Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
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What we're watching...
India’s media wars: Press freedom in crisis
France 24: Press freedom is in crisis in the “world’s largest democracy” with attacks against journalists, concentration of media ownership, pro-government bias and expulsions of foreign reporters.
What we're listening to...
“Silenced”: Vietnamese editor and journalist Quỳnh-Vi Trần
Article 19: Though few people are aware, Vietnam now ranks at the bottom of all major global press indexes, its freedom of expression considered only slightly better than China and North Korea.
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EGYPT: Release journalists and investigate reports of torture and abuse
Article 19: ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and 32 rights and press freedom organisations condemns the recent arrests and enforced disappearance of four Egyptian journalists – Ashraf Omar, Khaled Mamdouh, Ramadan Gouida, and Yasser Abu Al-Ela – and call for their immediate release.
IVORY COAST: African journalists poised to lead climate action to realise trust transition
IFJ: The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), in collaboration with its affiliate, L’ Union Nationale des Journalistes de Côte d’Ivoire (UNJCI), successfully hosted a historic continental conference under the theme, “Amplifying African Narratives in Climate Justice: Empowering Journalists to Advance Africa’s Just Transition Realisation”, from 4-5 September, 2024 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
MALI: Suspension of media outlet sparks fears for press freedom
Article 19: The decision by the High Authority of Communication (HAC) in Mali to suspend the French news channel La Chaîne Info (LCI) raises serious concerns about the protection of press freedom, media plurality, and diverse opinions in the country.
MOROCCO: Journalists from earthquake-hit cities discuss problems in Hatay
Bianet: Lawyer Deniz Yazgan Şenay gave a presentation addressing the legal problems faced by journalists in the earthquake-affected area, while journalist Hikmet Adal discussed violations of freedom of expression. Journalists attending the workshop also had the opportunity to share their problems.
NIGERIA: IBAN Attempts To Reset Agenda For Broadcasting Industry
BMA: The Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (IBAN), at the last Emergency Extra-Ordinary General Meeting held on August 30th, 2024, assembled a new Board of Trustees (BOT) and Executive Council and signalled a renewed commitment to revitalising the nation’s broadcast industry in the face of daunting challenges.
NIGERIA: MFWA, Partners call on Nigerian gov’t to release Journalist Pelumi’s remains, investigate his death
MFWA: Nearly four years after the killing of journalist Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi, we, the undersigned organizations committed to promoting and defending press freedom, call on Nigerian authorities to ensure Pelumi’s body is released to his family and that those responsible for his death are identified and held to account.
NIGERIA: This Nigerian journalist has covered the Wagner Group in Africa for years. Here’s what he’s learnt
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: “Covering Wagner is dangerous. You should build contacts everywhere and have a strong sense of mind,” says award-winning reporter Philip Obaji Jr.
SOMALIA: FAJ President addresses AU peace and security council
IFJ: The safety of journalists, said Faruk, is not only a professional concern, but also a profound human rights matter at the heart of our democratic values, our mandate as human rights defenders and the rights of African citizens to be well-informed.
SOUTH AFRICA: Digital ad revenue is expected to rise as print continues to suffer
Daily Maverick: Two PwC reports identify headwinds and wins for the entertainment and media industry.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT OF THEMBA GWEJELA AS GROUP EXECUTIVE: CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MARKETING
SABC: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Themba Gwejela, as the new Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing, effective from 01 September 2024.
SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudanese journalist jailed for defamation
Radio Tamazuj: The arrest followed a defamation suit filed by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) against Ruot, a vocal critic of its leadership.
TOGO: Togo takes the reins of UEMOA audiovisual regulation (23 August – French)
Journal du Togo: The digital age is coming to UEMOA homes. The Togolese capital will host the 11th general assembly of the Platform of Audiovisual Regulators from August 28 to 31, under the theme of the effective implementation of digital terrestrial television (DTT).
TUNISIA: Tunisia journalists’ union chief warns of crisis in media sector
MEMO: The head of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, Zied Dabbar, has expressed concern about the future of journalism in Tunisia.
UGANDA: Balaam regrets ‘costly mistake’ after UBC mast fire
Pulse: Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs, Hon Balaam Barugahara admitted making a big mistake that cost him a considerable sum of money in the wake of the recent destruction of the UBC mast in Naguru.
