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.
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
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...
Reset Required? Evaluating the First Two Years of the Media Freedom Coalition
Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
What we're listening to...
How digital sleuths changed journalism
The Media Show: Open-source investigators forensically analyse digital evidence – social media posts, eyewitness videos, satellite imagery – to find the truth behind news events. Their techniques are now increasingly used by investigative journalists to achieve big impact. An investigation by The New York Times into civilian deaths from air and drone strikes has resulted in a policy change by the US military. Also in the programme – in the west it’s headlined as “the Ukraine crisis”, but how is the situation being reported in Russian and Ukrainian media?
Sign up to our Global Call Out
Promote, support and advocate for public service media
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
DRC: “Spies were being sent to look for me”
Index on Censorship: When our correspondent in Africa reported on the crackdown on media freedom in the DRC he was told he was going to be taken by authorities. That led to him fleeing.
EGYPT: CPJ calls on European Commission to stand for press freedom during el-Sisi visit
CPJ: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen must speak out on media freedom when she meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi this week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday.
GHANA: #WorldRadioDay: Radio has become a source of companionship – Veteran Broadcaster
Ghana Web: Veteran Ghanaian Broadcaster and Former Head of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Radio and Television School, Felicia Agyapong, has explained that many people rely on radio now for association.
GUINEA BISSAU: Lobby demands probe into attack on Guinea Bissau radio station
The East African: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is calling on authorities in Guinea Bissau to investigate the latest attack on a radio station known for criticising the country’s leadership.
LIBYA: RSF draws UN’s attention to press freedom violation in Libya since 2016
RSF: After providing the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya with a detailed report on press freedom violations in Libya, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the UN’s experts to investigate the very disturbing situation of journalists and media outlets in this North African country.
NAMIBIA: RADIO DAY | Umbi Karuaihe-Upi and Franlin Thomas speak on evaluation of radio NBC (Watch)
NBC
SOUTH AFRICA: National Broadcaster “May Have Insufficient Funds To Cover Operational Expenses” – Says Country’s Auditor General
BMA: The South Africa Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has cautioned that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) may have negative operating cash flows until the next financial year and may have insufficient funds to cover operational expenses, including salaries.
SOUTH AFRICA: R3.2 billion failed to bail out SABC, oversight committee hears
News24: The R3.2-billion bailout government gave the SABC three years ago did little to improve its financial position, with irregular spend and other financial concerns still dogging Auckland Park, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts heard on Wednesday.
SOUTH AFRICA: Radio is thriving in South Africa: 80% are tuning in
The Conversation: Almost three decades into democracy, radio is thriving in South Africa. Radio listenership in the country is consistently higher than the global average. And it in fact increased during the COVID-19 lockdowns of the past two years.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC COMMEMORATES WORLD RADIO DAY
SABC: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) commemorates World Radio Day by fully aligning itself with this year’s theme that is entrenched on the principle of trust.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC listeners share their views as the public broadcaster in Mpumalanga celebrates 85 years of existence
SABC: SABC listeners say the public broadcaster should focus on programming that has content of building unity within the society as it celebrates 85-years of existence.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africans have stopped paying their TV licences – but a new tax could change that
Business Tech: An analysis of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) annual reports over the last four years shows that South Africans have steadily stopped paying their TV licences.
SOMALIA: 2021 saw growing threat to media freedom
IFJ: Media freedom and safety came under systematic attack in 2021, with the killing of two journalists and the arrest of 34 media workers, a shocking new report by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has revealed.
TANZANIA: Victory for media freedom as ban on four newspapers lifted
Amnesty International: The lifting of ban on four newspapers that had been barred from publishing since 2016 and 2017 for exposing alleged corruption and human rights violations is a positive step, but the Tanzanian authorities must do more to guarantee media freedom going forward, Amnesty International said today.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Opens Up The Airwaves By Granting Licenses To Community Radio Stations
BMA: Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa commissioned a new community radio station, Avuxeni FM, in Chiredzi recently, indicating that Zimbabwe is on track to a new exciting era in information access and dissemination under the Second Republic.
REGIONAL: AFEX demands more capacity building for radio stations to deliver credible information
AFEX: …We call on the governments across the continent to strengthen the capacities of media workers, particularly radio stations to enable them deliver credible information to the public.
