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
Collaborative media literacy programme takes off in India
A BBC-led media literacy programme taught more than 8,000 school students from more than 100 schools in India about critical thinking, fact-checking and digital safety, to equip them with the analytical tools to check and verify content.
Across a series of workshops, BBC News partnered with Internews and DataLEADS between August and December 2021 to deliver the BBC Young Reporter India (BBC YRI) programme to school students aged thirteen and above using an array of videos, interactive games and other resources. The mission of the programme was to combat the spread of misinformation about vaccinations and fake Covid-19 cures, and other potentially harmful content.
The programme also trained 51 trainers, including media educators, teachers, and journalists, and provided more than 250 hours of media training remotely.
Public Media Alliance’s Research Journalist, Chloe Howcroft, spoke to Marie Helly, Head of the BBC’s Beyond Fake News project and BBC News International Services to find out more about the results and impact of the BBC YRI programme.
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...
Greening Our Story
CBC/Radio-Canada: We’re going to continue building an environmentally sustainable public service media company that current and future generations can be proud of.
What we're listening to...
Marianna Spring
Behind the Headlines: Hannah Storm and John Crowley speak with Marianna Spring, the BBC’s first specialist disinformation reporter. Speaking candidly and compassionately, Marianna shares her insights into the impact of conspiracy theories and online falsehoods on those whose stories she shares, and explains the importance of empathy in her work. This conversation offers an important insight into how issues of journalism safety are no longer limited to physical environments, and how the toll of online harm has an impact on journalists’ mental health too – and is an issue we need to speak about more openly.
Sign up to our Global Call Out
Promote, support and advocate for public service media
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
EGYPT: Can Egypt’s leaders be pressured into protecting press freedom? (Watch)
Al Jazeera: Al Jazeera condemns the 15-year jail sentence given to its journalist for interviewing an opposition leader.
EGYPT: Egyptian opposition channel relaunches ‘without headquarters’ after leaving Turkey
Middle East Eye: The Egyptian opposition TV channel Mekameleen is relaunching just over a month after it had to shut down its office in Turkey amid a rapprochement between Cairo and Ankara, Middle East Eye has learned.
ETHIOPIA: 19 media workers detained in May as press freedom situation deteriorates
IPI: IPI condemns the illegal detention of 19 Ethiopian journalists and media workers who were arrested by security forces in Addis Ababa and the Amhara region as part of an “anti-crime operation” for offenses that include “incitement to violence” and other vague offenses.
GHANA: GBC sues Buy Media
GBC: A former Director of Legal Services of GBC, George Ekow Mill has admitted before an Accra High Court claims by former Director-General, Major Albert Don-Chebe that all actions that he as CEO took in connection with the Contracts between GBC and Advertising firm, Buy Media Limited were based on his advice.
GHANA: Ghana tops in Freedom of Expression violations in West Africa during first quarter of 2022
MFWA: Ghana underlined recent concerns about its deteriorating press freedom environment by recording 11 violations to emerge as the most repressive country in West Africa during the first quarter of 2022.
LESOTHO & SOUTH AFRICA: SABC voted the most admired media brand in Lesotho (Watch)
SABC: Brand Africa has awarded South Africa’s public broadcaster – the SABC – with a Media Gold Award for the “The Most Admired Media Brand in Lesotho in the 2022 Brand Africa 100 awards. In a prestigious ceremony held in Maseru this week, SABC scooped the first place as the Media Brand of choice.
MALAWI: Court adjourns Sumbuleta sexual harassment case (31 May)
Nyasa Times: The High Court in Blantyre has adjourned to a later date a case in which former Director-General of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Aubrey Sumbuleta is accused of sexual harassment.
NIGERIA: MFWA joins NUJ in condemning attacks on journalists in Rivers State
MFWA: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) joins the Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ) to condemn the police assault and harassment of seven journalists covering proceedings at a High Court in Port Harcourt.