REGIONAL: “African Broadcasters Need To Navigate Digital Disruption To Stay Ahead” – Nada Wotshela, Group Executive, Radio – South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) (Interview)
BMA: In anticipation of the upcoming Broadcast And Digital Media Convention Africa 2024, set to take place from the 8th – 10th October 2024, at the Swakopmund Legacy Hotel, Namibia, BMA sat down with Ms Nada Wotshela, Group Executive – Radio at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
REGIONAL: Meeting of Director-Generals in ECOWAS, media partnership ends
GBC: The first high level meeting of Director-Generals of state-owned broadcast media of ECOWAS member states has ended in Abuja, Nigeria.
REGIONAL: MFWA, ECOWAS hold strategic meeting to strengthen media and democracy in West Africa
MFWA: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have taken another significant step towards strengthening democratic values and media freedom in the region.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghan women raise their voices in song in online protests against Taliban’s bid to silence them
CBS: Afghan women have turned to social media to protest the latest draconian edict issued by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, which the Biden administration says is aimed at erasing them completely from society.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Halts State TV Broadcasts in Kandahar Over ‘Images of Living Beings’
AFJC: The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) is deeply concerned by the Taliban’s recent suspension of broadcasts from the local branch of the state-run “National Television” station in Kandahar province.
AZERBAIJAN: In Azerbaijan, Abzas Media case investigation extended until the end of the year
JAM News: In Azerbaijan, the detention period for all suspects in the Abzas Media case, as well as the investigation period, has been extended. The investigation is now expected to conclude within 13 months, the maximum allowed duration for investigations by law enforcement in the country.
BANGLADESH: 28 journalists under investigation
IFJ: 28 journalists were named in a case registered in Chittagong on September 4, which claims they had published false or misleading news during national protests from June.
CAMBODIA: Cambodia’s Media: Faster, Cheaper, Easier, Not Better
Asia Sentinel: The rise of polluted media content is parallel with the decline in media freedom.
CHINA: Farewell, Microblog
China Media Project: In Xi’s “New Era” signs now point to the untimely end of the Weibo era. Is it possible any longer to build a platform strategy around recognised public intellectuals?
CHINA: Whistleblowing pandemic journalist Zhang Zhan back in detention
Radio Free Asia: Whistleblowing citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has been re-detained, three months after her release following a four-year jail term for reporting from the front lines of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, her brother told RFA Mandarin.
CHINA & US: How China targets Uyghur journalists abroad: the chilling story of a reporter exiled in the US
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shares the testimony of a Uyghur journalist exiled in the United States, whose friends still in China were detained in retaliation for his work. His story illustrates the transnational repression carried out by the Chinese regime to extend censorship beyond its borders.
HONG KONG: Disguise powered AR workflow for RTHK’s innovative broadcast of the Summer Olympics
News Cast Studio: Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Hong Kong’s public television broadcasting service, revolutionized its coverage of the summer Olympic Games in Paris by integrating augmented reality (AR) into their show to create a uniquely immersive experience for those watching at home.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong court convicts former Stand News editors of sedition
Reuters: A Hong Kong court on Thursday found two editors of the now-defunct Stand News media outlet guilty of conspiring to publish seditious articles in a case that has drawn international scrutiny amid a security crackdown in the China-ruled city.
INDIA: A mega merger aims to reshape India’s entertainment landscape
BBC News: Imagine binge-watching The Bear, Succession, Deadpool and reality show Bigg Boss all on one platform – an entertainment bonanza could be just around the corner for Indians if a blockbuster streaming merger goes through as expected.
JAPAN: NHK exec resigns over Chinese staffer’s unscripted Senkaku remarks
Kyodo News: The president of NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, said Tuesday that an executive has stepped down after a Chinese staffer in an overseas radio broadcast described the Japanese-controlled islands as China’s territory in unscripted remarks.
KAZAKHSTAN: CPJ concerned by Kazakhstan’s restrictive new media accreditation
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that recent changes to Kazakhstan’s domestic media accreditation regulations and proposed changes to foreign media accreditation could be used to silence critical journalists.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court upholds shuttering of investigative outlet Kloop
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the decision by Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court in July to uphold the liquidation of Kloop Media, a nonprofit that runs the investigative news website Kloop.
MALAYSIA: Malaysia’s social media licensing plan draws criticism from Big Tech
Nikkei Asia: Industry group calls for pause, says new rules disrupt nation’s digital economy
MYANMAR: Breaking newsrooms: Are Myanmar’s exiled journalists getting a fair deal?
Frontier Myanmar: Journalists are allegedly suffering exploitation and abuse at exiled news outlets, but there’s debate over whether the responsibility to respond falls on donors or a media industry that is taking gradual steps to self-regulate.