REGIONAL: Africa’s Video On-Demand (VOD) Will Experience High Churn Rate In 2022 – Says Report
BMA: Millions of paid subscriptions to video-on-demand services (SVOD) will be cancelled this year in Africa and worldwide, with churn rates as high as 30 per cent in some markets.
REGIONAL: IPI launches new monitoring and advocacy initiative in Africa
IPI: Project will systematically collect information on press freedom violations in Africa and work to hold states accountable.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban free detained journalists held in Kabul while working for UNHCR
DW: Two foreign journalists and Afghans working with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have been released after news broke about their detentions on Friday.
BANGLADESH: Community radio’s social impact in Bangladesh
RadioInfo: Community radio in South Asia seems to caught in the crossfire between ‘development’ and ‘rights’ as restrictive legislation and cumbersome application procedures handicap the sector’s growth.
CAMBODIA: Cambodia postpones ‘national internet gateway’ plan due to COVID
Nikkei: Controversial plans by Cambodia’s government to route all web traffic through a “national internet gateway” (NIG) have been postponed, an official told Nikkei Asia on Tuesday.
CHINA: At Beijing Press Conferences, the Questions Tell Their Own Story
The New York Times: There were 12 questions asked in English on Saturday, and 11 were about a doping scandal. There were seven questions asked in Chinese, and they were about, basically, anything else.
CHINA: Foreign correspondents’ presence in China threatened by visa weaponisation
RSF: The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China denounces, in its annual report, the regime’s policy of weaponising foreign journalists’ visas which, alongside systematic harassment, makes covering the country an increasingly difficult exercise.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong democracy and media freedom has ‘entered endgame’
The Guardian: The fight for democracy and media freedom in Hong Kong feels like it has “entered its endgame”, after a year of crackdowns, arrests and forced closures of outlets, the International Federation for Journalists has said.
INDIA: Community radio station helps residents in remote disadvantaged area in India
YeniSafak: A community radio station has become a tool to disseminate useful information to listeners in one of India’s most disadvantaged districts in the northern state of Haryana.
INDIA: Media One challenges Kerala High Court order upholding transmission ban
Indian Express: In its appeal, Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, which owns Media One TV, said the threat to national security is raised as a ruse to cancel the license of the channel.
INDIA: Press in chains: Fear and trolling in Modi’s ‘new India’
Dawn: Prime Minister Modi hates to be questioned and hates it even more when the media challenges his narrative.
INDIA: YouTube terminates Sansad TV’s account for ‘violating community guidelines’
Scroll: Indian government-owned television channel Sansad TV’s YouTube account was terminated on Tuesday by the platform for allegedly violating its community guidelines.
INDONESIA: National Press Day: Jokowi Says Criticism from Media Is Very Necessary
Tempo: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said press freedom is a fundamental pillar for the advancement of Indonesia as one of the largest democratic countries in the world.
JAPAN: NHK admits inappropriate subtitles used in Tokyo Olympics documentary
The Japan TImes: NHK admitted in a report released Thursday that the subtitles in a documentary program related to the Tokyo Olympics were inappropriate.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan prosecutors threaten to take sting out of critical media
Eurasianet: The assault on media critical of the government is happening on multiple fronts.
KYRGYZSTAN: OCCRP Condemns Growing State Pressure Against Independent Media in Kyrgyzstan
OCCRP: The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is deeply concerned by the Kyrgyz government’s mounting assault on press freedom.
MYANMAR: Meet one of the journalists fighting to keep press freedom alive in Myanmar (Watch)
PBS: Myanmar’s government continues to crackdown on freedoms after it removed Aung San Suu Kyi, the nation’s democratically elected leader after a coup.
MYANMAR: Yangon arrest brings number of media workers currently held in Myanmar to 60
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Thu Rein Kyaw, co-founder and coordinator of the Media Top 4 news outlet, who was arrested in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.
PAKISTAN: PBC DG says radio ‘most effective medium’ during disasters
ABU: The Director General of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Muhammad Asim Khichi, has said radio is the most effective and popular medium in dissemination of information during catastrophes and natural calamities.