ZIMBABWE: Journalist in Distress? Zimbabwe Has an App for That
VOA: A new app is helping Zimbabwe’s journalists stay safe in environments in which they are at risk.
ZIMBABWE: ZimLive Editor charged with undermining authority of the President
MISA: ZimLive Editor Mduduzi Mathuthu was on 6 June 2022 charged with contravening Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which deals with undermining the authority of the President or insulting the President.
REGIONAL: Southern African Broadcasting Entities Strengthen Cooperation Towards The Launch Of SADC TV
Broadcast Media Africa: On Friday, 03 June 2022, the President of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA), Stanley Benjamin Similo, together with the Secretary-General, Cecil Jarurakouje Nguvauva, met the Group Chief Executive Officer of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Madoda Mxakwe – accompanied by some SABC Executive Management – to discuss critical issues about the advancement of broadcasting services and the media industry in Southern Africa.
AFGHANISTAN: Reporter: World ‘Must Not Be Silent’ on Afghan Media Restrictions
VOA News: An award-winning journalist who fled from Afghanistan last August says the international community must not remain silent on Taliban restrictions for female journalists.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban’s unending crackdown on Afghan female journalists
Observer Research Foundation: Immediately after seizing power nine months ago, the Taliban representatives promised a renewed way of ruling, one that would be devoid of any prejudices or violence against Afghan women.
ARMENIA: Armenia parliament passes bill allowing state bodies to revoke journalist accreditation
CPJ: Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan should refrain from ratifying legal amendments allowing state bodies to revoke journalists’ accreditation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
BANGLADESH: Given our pace of development, it’s time to improve press freedoms (Opinion)
The Business Standard: Bangladesh has 45 TV channels, 28 FM and community radio stations, 1,248 daily newspapers, and over 100 online news portals. Nonetheless, media freedoms are shrinking alarmingly despite the increase in the number of media outlets over the past two decades
BANGLADESH: Mass media bill: JS body gets 60 more days to scrutinise
The Daily Star: The parliamentary standing committee on information and broadcasting ministry was yesterday given 60 more days to scrutinise the much-debated Mass Media Employees (Services Conditions) Bill 2022.
CHINA & AUSTRALIA: Cheng Lei: partner of Australian journalist detained in China says he is concerned about her declining health
The Guardian: The partner of Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei – detained by Beijing authorities since August 2020 – has said he has serious concerns about her declining health behind bars in an interview aired on Thursday.
HKFP: The motion called on the Foreign Correspondents’ Club to prominently display its mission statement on the website, reaffirm its commitment to speaking out on threats to press freedom, and seek written legal advice on related concerns in the future.
INDIA: Explained: What is D2M technology, and how could it change your mobile behaviour?
The Indian Express: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and India’s public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati are exploring the feasibility of a technology that allows to broadcast video and other forms of multimedia content directly to mobile phones, without needing an active internet connection.
INDIA: India is considering a panel to rule on social media takedowns
Al Jazeera: India is considering whether to set up an appeals panel with the power to reverse the content moderation decisions of social media firms, the information technology ministry said, in what would be the first such move of its kind worldwide.
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called on authorities in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to immediately cease harassing and intimidating Yashraj Sharma, interim editor of the online news portal of The Kashmir Walla, and the portal’s staff.
MALAYSIA: Judges, Too, Can Be Enemies of the Press
Nieman Reports: In Malaysia, news organizations can find themselves on the losing end of expensive lawsuits.
MYANMAR: UN Experts Condemn Military’s “Digital Dictatorship”
Scoop: UN human rights experts* today condemned the Myanmar military junta’s attempts to establish a “digital dictatorship” in Myanmar by imposing further restrictions on the access to internet, internet shutdowns, online censorship, surveillance and other barriers to internet access.