NEPAL: Nepal lifts ban on social media app TikTok after 10 months of restrictions
Business Standard: Nepal has lifted the ban of popular social media app TikTok, effective Friday, months after the tech giant faced restrictions in the country due to concerns over “distributing” social harmony.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan installs firewall in censorship drive, hitting businesses
Nikkei: Critics say move curbs freedoms, but government claims national security at risk.
PHILIPPINES: Journalists told to treat sources with respect
The Manila Times: The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Cebu chapter has called for adherence to ethical practices in journalism following a controversial incident involving a local teacher and a media practitioner.
SINGAPORE: CNA-Today merger may result in less diversity in media landscape, say analysts
The Straits Times: Amid increasing competition for eyeballs in the changing media landscape, the merger of online publication Today with CNA may make financial sense, but could also result in even less diversity in the local media landscape, analysts told The Straits Times.
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea investigates Telegram over alleged sexual deepfakes
NPR: Students of all ages, teachers, soldiers and now journalists. More and more ordinary South Korean women are finding out they are targets of a fast-growing form of digital sex abuse: deepfakes.
TIMOR-LESTE: Outcry Over East Timor Vendor Attack, Media Curbs As Pope Visits
Barron’s: Press freedom advocates, journalists and street vendors have criticised East Timor police for clearing stalls and detaining a reporter ahead of Pope Francis’s landmark visit.
TURKMENISTAN: Death of persecuted journalist brings attention to Turkmenistan’s media repression
VOA: The death of a former journalist who experienced beatings and inhumane treatment in prison shows the harassment that media workers and their families endure in Turkmenistan, analysts said.
AUSTRALIA: ABC chair quotes JD Vance memoir as he sounds alarm on media future
The Guardian: The chair of the ABC has quoted the memoir of US vice-presidential candidate JD Vance while discussing the decreasing trust in media in the annual Sir John Monash Oration in Sydney.
ABC: Australian Community Media (ACM) has told staff it will cut dozens of positions at some of its largest newspapers in the latest round of budget cuts.
AUSTRALIA: Social media ban for children to be introduced this year, but age limit undetermined
ABC: Children aged up to 16 could be banned from social media, as the federal government promises legislation to impose a minimum age to use platforms like Facebook and Instagram by the end of this year.
AUSTRALIA: ‘These aren’t just words’: The woman threatened for taking X to court
BBC News: Australia’s internet watchdog says she received “death threats” and that her children were doxxed after she was targeted by Elon Musk for attempting to regulate his social media platform.
NEW ZEALAND: Freedom of expression vs protecting communities: Pacific communities weigh in
PMN: A Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) survey found a majority of Pacific peoples reported offensive, discriminatory or controversial views as a problem in New Zealand.
NEW ZEALAND: How Māori media and iwi united during historic news coverage of Kiingi Tuheitia tangihanga
Whakaata Māori: Of recent years, Kiingi Tuheitia became known as the ‘king of unity’ with his determined drive for kotahitanga involving rangatahi. So last week, through his tangihanga and the accession of his successor, a unique first took shape as the largest group of Māori broadcasters to ever work together collaborated with iwi in honouring his “wairua wind”.
NEW ZEALAND: Te Hiku media head Peter-Lucas Jones named on TIME magazine list for preserving te reo through AI
RNZ: The chief executive of a Māori media company hopes to influence native leaders in the AI space when he travels to the United States next week.
REGIONAL: The story of PINA – 50 years of Pacific media
RNZ: “The story of PINA is the story of Pacific media in the last 50 years, that’s Pacific media coming into more of an organised form where you have media organisations, you have radio and PINA was a combination of all of those,” veteran Tongan journalist Kalafi Moala says.
ALBANIA: Much-Criticised Director of Albania’s Public Broadcaster Resigns
Balkan Insight: Alfred Peza has quit as the public broadcaster’s general director after a stormy 15 months in post, marked by rows over staff dismissals and finances.
AUSTRIA: DialogueForum: 100 years of radio – 1st October at 4 (Event – German)
ORF: The spread of fake news, especially in social media, the dominance of a few commercial corporations over the devices of many, the increase in the flood of information in the digital world, while newspapers are dying, personal data is being capitalised and public service media are under political threat.
