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.

PSM Innovations


Priority to provide public service on TikTok

Providing trusted news and information on TikTok has become a bigger priority for some public media organisations to help combat growing disinformation on the platform.

It is almost a year since BBC News launched its account on TikTok. Having gained nearly 900,000 followers, and millions of views on many of its videos, the public broadcaster’s popularity on the platform has grown so much so that it is now looking to expand its team.

“For us, it has to do with making sure that there is trustworthy information where people are,” BBC News’ Director of Digital and Channels, Naja Nielsen, told the Press Gazette. In this way, Nielsen justified it as a “real public service reason for us to be there”. Tiktok is now one of BBC News’ top priorities.

@bbcnews

Public media organisations like Flemish public broadcaster, VRT, and Colombia’s national public media system, RTVC, have also found similar success in reaching audiences when experimenting with TikTok to share short, digestible news and informative features.

Alongside news content, other PSMs have also used the platform for creatively increasing brand awareness, especially among younger audiences, like PBS.

Many public media organisations have identified the opportunity TikTok presents, providing a platform to reach young audiences, who might not engage with other types of PSM content. Additionally, with TikTok possibly being a vector for mis- and disinformation, many public media organisations feel they have an obligation to be there, providing audiences with access to accurate and trustworthy news from reliable sources.

Read more about how PSM are meeting their public service mandate on TikTok


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...


The Value of a Free Press: Supporting Public Interest Journalism

The Australia Institute: This webinar, the second of our special Nordic Talks webinar series, will explore how Norway’s targeted ‘press support’ subsidies could help Australia to achieve greater diversity in its highly concentrated media landscape and improve its protections for public interest journalism. And what can Norway learn from Australia’s world-leading News Media Bargaining Code about regulating Big Tech platforms such as Google and Facebook?

What we're listening to...


Political pressure on media merger pumped up

RNZ: Legislation for a new public media entity due by March has been reviewed and is due to be debated in Parliament soon. But pundits and opposition politicians alike are urging the government – now under new ‘bread and butter’ management – to pull the plug on it.

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CAMEROON: Cameroon tycoon held over journalist’s abduction and murder

France 24: A Cameroonian tycoon was arrested on Monday in connection with the high-profile abduction and murder of a journalist, his company and a communications ministry official said.


EGYPT: Escape from Egypt: How I fled the media crackdown

Middle East Eye: Egypt has some of the worst press freedom in the world. This is how one photo-journalist, fearing for her life, got out – and earned international recognition.


ETHIOPIA: Somali region suspends 15 foreign media (French)

Africa News: Fifteen foreign media have been suspended in an Ethiopian region. … Among these 15 media would be BBC Somali, MM TV, Universal TV, Horyaal TV, RTN TV, Universal TV, Five TV, Sahan TV, Horn Cable TV, and Goobjoog TV.


NIGERIA: 2023 Elections: IPI Seeks Increased Protection Of Press Freedom

Voice of Nigeria: As Nigerians prepare to go to the polls next month, the International Press Institute IPI, has reiterated its call for increased protection of journalists by all stakeholders involved in the elections process, particularly political figures, political party supporters, and security forces.


NIGERIA: Broadcast Regulator Fines Arise News TV And TVC

BMA: In Nigeria, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined Arise News TV and TVC US$4 290,72 each for allegedly breaching the national broadcasting code in the countdown to the 2023 general elections.


RWANDA: Rwanda: 90 rights groups call for independent investigation into death of journalist John Williams Ntwali

IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) today is among 90 civil society and press freedom organizations calling on the Rwandan authorities to ensure an independent and thorough investigation into the death of prominent journalist John Williams Ntwali. Authorities said Ntwali died in a traffic accident on January 19 but have failed to provide any additional information about the circumstances of his death.


SOUTH AFRICA: ICASA Announces Completion Of Initial Evaluation For Community Sound Broadcasting Service Licenses​

BMA: South Africa’s broadcasting regulator – The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) – has disclosed that it has concluded its initial evaluation of applications to pre-register for Community Sound Broadcasting Service and Radio Frequency Spectrum licences for the provision of community sound broadcasting services.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC launching local language news channel — and it could be unlawful

My Broadband: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has announced it will launch a 24-hour news channel in local languages. However, the Sunday Times reports that the move could be unlawful, as the state-owned broadcaster doesn’t have a quorate board.