PHILIPPINES: Booked for that day again, Marcos won’t attend CNN Philippines’ debates
The Philippine Star: Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is skipping his third forum moderated by an independent media organization, citing conflict of schedule but has committed to a forum on a network owned by a pastor who has endorsed him and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
SINGAPORE: Govt to provide SPH Media Trust with funding of up to S$900 million over five years
TodayOnline: The Government will set aside funding of up to S$900 million over the next five years for the SPH Media Trust, with the non-profit media entity required to provide progress updates every six months, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said on Tuesday (Feb 15).
SOUTH KOREA: It was only available on KBS! Impressive moments of unpopular sports not to be missed! (Press release – Korean)
KBS: Blood from unpopular sports. Sweat. KBS with tears, the dignity of public broadcasting that proved the Olympic spirit more valuable than viewership “Great help in expanding the base of the Winter Olympics”.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS’ Public Mission to Reflect Diversity, Inclusion, Equality Recognized Worldwide
KBS: KBS programs achieved the most outstanding performance at a wide range of international TV festivals and awards in 2021. In 2021 alone, KBS claimed a total of 33 awards from 21 prestigious audio-visual competitions and events across Asia, America, and Europe.
SOUTH KOREA: Presidential candidates united on press freedom, differ on methods
The Korea Herald: The four major candidates in the ongoing presidential race for South Korea were united in the need to assure freedom of the press, but had differing views on whether additional agencies or laws were needed to achieve it and to protect people from false reports.
THAILAND: Audience Council and listeners of Thai PBS Central Region Organizes a forum in case of oil pipe leaking in the middle of the sea, Rayong Province (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: On February 8, 2022, the Central Region Audience Council The Public Broadcasting Organization of Thailand (SAT) or Thai PBS held a forum to listen to situational opinions.
REGIONAL: Asia Pacific tops IFJ’s Killed List as deadliest region for journalists
IFJ: 21 journalists and media workers lost their lives during 2021 in the Asia Pacific region, accounting for almost half of all journalist killings worldwide, the International Federation of Journalists’ annual Killed List has found.
ABC: The ABC entered 2022 with the value of its services widely recognised and appreciated across the Australian community. Against the backdrop of a challenging year, the ABC achieved its highest reach in a decade in 2021…
AUSTRALIA: ABC veterans decry political interference
The New Daily: “Relentless attacks” on the ABC from the Coalition have drained up to $600 million in annual funding from the national broadcaster and blunted its criticism of the federal government, according to a report released on Monday.
AUSTRALIA: How online abuse in Australia is shutting down crucial debates and damaging democracy
ABC: In Australia, more than a third of internet users have experienced some kind of online harassment or abuse such as offensive language, being sent unwanted sexual material or threats of physical violence.
AUSTRALIA: Is there a future for local and regional news? Going digital amid a changing media landscape post-COVID (Watch)
ABC
AUSTRALIA: SBS’s new Arabic and Mandarin news bulletins premiere tonight on SBS On Demand (Press release)
SBS: SBS’s new locally produced Arabic and Mandarin television news bulletin – SBS عربي News and SBS 中文 News – will premiere live on SBS On Demand this evening from 8pm AEST.
NEW ZEALAND: Media commentator Andrew Holden : Journalists at the protest (Listen)
RNZ: How do journalists handle the abuse and threats from protestors when they’re just doing their job, to bear witness to what’s happening? Andrew says the pressures on them, and their employers to keep them safe.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ now on rova, TAHI launches content with two series + opportunities for rangatahi creatives (Press release)
RNZ: RNZ is pleased to announce that RNZ National, RNZ Concert, RNZ Pacific and new rangatahi platform TAHI are now available on MediaWorks’ streaming radio app rova.
NEW ZEALAND: Why the ‘team of $55 million’ is in the public interest (Listen)
Newsroom: The Government’s helping hand to an industry in trouble – the media – has more than the usual critics, most of them concerned about journalists being too scared to bite the hand that’s feeding them.