NEPAL: MAN joins South & South-East Asian Sub-committee of Journalism (29th May)
The Himalayan Times: Media Action Nepal (MAN), a member of the Media Freedom Coalition- Consultative Network (MFC-CN), has been selected as the Council member of the South and Southeast Asian University Network Sub-committee of Journalism and Communication.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s state-run TV channel fires journalist over visit to Israel
Middle East Eye: A Pakistani journalist working for a state-run news channel has been fired after backlash over his recent visit to Israel.
PHILIPPINES: The unwanted independent press (Opinion)
Rappler: I dare say press freedom is the most critical freedom to a democracy, because the press is meant to inform the people – hopefully even enlighten them – about goings-on that affect their lives.
TAIWAN: Tech, journalism, community crucial in ‘battle for facts’: Nobel laureate (29th May)
Focus Taiwan: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and renowned journalist Maria Ressa said Sunday that technology, journalism and community action are key factors in the current fight against disinformation, which she called the “battle for facts.”
THAILAND: New NBTC board dances around proposed merger (23rd May)
Bangkok Post: After only a month in office, the five new members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board — most of whom are seen as novices in their regulatory roles — are grappling with critical challenges, including oversight on the planned merger of True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC) and a lack of commissioners in the fields directly involved with the merger.
UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan’s Soviet Legacy Lives on in Its Treatment of Journalists
The Diplomat: The State Security Services threaten, intimidate, and pressure journalists to avoid certain topics and delete certain stories.
VIETNAM: Vietnamese journalist in failing health after 2 years in prison
Radio Free Asia: A Vietnamese journalist is in failing health after serving two years of a prison sentence for criticizing the country’s one-party communist government, RFA has learned.
ABC News: It started as a piece of sound-library music and through reworks, remixes and generations of Australian growing up hearing it, the Majestic Fanfare has wedged itself into the Australian consciousness.
AUSTRALIA: AIDC & ABC announce return of Indigenous Documentary Placement
ABC: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in partnership with the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) are pleased to open applications for the Indigenous Documentary Placement program for 2022, with a submission deadline of Friday 1 July 2022.
AUSTRALIA: Liberal-led Senate inquiry into ABC and SBS abandoned
The Guardian: Ita Buttrose previously branded investigation of complaints handling ‘an act of political interference’.
AUSTRALIA: SBS launches its Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan strengthening its commitment to First Nations stories, knowledges, cultures and languages (Press release)
SBS: SBS has today released its Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2022-2026, during National Reconciliation Week, outlining its commitment to increasing the prominence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories and perspectives, including delivering more First Nations content in more than 60 languages, across the network.
AUSTRALIA: Triple J is shedding young listeners, but radio isn’t a dead medium yet
Sydney Morning Herald: Triple J’s average audience nationally has declined significantly from 2014 to today, according to radio ratings surveys. But the ABC says radio is only a part of the picture, with the network now reaching its audience through a range of other channels.
AUSTRALIA: Victorian government to give almost $2.7m to AAP to boost regional media
The Guardian: Three-year deal will support the newswire’s service to regional newspapers and radio bulletins throughout the state.
FIJI & CHINA: ‘Restriction on journalists a joint decision’
The Fiji Times: Chinese ambassador Qian Bo says the restriction on journalists asking questions of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was a joint decision between the Chinese and Fijian governments.
NEW ZEALAND: Kamahl Santamaria’s Breakfast resignation: What happened and why does it matter?
Stuff: The fallout from the resignation of Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria after just 32 days has dominated this week.
NEW ZEALAND: Sky TV in talks to buy MediaWorks (Paywall)
Business Desk
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ finalises terms for review in wake of Kamahl Santamaria resignation
Stuff: TVNZ has finalised its terms of reference for an independent review into recruitment policies and practices.
NEW ZEALAND: Why does online journalism have to put up with such heinous ads?
The Spinoff: I have a folder on my Google Drive called “journalism online looks like shit”. I’ve had it since 2018, and have dutifully filed away examples of egregious pile-ups of display advertising, link stacks, homepage takeover horrors and chum boxes (the Outbrain bizarro world at the bottom of stories) as I’ve encountered them since.
