Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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GBC’S Chief Executive Officer, Gerard Teuma to retire upon reaching 60
GBC News: GBC’S Chief Executive Officer, Gerard Teuma, is to retire upon reaching 60 in a few weeks time. Mr Teuma, who began his career at GBC 38 years ago, has held the post of CEO since 2012.
What we're listening to...
A Data Journalist in Ukraine
The Data Journalism Podcast: Anatoliy Bondarenko is Data editor at Texty.org.ua, an award-winning news and data site in Ukraine, from where he joins Alberto and Simon to discuss his life in a war zone as a data journalist.
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ESWATINI & NAMIBIA: Eswatini Television Authority visits NBC (Watch)
NBC: A delegation from the Eswatini Television Authority is in Namibia and visited the nbc to share notes and benchmark skills across the broadcasting arena.
EGYPT: Egypt TV workers demand pay justice as state media star dims
Middle East Eye: Workers have been protesting for weeks over late payments as the country’s 35,000-strong union struggles to pay billions of debts.
ETHIOPIA: Journalists condemn media crackdown in Ethiopia
The East African: A group of sixteen media professionals have signed a petition condemning Ethiopian government for mistreating media practitioners, which they attribute to the shrinking press freedom.
THE GAMBIA: 3 media houses express will to sign Collective Bargaining Agreement
The Point: The Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), Choice FM, and Eye Africa TV media houses have expressed their will to commit to the CBA, which is aimed at addressing the issues of poor wages, late payment of salaries and a lack of other essential employee benefits.
GHANA: NMC constitutes new boards for state-owned media – Prof. Samuel Debrah Chairman, GBC (3 March)
GBC: The National Media Commission (NMC) has constituted new governing boards for public corporations, managing the four state-owned media.
GHANA & ISRAEL: Ghana and Israel deepen relations, Ambassador Sufa calls on GBC Management (Watch)
GBC: On Thursday, March 10, 2022, Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Shlomit Sufa, interacted with Management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, GBC, on how the Public Service broadcaster operates.
NIGERIA: FG Commends United Nations Information Centre for Training Journalists
This Day: The Federal Government of Nigeria has commended the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) and Media Awareness and Information for All Network (MAIN) for their commitment to advocacy, sensitisation and training of critical stakeholders, especially journalists, on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SOUTH AFRICA: Ministry of Communications concerned about SABC’s declining revenue (2 March)
SABC News: Parliament’s Standing Committee of Public Accounts ( Scopa) has heard that despite declining revenue, the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has no intention of approaching the National Treasury cap in hand.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC radio chief on charm offensive to get advertisers back (Paywall)
News24: Even with the rise of digital media supplanting traditional media, radio remains a strong contender among South Africans. And the country’s most prominent player in radio, the SABC, has indicated an intention to capitalise on that.
SOUTH AFRICA: SIU to hear matter between Hlaudi Motsoneng, SABC over recovery of millions paid to musicians in 2016
SABC News: The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Special Tribunal will on Monday hear a review application in the matter between former SABC chief operations officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the public broadcaster.
SOUTH AFRICA: The big analogue TV switch-off is over-hasty and will be a disaster (Op-ed)
Media Monitoring Africa: On 31 March, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Khumbudzo Ntshaveni is due to terminate South Africa’s analogue technology, as part of the digital migration process initiated more than a decade ago.
SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudanese journalist Woja Emmanuel abducted by unidentified men
CPJ: South Sudanese authorities should conduct a swift and credible investigation into the recent abduction of journalist Woja Emmanuel, and ensure those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
TUNISIA: Amira Mohamed: SNJT decides on principle of general strike in public media, date to be set later
Agence Tunis Afrique Presse: Vice-President of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), Amira Mohamed, said that the principle of a general strike in the public media sector has been decided, adding that the date will be set later.
ZIMBABWE: Government progress update on two proposed media laws
MISA: The government is working on the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill and a Zimbabwe Media Practitioners’ Bill which it says will go a long way in democratising the media operating environment.
