The PMA Briefing

Controversial laws, accusations of bias, and navigating the digital era

17 March 2026

The Knesset advances legislation that will give the government control over KAN’s funding, while controversial reforms to LRT’s governance system are being pushed forward. In Colombia, an EU election monitoring report accuses RTVC of giving preferential coverage to the president and the governing party. Singapore’s government highlights public media role in fighting misinformation, and Pacific public media meet to discuss the challenges of the digital era.

Israel: Bills threatening independence & ownership prioritised

Government attempts to control the funding of Israel’s public broadcaster KAN are a step closer, after the Knesset helped clear a major obstacle. The bill was originally under the scrutiny of the economics committee, whose leader David Bitan – a member of the governing Likud party – had previously blocked the bill from advancing. However, the Knesset has now approved the transfer of the bill to the finance committee, where it is hoped there will be less resistance. The bill has faced fierce opposition from KAN, as well as international organisations like the EBU.

The communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, has shown little regard for the independence of KAN, having at times attempted to privatise the public broadcaster or remove its news division. The minister recently appeared at the High Court, where he is accused by the Attorney General of meddling in the appointments of KAN board members. The KAN board is currently in stasis, with only five serving members out of a possible 12, and at least seven required to form a quorum. This state of affairs has significant repercussions, with the board unable to confirm KAN’s annual budget, and even more implications down the line, with the board due to appoint a new director general later this year.

The Israeli parliament only resumed debates on Sunday after a two week pause due to the war with Iran, but the coalition government wasted no time setting out its stall. A highly controversial bill, giving the government greater controls over broadcast media, was one of the first to be tabled. “While the entire country is standing together, the coalition is promoting its extremist agenda and stealing money for political purposes,” said the opposition leader, Yair Lapid.

A rectangular low lying building with pillars stands behind a wide row of tarmac. There are many flag poles with the Israeli flag

The Israeli parliament building, known as the Knesset. Credit: Teo K / Shutterstock.com

Lithuania: LRT reforms approved by parliament but deemed as superficial

The Lithuanian parliament has approved the amendments to the LRT law prepared by the working group, despite sector-wide criticism of the bill proposal. A few days before parliament was to vote on the reform proposal, journalists and journalist organisations urged the parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Culture not to vote for the bill and called on them to safeguard the independence of the public broadcaster. The amendment proposal includes the creation of a new board, changing the composition of the public broadcasting council, and addressing the basis for the early dismissal of the director general.

The Lithuanian Academy of Science (LMA), which reviewed the amendments, criticised these changes, deeming them too unclear and subject to debate in the council if such a situation arises. Additionally, the body disapproved of the procedure for forming the council, which remains very similar to its current state, but with a few “cosmetic changes”, including the number of members increasing from 12 to 15. The three new members will be appointed by different institutions: the Tripartite Council, a national institution constituted of government representatives, employers organisations and trade unions; the Lithuanian Union of Community Organisations; and the Lithuanian organisations of persons with disabilities. The LMA warned these amendments did not address the risks of political influence in forming the council and did not ensure sufficient impartiality. They recommended that more organisations independent of political affiliations should appoint some members of the council.

The Venice Commission, an advisory body providing legal counsels to states seeking to align their legal and institutional framework to European and international standards, warned that the legislative process on reviewing LRT’s governance structure was “not consistent with European good practices in good law-making”, in particular due to the “brevity of the legislative process, and the lack of transparency and engagement with LRT”.

A rectangular concrete building bathed in sun, with the Lithuanian flag on a flagpole.

Lithuanian Parliament House in Vilnius City. Credit: Donatas Dabravolskas / Shutterstock.com

Colombia: RTVC accused of bias towards president’s party in recent elections

Colombia’s national broadcaster, RTVC, has faced accusations of favouritism, with the Attorney General now investigating allegations that it favoured the party of the ruling president in recent congressional elections.

