Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, the need for community solidarity and mutual support has never been greater. But this support requires quality, fact-checked and evidence based news and information.
With this in mind, the Public Media Alliance has compiled an extensive and growing list of resources featuring recommended tools, advice and sources for journalists and the public alike. The resources can be found via the link below or in the Tools section of our website.
If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
PSM Innovations
ABCQueer: Australia’s public broadcaster representing marginalised groups
“ABCQueer is an opportunity to help increase the visibility of all sorts of queer folks so that young people, no matter who they are, never feel alone.”
ABC Australia has a mission to represent diverse voices across Australia and connect with new audiences in innovative ways. ABCQueer is ABC’s dedicated, experimental channel for young LGBTQIA+ Australians, which helps ensure the Australian public broadcaster is including and representing these groups.
ABCQueer first came to light with a pilot Instagram account for underrepresented LGBTQIA+ Australians in February 2020. Its content included LGBTQIA+ related trivia, news, stories, and advice, as well as explainer videos such as what it means to be asexual, non-binary or queer. In just over two years, the account amassed 23,000 followers.
The ABCQueer has since developed its offering with the launch of the podcast, ‘Innies + Outies’, featuring uniquely Australian stories about coming out or staying in. It was launched on National Coming Out Day in October 2021. According to Mon Schafter, ABC Queer’s Content Lead (they/them) and Jack Gow, the Social Media Producer (he/him), ‘Innies + Outies’ reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners via podcast platforms such as ABC listen, as well as through ABC Radio and Radio National where the podcast is broadcast.
On 3 February, to coincide with its Mardi Gras broadcasts, ABCQueer also launched a monthly newsletter to better connect audiences with LGBTQIA+ content across a variety of platforms.
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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.
Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
A People’s Channel 4
Media Reform Coalition: In this video, The BBC and Beyond Campaign explain what is meant by a ‘People’s Channel’, as well as outlines how and why privatisation of Channel 4 directly impacts the democratic media rights of the UK public.
What we're listening to...
Ukraine’s lessons for the media
BBC – The Media Show: As peace talks between Ukraine and Russia get underway, the war on the ground continues. How is the war being reported differently by Ukrainian and international media? And is there a danger that the public is losing interest in the war?
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Global Headlines
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BURUNDI: Burundi Lifts Ban on BBC After Almost 3 Years
VOA News: Burundi’s media authority announced Wednesday that it would lift a nationwide ban on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), nearly three years after the broadcaster was forced to stop operating in the East African country.
CAMEROON: “Cameroonian media are colonized media that do not know how to sell Made in Cameroon” – Alex Nguepi (French)
Actu Cameroun: According to the framework of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), there must be a real production of Cameroonian entrepreneurship.
CAPE VERDE: Journalists united in pushback against investigations | Freedom of the Press
Al Jazeera: In Cape Verde, which ranks higher than the United States, France, Spain and the United Kingdom in press freedom, three journalists are facing an unprecedented investigation.
ETHIOPIA: Detention of Journalists in Ethiopia Serves as Example of Deteriorating Media Freedom
VOA News: Following a four-month ordeal, an Ethiopian journalist is back home with his family, although he still may face years in prison if convicted of violating the country’s wartime state of emergency law and anti-terrorism law.
GHANA: Ghanaian soldiers assault journalist Michael Aidoo, delete photos and video
CPJ: Ghanaian authorities should swiftly investigate an attack on journalist Michael Aidoo and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
KENYA: Raila and Ruto are poaching star journalists as the independent media declines
The Africa Report: With less than six months before one of the tightest presidential elections in Kenya’s history, the two main contenders have recruited journalists for leading roles in their campaign.
MALAWI: Journalists trained to report wildlife stories accurately
Malawi24: As the cases of wildlife crime are on rise, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust has trained journalists in the country to follow and report court case procedures on Wildlife crimes accurately and in a professional manner.
