Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
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What we're listening to...
Brexit’s “done” – so what will the media talk about now?!
BBC Sounds | The Media Show: Brexit will be done on Friday, says Boris Johnson – and large parts of the media will need to find something else to talk about. Amol Rajan asks whether the polarised tone of much Brexit journalism has permanently changed the public’s appetite for news.
Guests: Bénédicte Paviot, UK correspondent for France 24, James O’Brien, LBC presenter, Matina Stevis-Gridneff, Brussels correspondent for The New York Times, and Mick Booker, editor of The Sunday Express
What we're watching...
SABC refutes claims that it misled public on President’s alleged sabotage
SABC News: The SABC has refuted newspaper allegations that sheer incompetence and not sabotage was the real reason behind the broadcast of an incorrect version of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech on gender-based violence and xenophobia in September 2019.
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ANGOLA: Government To Extend TV And Radio Services
Via Broadcast Media Africa: Angola’s Minister of Social Communication, Nuno Albino, has revealed that the Angolan government plans to extend public radio and TV services in the South-East of the country. He added that he is still in the process of assessing the situation, but so far, all was going according to plan.
BOTSWANA: Botswana’s media is in crisis (Opinion)
Mail & Guardian: We live in a divided political environment and amid radical economic disparities. But there is one thing on which virtually everyone in Botswana agrees: most of the news and information we are fed is biased.
BURUNDI: Burundi court sentences Iwacu journalists to 2.5 years in prison
CPJ: A court in Burundi convicted four Iwacu journalists of attempting to undermine state security, fined them each $530, and sentenced them to two years and six months in prison.
CAMEROON: Cameroon Rebels Attack Reporters, Torch Media Offices
VOA: Journalists in Cameroon’s troubled English-speaking regions say separatists are attacking them because of critical reporting and refusal to broadcast rebel propaganda. Media organizations say separatist intimidation is intensifying as Cameroon prepares for local and parliamentary elections, which the rebels have vowed to stop.
EGYPT: Egypt poised to add news media to list of “terrorist entities”
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns a proposed legislative amendment expanding Egypt’s official list of “terrorist entities” to include news media that aim to cause “harm.” It explicitly targets journalists and would aggravate the already fragile press freedom situation in Egypt, RSF said.
GAMBIA: Gambian President Barrow rolls back press freedom
Deutsche Welle: Attacks on reporters and the shutting down of two radio stations in Gambia have reminded journalists of the dark days of Yahya Jammeh. Is President Adama Barrow reneging on his pledge to uphold press freedom?
GHANA: Are Ghanaians ready to take advantage of the new right to information law?
Deutsche Welle: After more than 20 years of considerable legislative maneuvering and exhaustive political scrutiny, Ghana’s right to information (RTI) law has come into effect. But some citizens say it doesn’t go far enough.
GHANA: GBC Reforms Committee Created
Modern Ghana: The National Media Commission (NMC), in collaboration with the government and other stakeholders, has formed a committee to see to the reforms of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
MOZAMBIQUE: Sabotage Against Independent Television Station
Via All Africa: Unknown assailants broke into the Maputo promises of the independent media group “Media Mais” before dawn on Saturday morning and stole vital items of equipment.
NIGERIA: Nigeria Must End Excessive Use of Force against Protesters, Investigate Death of Journalist
MFWA: Nigerian authorities must investigate the death of Alex Ogbu, who was killed during a police crackdown on Shiite Muslim protesters in Abuja on January 28, 2019.
Article 19: Article 19 is concerned by a policy proposal to transform the Over-the-Top (or OTT) tax, which is paid via mobile money services, into an internet data tax in Uganda.
GENERAL: The weaponisation of information disorder
IFEX: IFEX’s Regional Editor for Sub-Saharan Africa shares reflections from civil society on regional attempts to curb freedom of expression by using the rising stream of polluted information as the weapon of authorisation.