TANZANIA: Stakeholders commend govt to review Media Services Act

IPP Media: Media stakeholders have said that the amendment of the Media Services Act 2016, will remove all unfair provisions and thus create an enabling environment for media outlets and journalists to fulfil their duties freely.


ZIMBABWE: Lack of media reforms to impact 2023 elections

New Zimbabwe: LACK of media reforms will likely impact the coverage of 2023 elections as most of the recommendations by the European Union (EU) and African Union Observer Mission (AU-EOM) from previous plebiscites are yet to be implemented. 


REGIONAL: Calls for justice and accountability after three leading lights extinguished on the African continent

IFEX: The silencing of three critical voices on the African continent has invigorated media freedom and human rights advocates to vigorously rail against the continued culture of impunity.


REGIONAL: DW’s Kiswahili Service: 60 years of broadcasting

DW: In February 1963, DW’s first DW Kiswahili broadcast went live on shortwave. Today’s team uses a variety of multimedia channels to reach its audience.


REGIONAL: How African Independent Media Are Overcoming Growth Challenges

GIJN: All news media companies face challenges when it comes to retaining audiences and building revenue. 

AFGHANISTAN: Female Afghan journalists continue their fight from abroad

Nikkei Asia: Staffed by women, The Afghan Times seeks to hold the Taliban to account.


BANGLADESH: Bangladesh orders 191 ‘anti-state’ news websites blocked

Al Arabiya English: The Bangladesh government has ordered the closure of 191 websites it accuses of publishing “anti-state news,” stoking concerns about media freedom in the South Asian country.


INDIA: A new phase of censorship creep in India

Frontline: The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, are back in active play, causing deep concern among those who value free speech and media freedom in India. 


INDIA: Nidhi Razdan quits NDTV, 3 days after Sreenivasan Jain’s exit

News Laundry: Nidhi Razdan has resigned as the executive editor of NDTV, three days after her colleague Sreenivasan Jain announced that his three-decade journey with the channel had come to an end.


INDIA: Supreme Court Notice To Centre Over Appeals Against Blocking BBC Series

NDTV: The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre and sought a report within three weeks over an appeal against the ban on a controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allegations linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots.


JAPAN: VOX POPULI: TV broadcasting in Japan turns 70 as younger viewers tune out

The Asahi Shimbun: In the beginning of the television age, an actor was cast as a ninja in a Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) period drama.


KURDISTAN: Iraqi Kurdistan: KJS reports 73 cases of media and journalists’ rights violations in 2022

IFJ: At least 73 violations of media and journalists’ rights, including arbitrary arrests, physical attacks, the closing of TV channels, and the confiscation of media equipment were recorded in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2022, according to a new report published by the Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate (KJS) in cooperation with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).


KYRGYZSTAN: CPJ, partners call for meeting with Kyrgyz president

CPJ: We, the undersigned international press freedom and human rights organizations, are writing to express our alarm at the escalating repression of journalists and crackdown on press freedom pursued by your government. We are therefore requesting a meeting with you to discuss this deterioration in democratic norms exemplified by the recent developments outlined in this letter.


KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan’s Shrinking Space for Independent Journalism

IWPR: A draconian draft media law and rising numbers of criminal investigations against journalists signal an authoritarian turn.


MONGOLIA: RSF commends presidential veto of a dangerous social media bill

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) commends the Mongolian President’s veto of a social media bill that poses a potential threat to journalism and the public’s right to information, and urges the parliament not to override this veto.


MYANMAR: In Myanmar ‘We Have Lost Our Freedom of Expression’

VOA News: Two years after the junta seized power, Myanmar’s media reckon with risk of arrest or surveillance.


PAKISTAN: Charges against Imran Riaz Khan dismissed after arrest

IFJ: Charges against BOL TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan for comments critical of state institutions and the Pakistan administration have been dismissed by a Lahore court after his arrest on February 2. 


PAKISTAN: Pakistan lifts ban on Wikipedia

Geonews: Pakistan has removed ban on the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, following a two-day suspension after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to “immediately” do so on Monday.


SOUTH KOREA: EBS members “Stop opposing for the sake of opposition” demand for amendment to the Broadcasting Act (Korean)

Media Today: In the midst of 60 days since the amendment to the Broadcasting Act for the political independence of public broadcasting was tied to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the voices of EBS members urging the bill to be passed came out.