BELGIUM: 30 Birds: a first independent Brussels video game co-produced by RTBF, in collaboration with ARTE (French)
RTBF: RTBF, in collaboration with ARTE, is co-producing 30 Birds, the video game from the independent Brussels studio Ram Ram Games. A first step for the French-speaking Belgian public service media in the production of video games.
BELGIUM: Don’t look the other way: all together against bullying with VRT and STIP IT (Press release – Dutch)
VRT: With STIP IT, Ketnet, MNM and Radio2 want to put a stop to bullying. Various VRT brands are working together to encourage as many people as possible to engage against bullying in an accessible way.
BELGIUM: EFJ to organise conference on self-regulation and regulation in the media sector in Brussels (Event)
EFJ: On 14 October 2024, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will organise a conference at ULB Solbosch in Bruxelles, Belgium, as part of its Media Councils in the Digital Age (MCDA) project.
BELGIUM: Flemish Parliament wants explanation from CEO Frederik Delaplace about dismissals at VRT top (Dutch)
VRT: An eventful weekend for the public broadcaster. On Friday, Ricus Jansegers (Content Director) and Lotte Vermeir (Network Manager of VRT 1 and VRT Canvas) had to resign after internal conflicts and questions about their leadership style.
BELGIUM: VRT takes new steps for the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing people (Press release – Dutch)
VRT: In Belgium, 10% of the population has hearing problems. VRT responds to this by making 99.9% of its television content accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing via subtitles.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Bosnians Use Online Platform to Report Hate Speech Ahead of Elections
Balkan Insight: In the run-up to October’s local elections in Bosnia, people have been using a new online platform to report hundreds of instances of hate speech.
CROATIA: International mission to assess media freedom challenges
Article 19: The delegation will meet with government representatives, journalists and journalistic associations, civil society, and renowned media experts to discuss the most pressing challenges to media freedom and pluralism in the country.
FINLAND: Medialiitto once again complained about Yle to the European Commission (Finnish)
Yle: The CEO of Medialiitto would transfer Yle’s supervision to, for example, Traficom or the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.
FINLAND: Yle’s statement to the survey on the effects of the national implementation of the EU Broadcasting Directive (2019/789) (Statement – Finnish)
Yle: Yle gave a statement to the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding the impact of the national implementation of the EU online broadcasting directive (2019/789) from the point of view of different actors.
FINLAND: Yle’s supervisory board discussed the company’s actions to increase pluralism and diversity (Finnish)
Yle: Yle’s management team opened an overview to the supervisory board, which has also been discussed in public during the summer. There are two themes related to the topic: The pluralism of Yle’s contents and the obligations to build an equal and non-discriminatory working community.
FRANCE: Canal+, Europe1, C8, CNews… How did Vincent Bolloré go about controlling the French media landscape? (Listen – French)
RTBF: L’Histoire continue attempts to outline the contours of a sprawling media empire and looks back at the past of the Breton billionaire.
FRANCE: France Télévisions: a record-breaking summer (Press release – French)
FranceTV: After a historic month of July, France Télévisions confirmed its position as the leading audiovisual group in August and once again reached new heights.
FRANCE: Freedom of speech put to the test: Telegram and Pavel Durov’s responsibility in question (Listen – French)
RTBF: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was indicted Wednesday night by two French investigating judges accusing him of failing to act against the dissemination of criminal content on the messaging service.
GERMANY: 5G broadcast test: Future technology inspires users in Hamburg (Press release – German)
ARD: In recent months, ARD has successfully tested 5G broadcast.
GERMANY: ZDF will end SD broadcasting via satellite on November 18, 2025 (Press release – German)
ZDF: For around 15 years, all programs were broadcast in both SD and HD quality. By discontinuing SD broadcasting, ZDF is reducing its costs for program distribution and is thus meeting the justified expectation of economical and frugal use of broadcasting fees.
HUNGARY: Smear campaign against media intensifies threats to press freedom
IPI: Pro-government outlets accuse European media network of information warfare in the service of foreign interests
ICELAND: TV shows teach people Icelandic (Press release – Icelandic)
RÚV: Immigrants can now use TV content from RÚV to improve their Icelandic skills.
MALTA: Next PBS chief should be picked through public, transparent call – MEP
Malta Today: PBS without successor to outgoing boss, and still no appointment of official editor at TVM
THE NETHERLANDS: 50 years of local broadcasting in the Netherlands (Press release – Dutch)
NOS: At first, it only broadcast via cable, later also via the ether. At first, it was just radio, then television was added and later the internet as well.