NEW ZEALAND: Will new disability legislation include access to media? (Listen)
RNZ: People who are deaf, blind or low vision are currently missing out being able to fully access one of life’s simple pleasures – watching TV.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Despite UN rights review, attacks on press freedom continue in PNG with suspension of journalist
Civicus: Papua New Guinea’s civic space rating on the CIVICUS Monitor remains as ‘obstructed’. Among concerns documented in the country are the harassment and threats against human rights defenders, particularly those working on land and environmental rights, as well as intimidation and threats against journalists.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Media Council condemns EMTV over ‘dangerous’ suspension of news chief
Asia Pacific Report: The Media Council of PNG has condemned the suspension of the news chief of Papua New Guinea’s major television channel, EMTV, describing the move as a “dangerous precedent … in an election year”.
AZERBAIJAN: New Azerbaijan media law increases restrictions on the press
CPJ: Azerbaijan authorities should repeal a newly enacted media law that increases state control of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
BELARUS: What you can do to support Belarus’s independent media
IFEX: Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has made a global call to support independent journalism on the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus (February 9).
BELGIUM: VRT Deploys the OOONA Integrated Platform for Localization
TV Tech: OOONA has announced that the Flemish public broadcaster VRT has signed a contract for a multi-year license of the OOONA Integrated platform and has deployed the platform to handle its localization efforts.
FINLAND: EFJ condemned violence against journalists during convoy protest
EFJ: While covering the event, at least five among reporters and cameramen from MTV3, Iltalehti, and Yle were threatened by some individuals in the mob in the capitol’s street. Yle’s reporter and cameraman at the scene said they were continuously verbally and physically threatened.
FINLAND: Request to Yle’s Supervisory Board for a preliminary assessment of the company’s audio content (Press release – Finnish)
Yle: The current state and development plans for Yle’s audio content supply are being investigated.
FINLAND: Yle Radio Finland is still a favorite channel for Finns (Finnish)
Yle: The most popular time to listen to the radio in Finland is at 9 am on weekdays. On average, there are more than a million Finns in front of the radio at that time.
FRANCE: Elections 2022: 21 media join forces against disinformation (French)
AFP Factuel: As the major electoral deadlines of 2022 approach, the battle over facts and lies is a major issue in France. Faced with this challenge, 21 French media from all walks of life are joining forces to promote news against fake news.
FRANCE: RADIO FRANCE perpetuates its approach to greener advertising on its airwaves (Press release – French)
Radio France: At the end of 2020, Radio France launched its advertising space “Transition en commun”, thanks to which eight organizations actively acting in favor of the ecological transition were able to benefit from free advertising space on its airwaves in 2021.
GERMANY: Draft social media rules for WDR employees sparks debate (German)
Deutschlandfunk: WDR employees fear that freedom of expression will be restricted as a result of new house rules on private social media use.
GERMANY: ZDF Enterprises to become ZDF Studios
Advanced Television: From April 1st 2022, ZDF Enterprises GmbH will operate under the new name ‘ZDF Studios GmbH’.
HUNGARY: Hungarian government bypasses court order allowing journalists to report from public hospitals
CPJ: Hungarian authorities should not grant state media preferential access to public facilities, and should ensure that independent news outlets can cover the COVID-19 pandemic freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
HUNGARY: IPI publishes report on the role of Hungarian capital in foreign media
IPI: New report produced by IPI in cooperation with regional media experts and investigative journalists.
ICELAND: Interviewee analysis 2021 (Icelandic)
RÚV: The recording of the gender ratio of the interviewees is made public every three months in accordance with the RÚV’s policy on gender equality.
ITALY: Rai supports the new UNHCR campaign for Afghanistan (Press release – Italian)
Rai: From 14 to 20 February, in-depth studies, interviews and a fundraiser are scheduled to help the Afghan population, caught between the economic crisis, food insecurity and risks associated with freezing winter temperatures.
KOSOVO: Media freedom organisations call for an immediate end to the denigrating campaign against journalists (Letter)
RSF: Individuals linked to Kosovo’s ruling party and the president incited the public against journalists after two media outlets had made a mistake followed by a public apology.
RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Pro-Kremlin media stoke tensions around Ukraine
EU Reporter: As the diplomatic efforts to stop aggressive escalation along the Ukrainian borders continue, the pro-Kremlin media keeps stoking the tensions with inflammatory and misleading messages.