REGIONAL: African media outlets are documenting the continent’s tech industry
IJNet: African tech startups raised over $4 billion in 2021 — about twice the sum they raised the year prior, according to the Big Deal.
Balancing Act Africa: Podcasting in Africa has begun spread across the continent and is being adopted by both independent podcasters and more established broadcast companies.
AFGHANISTAN: 87% of women journalists have suffered discrimination under Taliban rule
IFJ: A survey by the Afghan National Journalists’ Union (ANJU) has revealed a dramatic slump in the number of women journalists working and a huge rise in the numbers facing discrimination in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power.
BANGLADESH: Rights bodies slam draft rules on social media
The Daily Star: Rights organisations have issued statements expressing alarm that the proposed social media regulation could pave the way to curb freedom of expression.
OHCHR: The Human Rights Committee this morning concluded its consideration of the third report of Cambodia on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with Committee Experts raising issues concerning freedom of expression and discriminatory COVID-19 prevention measures.
CHINA: China’s state media buys Meta ads pushing Russia’s line on war
Axios: Ads from Chinese state broadcaster CGTN are running on Meta-owned Facebook, targeting global users with pro-Russian talking points about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
CHINA: Chinese government adviser calls for law to ban ‘fake news’
The Guardian: Jia Qingguo claims the proliferation of misinformation online has fuelled tensions between China and foreign countries.
CHINA: Chinese state media appears to help push Russian war disinformation (Watch)
CNN: Despite Beijing’s public insistence of its “impartiality” in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, coverage of the bloody conflict in its strictly controlled state and social media tells a very different story.
SCMP: TVB communication controller says voluntary scheme will divide employees into three shifts, require testing before entry and three-day stay on-site
HONG KONG: Hong Kong threatens British campaigner with national security law
FT: A British human rights activist has been ordered to shut down the website of an organisation he leads or face imprisonment by Hong Kong’s police in a rare extrajudicial use of Beijing’s national security law.
INDIA: Two arrested for spreading misinformation about journalist Rana Ayyub
IFJ: Mumbai cyber police have arrested two suspects involved in the dissemination of misinformation about journalist Rana Ayyub on March 5. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the action of the state’s police force and urges authorities to continue to prosecute those who commit crimes against journalists.
INDIA: Government curbs choking media in J&K: Press Council panel
Indian Express: “There is also the threat of violence by the militants which acts as a deterrent,” the committee has said in its report that was submitted last week.
INDIA: SC stays Centre’s order banning telecast of Malayalam news channel ‘MediaOne’ on security concerns
Times of India
JAPAN: NHK World-Japan now offers news in Ukrainian (Press release)
NHK: NHK World-Japan, the international service of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, now provides the latest news and information in Ukrainian as well as 19 other languages.
JAPAN: Tokyo Broadcasting System Seeks International Co-Production Partnerships
Variety: In a move that befits the streaming era, Japan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System Television is looking to make itself more of an international force. It will invest in more international shows and strike new coproduction partnerships.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan Suspends TV Station, Arrests Director for Russia Comments
VOA News: Kyrgyzstan has suspended a TV station, detained its director and questioned its journalists on accusations of incitement.
KYRGYZSTAN & TAJIKISTAN: How the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border conflict is putting pressure on media
Open Democracy: Since 2022 conflicts on the troubled border left three people dead and sparked protests over independent media.
MYANMAR: After a year of reporting on Myanmar’s military coup, I knew my luck would eventually run out
The Guardian: As one of the last western media journalists covering Myanmar I knew danger lurked – and there would be no James Bond to get me out
NEPAL: Amendment of the National Broadcasting Regulation, 2052 intended to curtail free speech in Nepal (8 March)
Freedom Forum: Freedom Forum and rights defenders have expressed severe concern over the amendment of 10 Rules of the National Broadcasting Regulation, 2052. They expressed such concern during a discussion organized jointly by Freedom Forum and Digital Rights Nepal in Kathmandu on March 7.
