the ECPMF’s fact-finding mission to France.
FRANCE: French watchdog mulls new DTT multiplex for UHD TV services
Digital TV Europe: France’s media regulator the CSA has opened a public consultation on the future of the country’s digital-terrestrial TV platform, introducing the idea of launching a new multi-city multiplex that could be used to launch UHD services.
GERMANY: How Germany’s Public Broadcasters Face Modern Challenges
Hromadske: Public broadcasting is facing increased challenges due to the fast pace of technological development and the demands of journalism in the post-truth world. To get a sense of the relationship between modern day politics and public broadcasting in Germany, Hromadske spoke to Heiko von Debschitz, International Relations Advisor for German public service television broadcaster ZDF.
GREECE: Greek Independent Authority Sets 35 Million Euros Price for a TV Licence
Greek Reporter: The National Council of Radio and Television (ESR) has set the starting price for each of seven national television content licences put up for auction at 35 million euros – or 245 million euros in total.
IRELAND: Cash-strapped RTÉ paid secret bonuses to bosses despite €20m deficit
Irish Independent: Cash-strapped RTÉ paid secret bonuses to more than 200 managers last year, with one in five getting an average 3.25pc boost to their salaries.
IRELAND: RTÉ chief faces grilling by TDs on gender salary balance and finances
Independent: RTÉ director general Dee Forbes is to be grilled by an Oireachtas committee on gender pay balance and the broadcaster’s finances when the Dáil reconvenes in the autumn.
ITALY: Court rules Italy DTT rollout broke EU rules
Advanced Television: The Court of Justice of the European Union has issued two rulings in which it states that the switchover from analogue to digital TV in Italy was based on resolutions and laws contrary to EU law. Also, the frequency redistribution system in Italy has been criticised because it is at risk of being incompatible with Community law.
POLAND: Brussels fails to respond to Poland’s media freedom violations
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges Brussels not to allow media freedom to continue declining in Poland after the European Commission refrained from triggering Article 7 and instead just issued another “recommendation” to the Polish government.
POLAND: Public broadcaster promotes Polish culture in China
Radio Poland: Public broadcaster Polish Radio has teamed up with one of China’s largest media groups in an initiative aiming to promote the country’s music and culture in China.
RUSSIA: Putin Signs Controversial Law Tightening Internet Restrictions
RadioFreeEurope: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed controversial legislation prohibiting the use of Internet proxy services — including virtual private networks, or VPNs — and cracking down on the anonymous use of instant messaging services.
RUSSIA: Russian TV: winners and losers in 2016
Broadband TV News: Ren TV and Pyatnitsa were the star performers in Russia’s TV industry in 2016, with both growing their revenues by around 20%.
SPAIN: RTVE budget to hit €1bn
Digital TV Europe: Spanish pubcaster RTVE will see its budget hit €1 billion (US$1.2 billion) next year.
UK: BBC faces new pay row over gap between World Service and news
The Guardian: Insiders claim an internal review into BBC pay shows World Service staff are paid considerably less than counterparts.
UK: How BBC iPlayer is trying to burst filter bubbles
Digiday
UK: ITV chairman says it will never reveal how much it pays its stars
The Guardian: Broadcaster says it will not consider following BBC’s disclosures, but it expects to show improvement on gender pay gap
GENERAL: Summer madness in Europe: fresh attacks on press, the internet and civil society
Ifex: In Europe and Central Asia, Turkey’s ongoing persecution of independent voices dominated the headlines. But Poland, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine also found themselves in the spotlight of shame due to attacks on civil society, rule of law, the internet and the free press.
BRAZIL: Platform publishes hyperlocal news produced by network of content producers in Recife and wants to expand across Brazil
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: A lost dog in Setúbal, a Taiwanese restaurant in Espinheiro, a 91-year-old barber from Jardim São Paulo. These are the kinds of hyperlocal issues specific to neighborhoods in the metropolitan neighborhoods of Recife, Brazil that one-year-old news platform PorAqui aggregates for thousands of readers throughout the capital of Pernambuco state.
ECUADOR: Public Media (Opinion- Spanish)
El Universo: The President’s changes in the media managed by the state are positive, but they are insufficient if the goal is to turn them into real public media.
Demerara Waves: Existing radio and television stations could be closed and their equipment seized if they do not apply for and are granted new licenses within 30 days of parliament’s approval of amendments to the Broadcasting Act, according to the Bill tabled in the House on Thursday. Government is also seeking to pass into how it intends to compulsorily have its content aired on private stations.
MEXICO: Threats and intimidation – Mexico’s weapons of mass censorship
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the threatening messages left for four Mexican journalists in the past week that warned them to stop their outspoken reporting. This barbaric behaviour has again confirmed that Mexico’s journalists are in desperate need of protection.
VENEZUELA: Journalists detained, attacked, and threatened amid unrest in Venezuela
CPJ: Venezuelan officials should stop harassing journalists and censoring media outlets amid unrest and violent protests in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
VENEZUELA: Q&A: Journalism and the Crisis in Venezuela
Open Society Foundation: Venezuela is currently in the midst of an economic, political, and constitutional crisis. Amidst widespread rationing, tensions between President Maduro and members of the opposition continue to escalate. Amina Boubia of the Open Society Independent Journalism Program spoke with Ewald Scharfenberg, cofounder of the investigative journalism platform Armando.info, about the role journalism has played—and continues to play—in Venezuelan politics.
