Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
Click on the drop-down menus below to reveal the latest regional stories.
ALGERIA: Algerian blogger jailed over interview with “Israeli diplomat”
Reporters without Borders (RSF): Marzoug has been held in El Khemis prison since 17 January in connection with the Skype interview, in which his interviewee made the politically sensitive claim that Israel had a “liaison office” in Algiers prior to 2000.
EGYPT: Egypt detains almost 100 journalists
Middle East Monitor (MOM): Almost 100 Egyptian journalists and media personnel are being held in prison by the authorities in Cairo, a new report has revealed.
ERITREA: Project Exile: Eritrean State Media Reporter Turns Critic
Global Journalist: “When prison became a synonym for Eritrea…you can only flee.”
GHANA: Ghana mulls extending deadline for digital migration
News Ghana: Ghana may consider extending the deadline for completion of its digital migration program due to challenges in compliance, Minister-designate for Communications Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said here on Wednesday.
KENYA: Court’s ruling on libel good for democracy
Standard Digital: Controversial defamation laws have been overturned and declared unconstitutional.
SOUTH AFRICA: Are MPs up to the task of fixing South Africa’s troubled public broadcaster?
The Media Online: South Africa’s public broadcaster, the SABC, is in trouble. There are two critical processes on the go, one to address the SABC’s financial and governance crises and the second to appoint an interim board.
SABC: SABC’s appeal against Hlaudi ruling dismissed
News 24: The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the SABC’s leave to appeal a ruling against Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
TANZANIA: Foreign Ownership in Media Capped
Via All Africa: The government yesterday published the Media Services Regulations, which limit foreign ownership of print media houses to 49 per cent.
ZAMBIA: GOTV drags ZNBC to court
Times of Zambia: GOTV Broadcasting Zambia Limited and GOtv Zambia Limited have sought an injunction to restrain ZNBC from disconnecting its services from its digital terrestrial television platform.
ZIMBABWE: Govt urged to release funds for digitisation programme
News Day: The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media and Information last week urged Treasury to urgently release funds for the digitisation programme to facilitate digital transmission.
Azerbaijan: Journalists strive to cover the country from exile
Index on Censorship: For Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev and many other authoritarian leaders across the world, independent journalism and what it represents is bad news.
GEORGIA: Georgian Public Broadcaster shuts down all talk-shows
OC Media: The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) has decided to temporarily shut down all of its talk-shows in order to ‘fight the crisis’ and remobilise financing to renew the broadcaster
HONG KONG: Hong Kong sees lower freedom score amid Beijing intervention
Asia Times: City saw a decline in its score in 2017 report from last year amid China’s actions such as reinterpreting the Basic Law, says Freedom House.
INDIA: AIR Tirupati vows to be more interactive
The Hindu: Staying in touch with listeners and designing programmes in tune with the public demand is the vow taken by the All India Radio’s Tirupati station.
INDIA: India Inaugurates the Next Stage of the World’s Biggest Digital Radio Roll-out
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
MALAYSIA: Cultivate good relations with media, chief justice tells judiciary
Malay Mail Online: Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria today advised the judiciary to forge a good relationship with the media so that the public are able to get the accurate information and exposure about any legal cases.
MYANMAR: Press freedom in Burma is under attack again — and Aung San Suu Kyi isn’t doing anything about it
The Washington Post
PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s Censorship Takes a Dangerous Turn
The Diplomat: Pakistan is silencing discussion on a growing number of topics, from religious extremism to CPEC.
PAKISTAN: UK watchdog revokes ARY’s licences
Dawn: The British broadcast media watchdog has “revoked” all licences held by the ARY Network because it has “ceased to provide the licensed services”.
PHILIPPINES: NEC wins deal with Philippines public broadcaster
Telecomasia.net: NEC Philippines signed a contract to provide digital terrestrial TV equipment for the People’s Television Network (PTNI), the public broadcasting service for the Republic of the Philippines.
SOUTH KOREA: S. Korea stands as world’s 7th biggest media content creator
Yonhap News Agency: South Korea’s media content production grew at a pace faster than the growth rate recorded in the global market in 2015, securing the country a status as the world’s seventh largest content creator, a state agency said Sunday.
TAIWAN: Taiwan ranks ahead of the US in freedom report
Taipei Times: In the annual report released by the Washington-based rights watchdog, Taiwan scored 91 out of 100, beating out France (90), the US (89) and South Korea (82).
TAJIKISTAN: Tajik Media Faces Exodus
Institute for War & Peace Reporting: A combination of state pressure and lack of jobs is weakening the country’s journalism sector.