SPAIN: RTVE donates 53 computers to projects to help minors, people with disabilities and mental illnesses (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: This Wednesday, RTVE has donated 53 computers to five non-profit entities: the Syrian People’s Support Association, the Amigó Foundation, the Adelias Foundation, the Masnatur Foundation and the Sisters Hospitallers of the Province of Spain.
SPAIN: RTVE’s ‘La Gran Consulta’ visits Bilbao (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: The mobile study of ‘La Gran Consulta’ of RTVE has visited this Monday, February 14, Bilbao. The Biscayan capital was the seventeenth stop on the route that began in October in Madrid and that covers more than 15,000 kilometers until March to bring public radio and television closer to citizens.
SWEDEN: Cilla Benkö: Responsibility a crucial future issue for all audio creators (Blog – Swedish)
Swedish Radio: “The media landscape has changed enormously in the past ten years, and audio offerings in particular have absolutely exploded. Never before has there been so much for listeners to choose from…”
SWEDEN: SVT is investing 300 million in Swedish film (Swedish)
SVT: SVT’s CEO Hanna Stjärne writes about the investment.
SWEDEN: Swedish Radio is launching a unique trainee program for those who speak minority languages (Press release – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: To find and train future journalists with special language skills, we are now starting a trainee program that anyone who speaks one of the requested languages can apply for.
SWITZERLAND: State funding for Switzerland’s private media flops at ballot box
Swissinfo.ch: Voters have rejected a decision by parliament to increase public funding for Swiss media, primarily for print and online products.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss media workforce keeps shrinking
Swissinfo.ch: Newsroom employment dropped by a quarter between 2011 and 2019 as media jobs disappear and journalists pivot to more lucrative careers. The Swiss voted against financial aid for the shrinking sector on Sunday.
UK: Pandemic puts ‘rocket boosters’ on live blogs as sites see sky-high engagement
Press Gazette: The pandemic has attached “rocket boosters” to news live blogs and led to more investment from publishers as sites try to more closely mirror the experience of social media scrolling.
UK: The challenges of making news for a multinational state – a view from the UK
RISJ
UK: UK Lords to consider BBC funding
Advanced Television: The Communications and Digital Committee of the House of Lords, the UK’s upper legislative chamber, has launched a new inquiry into the future funding of the BBC.
UKRAINE: Helmets and body armor: How Ukraine’s press corps is prepping for possible war
CPJ: As world leaders launch diplomatic offensives to try to stave off a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian journalists are preparing to cover a conflict that could take a catastrophic toll on their country.
GENERAL: Free European Media: the second edition will take place on 17-18 March (Event)
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is pleased to co-organise the second edition of theFree European Media conference which will take place in Gdansk, Poland, on the 17th and 18th of March. Last year, the event was cancelled due to the increased outbreak of the coronavirus.
GENERAL: “Russian disinformation campaigns are designed to target weak spots in every society” (French – Paywall)
Le Monde: European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova advocates a code of good conduct to reduce the spread of false information.
BAHAMAS: ARE JOURNALISTS THE ANSWER TO RESTORING PUBLIC TRUST?
Eyewitness News: The Davis-led administration’s engagement of the media has unearthed scrutiny of the seemingly incestuous relationship that exists between public and private institutions within a small developing state.
BOLIVIA: Bolivian media see that impunity and corruption risk freedom of the press (Spanish)
Swiss Info: The National Press Association (ANP), which brings together the main print media in Bolivia, warned this Sunday that the successive acts of corruption and judicial impunity recently uncovered in the country represent ” a high risk” for freedom of the press and expression.
COLOMBIA: Radio Nacional de Colombia: 80 years of sound stories in a single book (Press release – Spanish)
Radio Nacional de Colombia: This virtual book brings together several questions about the development of the station in terms of its ideas, technological development, among other aspects.
EL SALVADOR: El Salvador: they ask to investigate Nayib Bukele for alleged espionage (Spanish)
DW: Cristosal said that the Salvadoran president is one of the officials who “may have been involved in the acquisition of intelligence services provided by the NSO Group.”
MEXICO: Mexico on track for one of deadliest years for media
France 24: Mexico is on course for one of its deadliest years yet for the press, with five journalists murdered already in 2022, prompting calls for authorities to end a culture of impunity.