MALI: Post-Coup Mali Plagued by Self-Censorship, Fake News
VOA News: Mali’s military government this month banned popular French radio and TV broadcasts after Radio France Internationale reported on alleged rights abuses by the Malian army and Russian mercenaries. The restrictions come as press freedom advocates cite a worrying trend of pro-Russian propaganda in countries where the mercenaries are working with government forces.
MOROCCO: Morocco’s leap backwards on freedom of speech is a danger to stability (Opinion)
Middle East Eye: King Mohammed VI of Morocco will brook no opposition, as evidenced by the relentless efforts of the governing elite to silence all opposing voices.
NIGERIA: Nigerians should not be prosecuted for insulting public officials —SERAP
Ripples Nigeria: The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the prosecution of Nigerians for insulting public officers.
SENEGAL: How La Maison des Reporters Became Senegal’s First Reader-Funded Independent Media Site
GIJN: La Maison des Reporters (LMDR) was barely two years old when it was admitted as a member of GIJN in December 2021.
SENEGAL: Synpics reacts to the suspension of two private radio and TV channels (French)
RFI: No sound, no picture on Zik FM and Sen TV, in Senegal… The radio and TV channels of the private group D-Media were suspended Thursday evening for 72 hours.
SOUTH AFRICA: Media Monitoring Africa accuses Minister Ntshavheni of interfering in SABC’s operations
SABC: Director of Media Monitoring Africa William Bird has accused Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni of interfering with the SABC’s operations by trying to force the public broadcaster to comply with what she says.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC to benefit from ‘must carry’ amendments
Advanced Television: The South African government has amended its ‘must carry’ regulations for broadcasting. Public broadcaster SABC is hoping to see a boost to its stretched finances from carriage fees.
SUDAN: Euro-Med Monitor’s report documents targeting of journalists by de facto Sudanese authorities
Euro Med Monitor: De facto authorities in Sudan appear to be deliberately targeting journalists and media outlets operating in the country following the military coup on 25 October, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said Wednesday in a statement.
TUNISIA: Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists: The strike succeeded, and our first demand is to lift the hand of power from the public media (Arabic)
Al Jazeera: The head of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, Mohamed Yassin Jelassi, said that the strike of journalists working in the public media was successful, as the participation rate reached 95%, despite the “restrictions” imposed on male and female journalists for not participating.
TUNISIA: Tunisian journalists launch strike against Saied’s attempts to control media
The New Arab: The strike broadens dissent at president Saied’s increasingly autocratic manoeuvres from across the political spectrum of Tunisian society.
ZIMBABWE: State of the Media 2021 report now available!
MISA: The 2021 state of the media report looks at the media landscape and operating environment with regards to freedom of expression, access to information, digital rights, media sustainability and media freedom in Zimbabwe.
REGIONAL: Algorithms, bots and elections in Africa: how social media influences political choices
The Conversation: The rise in the use of smartphones and an increased adoption of mobile internet in Africa are fundamentally altering the media ecology for election campaigns.
REGIONAL: Fact-checking is at the heart of good governance and democracy-building
Poynter: It is Dec. 4, 2020, three days to the eighth general elections in Ghana which, among other candidates, is to be contested by a sitting president and a former president — candidates of the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.
REGIONAL: How ignoring all the rules allowed BBC Africa Eye to ‘change the face of journalism’ in Africa
Press Gazette: The first thing you need to know about Anas Aremeyaw Anas is that he never shows his face.
REGIONAL: Increased social media use puts African leaders on edge
Deutsche Welle: Social media is enabling Africans actively engage in participatory governance cycle in the global public square, but their leaders kick back forcefully.
AFGHANISTAN: Media crackdown intensifies as international broadcasters taken off air
IFJ: At least four news broadcasters have been taken off air, eight media workers arrested, and two media houses shuttered by the Taliban since March 26, amid a wide-reaching ban on foreign media.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban ‘Not Living Up to Commitments’ on Media, Equality
VOA News: A move by the Taliban to prevent local media airing broadcasts from international outlets, including the Voice of America, has resulted in international condemnation.