THAILAND: Media organizations oppose media ethics bill

Thai PBS World: Thai media professional organizations have raised objection to a bill seeking to set up a council to regulate media ethics due to be taken up for deliberation by the House on Tuesday.


THAILAND: The Government published the announcement “Appointment of 4 Thai PBS Policy Committees” (Thai – press release)

Thai PBS

AUSTRALIA: Former commando Heston Russell wins first round in defamation battle against ABC over Afghanistan articles

The Guardian: Federal court finds public broadcaster defamed the former special forces soldier by linking him to war crimes, but ABC will argue truth defence and that it acted in the public interest.


AUSTRALIA: How a rookie journalist covered a devastating flood in his hometown, Fitzroy Crossing, with a mobile phone and a ladder

ABC Backstory: “I felt a sense of community obligation to make sure that this story was getting the attention it deserved,” writes Dylan Storer,  the only journalist in Fitzroy Crossing when it was hit by disaster.


AUSTRALIA: ‘Management crying poor’: ABC staff prepare to strike over wages

Sydney Morning Herald: Australian Broadcasting Corporation employees are escalating a dispute with management over wage rises and working conditions, lodging two separate requests with the Fair Work Commission that ultimately will allow them to strike.


AUSTRALIA: SBS Arabic24 announces new programming line-up, including weekend breakfast and increased music offering (Press release – 30 January)

SBS: SBS Arabic24 is an important part of SBS’s multilingual services available in more than 60 languages across multiple platforms. SBS’s Arabic in-language content across digital and FM radio, online, podcasting, social media and television includes SBS-produced Arabic TV news bulletins on SBS WorldWatch and SBS On Demand.


FIJI: Fiji’s media veterans recount intimidation under former government, hope new leaders will restore press freedom

ABC News


FIJI: ‘No secret’ that Fiji’s media law is target for free press review soon

Asia Pacific Report: Fiji’s Media Industry Development Act will soon be reviewed over the next few weeks. Speaking to The Fiji Times in Lautoka on Monday, Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica said the review was one of the main objectives of the coalition government when it came to freedom of the press.


NEW ZEALAND: Chris Hipkins says it’s ‘inane’ to rule anything in or out

RNZ: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is refusing to rule anything in or out when it comes to potential tax changes in this year’s Budget, or campaign promises ahead of this year’s general election.


NEW ZEALAND: Political pressure on media merger pumped up (Listen)

RNZ: Legislation for a new public media entity due by March has been reviewed and is due to be debated in Parliament soon. But pundits and opposition politicians alike are urging the government – now under new ‘bread and butter’ management – to pull the plug on it.


NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ Merger Response Raises Eyebrows

Newsroom: MediaRoom column: On the eve of a Cabinet decision on the fate of the proposed public broadcasting merger, questions emerge over the engagement by the TVNZ chief executive of two former National government aides to change the narrative and push TVNZ’s view on the Government’s plan.

AUSTRIA: Media Minister Raab is calling for austerity again (German)

Wiener Zeitung: Media Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) and ORF Director General Roland Weißmann will meet next week for a “decisive” one-on-one talk about the ORF’s financial situation. 


BELGIUM: Brussels police condemned for using violence and fining journalist

The Brussels Times: The disturbances on the streets of Brussels following several Morocco World Cup games in December have likely been forgotten by many, but for one journalist who was arrested while covering the incidents, they are not yet a thing of the past.


CROATIA: Croatian Journalists Demand Investigation Into Colleague’s Death

Balkan Insight: Six months after investigative journalist Vladimir Matijanic died amid suspicions he did not receive proper medical help, his colleagues are demanding an independent probe and the resignation of the Health Minister.


CROATIA: Gong’s Guidelines for Responsible and Safe Journalism in Times of Crisis

SNH: In order to determine the current situation in the Croatian media sphere, Gong has produced its Guidelines for Responsible and Safe Journalism in Times of Crisis – an in-depth study and analysis of journalistic work and the specific problems faced by the journalistic profession under the sudden, extremely crisis-like working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic (followed by the war in Ukraine), as part of the Pro-fact project.5


CZECH REPUBLIC: Reporting team with Czech broadcaster ČT24 narrowly escapes shelling in Ukraine

CPJ: Russian and Ukrainian authorities should swiftly investigate the recent shelling of a team of journalists with Czech public broadcaster ČT24, and ensure that members of the press are not targeted while covering the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.