GENERAL: Convicted politicians and paradigm changes for journalists: effects of the global Lava Jato scandal
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: On July 12, a Brazilian federal judge sentenced former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to nine and a half years in prison for corruption, obstruction of justice and money laundering in relation to the Lava Jato case, a corruption scheme in at least 12 countries involving several Brazilian companies and politicians in Latin America.
CIMA: Digital media startups in Latin America are becoming increasingly important and credible news sources, and they are transforming the complex media landscape
ISRAEL: Israeli authorities must cease their routine abuse and harassment of journalists, says IFJ
IFJ: The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS)recorded at least 15 incidents of journalists being attacked, abused or prevented from reporting by Israeli security forces while attempting to cover the Al-Aqsa Mosque protests over the weekend.
ISRAEL: Israelis obstruct media coverage of Al-Aqsa Mosque crisis
RSF: The Israeli security forces have used intimidation, denial of access, violence and arrests to limit or prevent media coverage of the demonstrations and clashes sparked by the introduction of additional security measures around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.
PALESTINE: Journalists fall victim to Palestinian political rivalry
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the increase in governmental persecution of journalists in recent weeks in the Palestinian Territories that has accompanied the increase in tension between the two political rivals, Hamas and Fatah.
REGIONAL: UNESCO trains Arab state and private broadcasters on Gender Sensitive Indicators for Media
ReliefWeb: In keeping with its commitment to contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment in and through the media, UNESCO will hold a comprehensive training session for broadcasting members of the Arab States Broadcasting Union, as well as private media, in Amman, Jordan from 30 July to 1 August 2017.
CANADA: Canadian stations expand local news, but will it work?
Times Colonist: A year after Canada’s broadcast regulator demanded that English-language TV stations devote more time to local news, some networks are now doing just that.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada sells building for $42 million
Montreal Gazette: CBC/Radio-Canada has signed agreements to sell its existing building and the western portion of its lot to real estate developer Groupe Mach for $42 million.
CANADA: Quebec media has perpetuated stereotypes about Muslim Canadians(Opinion)
This: It’s time for change, writes Amira Elghawaby
CANADA: The CRTC Is Endangering Canadian Culture And Creators (Opinion)
Huffington Post: A Canadian culture that can’t speak to the many variations of Canadianness through its own storytelling really doesn’t seem like much of a Canada at all.
US: In a war between the president and the news media, there may be no winners…
YouGov US: 53% of U.S Adults disapprove of how Donald Trump is handling the media
US: Joni Deutsch: “Public media is what you make it”
Current: Current is marking the 50th anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act by illuminating the experiences that inspired people to choose to work in public media.
US: PBS Chief: There Is No ‘Plan B’ If Public Broadcasting Funding Goes Away
IndieWire: Paula Kerger gives an update on PBS funding, and although things look promising, she warns not to get complacent in this political environment.
US: Where do public broadcasting stations abound?
Current: Reader JP saw this Boston Globe article last month about competition between public radio stations WGBH and WBUR heating Boston’s radio dial. That inspired JP to ask via our Currently Curious project: “How many cities have a duplicate NPR/PBS station”?
A new program wants to help more people in news orgs — beyond journalists — get literate with data
NiemanLab: “If we want to make the case that data is good for democracy, it can’t only be good for democracy for IT people and tech people.”
The Data Journalism Handbook 2017
EJC: The latest edition of the definitive handbook for telling stories with data.
Debunking fake photos: How journalists and readers can ensure authenticity
Ijnet: A proliferation of digitally manipulated photographs coupled with political propaganda has helped to usher in the post-truth age. And regarding fabricated “news,” evidence shows that photographs themselves help to fuel the virality of false narratives.
How to make local listeners care about your story
NPR: If you’ve ever wondered if your listeners were hanging on every word of your story or podcast, we now have some hints.
‘It’s about teamwork’: The diary of a journalist surrounded by coders
Journalism.co.uk: It doesn’t happen very often that journalists work directly with coders – so when it does happen, it could feel, for both sides, a little like stepping into a completely new universe.
Keep calm and carry on fact-checking: Challenges and reasons to be cheerful
Journalism.co.uk: Should readers and viewers become a fully integrated part of the news process?
Lens in Exile: CPJ Instagram takeover to put focus on photojournalists
CPJ: To highlight the work of journalists living in exile, CPJ is collaborating with a group of photojournalists, who will take over our Instagram account to share their work, often from the very assignments that forced them to flee.
Tackling online abuse in newsrooms: towards a common framework
IPI: IPI research identifies four areas of work: Registration, community management, attacks on social media and psychosocial support.
Tool for journalists: Wire, for safely sending and receiving sensitive material
Journalism.co.uk: This free app for Android and iOS devices will help journalists protect their sources
Top Ten #DDJ: This Week’s Top Data Journalism
GIJN: What’s the global #ddj community tweeting about?
Using Data to (Re)build Trust in Media (Opinion)
Medium: Western media in general, and data journalism in particular, is in the midst of an identity crisis…or at least it should be. Obsessive coverage of the latest polls, live election maps, public opinion surveys during the US elections and Brexit vote accomplished little more than holding a mirror up to citizens.
Nieman Reports: If news organizations want to attract and retain millennial journalists, newsrooms must better meet the needs of parents with young children—and create better work-life balance for everyone.
Who trusts — and pays for — the news? Here’s what 8,728 people told us
RJI: As part of the Trusting News project, 28 partner newsrooms asked their audiences to tell them about their views on the credibility of news.
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