AFGHANISTAN: RSF backs Afghan media call for access to state-held information
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) supports a protest by 30 Afghan media outlets about the government’s failure to apply the law on access to state-held information, which was drafted with RSF’s help. The Afghan authorities must fully implement this law, RSF said.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan Joins Media Freedom Coalition
MEANFN: Afghanistan has joined the 35-country Media Freedom Coalition, working together to advocate for media freedom and the safety of journalists. Vice-President Sarwar Danish signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom on behalf of the Afghan government on Tuesday, a joint statement from UK and Canadian embassies said.
CAMBODIA: Censored Cambodian journalists join forces in new network
IPI: IPI speaks to network’s executive director about challenges for country’s independent journalists.
CAMBODIA: Amnesty International Highlights Ongoing Oppression Of Gov’t Critics
VOA: More than two years after the main opposition party was dissolved and independent media were shuttered, rights group Amnesty International said civil and political rights, and press freedom in Cambodia remain severely constrained.
INDIA: India citizenship law: Media accused of pro-government coverage (Watch)
Al Jazeera: Media coverage of protests against citizenship law generally promotes government views, say press freedom advocates.
INDIA: NewsCheck: In The Fight Against Misinformation, Empowering Citizens In India Through News Literacy
Internews: Strengthening our resolve to support the fight against misinformation in India, Internews is delighted to announce that in partnership with DataLEADS and with the support of Google.org, we will be launching a new news literacy project in India aimed at empowering the general public by helping them learn how to critically assess the information they see online and navigate news.
INDONESIA & US: American Environmental Journalist Deported From Indonesia After Prolonged Detention
TIME: An American environmental journalist was deported from Indonesia Friday, after being detained for more than six weeks on suspicions he violated the conditions of his visa.
JAPAN: Japan TV networks to begin online streaming to entice younger viewers
The Mainichi: Five major Tokyo-based private television networks are planning to provide simultaneous online streaming as early as this fall to counter declining television viewing among younger audiences, network sources said Saturday.
MALAYSIA: Coronavirus: 18 fake news repelled, clarification via Sebenarnya.my
Malaysiakini: Until yesterday, 18 fake news on the 2019 novel coronavirus infection have been repelled and clarified via portal Sebenarnya.my, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
MALAYSIA: Malaysian Media Council’s draft bill outlines six principals
New Straits Times: The Malaysian Media Council pro-tem committee, which convened for the first time on Thursday (Jan 30), has discussed the contents of its draft bill.
MYANMAR: Government’s approach to ‘hate speech’ fundamentally flawed
Article 19: The Myanmar government should avoid criminalising expression as a primary means of combatting hate speech, ARTICLE 19 said in a policy briefing published today. Previous drafts of a proposed anti-hate speech law contain vague and overly broad language that would infringe on the right to freedom of expression.
NEPAL: Amnesty concerned over shrinking freedoms in Nepal
My Republica: Freedoms came under attack in Nepal in 2019 as the government proposed laws to restrict the right to freedom of expression and subject civil society organizations to greater restrictions, said Amnesty International (AI) in its annual report on events in the Asia-Pacific region.
PAKISTAN: Citizens Groups, Journalists’ Body & Others Reject PEMRA’s Draconian Proposed Draft Regulations On Web TV & Other Allied Attempts (Statement)
Digital Rights Foundation: Citizens groups reject PEMRA’s draconian proposed draft regulations on Web TV and other allied attempts to undermine digital rights and freedom of expression
PAKISTAN: Media in Pakistan failing to pay salaries with deadly ramifications
IFJ: Journalists in Pakistan are facing a widespread crisis of unpaid salaries, causing financial instability, trauma and stress-related deaths in the industry.
PHILIPPINES: Rappler CEO Maria Ressa: 2020 is the year we must fight the battle for truth
Rappler: The year 2020 will be a tipping point year for media companies. This is the year in which journalists must fight the battle for truth, according to Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, a digital news organization based in Manila, Philippines.
SOUTH KOREA: Coronavirus concerns loom over K-pop
The Korea Herald: A series of K-pop events are being canceled amid concerns over the deadly coronavirus outbreak, as organizers opt out to be on the safe side.