BANGLADESH: Authorities must heed social media regulation concern
New Age: THIS is gravely concerning that the authorities have not yet changed their position and have not even expressed any inclination to revise, clarify and modify the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms 2021, a set of regulations that the commission made public on February 3 and plans to put into a final form by May.
BANGLADESH: How a clandestine radio station turned into a source of ineffable inspiration (26 March)
The Business Standard: Cultural activism has played a pivotal role in different significant movements that have shaped the history of our country and led to the formation of independent Bangladesh after nine months of toil and glory.
CAMBODIA: Information minister tells state spokespeople to work with independent media
Radio Free Asia: Cambodia’s information minister has told government press officers not to discriminate against members of the media, saying that they need to give comments on a timely basis, though independent reporters contend that the spokespeople refuse to respond when asked tough questions.
CHINA: What Chinese media is saying about Russia’s Ukraine war
Vox: State propaganda and online discourse offer a glimpse into how Beijing sees Russia’s Ukraine war.
HKFP: The mainland Chinese government played an “unprecedented role” in directing election outcomes in Hong Kong last year, according to an annual US State Department report on Hong Kong released on Thursday.
INDIA: All India Radio launches weekly interactive programme for competitive exams
India Today: All India Radio (AIR) launched a weekly interactive programme for competitive exam preparation that will be held each Saturday.
INDIA: How India muzzles Kashmir’s journalists
FairPlanet: Journalists in Indian-administered Kashmir are facing a harsh crackdown by state agencies that exploit India’s stringent anti-terrorism laws to quell dissent.
INDIA: Journalist Rana Ayyub Can Travel Abroad, Delhi High Court Cancels Ban
NDTV: Rana Ayyub had been stopped from flying to London last week over a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan: Spate of Criminal Cases Against Journalists
Human Rights Watch: Kyrgyzstan authorities have stepped up the harassment of journalists and independent media with a slew of criminal investigations into their work in recent months, Human Rights Watch said today.
MONGOLIA: Since 2015, Media Council of Mongolia has handled 500 ethics complaints
Development + Cooperation: When it is strategically designed, media development can have a positive impact on a country’s political and legal environment. An example is Mongolia, where DW Akademie’s engagement has been very successful.
NEPAL: ‘Authorities in Nepal using Electronic Transaction Act to stifle freedom of expression’
My Republica: A report released by Amnesty International on Tuesday alleged that authorities in Nepal continue to use the Electronic Transactions Act 2006 to arbitrarily detain individuals, including journalists.
PHILIPPINES: Hold the Line Coalition condemns 16 new legal complaints against Maria Ressa and Rappler
CPJ: Ahead of national elections in the Philippines on May 9, the State has stepped up its attacks on Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and the news outlet she leads, Rappler.
PHILIPPINES: My friend’s murder shows Filipino impunity for killing journalists
OpenDemocracy: Gerry Ortega called out corruption on his radio show – but the man suspected of ordering his murder is free and standing for provincial governor.
SRI LANKA: Press freedom in danger? several journalists attacked at night of Mirihana protest
News First: Journalist’s associations point out that several journalists who went to report on the protests on 31st March were attacked.
SRI LANKA: Social media platforms in Sri Lanka briefly restricted amidst curfew and protests
Global Voices: On the evening of Sunday, April 3, 2022, global Internet monitor NetBlocks reported that access to major social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, Viber etc.) in Sri Lanka were being restored.
Reuters Institute: Sherry Hsueh-Li Lee is the editor-in-chief of The Reporter,Taiwan’s first non-profit media organisation. The Reporter focuses on in-depth reportage and investigative journalism and publishes its output on an open-source website.
VIETNAM: Journalist sentenced to prison for anti-state propaganda
IPI: The IPI global network is alarmed by the continuing deterioration of press freedom in Vietnam after journalist Le Van Dung was handed a five-year prison sentence for spreading anti-state propaganda.
