AFGHANISTAN: Reporting Under Fear of Arrest and Torture: A Female Journalist’s Struggle Against the Taliban

Hasht e Subh Daily: Her voice, cutting through countless obstacles, reaches the most deprived regions of Afghanistan through the radio, keeping locals informed about the latest events… 

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BANGLADESH: IFJ demands protections for media workers as political instability continues

IFJ: As long-running and controversial political leader Sheikh Hasina fled the country, media workers reporting on the crisis remain at the frontline of a new status quo after violent nationwide protests that claimed the lives of at least four journalists. 

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BANGLADESH: Internet back in Bangladesh as protesters plan to march to capital after a weekend of violence

The Economic Times: Broadband internet and mobile data services were restored across Bangladesh on Monday, while anti-government protesters vowed to march to the capital to demand the prime minister’s resignation, defying a military-ordered curfew after a weekend of violence that left about 100 people dead.

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CAMBODIA: RSF calls on government to put an end to the trolling campaign against exiled media

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the Cambodian government to do everything in their power to end the trolling campaign targeting the country’s main exiled media outlets, and to allow these media to operate within the country once again.

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CHINA: Ex-China Editor Hu Banned on Social Media After Post on Economy

Bloomberg: Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of China’s state-backed Global Times, has been banned from posting on social media after he wrote controversial comments about the world’s no. 2 economy, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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HONG KONG: Hong Kong press freedom advocates despair as Lai trial drags on

VOA: The outcome of pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai’s trial won’t suddenly seal the decline of press freedom in Hong Kong, journalists say. The national security law has already done that.

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INDIA: How India’s Broadcast Bill will muzzle content creators

Scroll.in: A draft of the updated provisions significantly expands the regulatory scope of the proposed law, bringing under its purview any account that posts news online.

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INDIA: Two journalists killed in Muzaffarpur district in one month

IPI: The IPI global network is deeply alarmed by the recent killings of two journalists in Muzaffarpur, India, and calls on law enforcement to swiftly and thoroughly investigate both cases and ensure that all those responsible are held to account. Both journalists had reportedly received threats but did not receive assistance from the authorities.

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INDIA: The Broadcasting Bill Broadly Casts the Citizen as a Subject (Opinion)

The Wire: This Bill is very problematic, even by the standards of a dwindling democracy, for three reasons.

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JAPAN: Japan media, Hiroshima release website of A-bomb photos proposed for UNESCO heritage

The Mainichi: The city of Hiroshima and six Japanese media outlets including The Mainichi Newspapers Co. jointly launched an archival website displaying photographs and videos capturing the aftermath of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima — the records they applied to be listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

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JAPAN: Social network X, a major source of disinformation among young people (Listen – French) 

RFI: Last year in Japan, 80,000 problematic contents shared on social networks were reported to the authorities. More than 200 per day, that is.

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MALAYSIA: All you need to know about: Malaysia’s new licence for social media platforms and messenger apps

MalayMail: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has today released details of its regulatory framework which would require social media and messaging apps to apply for an annual licence, including a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document.

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NEPAL: Communication Minister Gurung affirms government’s commitment to supporting Radio Nepal with relevant laws and policies

Radio Nepal: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithivi Subba Gurung, has stressed the need for establishing Radio Nepal as the country’s best broadcasting institution.

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NEPAL & INDIA: Four Indian TV channels halt broadcast in Nepal over unpaid dues

My República: The transmission of four popular Indian TV channels- Zee, Sony Entertainment, Star and Colors- has been halted in Nepal due to non-payment of service charges. 

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SOUTH KOREA: Cabinet passes motion requesting parliamentary reconsideration of 4 broadcasting bills

The Korea Times: The Cabinet passed a motion Tuesday calling for parliamentary reconsideration of four bills aimed at changing the governance structure of public broadcasters.

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SOUTH KOREA: Opposition parties float impeachment motion against new KCC head

The Korea Herald: Opposition parties on Thursday proposed a parliamentary impeachment motion against the new head of the state broadcasting regulator Lee Jin-sook who took office Wednesday, accusing her of making key decisions “unfairly” with only two of the five commissioners currently in office.

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SOUTH KOREA: Yoon advised to veto bills over broadcast governance 

The Korea Herald: Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday advised President Yoon Suk Yeol to strike down four bills sponsored by the main opposition that are designed to curtail Yoon’s influence over the boardroom reshuffle of South Korea’s public broadcasters or their highest direct authorities. 