SRI LANKA: Impunity still reigns as journalists mark ‘Black January’
IFJ: Journalists called on Sri Lanka’s government to take meaningful action to investigate journalist killings and disappearances on the annual ‘Black January’ commemoration on January 28. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Sri Lankan affiliate, the Free Media Movement urge the government in Sri Lanka to end a dark history of impunity for crimes against journalists in the country.
THAILAND: Two held for sharing fake news on virus
Bangkok Post: Two people were arrested on Thursday in a crackdown on misleading information being posted on social media in relation to the new coronavirus, Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said.
REGIONAL: Amnesty Int’l: Asia seeing growing repression, resistance
The Mainichi: Authoritarian governments in Asia are undermining human rights and demonizing their critics, but they face a rising tide of protest from young people who defy grave risks to protest such repression, Amnesty International said in its annual report on the region.
AUSTRALIA: Australian federal police obtained six warrants to hunt down journalists’ sources in 2018-19
The Guardian Australia: Australian federal police accessed the metadata of journalists 20 times and obtained six journalist information warrants to identify those journalists’ sources in the last financial year.
AUSTRALIA: Hike in secret access to journalists’ data
MEAA: MEAA is concerned at the increase in the use of secret Journalist Information Warrants to access journalists’ telecommunications data for the purpose of identifying journalists’ confidential sources.
AUSTRALIA: Media ‘impartiality’ on climate change ethically misguided and dangerous
Asia Pacific Report: From the standpoint of conventional media ethics, it was a dramatic, even shocking, decision. It seemed to violate journalism’s principle of impartiality – that all sides of a story should be told so audiences could make up their own minds. But in the era of climate change, this conventional approach is out of date. A more analytical approach is called for.
AUSTRALIA: News Corp’s fire fight (Watch)
ABC Media Watch: We examine how News Corp’s loudest voices denied or downplayed the role of climate change.
FIJI: Communication and accurate information crucial during disasters
FBC News: In times of natural disasters, communication and accurate information are critical in dispatching assistance, rescue and relief work. This was highlighted by National Disaster Management Office Director Vasiti Soko during the signing of grant assistance for high-frequency radios.
NEW ZEALAND: New details revealed as Cabinet agrees on RNZ, TVNZ public broadcasting decision
RNZ: Cabinet is forging ahead with the plan to create a new, super-sized public broadcaster, but ministers have taken some convincing.
NEW ZEALAND: New public media plan still a work in progress behind closed doors (Listen)
RNZ: Cabinet has approved the idea of a new public service outfit to replace state-owned RNZ and TVNZ by 2023 – but they want more details from the broadcasting minister. So does the public and the rest of the media.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG Media Council calls on state agencies to collaborate over virus
Asia Pacific Report: The Media Council of PNG has called on all state agencies involved in policing and securing the country’s borders and people against a potential novel coronavirus outbreak to collaborate more closely. It has also called on them to ensure that all measures are “clearly articulated” to the mainstream media so that the people would be kept informed and reassured about their safety.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Data Journalism training for local journalists underway
SIBC: Data journalism training for local journalists is currently underway in Honiara this week. The training was organised by the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI).
ALBANIA: Albania Socialists Step Back From Media Laws Showdown
Balkan Insight: Bowing to local and international criticism, ruling party MPs have shelved plans to vote down presidential decrees impeding the enforcement of media laws that many say infringe freedom of expression.
ALBANIA: CoE: 2019 Was Worst Year for Albanian Media Freedom
Exit News: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called on all Member States to “create an enabling and favourable media environment and to review their legislation to this end, seeking to prevent any misuse of different laws or provisions why may impact on media freedom.”
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Obedient staff for obedient public media
Safe Journalists: Public media should be in the service of public interest, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has been under big question mark. An influence of the politics in some public media is that obvious that it could not be hidden anymore. In such atmosphere, the journalists prone to self-censorship are not able to have space for any kind of criticism, and the line of influence starts with employing „suitable“ management in public media.
CROATIA: Gender equality is lagging behind in the croatian audiovisual sector
EFJ: There is no gender equality in the Croatian audiovisual sector. This was the conclusion of a European event hosted by EFJ affiliates the Union of Croatian Journalists’ Union and the Association of Croatian Journalists in Zagreb on 30 January.