AUSTRALIA: ABC partners with parkrun to promote healthy communities (Press release)
ABC: The ABC is proud to announce a new partnership with parkrun to promote the benefits of an active lifestyle and community participation.
AUSTRALIA: Australian writing and publishing faces ‘grinding austerity’ as funding continues to decline
The Conversation: It was a grim federal budget for arts and culture on Tuesday night. With the end of the Morrison government’s pandemic stimulus program for culture, the RISE fund, there will be a rapid withdrawal of federal support for cultural production.
AUSTRALIA: Even after 30 years of broadcasting, Jon Faine still has some secrets to tell
The Guardian: The much loved (and much hated) former ABC presenter recounts his raucous youth and explains why Scott Morrison’s government is doomed.
AUSTRALIA: Justin Stevens appointed Director, ABC News, Analysis and Investigations (Press release)
ABC: The ABC is pleased to announce Justin Stevens has been appointed Director, ABC News, Analysis and Investigations.
AUSTRALIA & PACIFIC: Good news for Pacific regional broadcasting – bad news for locals
Asia Pacific Report: Good news — an Australian parliamentary review recommends a more “expansive” media presence in the Pacific. Bad news — little of that expansion envisions a role for island media.
NEW ZEALAND: John Campbell takes up TVNZ Chief Correspondent role, Kamahl Santamaria joins Breakfast (Press release)
TVNZ: John Campbell has announced live on Breakfast that he is moving from TVNZ’s flagship morning news show to take up the new role of TVNZ Chief Correspondent.
NEW ZEALAND: Where are all the Māori journalists? Their work can feel like a burden or a privilege (Opinion)
Stuff: I recently saw a quote that was attributed to a Māori artist by the name of Linda Munn: “When you’re born indigenous, you’re born in service for your people.”
REGIONAL: Tagata Pasifika celebrates 35 years on air – a pan-Pacific voice on TV
Asia-Pacific Report: Tagata Pasifika is celebrating 35 years on air this year. Former hosts Foufou Susana Hukui, Reverend Elder Maligi Evile and former researcher/reporter Iulia Leilua take a look back at the early days.
BELGIUM: Fleming asks the VRT to focus more on fact checking (Dutch)
VRT: About 80% think that disinformation is a social problem and the Flemish are looking, among other things, to the VRT to step up the fight against ‘fake news’.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Bosnia and Herzegovina: BHRT public service media workers protest against organisation’s “systematic destruction”.
IFJ: Workers of public service broadcaster BHRT in Bosnia and Herzegovina, staged a protest on 28 March against the organisation’s “systematic destruction” after it was revealed they cannot pay the salaries of over 870 workers due to a debt with the country’s tax administration.
DENMARK: TV award to DR: “Danish children’s content is something special” (Swedish)
Nordvision: 15 out of 25 Danish TV awards went to DR at this year’s gala.
FRANCE: French senators push to strengthen media independence
Euractiv: The French Senate has put forward proposals to strengthen the independence of the French media, which are held by a limited number of large groups and governed by rules that have become “obsolete” with digital technology and the strong competition from American platforms.
GERMANY: ARD participates in the job portal network for jobs in the culture, film and media industries (Press release – German)
ARD: ARD is participating in a new network portal with job offers that may be of interest to people from the culture, film and media sectors who have fled Ukraine.
GERMANY: German press watchdog investigates reporting on Ukraine war
Deutsche Welle: Complaints about war reporting are piling up at Germany’s Press Council. Clickbaiting, sensationalizing and failing to verify information can trigger reprimands.
GERMANY: German states work on reforming media concentration law away from TV-centric approach (Paywall)
Telecompaper: German federal states are working on new concepts to reform the media concentration law this year. They are currently discussing a model that would depart from a TV-centric approach, according to a report by the Commission on Concentration in the Media (KEK).
GREECE: Media freedom report shakes Greece’s conservative government
Euractiv: Six international organisations for the freedom of the press have published a report accusing Greece’s ruling New Democracy party (EPP) of trying to control media.