MEXICO: Press group calls on Mexican president to stop attacks
OPB: The Inter American Press Association is calling on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to halt a days-long series of verbal attacks on a Mexican journalist
MEXICO: THE IFT AND RED MÉXICO SIGN A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT (Spanish)
TV4 Noticias: Among the objectives, it stands out, the design of programs and projects to strengthen the public and social media so that information, education and culture can reach all corners of the country.
SURINAME: Suriname’s most threatened journalist no longer dares to go outside (Dutch)
NRC: A column about media personalities from abroad. This week: the threatened Surinamese journalist Jason Pinas, who recently found two hand grenades under his car. “I just don’t know who to trust.”
VENEZUELA: Diosdado Cabello: «Now we go for La Patilla» (Spanish)
El Nacional: The first vice president of the PSUV, Diosdado Cabello, warned that he will now go to La Patilla after having taken over the facilities of the newspaper El Nacional in Los Cortijos, which, he reiterated, he will use to create a university dedicated to communication.
LatAm Journalism Review: “For all practical purposes, the entire infrastructure of the newspaper was awarded to him. From an assets point of view, this will cause great damage. This is the newspaper’s most important asset,” Miguel Henrique Otero, director of the newspaper El Nacional, told LatAm Journalism Review (LJR).
REGIONAL: CBU Members Joining The Global Celebration Of Radio And Trust
CBU: President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Mrs. Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs is pleased to extend best wishes to the more than a dozen members of the Union who offer radio services on the occasion of World Radio Day to be marked on February 13, 2022.
REGIONAL: Covering violent conflict: For Latin American journalists, the challenge is in their own communities
LatAm Journalism Review: It’s been almost four years since Ecuadorian journalists Javier Ortega and Paúl Rivas, along with their driver Efraín Segarra, were abducted in Mataje, a town on Ecuador’s border with Colombia.
REGIONAL: RTVE holds the first Ibero-American Forum on Audiovisual Public Service (Spanish)
PR Noticias: RTVE announced through a statement the holding of the first Ibero-American Forum of Audiovisual Public Service. Spain and a broad representation of Ibero-American states participate in it.
TURKEY: 38 press freedom organizations, journalists urge Turkey to release journalist Sedef Kabaş
Bianet: The Coalition for Women in Journalism and 37 civil society organizations have released a joint statement and demanded the immediate release of journalist Sedef Kabaş, who has been arrested on charge of “insulting the President”.
TURKEY: Regulator must not use license powers to pressure international media
IPI: Several international broadcasters ordered to apply for license by Radio and Television High Council, which has a track record of punishing critical media.
TURKEY: Turkey’s Media Regulator Forces VOA and Others to Obtain Licenses
VOA News: Turkey’s media regulator on Wednesday gave three international broadcasters, including Voice of America’s Turkish Service, short notice to obtain broadcast licenses or have their content blocked.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia launches first news radio station
ABU: Known as Al-Ekhbariya Radio, it was launched on 13 February to coincide with World Radio Day. It is a radio branch of the Al-Ekhbariya TV channel and aims at focusing on local specialised content.
SYRIA: Kurdish Broadcaster Blames Politics for Syria Suspension
VOA News: A media regulator in northeastern Syria has suspended the license of a major Kurdish news network in a move that critics believe is political.
REGIONAL: ‘We are in crisis’: Middle East journalists on censorship, imprisonment and exile
Middle East Monitor
CANADA: Audit finds ‘clear disparity’ in Knowledge Network funding for filmmakers of colour
CBC News: An internal audit of B.C. public broadcaster the Knowledge Network has found a “clear disparity” when it comes to production funding for TV and film producers of colour compared to white producers.
CANADA: Ethnic media provides added perspectives on “Freedom Convoy”
New Canadian Media: Immigration has fuelled a thriving ethnic media sector, offering Canadians an alternative lens on current affairs.
CANADA: I was abused by my partner. It shaped my career as a journalist
CBC News: I learned to hide the signs of violence over shame and fear of being called ‘biased’.
CANADA: Our journalists are facing more harassment, threats for doing their jobs (Editor’s Blog)
CBC News: Erosion of trust in journalism has a real impact on the people who do it, and by extension, those we serve.