FINLAND: How Finland starts its fight against fake news in primary schools
The Guardian: Country on frontline of information war teaches everyone from school pupils to politicians how to spot slippery information
FRANCE: At Radio France, the strike against the savings plan is suspended (French)
Le Monde: After a historic strike of sixty-three days, the radio stations of Radio France have resumed normal life. At a general meeting, the CGT, which had filed an unlimited strike notice on November 25, 2019, voted to suspend the social movement from February 3, at midnight, and until March.
GERMANY: Haseloff calls WDR director Buhrow to waive his salary (German)
Der Tagesspiegel: Saxony-Anhalt’s Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) has asked WDR Director-General Tom Buhrow to adjust his salary – around 399,000 euros annually – to the salaries of the Federal President (around 214,000 euros).
GREECE: Greek journalist Kostas Vaxevanis handed suspended prison sentence for tweeting meme
CPJ: On January 21, a court in Athens found Vaxevanis, editor of the local newspaper Documento, guilty of criminal insult for tweeting an image mocking former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. The court sentenced him to a suspended sentence of five months’ imprisonment; if he is found to commit a similar offense over the next three years, that sentence will be enforced.
POLAND: Unjustified firing of journalists from Poland’s state broadcaster
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned about the firing of two experienced journalists from Poland’s public broadcaster in mid-January. It follows growing harassment of independent journalists within the state broadcaster in 2019 that culminated in a series of dismissals during an internal restructuring at the state-owned radio
SERBIA: Belgrade Sees Saturday Full Of Protests (Watch)
RFE/RL: A range of anti-government protests took place in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, on February 1. A gathering of the Alliance for Serbia opposition coalition — which supports anti-government marches held in Belgrade every Saturday — announced a boycott of the upcoming general elections. Another weekly march — the 61st in a row — then took off to the headquarters of Serbia’s public broadcaster, RTS, accused by the demonstrators of pro-government bias.
SLOVAKIA: Two reporters quit RTVS after Danko-related reports were stopped
The Slovak Spectator: Two reporters have decided to leave the public-service broadcaster RTVS, citing the situation there as explanation.
SPAIN: Candidates to lead RTVE urge the president of Congress to resolve the public tender (Spanish)
Info Libre: The candidates for the competition called for the appointment of the Board of Directors of the RTVE Corporation and its Presidency, considered suitable, have given their majority support to a document that has been submitted individually by 15 of them on Monday – from a total of 19– in the Register of Congress.
SWEDEN: We are renewing and renaming – to remain important to all Swedish Finns! (Swedish – blog)
Sveriges Radio: We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Finnish radio broadcasting at Sveriges Radio. Although the milestone achieved is worth celebrating, the most important thing for us is the future development work. New generations of Swedish Finns with their new needs are emerging, and so does our need to renew our offerings.
SWITZERLAND: SRG to move to HEVC/H.265 on satellite
Broadband TV News: In the course of 2021, Swiss public broadcaster SRG plans to migrate the DTH satellite broadcast of its TV channels on Eutelsat Hotbird (13° East) to HEVC/H.265 in preparation for the introduction of Ultra HD.
UK: Sky takes aim at ITV and Channel 5 over public service remit
The Times: Pay-TV giant Sky has launched an attack on ITV and Channel 5, in an attempt to call into question their role as public service broadcasters.
UK: TV Licence set to rise from £154.50 to £157.50
BBC Media Centre: The Government has confirmed that from 1 April 2020 the cost of the annual television licence fee will increase from £154.50 to £157.50.
COE: The workshop devoted to expanding an access to media for people with sensory disabilities conducted with the Agency for Audio and Audio-visual Media Services under the Action “Freedom of expression and freedom of the media in North Macedonia” (JUFREX2), the part of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey II”, a joint EU/CoE programme implemented by the Council of Europe, took place on 29 January 2020 in Skopje.
REGIONAL: Call on member States to remedy quickly and effectively any threats to media freedom
COE: Threats to media freedom and the safety of journalists have become so numerous, repeated and serious that they are jeopardising not only citizens’ right to be properly informed but also “the stability and smooth functioning of our democratic societies”, the Assembly said today.