PAKISTAN: ATC reserves verdict in PTV attack case
The Express Tribune: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Wednesday reserved the verdict on the PTV attack case as it accepted a plea filed by President Arif Alvi wherein he requested the bench to set aside presidential immunity granted to him by the constitution.
PAKISTAN: Hamid Mir Back On TV Screens as Ban Lifted
The Friday Times: Senior journalist Hamid Mir has returned to Geo News nine-months after he was forced off the air for delivering a speech condemning the attack on journalist Asad Toor.
PAKISTAN: Petitions against PECA ordinance: PM informed PECA could be misused, says AGP
The News International: The Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan said on Thursday in the Islamabad High Court that he had informed the Prime Minister of Pakistan that the recently promulgated Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) could be misused, local media reported.
PHILIPPINES: Comelec-Rappler deal suspension an ‘attack on press freedom’ — group
Manila Bulletin: The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) temporary suspension on its partnership with news website Rappler is an “attack on press freedom” a group said Saturday, March 12.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-chul: Message to Staff on the 49th Anniversary of Establishment of KBS (Press release)
KBS: KBS commemorated its 49th anniversary on 3 March, 2022. As part of the anniversary celebration, President and CEO of KBS, Kim Eui-chul, delivered his anniversary message to KBS staff across the country.
SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka parliament passes data protection act amid privacy concerns
Economy Next: Sri Lanka parliament enacted Data Protection Act aiming to promote a digital economy amid concerns raised over the privacy of individuals and adverse impact on media reporting.
THAILAND: Thai PBS joins forces to “awaken Bangkok change big city Election of the governor 65 “Listen to the voices of the people (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS
REGIONAL: Dhaka Media Summit on Journalism held at ULAB
The Financial Express: New information and communication technologies have brought new opportunities as well as threats for journalism around the world.
REGIONAL: South Asian experts call for structural change to end media bias
The Himalayan Times: Media experts and journalists of South Asia have called for a systematic structural change in the media outlets of the region to break the bias and to accelerate women’s equal participation in leadership roles.
AUSTRALIA: ABC breakfast radio takes hit in absence of Harmer, Buck
Sydney Morning Herald: ABC Sydney’s new breakfast show with James Valentine took a ratings hit in the first radio survey of the year, in a sign Sydney listeners are still grappling with the departure of longstanding breakfast hosts Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck.
AUSTRALIA: ABC NEWS richly awarded for digital journalism (Press release)
ABC: ABC NEWS has been richly awarded at the prestigious international 2021 Society for News Design Awards, winning a string of prizes across two teams for journalistic, visual and technical excellence in online news design.
AUSTRALIA: Australia benefits from major expansion of regional and rural coverage (Press release)
ABC: The ABC has significantly expanded its regional and rural coverage following its recruitment of 55 regionally-based journalists, which is anticipated will boost the number of its employees working outside capital cities to more than 600.
AUSTRALIA: Julie Peters on 50 years at the ABC and 30 years blazing a trail as a trans woman (Feature)
ABC
AUSTRALIA: Millions of dollars for news, shrouded in mysterious deals
Judith Neilson Institute: Journalist-in-Residence Bill Grueskin presents the findings of his investigation into Australia’s news media bargaining code.
AUSTRALIA: Reporting on Indigenous issues is still woeful but we will keep making noise and keep showing up (Opinion)
The Guardian: I cannot celebrate while Indigenous deaths are justified and our humanity is debated.
AUSTRALIA & CANADA: ABC and CBC announce the Kindred Animation Collaboration (Press release)
ABC: National public broadcasters ABC and CBC today announced the KINDRED ABC/CBC ANIMATION COLLABORATION, a joint initiative designed to nurture and support the kids’ production industry by funding new children’s animated projects in Australia and Canada.
NEW ZEALAND: Media Law Review Raises Thorny Issues around Freedom of Expression
Newsroom: New Zealand has been trying to update its media laws for the modern digital environment for over a decade. Experts warn there are no simple solutions, so has the Government now bitten off more than it can chew?