REGIONAL: China’s visit to Pacific highlights growing threat to journalism in the region
ABC: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s whirlwind visit to the Pacific has seen press conferences and media access heavily restricted, highlighting the growing threat to journalism in the region.
REGIONAL: Ramos-Horta challenges Pacific’s biggest threat to media freedom – China’s gatekeepers (Opinion)
Asia-Pacific Report: Timor-Leste, the youngest independent nation and the most fledgling press in the Asia-Pacific, has finally shown how it’s done — with a big lesson for Pacific island neighbours.
BULGARIA: Is Bulgaria the weak link in Europe’s fight against Russian disinformation? (Capital)
IPI: Pro-Kremlin propaganda in Bulgaria has fractured the social fabric, providing optimum conditions for disinformation to spread, writes Capital.
CYPRUS: Media bill poses major threat to press freedom in northern Cyprus
RSF: The administration of the northern part of Cyprus has approved a bill that threatens journalists with arbitrary prosecution under the pretext of tackling online information turmoil.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Television plans cuts of 910 million crowns by 2024 (Press release – Czech)
Česká televize: Today, Czech Television presented a public service sustainability strategy for 2023 and 2024. With a series of measures that will affect the operation of television, its program, original production or investments, ČT responds to the long-term trend of a decrease in the real value of the television fee.
CZECH REPUBLIC: EC to investigate Czech state aid for DTT
Broadband TV News: The European Commission (EC) says it has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether public support that the Czech Republic plans to grant in favour of DTT operators is in line with EU State aid rules.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Why Czech media freedom remains fragile after 2021 election
IPI: The change in prime minister has not yet brought significant improvements for media freedom, writes HlidaciPes.
DENMARK: DR Vejret on a summer trip in a reopened Denmark (Press release – Danish)
DR: ‘Our Summer Weather’ parks the weather truck at the many festivals and scout camps around the country, which after two years of corona closure is again ready to receive the Danes. The trip lasts six weeks from Monday 27 June.
ESTONIA: Editor-in-chief roles at ETV, ETV2 to be merged into one post
ERR: The role of editor-in-chief of public broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhääling’s (ERR) two Estonian-language TV channels, ETV and ETV2, will be merged into one position, following a recent management board decision.
FINLAND: Russia blocks access to Yle websites
Yle: Yle’s news sites in Finnish, Russian and English are no longer accessible in Russia without a VPN.
FRANCE: At France Culture, a banal appointment sets fire to the powder (Paywall – French)
Le Monde: The Society of Journalists, “on behalf of the unanimous editorial team”, protests against an appointment which it judges could be akin to “a conflict of interest”.
FRANCE: franceinfo / special device legislative elections, to follow from Monday, June 6 (Press release – French)
Radio France: On the air, on Twitch, in the studio, in the field… A few days before the legislative elections, franceinfo is mobilizing to support the French in this decisive political time. Reports, decryptions, guests and relocations to be found from June 6th.
GERMANY: How media reports about trans people: Between science, ideology and interest groups (Listen – German)
Deutschlandfunk: Trans associations complain that discriminatory and pseudo-scientific positions are given too much space. The demands of the trans associations themselves are not sufficiently questioned in the media, says our listener Till Amelung, who as a social scientist himself gives lectures and publishes on the subject.
GERMANY: The mandate of public service broadcasting is being reformed (German)
Süddeutsche Zeitung: The federal states want to sharpen the mandate of public broadcasting in Germany and have agreed on changes in the state treaty. The prime ministers announced this on Thursday after their meeting in Berlin.
GREECE: Media freedom is stifled also by criminalising “fake news”
OBCT: As evidenced by the latest report by Reporters Without Borders, press freedom in Greece today is in great pain. A situation that also has its roots in the unresolved regulatory framework.
IRELAND: Virgin Media chief questions RTÉ’s spending spree on sports
Irish Examiner: RTÉ is failing to deliver sufficient GAA coverage to the Irish public for the amount of rights it owns, a leading sports agreement buyer has claimed.