THE NETHERLANDS: The NPO supports initiative for a monument to broadcasting employees who died in the Second World War (Press release – Dutch)
NPO: A memorial will be erected for the murdered broadcasting employees in World War II, the NPO has agreed with the broadcasters involved in consultation with the Jewish section of the EO.
POLAND: International advocacy mission to assess media freedom reforms
ECPMF: On 16 and 17 September, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an international mission to assess the on-going reforms in the media and press freedom in Poland.
RUSSIA: How Russia employs ‘hard soft power’ to influence overseas media and sow dissent and fear among foreign populations (Research)
The Conversation: A content analysis of over 2,700 news stories from media sources from February to July 2021 showed that the Russian-language media based in Georgia and Ukraine consistently presented anti-Western narratives.
RUSSIA: ‘My Job Became a Crime’: A Russian Reporter’s Story
Balkan Insight: Elena Kostyuchenko, a Russian investigative journalist living in exile, explains how reporting on Putin’s war from inside Ukraine made her a criminal in her home country – and why people in the Balkans should be wary of Moscow’s propaganda.
RUSSIA: Russia retaliates against foreign journalists covering Ukraine advance into Kursk
CPJ: Since the Ukrainian army started its incursion on August 6, Russian authorities have opened probes into seven foreign journalists accompanying Ukrainian forces to report on the conflict in the western town of Sudzha, accusing them of illegally crossing the border.
SLOVENIA: The Council of RTV Slovenia confirmed Natalija Gorščak as the President of the Management Board (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: At today’s extraordinary meeting, the Council of RTV Slovenia confirmed Natalija Gorščak as the President of the Management Board with eleven (11) votes of support. So far, Natalija Gorščak has held the position of acting.
SLOVENIA: The response of RTV Slovenia to the decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to change the RTV contribution (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: The first change in the RTV contribution after more than a decade is an important step towards the financial stabilization of RTV Slovenia.
SPAIN: RTVE, pioneer in the use and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: The RTVE Board of Directors has approved today the new regulation, which will come into force the day after its publication on the corporate Intranet
SWEDEN: The boundary between the role of journalist and personal commitment (Press release – Swedish)
SVT: Dagens Nyheter has published an article which problematizes the delineation between the role of journalist and personal commitment. It is an interesting discussion that should constantly be kept alive in a newsroom.
SWEDEN: The local sound should be seen better digitally (Press release – Swedish)
Swedish Radio: Sveriges Radio’s new local digital publishing desk starts on 2 September. The desk workers are located across the country and will be responsible for optimizing local P4’s digital publications, playlists and Facebook feeds.
SWITZERLAND: SWI swissinfo.ch: Public Council has elected new president and ombudsman (Press release – German)
SRG SSR: The Audience Council of SWI swissinfo.ch has made important personnel decisions to ensure audience representation and quality assurance.
UK: BBC Radio 1 announces ‘Radio 1 Anthems’ extension for BBC Sounds (Press release)
BBC: New extension will help young audiences discover and re-discover a wide range of music and acts supported by Radio 1
UK: Boosting skills among children, older adults and Disabled people: Evaluating what works for media literacy (Press release)
Ofcom: Today we’re sharing what we’ve learned and are recommending following a 14-month project which saw organisations across the UK trial new approaches to boost people’s media literacy skills.
UK: TV loses its crown as main source for news (Press release)
Ofcom: Television is no longer the single main source of news for UK adults, as Ofcom research shows online sites and apps are now as popular as TV news for the first time.
REGIONAL: Civil society demands action against spyware threats
Article 19: ARTICLE 19 joined a coalition of civil society organisations calling on the incoming European Union institutions to take the necessary regulatory measures to address the threats to fundamental rights posed by spyware in the new legislative term.
REGIONAL: Foreign Interference Directive poses risks to freedom of expression
Article 19: ARTICLE 19, Civil Society Europe, and the European Federation of Journalists express their concern about the proposed Directive on interest representation services on behalf of third countries, part of the Defense of Democracy Package, and call for its immediate withdrawal.
ARGENTINA: Argentine President Javier Milei intensifies his criticism of journalists and communicators (Listen – Spanish)
VOA: Press freedom organizations are concerned about the ongoing protests by Javier Milei’s government against journalists and social communicators.
ARGENTINA: Milei criticizes X-blocking in Brazil, but censors journalists in Argentina (Spanish)
Diário Carioca: Argentine President adopts authoritarian measures against the press while criticizing the suspension of the social network X in Brazil.