THAILAND: CPJ concerned about proposed media controls in Thailand
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): Open letter expressing CPJ’s concerns about draft legislation that would impose new government controls on private media and journalists in Thailand.
THAILAND: Thai journalists denounce media regulation bill
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South East Asia Journalist Unions (SEAJU) join the National Union of Journalist of Thailand (NUJT) in denouncing the draft media regulation bill that will further suppress media in already challenging environment.
REGIONAL: Journalism has an increasingly murderous price in Asia Pacific
IFJ: The IFJ has launched a list of journalists and media staff killed in 2016, documenting the deaths of colleagues killed in the line of duty.
AUSTRALIA: Australian media defend terror coverage
SBS: Australian media organisations have hit back at White House claims that several terror attacks across the country were “under-reported”.
AUSTRALIA: Closure of ABC shortwave service a cause for concern?
PMA: With close to eight decades of transmission the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has cut its shortwave service to Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region.
AUSTRALIA: Workers upset by ABC’s ditching of shortwave radio told to complain to Senate inquiry
The Guardian: People upset or affected by the ABC’s scrapping of its shortwave radio service have been urged to approach a federal inquiry into the national broadcaster’s regional services.
FIJI: Call to respect Fiji media
Radio New Zealand: The Fijian Media Association says people need to respect, appreciate and understand the hard work of journalists.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZI remains ‘essential voice of the Pacific’, says broadcaster
Asia Pacific Report: Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) continues to serve people across the Pacific region, delivering essential day to day news and information and providing a vital lifeline in times of natural disaster, says the public broadcaster.
SAMOA: Journalism growth in Samoa, subject in need of attention
Papua New Guinea Today: The rapid growth of journalism skills and technology in Samoa has become the focus of a workshop funded by UNESCO under its International Program for Development of Communication, designed to explore the standard of Samoan journalism.
VANUATU: Right to public information law now in force
Pacific Media Centre: Vanuatu’s Right To Information (RTI) Act has become law after it was published in the official Gazette, less than three months after it was unanimously endorsed by Parliament.
ANDORRA: Andorra’s RTVA archives content to cloud
Rapid TV News: Spain’s VSN and Andorra Telecom have enabled Andorra’s public broadcaster RTVA to move its entire historical archive to the cloud for more secure preservation.
BALKANS: Request for EU Support for Public Service Media in Balkans
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ): On 1st and 2nd February, EFJ and the EBU had a series of meetings with members of the European Parliament to discuss the urgency of supporting public service media and independent journalism in the accession countries.
BALKANS: Reconciliation in the Balkans goes on air!
Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso: ‘Okruženje’, the first and only regional TV current affairs talk show in the Western Balkans, awarded with the prize for ‘2016 Media Initiative of the Year’ at the European Citizenship Awards
CROATIA: Croatia Media Await Funding Ruling With Concern
Balkan Insight: Non-profit media await a final decision on their appeals for funds from Croatia’s new culture minister – but some fear she will continue the controversial policies of her predecessor.
BULGARIA: Bulgaria, where the local press “can be bought for cheap”
Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso: In Bulgaria, local administrations spend large sums to “finance” the media, thus influencing their editorial line – a concerning situation, especially outside Sofia.
DENMARK: Quick news fixes are making the Danes dizzy
Nordicom: The DR Audience Research Department annually publishes a report on the use of electronic media in Denmark. Media Development 2016 is now available, and one of its main points is that quick news fixes are making the Danes dizzy.
FRANCE: Fake news: Facebook and Google team up with French media
BBC News: French journalists are teaming up with Facebook and Google to create a new fact-checking service aimed at tackling the rise of “fake news”.
GREECE: Debunking Greek Media
Huffington Post: Opinion piece about the changing media and journalistic landscape in Greece.
IRELAND: Time to act on media ownership
European Centre for Press & Media Freedom (ECPMF): Europe’s media freedom campaigners have sounded a warning over the state of Irish media.
MOLDOVA: Moldova media in mask protest
BBC Monitoring: News websites in Moldova have staged a campaign against “abusive” interpretations of data protection laws by blanking out the faces of public figures and blotting out their names in reports.
NORWAY: NTB leads the charge for newsroom innovation with Superdesk
Journalism.co.uk: Norwegian national news agency Norsk Telegrambyrå (NTB) has launched Sourcefabric’s Superdesk editorial system across its entire news operation
SPAIN: Spain has most affordable public broadcasting in Europe
PMA: A new study published in collaboration with FORTA and Spanish universities, confirmed that the state’s public television service is the cheapest in Europe.
UK: BBC underestimated licence fee evasion
Broadcast: The BBC has underestimated the level of licence fee evasion and will struggle to meet its targets to reduce it by 2020, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).