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THAILAND: Thai PBS ranks 5th in the media group for highest social media performance in the first half of 2024 (Press release – Thai)

Thai PBS: Thai PBS ranked 5th among the 10 radio and television media groups under the supervision of the NBTC for the highest social media performance in the first half of 2024.

AUSTRALIA: ABC celebrates the Garma Festival 2024 (Press release)

ABC: As the proud official media partner of the Garma Festival, the country’s biggest gathering of First Nations politics and culture, the ABC will this weekend bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, stories and culture to all Australians across our platforms.

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AUSTRALIA: Australian ad market remains stable, while outdoor soars by 14.2%

Mumbrella: The Australian ad market remained stable as the financial year concluded, with total ad spend down by just 1.6% compared to the previous year, Guideline SMI data reveals.

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AUSTRALIA: Just how cooked is the Australian media industry?

Crikey: Things are looking bleak for the local news business. Crikey runs through some of the key numbers.

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AUSTRALIA: SBS commits to 10-year renewable energy power purchase agreement with ZEN Energy

SBS: The SBS-ZEN Energy wind power partnership provides price certainty for SBS and establishes a model for de-carbonising the media industry.

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FIJI: Fiji press gets upward ranking

FBC: Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs.

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NEW ZEALAND: AI editorial puts spotlight on disclosure

RNZ: A New Zealand Herald editorial written with the help of artificial intelligence has raised questions about how our media should use the technology for journalism – and how much their consumers should know. 

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NEW ZEALAND: RNZ goes live with new Pacific shortwave transmitter

RNZ: Shortwave transmission to the Pacific is “more important now” than in 1990 when RNZ Pacific first broadcast into the region, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister says.

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NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ set to launch new round of proposed cuts, union fears for jobs and shows 

The NZ Herald: TVNZ needs to find another $30 million in revenue generation and cost savings – with a trade union fearful of a renewed, even bigger round of job losses and programming cuts. 

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Landmark PNG Supreme Court ruling toughens cybercrime law

Asia Pacific Report: People accused under Papua New Guinea’s Cybercrime Code Act may not always find free speech protection offered by the Constitution. 

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REGIONAL: Pacific Island news outlets vulnerable to geopolitical influence, says prominent media figure

ABC: Diplomacy and geopolitics often dominates the media coverage of the Pacific region, but what impact is the geopolitical competition between China, the US, Australia and others having on the media itself?

ALBANIA: Media Freedom in Albania: a Shadow Report (Report) 

OBCT: This Shadow Report focuses on the third section of the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law report dedicated to Media Freedom and Pluralism and provides an updated analysis of the Albanian media landscape, pointing out not only positive steps forward but above all remaining and emerging challenges.

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AUSTRIA: ORF contribution will still be available in 2026, says Weißmann – and him as ORF boss (German) 

Der Standard: Roland Weißmann predicts halfway through his term as ORF General: Yes, the ORF contribution that has just been introduced will still be available in 2026.

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BELARUS: IPI condemns prison sentences for two more journalists

IPI: Ales Sabaleuski and Yauhen Hlushkou sentenced to 4 and 3 years in prison respectively

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CZECH REPUBLIC: End of 168 Hours: No one gets to choose who controls it. Nor Czech Television (Press release – Czech) 

ČT: In the tense debate about ending the production of the program 168 Hours, there was also a question from a weekly newspaper, which unfortunately, in my opinion, illustrates a way of thinking that leads to hell and a total confusion of values, standards and rules.

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FINLAND: How Finland’s public broadcaster cornered the local streaming market

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: The digital revolution has reshaped journalism, pushing public broadcasters worldwide to redefine their roles. While many have transitioned from traditional TV stations to digital media, they still face intense online competition, declining influence, and resource constraints.

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GEORGIA: Authoritarian “foreign agent” law must be withdrawn

EFJ: On 1 August, Georgia’s bill on Transparency of Foreign Influence came into force, posing a severe threat to press freedom and democracy, with the potential to criminalise journalists and independent media.

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GERMANY: BILD reporter Iman Sefati threatened with a knife at private residence

EFJ: On 26 July 2024, Iman Sefati, journalist for the BILD newspaper, was ambushed and threatened with a knife after he spent the day reporting on a peaceful demonstration in Berlin. 

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GERMANY: Registration open: Herbsttreffen der Medienfrauen 2024 (Event) 

DW: Under the motto “Women united in a changing world,” media professionals* from ARD, ZDF and ORF will gather in Bonn from November 8 to 10 to exchange ideas. 

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GREECE: EU ignores deteriorating Rule of Law

EFJ: This comes at a time when media freedom and civic space face dire threats and attacks.