LATVIA: All Russia-based TV channels banned in Latvia
LSM: Latvia’s media regulator, the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) decided on June 6 to ban the distribution of the remaining 80 channels registered in Russia, which were available to Latvian viewers until now.
MALTA: Questions raised about whether PBS has filed reports showing how it spent taxpayers’ cash
The Shift News: The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is obliged to submit annual reports assessing whether it has fulfilled its public service obligations and detailing how it spent the public money it receives, however questions raised in Parliament are now causing doubt over whether the reports have been filed at all over the past few years.
POLAND: Fears for media pluralism as Polska Press trial begins
Article 19: Ahead of the first hearing in the case of acquisition of regional newspaper publisher Polska Press by Poland’s state-controlled oil company PKN Orlen, ARTICLE 19 Europe expresses concerns over ongoing media politicisation in Poland and the growing risk of indirect government censorship.
RUSSIA & US: Russia Summons Heads of US Media Outlets, Warns of ‘Stringent Measures’
VOA News: Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was summoning the heads of U.S. media outlets in Moscow to a meeting this Monday to notify them of tough measures in response to U.S. restrictions against Russian media.
RUSSIA: SOTA journalists face attacks, harassment
IPI: Recent incidents underscore worsening climate for remaining independent journalists in Russia.
RUSSIA: EBU Suspends Russian Broadcasters
TV Tech: Decision effectively bans the three broadcasters from covering the Eurovision Song Contest.
RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Russia vs Ukraine: The fog of propaganda and disinformation (Watch)
Al Jazeera: Four months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we analyse the spread of disinformation and the ongoing propaganda war.
SLOVENIA: 70 years of the reign of Elizabeth II. and 100 years of the BBC. When will we really be serious about RTV? (Opinion – Slovenian) (Paywall)
Večer: We have been discussing RTV Slovenia for a long time, but there are no real and really weighty discussions about how “ours” should be, and at the same time “from no one”, says dr. Suzana Žilič Fišer:
SLOVENIA: Management warns of inadmissible attacks and public reckonings (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: The management of RTV Slovenia is once again publicly calling for calming the rhetoric on social networks, in the media and also inside the house.
SLOVENIA & HUNGARY: What next for Hungarian-owned media in Slovenia? (Delo)
IPI: Despite their failed attempt to pave the way for the victory of Janez Janša, the Hungarian-owned and SDS-friendly media in Slovenia are unlikely to vanish, writes Delo.
SPAIN: La 1 is renewed: goodbye to ‘Spain direct’, and new programs underway (Spanish)
El País: The public television grid is already noticing the incorporation of José Pablo López to content management.
SPAIN: The new news director of RTVE receives the approval of the staff by only six votes of difference (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: Pep Vilar obtained 198 votes in favor and 192 against in a vote where only 14.9% of the staff participated
SWEDEN: “Summer drought in the news feed we do not believe” (Swedish)
SVT: The news intensity and the audience’s changed habits have led SVT to change its news work. The surveillance this summer will be strengthened with extra programs and increased staffing. We are recharging before the autumn elections.
UK: BBC review to focus on staff diversity and market impact
RadioToday: The DCMS has launched a BBC review into compliance with editorial standards, staff diversity and market impact on other industries.
UK: Criticising the government isn’t journalistic bias – it goes with the job (Opinion)
The New Statesman: Boris Johnson and his party have weaponised their own definition of impartiality, to the detriment of democracy.
UK: Michael Grade too lazy and old to lead Ofcom, says BBC official historian
The Guardian: Prof Jean Seaton, speaking at Hay festival on future of BBC, says Grade appointment is act of bullying.
UKRAINE: Interview: Ukraine’s Journalists in ‘Epicenter’ of War
VOA: When she helped launch The Kyiv Independent in November, chief editor Olga Rudenko had no idea that six months later she would be on the cover of Time magazine.