UK: Full details of BBC’s £8m-a-year scheme to fund 150 local press ‘democracy reporters’ revealed
Press Gazette: News publishers and the BBC have revealed how £8m a year will be diverted from the BBC’s £3.7bn a year licence fee income to help plug the ‘democratic deficit’ in local journalism.
UK: The BBC is using ‘slow news’ to fight fake news
Digiday UK: The BBC is taking a stronger stance on fighting the online spread of misinformation, having launched a dedicated lie-debunking unit at the heart of its newsroom.“
OSCE: “The recent outbreak of hostilities in Donbas has already led to several casualties of media members..”
REGIONAL: #iComment: Journalism organisations join EU fight against hate speech
ECPMF: In actively putting in mechanisms to quash hate speech in the public sphere, the European Commission (EC) is now funding campaigns by media organisations to educate journalists on how to build a fairer, more ethical narrative on different groups in light of the refugee crisis.
ARGENTINA: Conglomerates dominate media
BBC Monitoring: Although most media outlets in Argentina are privately owned, the state retains an important role as an owner and regulator.
MEXICO: IAPA voices concern at regulations that go against free speech
Inter American Press Association (IAPA): The IAPA expressed alarm at plans regarding telecommunications by Mexico’s regulatory body which last December published a series of features whose application would harm freedom of expression in the country and “the certainty that they can give rise to a climate of prior censorship over the press.”
VENEZUELA: Venezuela Sheds Its Democratic Façade
Freedom House: Venezuela, joining Cuba, has become the second country in the Americas rated Not Free by Freedom House. If left unaddressed, its humanitarian crisis could prompt large-scale migration.
Knight Center: Journalism in the Americas
BAHRAIN: IPI blasts Bahrain cases against Nabeel Rajab
International Press Institute (IPI): Prosecutors say human rights defender on trial for claiming journalists barred from country.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi women use social media to expose harassment
Middle East Monitor (MOM): A campaign using the hashtag #Break_Your_Silence_Speak_Up has been started to encourage Saudi women to expose examples of harassment, rape, physical abuse and suppression against them.
TURKEY: RSF urges EU leaders to defend media freedom in Turkey
RSF: RSF is launching an ad campaign that calls for a firm stand in defence of media freedom in Turkey by the European Union’s leaders, who will meet for an EU summit in Malta on Friday (3 February).
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada shares its Accountability Plan
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada is pleased to share with Canadians its Accountability Plan for the Government’s reinvestment in the public broadcaster.
CANADA: Public Policy Forum report – A welcome contribution to discussions on the future of Canadian culture
CBC/Radio-Canada: New report launched. CBC/Radio-Canada welcomes the Public Policy Forum’s contribution to the government’s public consultation on strengthening Canadian content in a digital world.
CANADA: Surveillance of journalists and court orders puts Canada’s press freedom at risk
CPJ
USA: PBS will help stations convert social media followers to donors during March pledge
Current: PBS Development Services wants to help stations engage an untapped audience during March pledge drive by acquiring new donors via social media.
USA: Public media backers work to counter possible federal budget cuts
Current: Public broadcasters and their advocates aren’t waiting for President Trump’s initial budget, expected to be released later this month, to mobilize support for CPB funding.
USA: TV set viewership is still king of the home
Rapid TV News: Driven by millennials and older adults, TV set viewing in the US rose by 4.6 million people over the last year, according to the Video Advertising Bureau.
5G TV ‘could rival cable, satellite and IPTV’
Digital TV Europe: TV and video delivery will become a “core capability” of 5G wireless services, allowing mobile providers to offer TV-equivalent services, according to new research.
Beyond the parachute: Newsrooms rethink centralized model
Columbia Journalism Review
How has media policy responded to fake news?
LSE: Media Policy Project Blog: The Media Policy Project’s Emma Goodman looks at how governments and companies have responded to fake news so far.
Public Funding Feeds Appetite For Food Programmes
European Journalism Observatory (EJO): Public service broadcasting is yielding innovation and entertainment in food programming, according to new research into Britain’s BBC and Korean Broadcasting Company (KBS) content.
Study: How to use podcasts to bring ears to radio
Inside Radio: As podcasting grows in popularity and availability, many radio broadcasters are left with a question: How best can one use on-demand audio to attract new listeners and fresh revenue? It’s one much pondered and covered in a recent Knight Foundation story on podcasting, and how it coexists with over-the-air radio.
What does the new World Development Report say?
BBC Media Action
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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.
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Header image: On The Air. Credits: Alan Levine/Creative Commons
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