NEW ZEALAND: Merging commercial TVNZ and non-commercial RNZ won’t be easy – and time is running out (Analysis)
The Conversation: The announcement of the government’s decision to merge RNZ and TVNZ into a non-profit “public media entity” was long anticipated but, coming in the second year of Labour’s second term, underwhelming in its lack of detail.
NEW ZEALAND: Merging TVNZ and RNZ could be an absolute tragedy, or triumph for broadcasting (Analysis)
Stuff: It’s too early to know if merging two of the state-owned broadcasters, TVNZ and RNZ, is a good idea.
NEW ZEALAND: Public broadcast shake up could boost Māori voice
Waatea: A senior Māori journalist says the creation of a new public media entity should create opportunities for more te reo Māori and Māori journalism.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ + TVNZ = new PME in 2023
RNZ: The government has confirmed it is creating a new public media entity next year to incorporate RNZ and TVNZ – and then replace them. It says the goal is public media ‘fit for the future’, but it will be partly funded by ads and no-one knows how much public funding the government will commit.
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ, RNZ merger a ‘watershed’ moment for NZ media (Opinion)
Stuff: The Government last week unveiled the creation of a new public media entity that will incorporate RNZ and TVNZ. It will pave the way for digital innovation as well as adding new capability and services.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG’s EMTV sacks top journalist, recruits novices as elections loom
Asia Pacific Report: Sincha Dimara, the news and current affairs manager at EMTV and one of Papua New Guinea’s most experienced journalists, has been sacked after weeks of being suspended.
REGIONAL: TVNZ/RNZ merger: Where does Pacific media fit in?
Pacific Media Network: A new public media entity combining TVNZ and RNZ is set to shake up the media landscape, but will Pacific media fall through the cracks?
BELARUS: Belarus classifies Deutsche Welle as ′extremist′
Deutsche Welle: Belarus has classified all content put out by Deutsche Welle as “extremist.” DW Director General Peter Limbourg has criticized the use of “cheap tricks,” seeing them as evidence of growing nervousness in Minsk.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Radio helping Ukrainian public broadcaster (Press release)
Czech Radio: At the request of the Ukrainian public broadcaster UA: PBC, Czech Radio is sending technical equipment essential for broadcasting to Ukraine.
FINLAND: Comments invited on memorandum on must-carry obligation of television and radio channels (Press release)
Finnish Government: The Ministry of Transport and Communications invites comments on a memorandum on the must-carry obligation. The deadline for submitting opinions is 25 March 2022.
FINLAND: Petri Jauhiainen: When the world changes, Yle’s software also changes (Opinion – Finnish)
Yle: Yle’s software is always connected to the surrounding society. As in telling the joke in timing is everything, timing matters.
FINLAND: Yle benefit concert raises more than €6m for Ukraine
Yle News: More than two million people in Finland watched the fundraising event, which was also shown in Ukraine.
FRANCE: Emmanuel Macron promises to scrap TV licence fee if re-elected
The Guardian: Emmanuel Macron has promised to scrap the French television licence fee if he is re-elected as president next month, prompting questions over the funding and independence of public television and radio.
GERMANY: ARD and ZDF are again reporting from their studios in Moscow (Press release – German)
ZDF: This was temporarily suspended last weekend to examine the consequences of the new media law in Russia, which, among other things, punishes misinformation from the Russian government’s point of view about the Russian armed forces and the war in Ukraine.
GERMANY: Dr Norbert Himmler takes office as ZDF director (Press release – German)
ZDF: dr Norbert Himmler took up his post as director of ZDF today. He follows Dr. Thomas Bellut, who has retired after two terms in office. When he was elected by the television council in July 2021, Himmler announced that increasing the acceptance of public service broadcasting in society would be an important task for the future.