GENERAL: IJ4EU relaunches: €1.23M in grants for watchdog journalism in Europe (Opportunity)
IJ4EU: Bigger and bolder, the Investigative Journalism for Europe fund is back, offering critical support for cross-border journalism.
GENERAL: New European directory on the protection of journalists
EFJ: On May 26, a new Directory of State initiatives to protect journalists in Europe has been lunched by ARTICLE 19 as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project which the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is part of.
GENERAL: RSF’s proposals for ambitious, innovative European Media Freedom Act
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the European Commission, which is drafting a European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), to be ambitious in its efforts to safeguard and ensure respect for this fundamental freedom at a time when it faces increased threats and unprecedented challenges in Europe.
ARGENTINA: How ‘Ni Uma Menos’ was a watershed in Argentina’s coverage of gender issues
Media Talks: Although some countries have advanced in the inclusion of women in newsrooms and in the way of dealing with gender issues, as shown in the highlighted examples in the Special Diversity in the Media of the journalism website MediaTalks, few have progressed as much as Argentina.
ARGENTINA: Gustavo López: “All the cultural production of our country is at risk” (Spanish)
Página 12: According to the official, “it is not exclusively a question of industry and work, important in itself since it would affect hundreds of thousands of workers, but rather it has to do with an identity question, which is constitutive of a Nation.”
BOLIVIA: Freedom of expression and… its undue risks in a genuine democracy (Spanish)
ANF: I have been asked if there is freedom of expression today in Bolivia…
BRAZIL: At 64, Rádio Nacional de Brasília bets on new platforms (Portuguese)
Agência Brasil: On May 31, 1958, Rádio Nacional AM Brasília was inaugurated . Sixty-four years later, the vehicle starts to occupy spaces that go beyond the classic device, such as social networks and streaming platforms .
BRAZIL: Brazilian government creates ‘TV Bolsonaro’
LatAm Journalism Review
BRAZIL: Journalism reacts to attacks and retreat in transparency in the Bolsonaro administration (Portuguese)
Folha
BRAZIL: Should Google pay for news in Brazil? It’s complicated
Nieman Lab: No solution is ideal. The worst thing that journalists can do, however, is to step aside and let media owners and platforms decide among themselves.
BRAZIL: British journalist and Brazilian indigenous affairs expert missing in the Amazon
CNN: A veteran British journalist and a Brazilian indigenous affairs expert are missing in Brazil’s remote Javari Valley, in the far western part of Amazonas state.
CHILE: Congress of journalists agrees to approve a proposal for a new Constitution (Spanish)
Periodista: The XVIII “Manola Robles” National Congress of the Chilean Association of Journalists unanimously agreed to a political vote in the sense of approving the proposal for a new Constitution drawn up by the Constitutional Convention and already in its final stage, because it includes, indicates the declaration , the historical demands of the union to guarantee the right to social communication, freedom of the press and pluralism.
CHILE: Persecution of the press in Chile: The crime of informing
Pressenza
COLOMBIA: “They look like petristas” and “what they can’t ask me is stupid things”: answers from Rodolfo Hernández that caused rejection (Spanish)
Infobae: Presidential candidate Rodolfo Hernández continues to generate controversy with his appearances in the media. In an interview with Señal de la Mañana of the Señal Colombia channel, he made several statements that generated stupor among journalists.
CUBA: Cuban activists applaud U.S. decision to exclude Cuba from Summit of the Americas
NPR: World leaders have started to arrive in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas. The Biden administration, or rather the United States, is the host, and so the U.S. invites the participants. It chose this year to leave Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua off the list, saying that they do not respect democracy.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Law would censor the press and users of social networks (Spanish)
Diario Libre: Anyone could be sued under the allegation of “affecting the good name” of another
EL SALVADOR: President Bukele engulfs the country in a human rights crisis after three years in government
Amnesty International: Under the current state of emergency, the Salvadoran authorities have committed massive human rights violations, including thousands of arbitrary detentions and violations of due process, as well as torture and ill-treatment, and at least 18 people have died in state custody, Amnesty International said today, following its research into the crisis in the country.