BRAZIL: Brazil’s supreme court upholds ban on Elon Musk’s X over ‘illegal conduct’
The Guardian: Members of Brazil’s supreme court have unanimously voted to uphold the ban on X, after Elon Musk’s refusal to comply with local laws led to the social network being blocked in one of its biggest markets.
BRAZIL: EBC signs commitment to diversity in partnership with state-owned companies (Press release – Portuguese)
EBC: On Wednesday (4), Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) signed the Pact for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in State-Owned Companies. Coordinated by the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), through the Secretariat of Governance of State-Owned Companies, the agreement aims to increase the sharing of strategies that promote public policies related to the topic in companies.
CHILE: TVN director explains how they pay the salaries of celebrities and confirms that the building is rented “35% or 40%” (Spanish)
Bio Bio Chile: Journalist Rodrigo Cid , a member of the TVN board of directors , appeared yesterday before the Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in the context of the debate on the modernization of the law that regulates Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN), which in turn results in more public funds for the operation of the channel.
COLOMBIA: Achievements continue for the Public Media System! National Radio inaugurates new headquarters in Barranquilla (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: Radio Nacional de Colombia continues to make its presence felt in the city of Barranquilla with the opening of a new radio station headquarters, which will take place on September 10 with the match between Colombia and Argentina.
COLOMBIA: Scandal broke out at RTVC: harsh letter against Hollman Morris would expose mistreatment, exploitation and workplace harassment (29 August – Spanish)
Infobae: The document, signed by Martha Selene Lozada Cardozo, coordinator of management of the public media system, and shared by Bogotá councilor Daniel Briceño, would leave the manager of the entity in a bad position.
GUATEMALA: Embargo lifted on ‘elPeriódico’ accounts (Spanish)
DW: According to the ruling, the company ‘Aldea Global’ – publisher of ‘elPeriódico’ – will be able to recover its bank accounts after two years, since José Rubén Zamora Marroquín was arrested.
GUATEMALA & NICARAGUA: Union celebrates release of two Nicaraguan journalists who were sent to Guatemala (Spanish)
Infobae: The Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua (PCIN) movement celebrated on Friday the release of Nicaraguan journalists Victor Ticay and Fabiola Tercero, who are part of the group of 135 political prisoners who were released and sent to Guatemala.
MEXICO: Attack on transparency authority is an attack on democracy
Article19: Mexico’s Congress is preparing to vote on controversial constitutional reforms, including the dissolution of several independent authorities – among them the National Institute for Access to Public Information and Data Protection (INAI).
MEXICO: Mexico City police arrest 2 journalists at human rights protest
CPJ: Police beat at least two journalists and arrested two others during a protest for human rights in Xochimilco, a southern borough of Mexico City, on Thursday, September 5, according to members of the media who witnessed the incidents.
NICARAGUA: Nicaraguan journalists denounced “new and more cruel patterns” of aggression by the Ortega regime (Spanish)
Infobae: A report, which analyzed 47 cases in the first seven months of the year, referred to the fact that intimidation extended to the families of the communicators.
PANAMA: Ex-president’s $5.5M suit jeopardizes leading Panama newspaper
LatAm Journalism Review: La Prensa, a storied Panamanian newspaper with a history of challenging authorities, is under existential threat. A civil lawsuit brought by a former president is now before the Supreme Court and could lead to the 44-year-old publication closing its doors.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Seigonie Mohammed embraces dynamics of journalism
Newsday: THE SAYING, “There are no wrong turns, only unexpected paths,” is an apt description of the career path taken by meteorologist Seigonie Mohammed.
VENEZUELA: Repression of the media in Venezuela: more than 400 media outlets closed in a decade (Spanish)
Invezz: Over the past decade, Venezuela has seen the closure of more than 400 media outlets, marking a severe crackdown on press freedom under President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
REGIONAL: CT Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship 2024-2025 [4th Cycle] (Opportunity)
Opportunity Desk: Climate Tracker is thrilled to announce that they are now accepting applications for the fourth cycle of their Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship, which will run from October 2024 to February 2025.
REGIONAL: Gender-based violence in newsrooms: Study reveals impunity and lack of protocols in Latin America
LatAm Journalism Review: In Colombia, the negligence of a major media outlet in the face of a case of sexual assault by an editor against a journalist led the Constitutional Court to establish that public and private companies are responsible for preventing and sanctioning gender-based violence in workplaces.