GERMANY & LATVIA: German broadcaster Deutsche Welle relocates its Moscow studio to Riga
The Baltic Times: German public service broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has relocated its Moscow-based studio, which was shut down at the beginning of February, to Riga, the broadcaster’s management informed.
GIBRALTAR: GBC CEO Gerard Teuma to retire upon reaching 60 in a few weeks time.
GBC Online: GBC’S Chief Executive Officer, Gerard Teuma is to retire upon reaching 60 in a few weeks time. Mr Teuma, who began his career at GBC 38 years ago, has held the post of CEO since 2012.
HUNGARY: After Four Years of Neglect, State Media Gives Five Minutes to Each Opposition Party before Election
Hungary Today: The six opposition parties held a demonstration in front of the state media headquarters (MTVA) over the weekend against a variety of issues, including the work of the media funded by public money.
ICELAND: Journalists investigated following coverage of corporate scandal
IPI: The IPI global network urges Icelandic authorities to drop a criminal investigation into four journalists who reported on a corruption scandal involving Iceland’s biggest fishing company.
ITALY: Cuts to regional news, Rai convicted of anti-union behavior. Usigrai: “Now redo the procedure” (Italian)
FNSI: The Civil Court of Rome condemned Rai for anti-union behavior for cutting the night edition of regional news. The decision, according to the judge, took place without prior consultation with the competent trade union body.
KOSOVO: Kosovo Media Regulator Struggling to Recover from Cyber-Attack
The Balkan Insight: Kosovo’s Independent Media Commission says its systems have yet to fully recover from January’s massive cyber-attack, as procurement procedures have delayed hiring experts to restore them.
MALTA: Press freedom watchdog flags concern over safety of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s sources
The Shift News: European press freedom watchdog Mapping Media Freedom (MAPMF) has registered yet another violation in Malta, this time in connection with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s attempt to gain access to the phone of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
MONTENEGRO: EU Presses Montenegro to Pull Plug on Russian Media
Balkan Insight: The EU has reminded would-be member Montenegro of its obligation to silence propagandistic Russian media outlets, as the divided government goes slow in implementing most EU sanctions on Moscow.
RUSSIA: Editor interrupts Russian TV news show
BBC: A woman holding an anti-war sign ran on to the set of a Russian evening news programme on the state-controlled Channel 1 on Monday evening.
RUSSIA: How the West can help the media victims of Putin’s war (Opinion)
CPJ: Russia’s independent journalists are fleeing. That’s not only a tragedy for Russians but also for the rest of us who need to know what the increasingly isolated leader of a nuclear superpower is doing.
RUSSIA: Letting state TV dominate, Russia chokes free media
France 24: Russia has moved to throttle independent media after its invasion of Ukraine, allowing state television to dominate the airwaves with broadcasting that relentlessly promotes Russian successes and carefully toes the Kremlin line.
RUSSIA: VPN Use Spikes as Russians Seek Out Facts on Ukraine War
VOA News: Russia’s attempt to block independent news of its war in Ukraine has been met with a surge in digital circumvention tools.
RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Russian forces in Ukraine detain and harass journalists; authorities clamp down on Russian media
CPJ: Russian authorities must halt their campaign to stifle the domestic press, and the country’s armed forces should immediately cease harassing journalists covering the invasion of Ukraine, and ensure that the media can work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
SLOVENIA: Journalists at Slovenian Public Broadcaster Push Back at Government Critics
VOA News: A nearly year-old rift between journalists and managers at Slovenia’s public broadcaster has been widened by disagreements over coverage of the war in Ukraine.
SPAIN: Pérez Tornero expresses RTVE’s firm commitment to gender equality at the closure of the BWAW (Spanish)
RTVE: The president of RTVE places the Corporation’s Equality Plan as “a reference and a showcase” for the whole society at the closing of Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week.
SWEDEN: News podcast in Russian – all media are offered the material (Press release – Swedish)
Swedish Radio: Starting next week, Swedish Radio will publish a daily news podcast in Russian about the war in Ukraine, which is based on Swedish Radio’s collective reporting in Swedish.