HONDURAS: Honduran journalist wounded by a gunshot dies, the fourth so far in 2022 (Spanish)
VOA News: Four journalists have been murdered so far this year in Honduras. Organizations that defend freedom of the press denounce impunity.
PERU: 100 days have passed without the president responding to the press (Spanish)
IPYS: On June 2, 2022, President Pedro Castillo turned 100 days without responding or making statements to the press.
VENEZUELA: El Nacional newspaper resists attacks by the Maduro regime (Portuguese)
O Globo: Until five years ago, computer keyboards rang almost nonstop in that two-story building and spaces full of journalists and interviewees in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
REGIONAL: Activist reporter tells why he promotes LGBTI rights in the French Caribbean
76 Crimes: More than 12 million people live in the Francophone Caribbean, from the independent nation of Haiti to the French territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin, St. Barthélemy, and French Guiana. LGBTI people across the region have unique struggles that Erasing 76 Crimes reporter Moïse MANOËL-FLORISSE, an Afro-Caribbean native of Guadaloupe, has involved himself in for many years.
IFEX: In May, organisations in the region commemorated World Press Freedom Day, spreading the word about developments in freedom of expression – many of them worrying for countries that had previously managed to maintain a relatively safe environment for journalists and freedom of the press.
LatAm Journalism Review: How can artificial intelligence and satellite imagery be harnessed to find potential news stories? That was the question a group of journalists from the Americas asked themselves during their participation in the Collab Challenge 2021 program.
PALESTINE: UN Names Palestinian Media Program for Slain Reporter Shireen Abu Akleh
VOA News: The United Nations has announced that it is naming the annual training program for Palestinian broadcasters and journalists after Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead May 11 during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank.
TURKEY: Broadcast regulator fines four critical TV stations
IPI: The Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) on May 30 imposed a fine on four channels — Tele1, Halk TV, KRT TV, and Flash TV — for airing a speech of the main opposition Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, in which he claimed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had plans to flee the country if Erdoğan lost the general elections in 2023.
TURKEY: Eleven journalists detained in Turkey in May
Bianet: According to a new report, 11 journalists were detained and 11 were subjected to ill-treatment in a month.
TURKEY: Trace Turkey’s path to normalizing the practice of blocking news websites
Global Voices: From YouTube to websites: how blocking specific URLs became the norm.
TURKEY: Turkey’s independent journalists stand against so-called disinformation bill
Al-Monitor: The new bill in parliament aims to bring further restrictions on freedom of expression online and on social media as elections approach, experts say.
TURKEY: Turkish legislators introduce disinformation bill, seek more online control
CPJ: Turkish lawmakers must reject a proposed law aimed at combating disinformation, as it is vague and will serve as an additional tool for prosecuting journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
UAE: Sweeping Legal ’Reforms’ Deepen Repression
HRW: Abusive Provisions Remain; New Measures Increase Rights Restrictions.
CANADA: Canada’s Online News Act Must Be Transparent, Fair, and Include News Innovators (Statement)
The Local: Without amendments, Bill C-18 risks disproportionately benefitting large news organizations and shutting out digital startups and independent media.
CANADA: Implementing Online News Act will be time consuming, contentious, problematic (Opinion)
Cartt.ca: The basic underlying rationale is clear. Canadian news businesses, primarily newspapers, have been severely disrupted by the Internet. Their advertising market and classified ad market has gone online and newspapers’ financial viability is in great danger.
CBC/Radio-Canada: In a letter to the Russian ambassador to Canada, Catherine Tait, President & CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, expressed her disappointment and concerns regarding the Russian government’s unprecedented decision to close the public broadcaster’s Moscow bureau and to revoke the visas and accreditation of its journalists.
CANADA: Pollara: 90% of Canadians Think it’s Important that Local Media Outlets Survive
New Media Canada: 79% agree that web giants should have to share revenue with Canadian media outlets.