DENMARK: DR establishes newsroom in Australia (Swedish)

Nordvision: The new newsroom in Sydney will enable better news coverage around the clock.


GEORGIA: Media Coalition Denounces ‘Discrediting Campaign’ Against Journalists as Unacceptable

Civil Georgia: The Media Advocacy Coalition, a press freedom watchdog, said any attempt “to discredit journalists by publishing personal information and illegally sharing it with third parties simply because they have requested public information is unacceptable.”


GERMANY: RBB: The last directors of the Schlesinger line are leaving (German)

Süddeutsche Zeitung: Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg ( RBB ) has separated from the last remaining members of the controversial management team around the director Patricia Schlesinger, who was fired without notice. 


GREECE: OSCE Media Freedom Representative discussed with local counterparts challenges and steps forward in Greek media freedom situation

OSCE: Ribeiro and her counterparts discussed current challenges to media freedom in Greece, and specifically the issue of surveillance of journalists, such as spyware, which has a negative impact on the work of individual journalists and the overall media landscape. 


ITALY: Rai: passes the budget with only three votes in favour (Italian)

La Stampa: Only three votes. If you then read the papers well, the RAI board of directors remains standing formally and officially due to the “spirit of service” of the president and CEO who self-vote for the 2023 budget and the Pd councilor. 


KOSOVO: Kosovo Ruling Party Accused of ‘Capturing’ Public Broadcaster

Balkan Insight: The appointment of new director of RTK who donated money to the ruling Vetevendosje party has led to furious condemnation and claims that the government has betrayed promises to ‘de-capture’ the public broadcaster.


KOSOVO: Media freedom groups write to PM Kurti over RTK appointment

IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined four international media freedom organisations in writing to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, to raise our shared concerns about a recent appointment to Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) which undermines recent reform progress.


SPAIN: The PP wants RTVE to refrain from adopting agreements until the courts decide on the change of Presidency (Spanish)

El Confidencial Digital: The PP has registered an initiative in which it demands that the Congress of Deputies urge RTVE to “refrain from adopting any agreement, resolution or the exercise of executive functions by its interim president”, Elena Sánchez, until “firm resolutions” in relation to the demands and appeals filed regarding the change in the Presidency of the Corporation after the departure of José Manuel Pérez Tornero.


SWEDEN: Hanna Stjärne: “Historically large expansion of local journalism” (Swedish – Blog)

SVT: In recent years, SVT has invested heavily in local journalism. The number of local newsrooms has nearly doubled since 2015 and a large number of journalists have been hired. The investment is crucial for everyone in Sweden to feel that their reality is seen and monitored by SVT.


SWITZERLAND: Banking secrecy exception proposed for Swiss media

Swissinfo: Swiss journalists could in future receive leaked bank data without fear of criminal prosecution if a parliamentary motion is incorporated in banking secrecy legislation.


SWITZERLAND: Switzerland to award 38 local radio and regional television licenses (Paywall)

Telecompaper: Swiss regulator Bakom has opened the tender for 38 local radio and regional television licenses. The tender will end by April. The winners of the tender will sign a regional public service contract starting from 01 January 2025, and will receive financing from fees for the use of radio and television services.


UK: Bad economics at the BBC enabled Tory austerity and its aftermath – and it knows as much (Opinion)

The Guardian: Too many journalists don’t get ‘basic economics’, an internal review says. Imagine the effect that’s had on UK politics.


UK: BBC Arabic radio, a ‘lifeline’ for listeners in many countries, is off the air

CBC: With the end of BBC Arabic radio, people around the world are losing a trusted — and affordable — source of news, says Hosam Sokkari. 


UK: Live and on-demand listening grows for BBC Radio & BBC Sounds in Quarter 4 2022 (Press release) 

BBC: During a quarter dominated by a fast-paced news agenda and a raft of sporting events, audiences came to BBC Radio and BBC Sounds for trusted, high quality coverage and world class commentary and analysis.


REGIONAL: 813 media freedom violations in 12 months – MFRR Monitoring Report 2022

ECPMF: 813 media freedom violations were recorded in EU Member States and candidate countries, involving 1,339 individuals or media outlets.


REGIONAL: Killane: Olympics deal repositions public-service media in sporting landscape (Paywall)

Sport Business: The recent capture of Olympics broadcast rights by the European Broadcasting Union in a joint deal with Warner Bros. Discovery has put the consortium and its members “back centre stage” in the sporting broadcast ecosystem, according to Glen Killane, executive director at Eurovision Sport.