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GREECE: Giorgos Karaivaz’s murder goes unpunished

EFJ: This is a black week for press freedom in Greece, where on Wednesday a court acquitted the two suspects accused of murdering journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in 2021.

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HUNGARY: ‘Somewhere between Orwell and Kafka’: Hungary closes in on its media

The Guardian: The country’s new sovereignty protection office was set up to quieten anti-government voices, critics say

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IRELAND: Executive salaries to be included in RTÉ annual report

RTÉ: Executive salaries for senior managers will be included in RTÉ’s next annual report for the first time, as the broadcaster has committed to more transparency in the wake of controversies last summer.

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IRELAND: RTÉ Register of External Activities (Press release) 

RTÉ: RTÉ is today publishing a statistical summary from the Register of External Activities for the first quarter of 2024.

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ITALY: ASviS and Rai together for sustainability culture and against fake news (Press release – Italian) 

Rai: The Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS) and Rai – Radiotelevisione Italiana have signed a memorandum of understanding to start a scientific, cultural, educational and informative collaboration aimed at promoting the culture of sustainability, as provided for in the new Service Contract published in the Official Journal last May, which commits Rai to lead a cultural change in the country in this direction.

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ITALY: EU Commissioner and RAI appointments: Meloni’s two games linked by the rule of law report

Euronews: The Italian Prime Minister is wrestling over choices over who to nominate as the next EU Commissioner, and the new Board of Directors of the public media network Rai. 

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ITALY: MFRR calls for constructive dialogue on media freedom recommendations (Italian) 

IPI: The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) stand in solidarity with journalists in Italy and demand an immediate end to all forms of attacks against them.

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ITALY: No trial of information, Meloni withdraws the complaint to Domani (Italian) 

Domani: After more than two years, the prime minister has changed her mind and closed the legal case with our newspaper for an article that recounted the intricacies of the Covid mask business. 

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NORTH MACEDONIA: Interview: North Macedonia’s Govt has Little Incentive Not to Meddle in Media

Balkan Insight: With the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE back in power, new rules reintroducing the use of public funds for state advertising in private media are ripe for abuse, the head of a prominent media watchdog tells BIRN.

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NORWAY: How Norway’s public broadcaster overhauled its climate coverage

NiemanLab: Four years ago, Norway’s national broadcaster set out to completely reshape its coverage of climate change, restructuring reporters’ positions in the newsroom, and investing in producing fewer, but more widely read, climate stories.

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RUSSIA: IPI welcomes release of journalists, condemns hostage-taking tactics

IPI: American journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich released in mass Russia-U.S. prisoner swap

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RUSSIA: Moscow Court Sentences Ukrainian TV Presenter Natalia Moseychuk to 5 Years in Absentia 

Women Press Freedom: WPF demands the Kremlin stops its transnational repression tactics targeting journalists beyond its borders

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SERBIA: Journalist Tamara Skrozza smeared by pro-government media

EFJ: Since 29 July 2024, FoNet journalist Tamara Skrozza has been subjected to a coordinated defamation campaign by media outlets closely aligned with the Serbian government.

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SWITZERLAND: The day AI clones took over a Swiss radio station

Reuters Institute: “We wanted to understand how it feels like to listen to radio that is made by a computer,” says Antoine Multone from Couleur 3.

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UK: BBC knew severity of Huw Edwards allegations, says chief

BBC: In an interview with BBC News on Thursday, Tim Davie said the corporation had taken “difficult decisions in a fair and judicious manner”.

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UK: Gen Z swerves traditional broadcast TV as less than half tune in weekly 

Ofcom: For the first time, less than half of 16-24-year-olds are now watching broadcast TV in an average week, according to Ofcom’s annual study into the nation’s media habits.

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UK: S4C appoints headhunters to recruit a new Chief Executive (Press release) 

S4C: S4C’s Unitary Board has started the process of recruiting the channel’s next Chief Executive by appointing the headhunters Odgers Berndtson.

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UKRAINE & RUSSIA: Russia vs Ukraine: the biggest war of the fake news era

Reuters: Disinformation and propaganda, long mainstays of war, have been digitally supercharged in the battle for Ukraine, the biggest conflict the world has seen since the advent of smartphones and social media.

GAZA: Al Jazeera condemns attack that killed two of its journalists

VOA: Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera this week condemned a strike that killed two of its journalists reporting in Gaza.

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GAZA: Al Jazeera journalist, cameraman killed in Israeli attack on Gaza

Al Jazeera: Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi have been killed in an Israeli air attack on the Gaza Strip.