SWEDEN: Women’s sports win new audiences and TV contracts (Press release – Swedish)
SVT: New TV audience, more women in leading positions and large TV agreements. In 2021, women’s sport took another step forward and continues to be the hottest area in sports rights.
UK: BBC set to cut original CBBC content as licence fee tries to remain competitive
City AM: The UK media regulator has opened a new consultation into the number of CBBC’s original productions, accepting the BBC’s request to make cuts to its output.
UK: BBC statement on reporting from within Russia – update (Statement – 8 March)
BBC: “After careful deliberation we have decided to resume English language reporting from Russia this evening (Tuesday 8 March), after it was temporarily suspended at the end of last week.”
UK: The BBC’s Ukraine coverage may be changing government attitudes to the public service broadcaster
The Conversation: As Russian tanks rolled into a foreign capital city, a BBC commentator captured the anguish of the moment: “And now must we stand by impotent and guilty watching the destruction of a nation … I think the feeling must be one of shame at this.” The year was 1956, the country Hungary.
UKRAINE: Brent Renaud, an American journalist, is killed in Ukraine.
The New York Times: Brent Renaud, an award-winning American filmmaker and journalist, was killed in Ukraine on Sunday while reporting in a suburb of the capital, Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry.
UKRAINE: Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski killed in Ukraine
The Guardian: Correspondent Benjamin Hall injured and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshinova reportedly killed in attack outside Kyiv.
UKRAINE: INTERVIEW WITH HEAD OF UKRAINIAN PUBLIC BROADCASTER MYKOLA CHERNOTYTSKYI
EBU: Mykola Chernotytskyi was appointed Head of the Managing Board of our Ukrainian Member UA:PBC less than 12 months ago. He is leading a team of 4,500 employees as they work to keep the Ukrainian population abreast of the latest developments in the Russian invasion.
UKRAINE: RSF opens press freedom centre in Lviv, first bulletproof vests delivered
RSF: The secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was in the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine, yesterday for the inauguration of RSF’s press freedom centre, located within Lviv’s International Media Centre.
UKRAINE: Shortwave radio in Ukraine: why revisiting old-school technology makes sense in a war (Opinion)
The Conversation: Shortly before access to the BBC News website was reportedly blocked in Russia a few days ago, the BBC announced that it was resuming the broadcasting of the BBC World Service via shortwave radio for four hours per day.
REGIONAL: Give the EU a system that protect its news and information space, RSF says
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the European Union (UE) to equip itself with a system to protect its news and information space. Russian disinformation before and during the war in Ukraine has prompted the EU to impose emergency sanctions. It is now essential for the EU to put in place an appropriate legal framework.
GENERAL: How to tackle SLAPPs against public watchdogs in Europe? (Event)
Article 19: Powerful and well-resourced individuals across Europe are misusing the justice system to harass or silence journalists and public watchdogs who expose their wrongdoings.
ARGENTINA: La Voz turns 118: a bond that is recreated every day on multiple platforms and networks (Spanish)
La Voz: This Tuesday, March 15, marks another anniversary of the newspaper that gave rise to the largest offer of journalistic content in the interior of the country, in all media.
ARGENTINA: Public TV in its labyrinth, almost without an audience and with programming trapped between history and the present (Opinion – Spanish)
La Nacion: Proposals that are repeated, long programs and current events with obvious biases are the common denominators of a grid that calls for renewal.
BRAZIL: EBC is ordered to pay R$ 200 thousand for collective moral harassment (Portuguese)
Brasil de Fato: According to complaints from the teams, under the Bolsonaro government, the company has a daily routine of censorship and persecution.
BRAZIL: Gender violence against journalists
Via IFEX: This report by the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) – supported by UNESCO’s Global Media Defense Fund – provides an overview of violence against women journalists and gender-based attacks on communicators in Brazil in 2021.