REGIONAL: Member states ask for flexibility, regulators’ independence in new media law

Euractiv: The independence and flexibility of media regulators, data protection and non-compliance measures are the focus of several member states’ comments on the European Media Freedom Act proposal.

ARGENTINA: Journalism initiatives with declassified archives in Argentina and Mexico contribute to collective memory, justice and access to information

LatAm Journalism Review: The first time the Argentine national soccer team won the World Cup was on June 25, 1978, in the only World Cup ever held on Argentine soil. 


BRAZIL: Brazilian Government responds to demands from press freedom organizations and creates the National Observatory on Violence against Journalists

LatAm Journalism Review: The Brazilian government announced the creation of the National Observatory of Violence against Journalists, a demand from organizations defending press freedom and journalists in the country. 


BRAZIL: Countering misinformation, a key task to prevent new assaults on democracy: analysts (Spanish) 

VOA: Journalists and academics analyzed the role of the media, after the recent assault on the government in Brasilia, a mobilization that had its origin in the spread of false news and was openly organized on social networks.


BRAZIL: National Observatory on Violence against Journalists will have its first meeting on Wednesday (02/8) (Portuguese)

Fenaj: The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) will participate, on Wednesday (02/8), in Brasília, in the first meeting of the National Observatory of Violence against Journalists.


CHILE: IAPA rejects defamation sentence against journalist in Chile (Spanish) 

Swiss Info: The Inter-American Press Association (SIP) described this Tuesday as a “threat to democracy” in Chile the recent criminal conviction for defamation against journalist Felipe Soto, director of the digital newspaper Resumen, after denouncing in an article that a public official could be receiving a bonus in “side contracts”.


COLOMBIA: New peace stations: RTVC supports the construction of peace from the Colombian territories (Press release – Spanish)

RTVC: As of February 10, 2023, four new Peace Stations will go on the air to continue complying with point 6.5 of the agreement signed between the National Government and the FARC component.


COLOMBIA: RTVC will not renew the contract of Álvaro González, director of Radionica, due to allegations of sexual harassment (Spanish)

Infobae: The ‘Profe Astronaut’ will officially stop leading the station as of Saturday, February 11 and the direction will be assumed by the radio assistant manager, Dora Brausin. 


CUBA: The journalism of these times requires constant preparation (Spanish)

Cuba Periodistas: With a long experience in radio work, Tay Beatriz Toscano Jerez assumes the presidency of the Union of Cuban Journalists in Cienfuegos. 


CURAÇAO: Press Freedom Index will be conducted on Curaçao

Curaçao Chronicle: The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders since 2002 based upon the organization’s own assessment of the countries’ press freedom records in the previous year.


JAMAICA: Broadcasting Commission taking steps to increase digital literacy

Jamaica Gleaner: Efforts are being taken by the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) to establish a digital literacy skills framework for Jamaica, which will equip citizens, particularly children, to make better decisions when using the internet.


JAMAICA: Media gatekeepers urged to preserve standards

Jamaica Gleaner: Media practitioners have been challenged by a state broadcasting chief to “go back to the basics” in ensuring that quality and accuracy are not sacrificed.


MEXICO: “Mexico: Journalists in danger”, a special on France 24 (Spanish)

Proceso: It will last 15 minutes, but it will be available on the four France 24 channels, in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, which broadcast to more than 481 million households on five continents and already have more than 97 million weekly viewers.


MEXICO: Journalists in Mexico, between murders and disappearances: the states that register the most attacks (Spanish) 

El Sol de Mexico: The outlook for journalists in Mexico is not very encouraging given the attacks and violence they face every day to carry out their work.


PERU: Alarming figure: more than 150 journalists attacked while covering protests in Peru (Spanish) 

Telemundo Tampa: “The largest number has been concentrated in Lima and the most frequent aggressor agents were police officers,” revealed the National Association of Journalists of Peru.


PERU: They denounce the dismissal of a Peruvian public TV journalist who criticized the Police (Spanish) 

Swiss Info: The Peruvian journalist Carlos Cornejo denounced this Tuesday that the state channel TV Peru “has sent him home”, after having affirmed that the death of the anti-government protester Víctor Santisteban in Lima this Saturday was a murder Police hands.


TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: De Nobriga proposes MATT, TTPBA accrediation for journalists

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday: Minister of Communications Symon de Nobriga denied the Government had decided to exclude new media or non-traditional media from its media conferences, speaking on Tuesday in the Senate in reply to a motion on the adjournment by Opposition Senator Wade Mark.


REGIONAL: Dangerous trade: journalists denounce attacks in protests in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia (Spanish)

VOA: Physical and verbal attacks, theft of equipment and even direct attacks by the police are some of the attacks reported by journalists and journalistic unions during demonstrations in different Latin American countries.

IRAN: Iran Detains Journalist After Detaining Her Sister

RFE/RL: Iranian authorities have detained a journalist at a reformist publication, local media reported on February 5, as her sister, also a journalist, remains in custody after reporting on Mahsa Amini’s death.


IRAQ: DW cancels filming in Baghdad amid Iraqi government threats

DW: DW’s Jaafar Abdul Karim, a popular TV host in the Arabic-speaking world, and his production team canceled plans to film in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad after facing threats.


IRAQ: Iraqi Kurdistan: KJS reports 73 cases of media and journalists’ rights violations in 2022

IFJ: At least 73 violations of media and journalists’ rights, including arbitrary arrests, physical attacks, the closing of TV channels, and the confiscation of media equipment were recorded in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2022, according to a new report published by the Kurdistan Journalists’ Syndicate (KJS) in cooperation with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).


ISRAEL: Israel’s Government Is Trying to Turn the Film Industry Into a Propaganda Arm (Opinion – Paywall) 

The New York Times


ISRAEL: Plan to defund Israel’s public broadcast service delayed indefinitely

The Jerusalem Post: The proposal to shut down KAN was brought forward by Communications Minister Shlomo Kahri.


TURKEY: 4 Detained In Turkey For Spreading “Panic” After Earthquake On Social Media

NDTV: Turkish social media have been filled with posts by people who complain about a lack of search and rescue efforts in their area, particularly in Hatay.


TURKEY: Journalist becomes first person in Turkey indicted under controversial media law

Turkish Minute: A local journalist in eastern Turkey has become the first person to face criminal charges under Turkey’s controversial new media law for reporting on an alleged child abuse case in eastern Turkey, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.


TURKEY: Press Freedom in Turkey: 2022 in Review

SCF: The Turkish government renewed its assault on press freedom in 2022 ahead of the 2023 presidential election, including imprisoning journalists, using the regulatory authorities to exert financial pressure and capitalizing on a new media law that mandates prison sentences for spreading disinformation.

CANADA: CBC, BIPOC TV & FILM AND CFC ANNOUNCE PARTICIPANTS FOR SECOND YEAR OF SHOWRUNNER CATALYST PROGRAM, SUPPORTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF DIVERSE CANADIAN CREATORS (Press release) 

CBC: CBC, BIPOC TV & Film and the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) today announced the participants for the second year of the CBC-BIPOC TV & FILM SHOWRUNNER CATALYST, an accelerator program that supports the career advancement of senior writers who identify as Indigenous, Black or People of Colour through hands-on and personally tailored on-set experience. 


CANADA: How far do you have to go to find pirate radio in Yellowknife? Try Kam Lake

CBC: The signal included rebroadcasted content on the Freedom Convoy and aired on 106.9 FM in the Kam Lake area. 


CANADA: It’s a Canada Thing: Standing Up For Our Industry and Our Stories (Speech)

CBC/Radio-Canada: Today, Catherine Tait, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, delivered a speech at Prime Time 2023 in Ottawa on the public broadcaster’s critical role in supporting Canadian culture in a market dominated by foreign streamers.


CANADA: Government ‘trusts’ CRTC will respect Charter rights with online streaming rules, new chair told

National Post: There is worry about the effect the Online Streaming Act could have on freedom of expression, and the legislation needs to be implemented in a way that’s consistent with Charter rights, the Liberal government wrote to the new chair of the CRTC.


CANADA: The Stage is Set: Transformational Broadcasting Bill Set to Kick Off CRTC Hearings (Paywall) 

Lexology: Bill C-11, The Online Streaming Act has passed third reading in the House of Commons and the Senate…


CANADA: Why won’t Doug Ford talk to TVO?

TVO: Ever wonder why you see some Ontario cabinet ministers all over the airwaves, while others seem to be in hiding? 