CANADA: Our laws must change to protect journalists who are simply doing their jobs (Opinion)
The Toronto Star: Social media platforms have allowed disseminators of hateful messages anonymity to bully, badger and intimidate journalists with impunity.
CANADA: Threats, attacks, and insults: Canadian reporters on covering vaccine mandate protests
CPJ: “Fake news.” “Go home.” “You’re the virus.” These are just a few of the insults that protesters have hurled at Evan Solomon, a reporter at national Canadian broadcaster CTV, and his colleagues as they have covered demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa.
US: American Public Media Will Distribute BBC World Service Programming Through 2027
Inside Radio: The BBC World Service fills the overnight hours on hundreds of public radio stations nationwide. The British public broadcaster has just struck a deal with American Public Media to continue beaming its news programming network to U.S. households through 2027.
US: Pennsylvania governor’s budget proposes restored funding for public TV (Paywall)
Current: Pennsylvania’s public television stations may receive state funds in fiscal year 2023, just a year after seeing the support zeroed out.
US: Public Media Summit To Feature NextGen TV Panel
TVNewsCheck: ATSC 3.0 will be highlighted during the virtual Public Media Summit sponsored by America’s Public Television Stations Feb. 28– March 1.
US: Stop the Presses: How Litigants Use the Courts to Try to Gag the Press
GEN: Litigants are going to court with a once rare request: an order to stop news organizations from reporting the news
US: Why Immigration Coverage Needs to Center Migrants’ Stories
Nieman Reports: It’s time to ditch the question, “does this hurt Democrats or Republicans more?”
US & CANADA: Right-wing media offers fawning coverage of Canadian truckers as it encourages similar protest in US
CNN
Democracy Index 2021: the China challenge
EIU: Democratisation suffered more reversals in 2021, with the percentage of people living in a democracy falling to well below 50% and authoritarian regimes gaining ground.
Global Conference for Media Freedom 2022: joint communiqué (Statement)
Gov.uk: We, the members of the Media Freedom Coalition, have come together at the ministerial meeting at the Third Global Conference for Media Freedom, held on February 9 and 10 and hosted by Estonia and the Estonian Institute of Human Rights.
Global effort to defend journalism needs a reset – here’s how to do better
The Conversation: A group of 50 governments is meeting in Estonia to discuss ways to protect journalists. But are their voices being heard?
How to report on neurodiversity accurately and ethically
Journalism.co.uk: The media and the public are becoming more aware of conditions like autism, dyslexia or ADHD. Sensitive reporting can promote a wider understanding and help fight stereotypes
IFJ Killed List Report 2021 (Report)
IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists has today published the most comprehensive report on journalists and media staff killed in work-related incidents around the world during 2021.
Journalists organisations launch projects to address challenges during pandemic
EFJ: The Covid-19 pandemic has a great impact on journalists and journalists’ organisations across Europe. … More than ever, stronger unions are essential to protect the rights of journalists and their working conditions.
Marius Dragomir on the Impact of Media Development Spending
CMDS: CMDS Director Marius Dragomir talked to students from Spanish universities about the puzzling preliminary results of an ongoing research project on the impact of spending on media development, a piece on MediaPowerMonitor reports.
Media in Figures: Highest Number of State Controlled Media in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia
Media Power Monitor: The highest number of state-controlled media outlets in the world are in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, 94 outlets in each.
The history of radio and sport
Sportanddev.org: For World Radio Day, we look at how the radio was integral to the development and popularisation of sport across the world.
Why investigative journalism is a goldmine for star-studded TV
CBC News: Hollywood is looking to journalists for their next big hit, as a recent slew of TV miniseries have been adapted from investigative magazine articles and deep-dive podcasts. The movies have taken inspiration from reporters for decades — but what’s novel about the next phase of this trend?
PSM Weekly is available via email. You can subscribe by signing up to our mailing list at the bottom of the page or email editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Header image: Microphone in radio studio stock photo. Credit: avdyachenko/iStock
Sign up to PSM Weekly
Receive our weekly round-up of public service media headlines and PMA news straight to your inbox.
Related Posts