REGIONAL: THE VALUE OF PSM (Report)
EBU: Take a look at this latest publication showcasing the value that Public Service Media brings to European citizens.
GENERAL: Broadcasters migrating licences to EU as Brexit takes its toll
Digital TV Europe: International broadcasters are abandoning the UK as the impact of Brexit makes itself felt, according to research by IHS Markit.
GENERAL: EFJ co-organises the second edition of the Free European Media conference in Gdansk (Event)
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is a partner organisation of the 2020 edition of Free European Media conference in the Polish city of Gdansk.
ARGENTINA: Lufrano: “On the Radio and TV, pluralism and diversity are a priority” (Spanish)
Noticias Urbanas: The president of Radio and Television Argentina talked about the role that public media will have in relation to the present Government.
Knight Center for Journalism: Argentine newspapers were late in the trend of the world press to implement paywalls to limit access to content to readers who pay for information. Clarín, a pioneer in the country, launched its digital subscription system just in 2017. Just three years in, the Argentine newspaper reached 260,000 online subscribers. The numbers reached by Clarín in so little time show that in Argentina there was a pent-up demand among readers.
ARGENTINA: Unidentified individuals shoot journalist’s home in Argentina
CPJ: In Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires province, two unidentified individuals fired at least 13 shots with 9mm weapons at the building where journalist Carlos Walker lives. Walker hosts the daily “Hora 13” show on Radio CNN Mar del Plata and writes for the news website El Marplatense.
BOLIVIA: Two politicians and a journalist are the new ministers of Áñez (Spanish)
El Deber: A journalist with extensive experience and two political figures, one of them from the Democratic Unit (UD) and the other from the Civic Solidarity Unit (UCS), are part of the new ministerial cabinet that was inaugurated on Tuesday by President Jeanine Áñez. The journalist Isabel Fernández who is the new Minister of Communication, has worked for 16 years in the industry.
BOLIVIA: Aspiring masses belittle Bolivian journalism (Spanish)
FM BOLIVIA: The presidential candidate for the Movement for Socialism (MAS), Luis Arce Catacora, attacked the Bolivian press, describing that the journalistic work is “superficial” and compared it with the press of Mexico and Argentina that, according to his criteria, has a “neat” work.
BRAZIL: Brazilian projects for media literacy and combating false news find allies outside journalism
Knight Center for Journalism: Brazilian media literacy and anti-disinformation projects decided to leave newsrooms and seek allies outside the journalistic bubble, with courses for digital influencers, teachers and students, employees of the Judiciary and companies in the most varied sectors, from banks to health plans .Redes Cordiais (Friendly Networks) emerged in mid-2018, a media literacy project aimed at digital influencers.
BRAZIL: OAS to hold hearing on violations of freedom of expression in Brazil (Portuguese)
FENAJ: After a request by Brazilian civil society entities – including the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), linked to the Organization of American States (OAS), announced that it will hold a hearing in March thematic to discuss the escalation of violations of freedom of expression in Brazil.
CUBA: Cuban Reporter Charged with Illegal Possession of Journalistic Equipment
Havana Times: On January 8, agents from the National Revolutionary Police and Cuban Intelligence Directorate raided the Havana home of Hernández, a contributor to the independent Cuban news website CiberCuba, and confiscated documents and equipment, including her computer and cell phone. Following the raid, agents gave Hernández a citation saying she had been charged with receiving stolen property, and ordered her to appear before police on January 13.
CHILE: Organizations win: CNTV will have to give them space on the strip (Spanish)
Publimetro: The Electoral Qualifying Court (Tricel) determined that the National Television Council (CNTV) must give space to civil society in the constitutional strip of the Constitutional Plebiscite of April this year.
COLOMBIA: Threats to Colombian peacekeeping journalist rejected (Spanish)
Prensa Latina: The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) today rejected threats against María Eugenia Durango, a journalist at a radio station in the Ituango municipality, the second pedagogy station for peace in Colombia.