CHILE: Minister Vallejo’s signals regarding the route that TVN will take (Spanish)
Diario Financiero: The public channel faces an uncertain scenario. In one more month, its current president, Anita Holuigue, must leave her post and her succession is still not clear, nor who will assume the executive direction.
COLOMBIA: Follow the election coverage of RTVC Noticias (Press release – Spanish)
Señal Colombia: This Sunday, March 13, don’t miss the special coverage that RTVC News will do of the Senate and Chamber elections, through Señal Colombia, Canal Institucional, Radio Nacional, Radionica and the digital platforms of RTVC – Public Media System.
CUBA: Journalist leaves Cuba and denounces influence peddling at the ICRT (Spanish)
Cibercuba: The Cuban journalist denounced influence peddling at the ICRT in exchange for sexual favors, but omitted the names of those involved.
GUATEMALA: Journalists must have protection (Statement)
Article 19: We welcome the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner in Guatemala, in particular drawing attention to the human rights violations suffered by journalists and communicators. Despite this, the State of Guatemala continues to fail to guarantee the free and safe exercise of journalism.
MEXICO: Mexican president lashes out at EU ‘lies’ over his media-bashing rhetoric
The Guardian: Andrés Manuel López Obrador was urged to tone down his rhetoric by MEPs after a spate of journalist murders – he did the opposite.
PERU: Peru legislators propose law criminalizing reporting based on leaked information
CPJ: Peru’s Congress should reject a bill that would criminalize reporting based on leaked information from informants cooperating in criminal investigations, as it would negatively impact journalists’ ability to operate, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
PERU: The digital revolution has transformed the media into content generators, according to experts at UNIR (Spanish)
Confirmado: “The role of the media has changed, we are no longer distribution media, but content generators” Carlos Núñez, executive president of Prisa Media, and Gabriel Miró Quesada, president of Grupo El Comercio (Peru) agreed today, in a debate on the Future of the Media held at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR).
URUGUAY: Due to the “discomfort” with Sotelo, Cabildo Abierto announced that it will not participate in the cycle of debates on channel 5 (Spanish)
La Diaria: Cabildo Abierto (CA) communicated through a letter addressed to Gerardo Sotelo, director of the National Audiovisual Communication Service, that it will not participate in the cycle of debates organized by channel 5 regarding the March 27 referendum on 135 articles of the law of urgent consideration (LUC).
VENEZUELA: The NGO Espacio Público denounced 31 violations of freedom of expression in Venezuela during February (Spanish)
Infobae: Cases of censorship were the most frequent, with 18 incidents, followed by administrative restrictions and intimidation.
IRAN: Iran: Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2022
RSF
JORDAN: Two journalists arrested under cybercrime law
IFJ: Jordanian authorities detained journalist Daoud Kuttab on 8 March following a complaint over an article he wrote in 2019, while journalist Taghreed al-Rishq was detained on March 7 over a social media post.
LEBANON: Monitoring TV coverage amidst electoral battles
Via IFEX: Ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, Maharat Foundation examines Lebanon’s TV coverage of electoral campaigns, highlighting violations, and the marginalisation of women from the media space.
TURKEY: Turkish Journalist to Appeal 2-Year Jail Term
VOA News: An Istanbul court on Friday sentenced Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas to more than two years in prison for insulting the president.
TURKEY: Turkey must act quickly to protect journalists after another is slain
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Turkish authorities to adopt urgent measures to guarantee the safety of journalists after local news website editor Güngör Arslan became the second journalist to be murdered in Turkey in the past 12 months.
UAE & NEPAL: Nepali journalist arrested in UAE
IFJ: Umakanta Pandey, a Nepali journalist living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) , was arrested by UAE police officials for social media posts he published, that criticised the Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
CANADA: As Russia’s war with Ukraine continues, here are some of the decisions we’ve made at CBC News (Blog)
CBC: With the Russian invasion of Ukraine well into its third week, I wanted to take a moment to explain some of the journalistic decisions we’ve made and the unusual circumstances we faced while trying to tell this important story.