HUNGARY: Hungary Enters a New Era of Autocracy
Carnegie Europe: After Viktor Orbán’s landslide victory, the illiberal Hungary experiment will continue. Brussels must respond decisively to the erosion of democracy and media freedom.
HUNGARY: The Hungarian internet TV fighting ‘propaganda’
France24: Their studio is makeshift and their funds are largely crowd-sourced, yet Hungary’s top YouTube politics channel is one of the few voices left in the country critical of the government.
IRELAND: Delay in publishing Future of Media Commission report branded ‘bloody disgrace’ (23 March)
The Irish Times: The Government’s delay in publishing the report of the Future of Media Commission is “a bloody disgrace”, the Oireachtas media committee heard on Wednesday.
IRELAND: Events marking 50th anniversary of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (Press release)
RTÉ: Celebrations are taking place to mark the 50th anniversary of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
ITALY: MFRR to hold press freedom mission to Italy
IPI: In collaboration with local partners, including the Italian National Federation of Journalists (FNSI), the journalists’ association Articolo 21 and the Chamber of Journalists, the MFRR delegation will address these issues from different perspectives and with a variety of stakeholders.
MALTA: ECtHR refers to SLAPPs, says public authorities can’t justify defamation claims against media
The Shift News: In a landmark decision related to a civil defamation suit brought by the Russian state against media company OOO Memo, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decreed that the proceedings were not “a legitimate aim” and interfered with the company’s freedom of expression, referring to SLAPP suits in its judgement for the first time in the court’s history.
MONTENEGRO: Montenegrin Deputy PM’s Push to Penalize ‘Fake News’ Condemned
Balkan Insight: Critics say incoming PM’s call for measures against media that publish fake news will amount to censorship and merely add to the growing pressures on the media.
POLAND: Complaint filed against Polish public TV over “EPP – European Putin’s Party” report
Notes From Poland: Three members of the council that oversees Polish public broadcaster TVP have issued a formal complaint against the station over its criticism of the main opposition party and its leader Donald Tusk during news programmes, saying that this violates Poland’s broadcasting law.
ROMANIA: Romanian Television, unprecedented step in supporting the Ukrainian population (Romanian)
TVR: For the first time and exclusively, TVR will broadcast a special program dedicated to refugees, taken from public television and private stations in Ukraine.
RUSSIA: 111 violations of the rights of journalists since the beginning of the “special operation” (Russian)
The Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers: Since February 24, the Trade Union of Journalists has counted 111 cases of violation of the rights of journalists in connection with the coverage of the “military operation” in Ukraine and related events.
RUSSIA: Russia’s disappearing independent media: why they closed
The Conversation: Russia’s bravest and most significant independent media have now been forced to close.
RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Russian soldiers deliberately targeting journalists in Ukraine, press freedom charities warn
Press Gazette: Russian soldiers are deliberately targeting and attacking journalists reporting on the invasion of Ukraine, several press freedom charities have warned.
SLOVENIA: Attacks on MMC journalists on social media: The leadership “strongly condemns” the attacks. (Slovenian)
RTV SLO: The management of RTV Slovenia stated that it “strongly condemns all attempts to silence and influence and exert pressure on the journalists of RTV Slovenia, including journalists who prepare content for the rtvslo.si web portal”.
SLOVENIA: RTVS MPs: Kociprova accuses Gregorčič of political activity, Grah Whatmough rejects accusations (Slovenian)
Večer: At the session of the parliamentary committee for culture, the deputies discussed the political undermining of RTV Slovenia.
SPAIN: The Government grants 76.9 million to RTVE to create a training platform for the audiovisual sector (Spanish)
El País: The RTVE Institute will launch the Haz Project with the aim of training 40,800 people throughout Spain in digital skills.
SPAIN: TVE will launch a 24-hour channel for Latin America with news and culture (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: It will be recorded in Madrid but will include collaborations with local television stations.