GUYANA: Broadcast authority denies Jagdeo claim that Freedom Radio being targeted
Stabroek News: During his weekly press conference, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo accused the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) of attacking Freedom Radio and other radio stations perceived to be sympathetic towards the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) but this has been denied by the GNBA.
PERU: Federation of Journalists of Peru rejects the house search of a journalist from Expreso (Spanish)
Expreso: The Federation of Journalists of Peru expressed Thursday its total rejection of the strange irruption at the home of the head of Express Policy, María Teresa García. Through a statement on its Facebook account, the institution believes that this search constitutes an ” act of threat and hostility against freedom of the press and freedom of expression.”
VENEZUELA: Maduro invites senators and Colombian press to interview Aida Merlano (Spanish)
Diario Libertad: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro invited the Prosecutor’s Office, parliamentarians and the Colombian press on Friday to meet with former Colombian congresswoman Aída Merlano, who was detained this week in the oil country after fleeing Colombia since last October.
GENERAL: 2020 Outlook For Latin American Pay TV, Broadband And Mobile Market
S&P Global: This year will be challenging for the pay TV industry in Latin America and the Caribbean as it battles the impact of slowing economic growth and changing customer preferences. Nevertheless, Kagan projects growth in the fixed-broadband segment to remain strong and our projections indicate fiber to the premises, or FTTP, will have the most net additions in 2020. Regarding M&A activity, Telefónica Hispam and Fox Sports are key assets to watch in the year.
REGIONAL: Journalists from 6 Caribbean countries including Dominica benefit from media training
Dominica News Online: Journalists from six Eastern Caribbean countries including Dominica are now better able to use their profession to make positive changes to communities using Information Technology. The other countries were Barbados, St. Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Guyana. These islands were selected to participate in a two-day workshop dubbed “Change Your Story Digital Media Training.”
IRAN: Iranians’ Angry Response to Plane Crash Cover-Up Widens Split in State Media
VOA: After Iran admitted to falsely denying responsibility for downing a Ukrainian passenger jet this month, its domestic news coverage of the public backlash revealed a deepened divide within state media ranks.
IRAQ: Three journalists killed in January, murder attempt on fourth
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is extremely concerned about the increase in attacks on journalists in Iraq, where three have been killed in the first month of the year and a fourth narrowly escaped a shooting attack yesterday. The Iraqi authorities must provide journalists with more protection, RSF said.
IRAQ & JORDAN: Dijlah TV broadcaster suspended for 1 month in Jordan, offices raided in Iraq
CPJ: Jordanian authorities should immediately lift the suspension of Dijlah TV and allow the station to broadcast freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
ISRAEL: Israeli security forces arrest 1 Palestinian journalist, and injure another covering protests
CPJ: Israeli authorities should reveal the reason for journalist Mohammad Malhem’s arrest or release him immediately, and should investigate the injuries sustained by journalist Abdul Mohsen Shalaldeh and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
TURKEY: Pro government daily targets Journalists’ Union over press freedom campaign
EFJ: A pro-government newspaper based in Istanbul has blasted the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), gearing up the official narrative that labels jailed journalists as “terrorists.”
CANADA: Radio-Canada launches internship program for diverse talent
CBC/Radio-Canada: Radio-Canada announced that in the coming months the Corporation will provide funding to allow diverse professionals to intern in key creative positions with a number of independent producers. Unveiled during the Radio-Canada-sponsored event Synergies+, this groundbreaking program is one of the many initiatives taken by the public broadcaster to move toward its goal of ensuring that by 2025, at least one of the key creatives in all its productions will be filled by a person from a diverse background.
CANADA: Statement regarding broadcasting and telecommunications legislative review
CBC/Radio-Canada: A panel appointed by the federal government to review the Broadcasting Act, the Telecommunications Act and the Radiocommunication Act has tabled their final report. One year ago, CBC/Radio-Canada shared its proposals for strengthening Canadian culture and democracy and met with the panel to discuss ideas. The public broadcaster feels it is an exciting time for Canadian culture and that the panel’s report is an important contribution to the discussion about how to strengthen Canadian culture in the digital world.