US: FCC Clears Spanish Broadcasting System To Raise Its Foreign Ownership Levels.

Inside Radio: Eighteen months after Spanish Broadcasting System petitioned the Federal Communications to allow it to raise its foreign ownership level, the broadcaster finally has its answer. “We find that the public interest is served by permitting foreign ownership of SBS in excess of the 25% benchmark,” the Commission said in a decision released Friday.


US: Just The Facts, Ma’am: PBS NewsHour’s New Co-Anchor On Journalism In Today’s Digital Age

Forbes: It’s difficult to comprehend in the age of instant news online, yet American broadcast journalism is less than 100 years old, having begun in the mid-1930s with the introduction and adoption of FM radio.


US: LA public radio station KPCC will be branded LAist 89.3, aligning terrestrial and digital media efforts

Podnews: Southern California Public Radio today announced that it will align all of the organization’s award-winning local news and information resources under a unified brand: LAist. 


US: NPR’s State of the Union coverage aims to reach listeners who navigate the world in two languages (Paywall)

Current: On Tuesday, NPR will produce live bilingual coverage of the State of the Union address and Republican response for the first time. 


US: Stations seek alternatives as ITVS plans to shut down OVEE platform (Paywall) 

Current: ITVS will deactivate the streaming platform at the end of June.


US: The American Archive of Public Broadcasting Will Double in Size with $16 Million Grant

WGBH: The American Archive for Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration between GBH Archives and the Library of Congress, has received a four-year, $16 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to significantly enhance its collection of historic public media resources and make it more broadly available for scholars, researchers, educators and the public. 

A New Paradigm for Global Journalism: Press Freedom and Public Interest (Report)

CJR: Journalists around the world are confronting violence, repression and censorship, with the number of journalists in prison reaching record levels. 


Global Digital Radio Broadcasting Market Size and Value Expected to Reach USD 6943.24 Million | Growing at CAGR of 11.01% | Forecast Period 2023-2027

Digital Journal: The Global Digital Radio Broadcasting Market Size Was Valued at USD 3710.13 Million in 2021 and is Expected to Expand at a CAGR of 11.01% During the Forecast Period, Reaching USD 6943.24 Million By 2027.


How the media can help deal with the climate crisis (German – Listen)

Deutschlandfunk: The consequences of the climate crisis can be devastating. Many people therefore avoid negative news. Psychologists have developed a guide so that the media can also provide support in overcoming the crisis.


IFJ publishes 32nd annual report on journalists and media staff killed in 2022

IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today published its full annual report on journalists and media staff killed in 2022. The 32nd report details 68 killings of media professionals, including targeted and bomb attacks and crossfire deadly incidents. There were also 11 deaths due to accidents and illness.


Laurence launches book on politics of public broadcasting

The Bowdoin Orient: Yesterday, Associate Professor of Government Henry Laurence launched his book, “The Politics of Public Broadcasting in Britain and Japan: The BBC and NHK Compared.” 


Media coverage of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Poynter: The numbers are almost impossible to comprehend. More than 3,500 people, as of Monday evening, have died from the massive earthquakes and aftershocks that struck Turkey and Syria. 


Over half of the world’s population suffered internet disruptions in 2022

Tech Radar: The concept of a global, open internet for all has been in a backsliding mode for quite some time now. To be more precise, 2022 was the 12th year in a row that saw internet freedoms declining across the world.


Social media: UNESCO leads global dialogue to improve the reliability of information

UNESCO: As part of its mandate, UNESCO has launched a global dialogue to provide guidelines for regulating digital platforms, to fight disinformation and hate speech and protect freedom of expression and human rights. The high point will be an international conference organized at the Organization’s Paris headquarters on 21-23 February.


This newspaper doesn’t exist: How ChatGPT can launch fake news sites in minutes

Poynter: Michael Martinez, managing editor of the Suncoast Sentinel, is a foodie who loves jazz, volunteers at local homeless shelters and spends his days hiking in Florida’s state parks.


Why the perspective of exiled journalists is so important 

VoxEurop: Europe provides shelter to large numbers of journalists who have had to flee their home countries after facing persecution for their work. But too often, writes Toon Vos, they don’t get the support they need to go on doing their job properly, and in the end some just give up.


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Header image: Telecommunications towers at sunset. Credit: Mario Caruso / Unsplash.com