SWEDEN: 20-year Roman radio history on Swedish Radio (Blog – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: This year, Radio Romano has been broadcasting radio on Romani chib for two decades. Veli Brijani, editor-in-chief of Radio Romano, writes about the role that the broadcasts play for the Roma population in Sweden and Europe.
SWEDEN: Increased confidence in Swedish Radio (Blog – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: New figures from the University of Gothenburg show that confidence in Swedish Radio is increasing. The largest increase is among moderate and liberal sympathizers. Public service companies have by far the highest level of trust among all media players.
UK: BBC chair suggests public may overstate appetite for impartial news
The Guardian: The chair of the BBC has suggested the public may overstate their appetite for impartial news, in the same way that “99% of people say they wash their hands after going to the loo”.
UK: BBC’s Annual Plan set to deliver greater value for all (Press release)
BBC: The report sets out five strategic priorities which our plans for 2022/23 are based upon
UK: Channel 4 privatisation to go ahead
BBC News: The government has decided to go ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4.
UK: Cronyism fears as businessman Sir Ian Cheshire is named head of Channel 4
The Guardian: Jon Snow and other leading broadcasters express concern over appointment and call for C4’s public service remit to be protected
iNews: Michael Grade told MPs he will set aside his criticisms of ‘woke warriors’ and the BBC licence fee when he becomes the new Chairman of Ofcom.
UK: ‘Kids are interested in everything’: Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lizo Mzimba on Newsround at 50
The Guardian: From the environment to diversity, the children’s news show has been setting the agenda for decades. Two former presenters explain what it taught them – and why it still matters.
UK & RUSSIA: Britain Sanctions Russian Media, Targeting Disinformation
VOA News: Britain announced sanctions on 14 more Russian entities and people on Thursday, including state media organizations behind RT and Sputnik and some senior figures, saying it was targeting those who push out President Vladimir Putin’s “fake news and narratives.”
REGIONAL: EBU and public broadcasters launch Eurovision Documentary Development Scheme (Press release)
EBU: The EBU is working with 27 public service broadcasters on a scheme that will fast track the development of bold, ambitious documentary projects, with the potential to reach new, younger audiences.
REGIONAL: How European news outlets are reaching Ukrainian refugees in their own language
Reuters Institute: News organisations in Poland, Germany and Italy have launched initiatives to provide displaced people with useful information.
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA: Dozens of regional journalists participating in media series on climate change
The Daily Observer: At least 40 journalists across 26 countries participated in the first part of a climate justice media series on Tuesday hosted by the Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC).
ARGENTINA: “Malvinas unites us” will reach all of Argentina through public media (Spanish – Press release)
Radio Nacional: In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the war, a public media broadcast will be held from 4:00 p.m. together with live interviews, archive material, testimonies from ex-combatants and relatives, and coverage in different provinces of the country that will be called “Malvinas unites us”
BRAZIL: Big tech companies unite against payment for news content in Brazil; journalists are divided
LatAm Journalism Review: Brazil is the latest front for technology giants against the trend of demanding payment for journalistic content that circulates on platforms.
BRAZIL: Politicians criticize Eduardo Bolsonaro’s speech against journalist (Portuguese)
Poder360: Opposition politicians echoed the speech of deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP) about journalist Míriam Leitão, from the newspaper O Globo.
BRAZIL: Special Call for Proposals: The Impact of Brazilian Elections on the Amazon (Opportunity)
Rainforest Journalism Fund: The Brazilian election will be the big event in the Amazon in 2022. With 60% of the Amazon in Brazil’s territory, political decisions led by the current Brazilian legislative and executive powers will affect the advance of illegal activities in protected areas and against rainforest peoples.
BRAZIL: The role of Festival 3i in the ‘decolonization’ of Brazilian journalism (Portuguese)
Maré: The event brought fundamental discussions to the profession, such as precariousness, financing, protection of journalists and new modes of journalistic production.
Poynter: For citizens to make informed decisions in a democracy, freedom of the press, freedom of expression and freedom of information are essential. But now that, in the words of Moisés Naim, democracy around the world is threatened by populism, political polarization and misinformation, fact-checking is essential.