CANADA: ‘We need action’: Industry responds to broadcasting panel report in Ottawa
CBC/Radio-Canada: A day after its release, an expert panel’s report on the future of broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada took the spotlight at Ottawa’s Prime Time conference. The report’s authors spent 18 months poring over 2,000 submissions; now the Liberal government has promised to deliver a bill within a year.
CANADA: Why Canada still needs the CBC (Opinion)
The Globe and Mail: This is an important year for Canadian culture and for the national public broadcaster. This week, a panel appointed by the federal government will make its recommendations on the legislation that governs broadcasting, and the mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada. In parallel, the CRTC, our regulator, has launched a public process to renew our TV and radio licences.
US: NPR Protests State Department Decision To Bar Reporter From Pompeo Trip To Ukraine
NPR: The State Department has denied NPR’s diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen permission to fly with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a trip to Ukraine. NPR is protesting that decision in a letter.
US: PBS Announces Comprehensive Slate of Special Election Programming with ‘The Vote 2020’
PBS: On the eve of the Iowa Caucus, PBS announced a comprehensive schedule of news, public affairs, documentary and corresponding digital programming related to the 2020 presidential race.
US: PBS ends employee loans flagged by CPB as Communications Act violations
Current: PBS has stopped allowing employees to take out interest-free loans for tuition and personal computers, a practice that CPB found violated the Communications Act. Until last year, PBS had been allowing employees to take out loans of up to $1,000 for tuition and up to $2,000 to buy personal computers.
US: Pompeo Interview Dispute With NPR Sends Conflicting Message on Press Freedom
VOA: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s contentious interview with an American news broadcaster, and apparent retaliation after, is “not what a democracy should be doing,” a member of a press freedom advocacy organization said Wednesday.
US: Stations see bump in donations after NPR Pompeo interview
Current: The response on social media was swift and strong following the tense interview Friday between All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. High-profile journalists, including CNN’s Jake Tapper, former 1A and now MSNBC host Joshua Johnson and Peter Sagal of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! took to Twitter to encourage financial support of NPR member stations.
REGIONAL: CPJ launches safety kit for journalists covering 2020 US elections
CPJ: As news coverage increases of the U.S. 2020 presidential election campaign, the Committee to Protect Journalists today released safety resources for the media. The safety kit includes information for editors, reporters, and photojournalists on how to prepare for assignments and how to mitigate and prepare for digital, physical, and psychological risk.
A new app to support female journalists facing harassment is looking for beta testers
Nieman Lab: Many journalists are put in some degree of danger because of their work — from the most extreme examples (the Capital Gazette shooting, the bomb that was mailed to CNN, the 25 journalists killed for their work around the world in 2019) to more limited cases.
Journalists under threat: February’s 10 most urgent cases
Deutsche Welle: Every month, the One Free Press Coalition draws attention to unresolved cases of crimes against journalists. In February, the list includes the cases of Arash Shoa-Shargh, Aleksandr Valov and Samuel Wazizi.
Panic and fear might be limiting human reasoning and fueling hoaxes about coronavirus
Poynter institute: It’s been 10 days since the fact-checking community launched a collaborative project to fight the spread of misinformation regarding the new coronavirus. As of Saturday, the group of 78 fact-checkers based in more than 30 countries has published 180 fact-checks, many of which carried extremely wild hoaxes and/or totally unbelievable information.
Partnerships can tackle challenges in communications regulation
UNESCO: Communications regulators from around the world came together in Rabat, Morocco, this week to debate their challenges. The issues were summed up in the title of the conference: “Regulation of media in a digital, mobile and social environment: adapting, reforming, rebuilding”.
Updates on the changing global media landscape
Nordicom: Three reports presenting world trends and current findings within media development and freedom of expression were released by UNESCO in late 2019.
YouTube: No ‘deepfakes’ or ‘birther’ videos in 2020 election
AP: Better late than never, YouTube is making clear there will be no “birtherism” on its platform during this year’s U.S. presidential election. Nevermind that the conspiracy theory around former President Barack Obama’s citizenship emerged in 2008 and has not been a widespread issue since he last ran for president in 2012.
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