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GAZA: UNESCO Director-General condemns killings of journalists Ismail Al Ghoul and Ramy Al Refee in Palestine (Statement)

UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has condemned the killings of journalists Ismail Al Ghoul and Ramy Al Refee, in Gaza City, Palestine on 31st July 2024.

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SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Media Forum partners up with International Broadcasting Convention

Arab News: The Saudi Media Forum has officially become the primary media partner of the International Broadcasting Convention — supported by the European Broadcasting Union — ahead of Riyadh’s Future of Media Exhibition, or FOMEX, in 2025.

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SYRIA: ICFJ Voices: Sarmad alJilane, Putting Human Rights in Syria Front and Center

ICFJ: In addition to his journalistic work, Sarmad alJilane is an outreach and advocacy consultant. Originally from Syria, he’s based in Berlin. He covers a range of topics pertaining to Syria, including human rights, governance, media and civil society. 

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TURKEY: Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu protests Instagram ban on live Instagram broadcast

Duvar English: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition CHP, protested the government’s recent Instagram ban on a live Instagram broadcast. He deemed the restriction “a banal, pointless, and powerless executives’ procedure.”

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TURKEY: Turkey blocks access to Instagram for failure to comply with laws

Reuters: Turkey blocked access to social media platform Instagram on Friday for failing to comply with the country’s “laws and rules”, a government minister said.

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TURKEY: Turkey’s media regulator penalizes streaming platforms over ‘immoral’ movies

Bianet: Netflix has been fined due to the comedy film ‘Sausage Party’ and MUBI and BluTV have been fined due to ‘Climax.’ The platforms have been ordered to remove these movies.

CANADA: ‘Extremely bad news’: Canadians are encountering fewer legitimate news sources on social media, study finds

The Toronto Star: Meta launched its Canadian news ban one year ago today — and a new report offers a bleak picture of its impact on the country’s journalism sector.

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CANADA: In Canada, media learns to do without Facebook (French) 

Le Monde: For a year now, since the online news law, Meta has stopped publishing content from traditional media on its platforms.

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CANADA: Live From Paris 2024: CBC Calls Canada House Home, Enhances Connection With Athletes

Sports Video Blog: The CBC has taken a different approach to its Olympic operations. It has a technical center at the IBC, but its studio and production operations are located at Canada House, in the Cité des Sciences et de l’industrie. And it’s paying dividends.

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CANADA: One year after news ban, Canadian journalism is suffering — but Meta isn’t budging

CBC: Losing the ability to share news on Facebook has hurt Theresa Blackburn’s bottom line and her newspaper’s ability to serve her community — and as she works around the clock to keep her business afloat, she’s pleading with lawmakers to make a deal with Meta so publishers can once again share their content.

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CANADA: SOCAN Foundation and CBC Announce Inaugural Indigenous Music Residency (Press release) 

CBC: The SOCAN Foundation and CBC today announced the CBC Indigenous Music Residency, an immersive program designed to foster the creativity and growth of six music creators identifying with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

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US: A speaking invitation to Donald Trump splits the most prominent American group for Black journalists

ABC: Donald Trump’s invitation to address the National Association of Black Journalists has sparked an intense debate within the organization and a flurry of arguments online. 

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US: APTS commends US Senate Appropriations Committee’s recommendations for continued investment in public broadcasting (Press release) 

APTS: America’s Public Television Stations today applauded the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for proposing level funding of $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal year 2027 and $60 million for public media stations’ interconnection system for fiscal year 2025.

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US: CPB Awards Up to $1.37 Million to 4 More Public Media Stations to Improve Emergency Alerting (Press release) 

CPB: Public media stations KMOS PBS (Missouri), PBS Fort Wayne (Indiana), and KTOO Public Media and Kodiak Public Broadcasting/KMXT-FM (both Alaska), have been awarded a total of up to $1.37 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting. 

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US: How students are bringing new perspectives to 2024 election coverage (Paywall)

Current: “On Our Minds: Election 2024,” a special podcast from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, spotlights young people’s views on issues that impact their lives — and the nation’s future.

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US: IPI asks US to reject ‘dangerous surveillance’ treaty

The News: The United States has been urged by the International Press Institute (IPI) to reject a new “dangerous” global treaty, that it said will grant authorities sweeping surveillance powers as well as give authoritarians even more tools to target and restraint the press.

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US: Prosecutors plan to charge former Kansas police chief over his conduct following newspaper raid

Editor & Publisher: Two special prosecutors said Monday that they plan to file a criminal obstruction of justice charge against a former central Kansas police chief over his conduct following a raid last year on his town’s newspaper.