REGIONAL: The press in exile is defeating censorship in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela (Spanish)
Confidencial: Luz Mely Reyes, director of Efecto Cocuyo and Carlos Manuel Alvarez, director of El Estornudo: journalism is surviving dictatorships
ISRAEL: Public broadcaster to launch Oct. 7 digital museum in English as well as Hebrew
The Times of Israel: Israel’s Kan public broadcaster will launch “Kan, 7.10.360,” its flagship, post-October 7 project in English, as the country approaches the one-year mark of the Hamas terrorist attack.
QATAR: Is Qatar Emerging as the Next Regional Media Powerhouse?
Movie Maker: With the backing of Media City Qatar, it’s not just looking possible—it’s happening.
SAUDI ARABIA: Free detainees ahead of Internet Governance Forum
Article19: Saudi Arabia must free all individuals arbitrarily detained solely for their online expression ahead of hosting the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, which will take place from 15 to 19 December 2024.
SYRIA: Journalist Bakr al-Kassem released one week after his arrest by Türkiye-backed authorities
IFJ: Syrian freelance journalist Bakr al-Kassem was freed on 2 September, one week after he was arrested by Türkiye-backed local authorities in the city of al-Bab in northern Syria when returning from a work assignment.
TURKEY: Meta removes TRT Arabi documentary on Israeli attacks against journalists
TRT World: The Turkish Radio Television’s documentary “Journalism Under Genocide,” which exposes Israeli military crimes against journalists, was deleted from Facebook, sparking controversy over Meta’s policies.
TURKEY: Turkey’s media regulator says journalists on YouTube need licenses
VOA: A requirement by Turkey’s media regulator for journalists on YouTube to have a broadcast license is being criticized as a way for authorities to more easily censor content.
CANADA: 15 series and 3 podcasts from TFO soon on ICI TOU.TV and Radio-Canadio OHdio (Press release – French)
Radio-Canada: Radio-Canada is teaming up with TFO to offer high-quality educational and inclusive content in French on its ICI TOU.TV and Radio-Canada OHdio platforms starting this fall. This partnership is part of the desire to promote French-language productions from across Canada.
CANADA: A public broadcaster is a necessity for a thriving democracy (Letter)
BayToday: Canada needs to strengthen its public service media, not defund it
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada celebrates Canadian storytellers at TIFF (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada proudly highlights its ongoing commitment to Canadian creators and filmmakers with the following 13 titles selected to premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2024), including one Gala Presentation, three Special Presentations and one film in TIFF’s competitive Platform Programme, which showcases bold directorial voices.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada’s first 2024–2025 quarterly report now available online (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: “Our TV advertising revenue continues to face pressure due to challenging market and industry trends. This has been further compounded by higher expenses, primarily driven by increases in programming expenses. We remain committed to navigating these challenges while maintaining our focus on financial sustainability.”
CANADA: Climate journalism remains a top priority for CBC News (Editor’s blog)
CBC/Radio-Canada: In 2021, CBC News committed to making climate change a significant focus of its journalism
CBC: If you want to understand the struggling local news landscape, look no further than Atlantic Canada, where a takeover has kept the region’s largest newspaper publisher in operation, but still leaves local journalism in a tenuous state.
CANADA: More than 90% of Ontarians say democracy is more important than ever, according to TVO poll (Press release)
TVO: Designed to capture the province’s current sentiment about democracy and pressing issues, TVO’s online survey found that over 90% of respondents believe democracy is more crucial now than ever.
CANADA: News at Radio-Canada (LinkedIn Article – French)
Radio-Canada: […] Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve seen how our teams are working to develop local journalism, the main aim of which is to adapt to the reality of our communities, to tell the stories that are most important to them and to ensure that our bond of trust with them continues to grow.
US: California’s Closed-Door Deal & the Fight for Local Journalism (Insight)
Free Press: Since 2023, California has been on the frontlines of a policy debate taking place across the country: How can lawmakers help stem the relentless downward spiral of local journalism?
US: CPB defunding and reauthorization are scary. We should talk about them anyway. (Paywall)
Current: It’s time to get over the Beetlejuice effect — we need to drag the monster out from under the bed, look it in the eyes and call it by name.