US: APMG reveals plan to disband APM Reports while leaving many details undecided (Paywall)
Current: The future of the American Public Media Group unit focused on investigative journalism is in limbo after APMG CEO Jean Taylor announced last week that APM Reports has been targeted for an unspecified reorganization.
US: CPB analysis finds uneven revenue growth in individual giving, underwriting (Paywall)
Current: Public TV stations fared better than radio in key fundraising categories during fiscal year 2021.
US: Iowa Public Radio maintains services despite elimination of state funding
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa Public Radio anticipates a tight budget but no major impact on programming for listeners despite the Legislature’s move this year to eliminate state support from the program, its executive director said Wednesday.
US: NPR programming boss denies accusations of ‘catastrophic’ staff exodus
Press Gazette: A vice president at US public radio broadcaster NPR has hit out at accusations of a “catastrophic” staff exodus at the organisation, as she revealed it had surpassed 100 million podcast downloads a month.
US: PBS Celebrates LGBTQ+ Stories During Pride Month 2022 (Press release)
PBS: In celebration of Pride Month, PBS will present an engaging slate of programming in June that spotlights LGBTQ+ stories and voices on both broadcast and digital platforms.
US: Veto list: Building deficiencies at public broadcasting stations will go unaddressed
Florida Politics: Stations around the state will suffer. Among the vetoes by Gov. Ron DeSantis from the budget signed Thursday: over $5 million in capital projects for public broadcasting stations around the state.
Digital News Report 2022 launch events
Reuters Institute: Our Digital News Report 2022 will be launched through a series of global events. Each panel features report authors speaking alongside prominent journalists from different regions. Some events are in person and some are online.
Federation of Asia Pacific journalists formed at IFJ Congress
IFJ: IFJ delegates from the Asia Pacific region formed a new regional group, the Federation of Asia-Pacific Journalists (FAPaJ), on May 31, during the IFJ’s triennial World Congress in Muscat, Oman.
Is it OK for police to pose as journalists?
Poynter: A police officer in Troy, New York, masqueraded as a local TV cameraman to defuse a hostage situation. It worked. But not without harm.
IS TODAY’S WORLD A MORE DANGEROUS PLACE FOR JOURNALISTS?
News at Northeastern: On May 11, Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier while reporting for Al Jazeera in the West Bank, according to the news network.
OPINION: Media coverage of monkeypox paints it as an African virus. That makes me mad
NPR: The world is in the midst of a monkeypox outbreak. The World Health Organization has recorded more than 500 cases in 30 countries this year – including the United Kingdom, the United States and a number of European nations. And how do Western media outlets illustrate the story? The BBC, the Independent, CNBC and ABC News are among those that have used a stock photo of a Black person with monkeypox blisters.
Seminar: What do we really know about public broadcasting? (Event)
Nordicom: There is a great amount of research on public broadcasting, both in Sweden and internationally. The question is how the knowledge generated by this research is used by politicians, debaters and journalists.
Tips for Incorporating Scientific Research Into Your Reporting
ICFJ: Research studies, crisis reports and documents from experts are important resources for providing well-researched trends that explain complex global crises. However, research records can often be lengthy, boring and difficult for reporters to transform into engaging stories, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
Twitter used to be a necessity. What is it now?
Poynter: Early in my career, it was my job to convince journalists to join Twitter. I argued that being on the platform would strengthen their reporting, help them connect with their audiences, and give them a way to promote their work.
PSM Weekly is available via email. You can subscribe by signing up to our mailing list at the bottom of the page or email editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Header image: Television studio gallery. Credit: Frederic Koberl / Unsplash.com
Sign up to PSM Weekly
Receive our weekly round-up of public service media headlines and PMA news straight to your inbox.
Related Posts
PSM Weekly | 25 – 31 May 2022
Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 18 – 24 May 2022
Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 11 – 17 May 2022
Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 4 – 10 May 2022
Our weekly round-up of public service…