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US: Senate Appropriations Committee recommends level funding for CPB (Paywall)

CPB: The Senate Appropriations Committee proposed $535 million for CPB in its fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill.

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US: United States: the uninhibited fake news that polarizes American society (Listen – French) 

RFI: What happens when the authorities or personalities who govern us start to spread fake news, untruths? In the United States, fake news has been part of everyday political life for almost ten years. 

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US & RUSSIA: American RFE/RL Reporter Alsu Kurmasheva Released from Russian Custody (Statement) 

RFE/RL: RFE/RL welcomes news of Alsu’s release and is grateful to the American government and all who worked tirelessly to end her unjust treatment by Russia.

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US & RUSSIA: VOA Statement on Russia’s Release of RFE/RL Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (Statement) 

VOA: Voice of America welcomes home RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and Washington Post contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza. 

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US & RUSSIA: WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Is Free

The Wall Street Journal: Russia freed wrongly convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as part of the largest and most complex East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War, in which he and more than a dozen others jailed by the Kremlin were exchanged for Russians held in the U.S. and Europe, including a convicted murderer.

A one-stop shop of mental health resources for journalists

Journalism.co.uk: Access financial support, communities, self-help tips and more when you are going through your toughest moments

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Broadcasters fly in TikTokers and YouTubers to generate Olympic buzz

Financial Times: NBC and Eurosport among those using ‘creators’ to spur interest and reach wider audiences.

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Google broke law to maintain online search monopoly, US judge rules

The Guardian: Google violated antitrust laws as it built an internet search empire, a federal judge ruled on Monday in a decision that could have major implications for the way people interact with the internet.

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Meta wants an open AI world. Is that a good idea?

CJR: In February of last year, Meta—which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—threw a metaphorical grenade into the market for artificial-intelligence software by announcing a new model that it called Llama. Meta’s offering is similar to those offered by OpenAI and Google in that it is an AI engine known as a “large language model.”

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Practical ideas for financing (non-profit) journalism, from private to public money

The Fix: Possible solutions for the financial sustainability of journalism, in Portugal and elsewhere, that came out of a conference of experts

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Secretaries of state urge Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading false election info

Washington Post: Grok, the AI search assistant on Musk’s X platform, suggested that Kamala Harris had missed the ballot deadline in nine states. She hasn’t.

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Separate, unequal, and ‘glorious’

CJR: When split newsrooms work, and when they falter.

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Strategic Dialogue on Journalism for Development affirms the role of journalism in promoting democracy, political accountability, and sustainable development

UNESCO: A high-profile panel explored the intricacies of the role of journalism in promoting democracy, political accountability, and sustainable development, examining key trends and challenges in the digital age

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The Media at the Olympic Games (Listen – French) 

RFI: The media presence at the Olympic Games is impressive. What has changed in the last twenty years? Radio also continues to have its impact! 

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The Outlook: What if your audience cannot pay for news (Newsletter) 

IPI: Revenue Roadmap series – when your audience cannot pay, where do you go?

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The transit beat is becoming the climate beat

Nieman Lab: “A lot of times, people are not drawn in when climate is the top line. So I like to start with [a question like] ‘O.K., what’s affecting your daily life?’”

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The world in the BBC’s fold (French) 

Le Devoir: Renowned for its rigour and supported by an impressive number of foreign correspondents, the BBC’s news service is the stuff of dreams for many communications specialists.

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To preserve their work — and drafts of history — journalists take archiving into their own hands

Nieman Lab: From loading up the Wayback Machine to meticulous AirTables to 72 hours of scraping, journalists are doing whatever they can to keep their clips when websites go dark.

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Toward an audience-centric future for journalism

IJNet: When centering audiences, journalists must consider what content they want and how best to deliver it to them. 

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Washington Post C.E.O.’s Last Company Lost Millions Betting on Gen Z

The New York Times: The  Post is creating a division under Will Lewis, its C.E.O., to find valuable audiences in new places. His last company shows that’s a tough road.

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What’s fair? What journalists can learn from the Olympic boxing controversy

Trans Journalists Association: Errors and corrections in news stories about women’s Olympic boxing expose the assumptions our industry holds about gender, sports, and fairness.

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What now for news publishers as the cookie crumbles?

journalism.co.uk: News UK and Reach plc are both going down the ‘pay or consent’ route, whilst developing their own in-house first-party data solutions.

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Would restoring trust in journalism increase viability?

Thai PBS World: Is the news media community getting exhausted by feeding social media platforms with ‘viral’ content to earn ‘views’ to attract advertising?