A report from the EU’s Election Observation Mission said that RTVC, which has “a greater obligation to be neutral and balanced in their campaign coverage, favoured the president, the government, and the parties that support it, while coverage of opposition parties was very limited and often negative.” Private media, the report found, was more likely to be balanced, but often portrayed the government “with a more negative slant”. RTVC was also described as “Gustavo Petro’s pet” by a former presidential candidate and congresswoman, Ingrid Betancourt. A representative of the centre-right Green Oxygen party, Betancourt engaged in an online dispute with the pro-Petro influencer Levy Rincón, who also holds a radio spot on RTVC’s radio station, Radio Nacional.

The Attorney General’s office has subsequently announced it will investigate RTVC’s coverage. The national broadcaster, the Ministry of Information and the National Electoral Council, have all been asked to submit evidence. The investigation comes at an important time: with presidential elections scheduled for the end of May, election observers are to remain in Colombia, after which they will produce a final report.

Bogota at sunset. Credit: ChandraDhas/istock

Singapore: PSM central to countering misinformation, govt says

Singapore’s government has reaffirmed a commitment to safeguarding and investing in public service media entities, positioning them as a central force in the fight against misinformation, as mainstream media outlets remain the most trusted sources of news by Singaporeans.

During a budget debate, the Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, addressed concerns from fellow politicians over how the ministry was responding to AI-generated disinformation videos, and the challenges of an increasingly fractured media landscape. Teo said public service media outlets – which collectively reach over 90% of Singapore’s population – remain critical in countering fake news and are key partners for her ministry. Efforts include investigations supporting Mediacorp’s CNA’s digital verification team, as well as government collaborations with The Straits Times’ – an outlet trusted by 75% of Singaporeans – AskST series.

Teo also assured the government’s sustainable investment in the country’s public service media amid concerns over major cuts to international outlets like the Washington Post. This is in line with the $900 million funding pledged to support SPH Media Trust in 2022 over a five year period, aimed at facilitating the development of “new capabilities as the media landscape evolves”. The government will also examine international approaches to public service media that prioritise discoverability for PSM apps.

A sign on the ground of a green lawn reads Parliament of Singapore with an emblem. In the background is the parliamentary building.

The Parliament of Singapore. Credit: Harry Lock

Pacific: The challenges of navigating the digital era.

Broadcasters from around the Pacific met last week to discuss the Janus-faced nature of social media platforms and how to ensure Pacific Island stories can reach their audience, wherever they live. The landscape of social media platforms remains a global topic of discussion for traditional broadcasters, who have to adapt to work with and alongside them.

If these platforms offer opportunities to reach audiences in innovative ways, they also bring their own set of challenges. The managing director of the Samoa Broadcasting Corporation, Faiesea Lei Sam Matafeo, pointed out the hostility featured on the digital space. “Social media is relatively new when compared to the rest of the world in Samoa, but sadly, I think it’s doing more harm than good right now. You know, our people are still trying to adjust to this freedom to express themselves, and sadly, it’s doing more harm than good”, she said.

One public broadcaster taking the leap into the digital era is the Tonga Broadcasting Commission (TBC), with the launch of their new Tongan-first website. Developed with the support of the ABC International Development (ABCID) through the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS), the rebuilding of the TBC website aims to serve the Tongan population across the world and “is designed to support TBC’s role as a public broadcaster, improve access, engagement, and transparency for the community,” said chief executive Viola Ulakai. The creation of the website required a whole restructure of the public broadcaster’s workflow.

The Solomon Islands and its media landscape is increasingly being eyed by China, which is exerting further influence over the fragile local media sector. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) recently called on the Solomon Islands government to take immediate and concrete actions to ensure media independence and viability. This comes as the government expressed a commitment to strengthen the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) as “a key institution for unity and stability in Solomon Islands.” The SIBC just presented their strategic plan for the coming four years, which aims to strengthen its broadcasting, including through the upgrade of its AM transmission system and finding new partnerships.