CANADA: Radio-Canada in the sights of the Conservatives (French)
Le Devoir: The frontrunner in the Conservative Party leadership race, Pierre Poilievre, has repeatedly spoken out to cut off funding to the public broadcaster.
CANADA: Trudeau blasts social media disinformation — in Russia and Canada
Politico: Canada’s prime minister used a week-long trip to Europe to highlight the risks of misinformation campaigns.
CANADA & AUSTRALIA: Canada eyes Australia’s media code to pay for news; wants more ‘transparency’ (Opinion)
Mumbrella: In this cross-posting from The Conversation, Andrea Carson, Associate Professor, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University, writes Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code has garnered global interest – but the Canadians want a model with more transparency.
US: American journalism’s “racial reckoning” still has lots of reckoning to do
Nieman Lab: The news industry was quick to hire for diversity-focused roles after George Floyd’s murder in 2020 — but sustaining that change has proven slow and challenging.
US: CPB Statement on Congress’ Approval of Funding for Public Media (Statement)
CPB
US: First Amendment Scholars Want to See the Media Lose These Cases (Paywall)
The New York Times: Some legal experts say it is time to draw a sharp line between protected speech and harmful disinformation.
US: House passes Iowa PBS public record bill
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Archival footage from Iowa PBS could be used for independent video projects under a bill passed Monday by the Iowa House.
US: Minnesota Public Radio And American Public Media Unite; APM President Dave Kanas Exits
Inside Radio: Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media have long been close cousins. Now the two public radio entities will mostly become one under a consolidation move by CEO Jean Taylor.
US: To serve diverse audiences, you can’t walk the walk until you know where you stand (Paywall)
Current: Almost every public media organization is prioritizing diversity. Yet beyond hiring, what are the next steps for content strategy?
US: Independence and Interdependence (Ethics guide)
WBUR: WBUR’s primary commitment is to the public. We serve that public interest with accurate, fair and honest reporting. Decisions about what we cover, how we do our work and what we report are made by our journalists. […] Our independence does not stand alone.
US & AUSTRALIA: Australia pressured Google and Facebook to pay for journalism. Is America next?
CJR: MORE THAN A DOZEN YEARS AGO, the US Federal Trade Commission sponsored an ominously titled workshop, “How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?”
Broadcasters doing well in gender equality, webinar hears
ABU: A BBC-led project to achieve gender equality in broadcasting organisations around the world is making excellent progress, a webinar has heard.
How to build mutual aid into your media business
Poynter: What does it mean for journalists to serve marginalized communities? For many mainstream newsrooms and academic institutions, efforts to better serve underrepresented groups might come in the form of public listening sessions, style guide updates or optional lunch-and-learn presentations.
National Herald: Journalism’s survival cannot be taken for granted even in countries with a long tradition of respecting press, a report released by UNESCO has said.
Journalism tools: Productivity enhancers or a distraction?
IJNet: New day, new tool. Every day we hear of a new app, a new gadget, a new platform. If you are like me — someone who constantly follows the latest tech trends — you might feel overwhelmed by all this.
Lessons learned from the Journalism Crisis Project
CJR: WHEN I STARTED WRITING THIS NEWSLETTER IN THE SPRING OF 2020, it was with the intention of cataloging the financial disruptions in the media industry caused by the pandemic.
Tips for bypassing Internet censorship
DW: In order to continue providing independent information to users in Russia, DW is redoubling its efforts to promote a broad range of tools and methods for bypassing censorship.
‘When I revisit that thread of online abuse, it still makes me question my worth’
Journalism.co.uk: Reach Plc is building its XX Directory: a list of inspiring women leading the fight against online abuse of female journalists.
Words Unbound: A Conversation on Free Speech Now and Then
ICFJ: Journalists often are the first ones in a community looking at the facts of a situation, shaping the narrative – and the first to be jailed by authoritarian governments clamping down, said Joanne Leedom-Ackerman.
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