COLOMBIA: Hearse chased Cecilia Orozco, director of Noticias Uno (Spanish)
Vanguardia: This Sunday, Noticias Uno denounced in its on-air broadcast that its director, Cecilia Orozco, was chased by a hearse to her residence. The events occurred on the last festive bridge of March 21.
COLOMBIA: RTVC signs agreement with NowNaw social network (Spanish)
Prensario: This alliance opens new digital channels to connect the Public Media System with young audiences through this short video platform, which will allow it to reach more places in the world and monetize its original content.
COSTA RICA: Messy 2022 elections boost Costa Rica’s defences against organised disinformation
LSE: While homegrown and much less sophisticated than strategies seen in Brazil, Mexico or Colombia, disinformation spreads rapidly in Costa Rica.
CUBA: UPEC facing the most radical transformation of the public media system (Spanish)
Cuba Periodistas: That “we are witnessing the most radical structural transformation of the press system of the Revolution, after January 1, 1959” is a reality that, according to the president of the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC), Ricardo Ronquillo Bello , responds to the will of the political leadership of the country to advance towards a process of greater dignity of the press sector.
JAMAICA & UK: A Jamaican view of how UK press covered royal tour of Caribbean
Press Gazette: I work for the Jamaican Government, so in light of my hardline views of slavery, colonialism, the need for reparations and an end to ties with the British monarchy, I felt it wise to stay out of arrangements for the visit of British royalty to Jamaica and work from home, deciding to learn instead about what was happening from media reports.
MEXICO: The dangers of the ‘Ingrid Law’: shocks against freedom of expression and information (Spanish)
El País: Civil organizations warn that the reform that protects the dissemination of images of victims interferes with the proper exercise of journalism and disproportionate penalties.
JORDAN: Six journalists prosecuted in Jordan in past month
RSF: “Jordanian authorities must not tolerate misuse of defamation or cyber-crime laws that could result in police abuses,” said Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
QATAR: 10 Questions Journalists Should Ask FIFA and Qatari Authorities About Rights Abuses
Human Rights Watch: When FIFA convenes its 72nd Congress in Doha, Qatar, on March 31, 2022, in preparation for the World Cup, journalists, football associations, fans, and others should press both FIFA officials and Qatari authorities about human rights in the Gulf state, particularly the rights of migrant workers, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
QATAR & EGYPT: Al Jazeera’s return to Egypt imminent, as Doha and Cairo reforge relationship
Mada Masr: Almost a decade after authorities closed the Al Jazeera network bureau in Cairo, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry sat down on Monday with his Qatari counterpart and security advisers from both sides to discuss resuming the broadcaster’s activity in Egypt.
TURKEY: 65 Turkish journalists behind bars in Turkey
Ahval News: Sixty-five journalists are behind bars in Turkey, the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association said in a report.
TURKEY: In Turkey, media watchdog uses licensing to attempt to censor foreign media
Global Voices: On February 25, Turkey’s media watchdog RTUK said it would seek a court order to block access to the Turkish language services of Deutsche Welle (DW), Voice of America (VoA), and Euronews.
TURKEY: Turkish state channel TRT launches in French
Politico: Turkish state media TRT on Tuesday launched a French-language platform, only a month after Kremlin-backed RT France was banned from broadcasting.
CANADA: Between Us: Focusing on the fundamentals, every day (Blog)
CBC/Radio-Canada: As the pace of news continues to accelerate globally, the public broadcaster is keeping you informed on the issues that matter most, including the war in Ukraine.
CANADA: CBC, APTN pick up major wins on 1st night of Canadian Screen Awards (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC won 11 awards and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) won four awards — including best news or information series — at the opening night of the Canadian Screen Awards on Monday.
CANADA: Celebrate who we are and what brings us together (Opinion – French)
Le Devoir: The digital giants are on the rise . While we can be pleased with the access they give us to a wealth of content, they do not reflect, or very little, our realities and this Francophone culture that sets us apart. That is why, now more than ever, we need our public broadcaster.