US: Maryland Public Television continues national expansion of HBCU Week programming initiative in 2024 and 2025 (Press release)
CPB: CPB funding will support 24 new short films alongside other content and activities; other funding will support a new feature film for presentation on PBS in 2025
US: Meet the second round of public media journalists in our Poynter/CPB fellowship (Press release)
CPB: The Poynter Institute is pleased to announce the 26 journalists who have been named to the second cohort of the Public Media Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative, developed and delivered by the Poynter Institute and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
US: More journalists are leaving big cities—and finding America
CJR: Miller is one of many reporters who started out in large, coastal cities who have more recently chosen to live in parts of the country not known as media power centers—a shift propelled by economic necessity and accelerated by the remote-work revolution and the pandemic.
US: NPR Welcomes New Board Elections (Press release)
NPR: NPR welcomes the election of several board members, including four Member Directors, two Public Directors and one Non-Board Distribution/Interconnection Committee member.
US: The Civics Collection on PBS LearningMedia: A Q&A With Seeta Pai of GBH
CPB: This August, GBH and PBS rolled out the Civics Collection, a media-rich set of free educational resources to encourage civic understanding and engagement among middle and high school students.
US: The mainstream press is failing America – and people are understandably upset (Opinion)
The Guardian: The media is still pursuing the appearance of fairness by treating true and false, normal and outrageous, as equally valid
US: The media landscape is changing, but audiences still want news
Poynter: Industry leaders broke down myths about news avoidance and trust in discussions with Poynter about state of the news industry
US: Unions for freelance writers seek new deal with GBH, WNET and PBS SoCal
Current: Unions representing 150 freelance writers are working with three public television stations on a new contract.
US: West Virginia Public Broadcasting officials concerned about future state funding
News and Sentinel: One of the two foundations that manages the private grants and donations for West Virginia Public Broadcasting is concerned about what the future political landscape means for state funding for the educational broadcaster.
US: What visiting 13 radio stations taught me about serving our communities (Opinion)
Current: How do we earn people’s trust? We do it by serving their genuine human needs.
756 media freedom alerts in first six months of 2024 – MFRR Monitoring Report
ECPMF: The partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium today publish the latest edition of its Monitoring Report which documents and analyses all press freedom violations recorded on its platform Mapping Media Freedom from January to June 2024
Advertiser exodus from X gathers pace with 26% ‘planning to cut spending’
The Guardian: More than a quarter of advertisers are planning to cut spending on Elon Musk’s X over concerns about the social media platform’s content and trust in the information disseminated, according to new global research.
Big tech is painting itself as journalism’s saviour. We should tread carefully
The Conversation: Programs such as the Google News Initiative promise not only to keep journalism alive, but by enabling innovation, to also help it adapt and thrive into the future.
Google’s second antitrust trial could help shape the future of online ads
CNBC: A month after losing a landmark antitrust case brought by the Department of Justice, Google is headed back to court to face off for a second time against federal prosecutors.
The Guardian: Journalists and other writers are employed to improve the quality of chatbot replies. The irony of working for an industry that may well make their craft redundant is not lost on them
Media war: Journalists vs. content creators—Taylor Lorenz explains
Mind Matters
PR and betting companies have articles indexed in Google Top Stories
Press Gazette: New ranking reveals which publishers are most likely to win the race to appear in Google Top Stories.
CANADA: Public media leaders from around the globe to gather in Ottawa to tackle threats to public broadcasting (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada will welcome executives from around the world to Ottawa-Gatineau from October 8–10 for the 2024 Public Broadcasters International conference (PBI Ottawa 2024).
SRG SSR Public Value: More than games, fun and excitement: Why we need entertainment (Press release – German)
ORF: Entertainment programs don’t have it easy. In contrast to information programs, they are often dismissed as unnecessary. That’s wrong. A collection of research results on the social value of entertainment shows why.
The 9/11 Commission Report turns 20. It still has lessons for journalists.
CJR
The Guardian: Pakistani reporter Kiran Nazish’s coalition has helped thousands of women being attacked or detained for their work. But, she warns, the situation has reached a crisis point
Underexplored Ways to Regulate Social Media
Tech Policy: In early July, the US Supreme Court returned cases involving content moderation laws passed in Texas and Florida to lower courts, asserting that “[the] government may not, in supposed pursuit of better expressive balance, alter a private speaker’s own editorial choices about the mix of speech it wants to convey.”
What to expect from the Global Summit on Disinformation
LatAm Journalism Review: The fight of journalism against disinformation in Latin America, and the world, does not stop. From the roles of artificial intelligence and media literacy, to funding and networking opportunities, the Global Summit on Disinformation aims to equip journalists with tools to champion the spread of fact and fight against fiction.
You’re in prison. Is media coverage your best hope, or your worst nightmare?
CJR
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