US: APTS Praises Public Broadcasting Funding Proposals in President’s FY 2023 Budget
TVTech: President Biden has proposed a $40M increase in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
US: DEI leaders share best practices on strengthening your organization’s diversity efforts
Current: Our webinar featured Whitney Maddox, NPR’s DEI manager, and Kim Salvaggio, chief DEI officer at Rocky Mountain Public Media.
US: Faces of NPR: John Lansing
NPR: Faces Of NPR showcases the people behind NPR–from the voices you hear every day on the radio to the ones who work outside of the recording studio.
US: More than a dozen stations pick up Vox’s ‘Today, Explained’
Current: While some stations are welcoming the show, other programmers are wary of furthering public radio’s relationship with for-profit producers.
US: Public policies already impact journalism in the United States and Canada: pros and cons
LatAm Journalism Review: The panel “Subsidies and regulation: How government initiatives may affect journalism and the digital media ecosystem” discussed concrete cases of public policies designed to encourage journalism in the United States and Canada.
Vox: Beginning today, the award-winning explainer show hosted by Sean Rameswaram and Noel King will air on local public radio stations including Philadelphia’s WHYY, Oregon Public Broadcasting, New Hampshire Public Radio, Cincinnati Public Radio, New Orleans Public Radio, Baton Rouge’s WRKF, and more.
A Facebook bug led to increased views of harmful content over six months
The Verge: The social network touts downranking as a way to thwart problematic content, but what happens when that system breaks?
A new guide offers interview questions for newsrooms looking to diversify staff
Poynter: Written by the Trusting News project, the guide seeks to help newsrooms hire for ‘dimensions of difference’
Can news help? New evidence on the links between news use and misinformation
Reuters Institute: “Our findings challenge the notion that, by drawing attention to false content, news leave people more misinformed,” writes Rasmus Nielsen
Climate change is everywhere in the story of a mounting global food crisis
CJR: SINCE RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE BEGAN, there’s been much talk about the ensuing energy crisis and the world’s need for a clean-energy transition.
Here’s what new Guardian research tells us about commercial opportunities for podcasts
Journalism.co.uk: Podcasting is a place where listeners are more attuned to ads than they are on TV and radio – plus, it makes them more curious about your commercial partners
International media are abusing the heroism of Ukraine’s journalists
Open Democracy: As international media try to cover the horror of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, they are failing the people who are helping them do it: Ukrainian journalists and producers.
Nieman Lab: “Impact is often many years or miles away.”
Journalists need to rethink their relationship with corrections (Commentary)
Poynter: It’s not that they don’t matter. It’s just that they don’t matter in the same way we think.
Protecting journalists from online abuse: a guide for newsrooms
Reuters Institute: The brutal harassment of Indian journalist Rana Ayyub has escalated from online trolling to headline-grabbing persecution in recent days.
Shortwave radio proves simple, powerful — and necessary
RedTech: The recent events in Ukraine, with its tragedy of human casualties, extensive destruction or disruption of local broadcasting infrastructure, and new levels of censorship of the internet and journalism have brought shortwave broadcasts sharply back into focus, even though, they never stopped — the British Broadcasting Corp. alone has 40 million shortwave listeners worldwide.
The radio, a beacon in times of war (French)
Le Devoir: The Cold War begins again, so the good old propaganda and information radio adjusts its services in Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation.
War in Ukraine – TikTok and other platforms must change their algorithms
RSF: Despite promises to the contrary, TikTok is feeding false and misleading content about the war in Ukraine to its users, according to an investigation by NewsGuard. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on social media platforms in general and TikTok in particular to modify their algorithms.
WhatsApp seems ready to restrict how easily messages spread in a bid to reduce misinformation
Nieman Lab: A new beta version would add significant friction to forwarding messages more than once — the latest in a line of structural changes meant to reduce how often misinformation goes viral.
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