AFGHANISTAN: Facebook Restrictions The ‘Last Nail In The Coffin’ For Free Speech In Afghanistan

RFE/RL: Facebook users in Afghanistan fear the Taliban’s plans to block or restrict access to the popular social-media platform will deal a death blow to what is left of free speech in the country.

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AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Facebook plan is attempt to silence critics, journalists say 

VOA: Plans by the Taliban to block access to Facebook are a further attempt to curtail freedom of speech and silence critics in Afghanistan, according to journalists and activists.

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AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of ‘media campaign’ at UN top court

Yahoo!: Azerbaijan and Armenia again crossed swords before the UN’s top court on Monday, with Baku accusing Yerevan of using the high profile hearings to wage a “public media campaign” against its bitter Caucasus rival.

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BANGLADESH: Weak areas in Bangladesh’s journalism (Opinion)

Prothom Alo: A major area of weakness in Bangladesh’s journalism is failing to follow up on important stories that are being discussed and a lack of enthusiasm or interest in keeping the readers, viewers and listeners continuously updated. But these are areas that must be given due attention in order to remain relevant in the field.

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CAMBODIA: Report: Legal harassment of Cambodian journalists increasing (Report) 

VOA: Threats by the Cambodian government to take legal action against journalists are increasing, sparking concerns about constraints on press freedom, says an annual report by the Cambodian Journalists Association (CamboJA).

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CHINA: China shuts down influencer’s accounts over fake story

BBC: Chinese authorities have taken down the accounts of a top influencer who fabricated the viral story of a boy and his missing homework books.

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CHINA: Covering China brings surveillance, harassment, report finds 

VOA: Reporting conditions in China have improved since the global pandemic but foreign journalists still face obstacles including visa problems, surveillance and harassment, according to a new survey.

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CHINA: RSF calls for pressure on China to restore full freedom to Covid-19 journalist Zhang Zhan after four years of imprisonment

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the international community to step up the pressure on Beijing to restore full freedom of journalist Zhang Zhan, detained since 2020 for covering the Covid-19 epidemic in China, and whose four-year prison sentence is due to be served next month.

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HONG KONG: Press freedom group says representative denied entry to Hong Kong

Al Jazeera: Reporters Without Borders says advocacy officer detained for six hours before being deported.

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HONG KONG: RSF representative detained and deported on attempt to monitor Jimmy Lai’s national security trial

RSF: A representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been deported from Hong Kong on arrival to the territory to monitor the landmark trial of publisher Jimmy Lai, who faces the rest of his life behind bars on spurious national security charges.

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INDIA: India’s journalists intimidated into silence, says veteran broadcaster

VOA: “Journalism is dead,” declares Ravish Kumar as the veteran journalist discusses the crisis he says India’s media are confronting. “If you want to find journalism in India today, you need to pick up your magnifying glass,” he told VOA.

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INDIA: India’s political parties urged to adopt 10-point press freedom programme ahead of elections

RSF: In response to the sharp decline in press freedom in India, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on political parties fielding candidates in the general elections beginning April 19 to commit to ten concrete measures that aim to defend the right to reliable news and information and protect journalists.

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INDIA: Lok Sabha polls: India’s social media influencers rally millions to vote for Modi

The New Indian Express: Critics say the chance to maximise their followers and income from social posts by collaborating with the BJP may encourage influencers to uncritically back the ruling party.

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INDIA & UK: BBC to split India operations following raids 

The Guardian: Decision to set-up independent Collective Newsroom comes after BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai were raided by tax authorities in 2023.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyzstan Minister Says Case Against Media Workers Not About Politics

Times of Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan is pushing back against international criticism of a high-profile prosecution of media workers, saying the case is not politically motivated and that those facing charges of inciting mass unrest are poorly educated people masquerading as journalists.

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LAOS: In Laos, state control of media is no match for the rise of social ‘news’ channels 

Rappler: In Laos, a one-party state with centralized governance, fake news outlets target society, rather than the government, to attract clicks and engagement

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MALAYSIA: Malaysia urges TikTok and Meta to monitor harmful social media content

Jurist: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) published a joint statement with the Royal Malaysian Police on Tuesday stating that the government has required online media platforms such as TikTok and Meta to tighten their harmful content policy.

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NEPAL: IFJ asks Nepal to revoke media gag

Nepali Times: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate Nepal Press Union (NPU) have strongly condemned new provisions to the Media Council Act that will further tighten the state’s creeping control over the media.

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PAKISTAN: Journalist attacked in office in Islamabad

IFJ: Senior journalist and Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Secretary General Dr Furqan Rao was attacked in his office by a group of people following recent union elections at the Associated Press of Pakistan. 

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PAKISTAN: Struggle of journalists in Pakistan

Pakistan Observer: Journalism in Pakistan is a profession fraught with challenges, where the pursuit of truth often comes with significant risks and obstacles. From threats to press freedom to safety concerns and economic pressures, journalists in Pakistan navigate a complex landscape shaped by political, social and cultural factors.

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PHILIPPINES: Marcos commits to provide free, safe environment for journalists in PH

SunStar: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured on Monday, April 15, 2024, his administration’s commitment in providing a free and safe environment for journalists in the country.

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SOUTH KOREA: Is this K-drama? No, it’s South Korea’s election night

BBC: Anyone switching on their television set in South Korea tonight will be able to take their pick of exciting viewing options – parliamentary candidates starring in a romantic melodrama, fighting it out on a Hollywood-famous train, or even engaging in a rap battle.

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS election broadcast viewership rating… highest 7.7% (Korean)

Maeil Business Newspaper: According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership rating research company on the 11th, KBS1’s ‘Choice to Change My Life 2024’, which aired on the 10th, drew 5.5% (17:30 – 19:06) and 5.3% (19:00) nationwide during the main election counting broadcast time slot. 6 minutes to 20:59) and 5.2% (21:56 to 24:10). ‘KBS 9 O’Clock News’, which was a special feature on the general election, had the highest viewership rating, recording 7.7%.

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SOUTH KOREA: Korea’s broadcasters utilize various technologies to attract viewers’ attention to their election broadcasts

The Kyunghyang Shinmum: Election broadcasts are the culmination of each broadcaster’s production capabilities. Broadcasters catch viewers’ attention with their creative ideas and attractions at every election. There is fierce competition among broadcasters to top the ratings ahead of the general election on April 10. They are using a variety of means, including cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology, more sophisticated predictions of election results, and hiring popular stars as one-time special announcers.

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SOUTH KOREA: Raids, fines and digging through underwear drawers: Korean president’s war on ‘fake news’

Los Angeles Times: When police showed up last year at Im Hyun-ju’s home in Seoul with a search warrant, the 43-year-old journalist watched in disbelief as they examined old notebooks, rifled through her bedroom and confiscated her phone and laptop.

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SOUTH KOREA: Who will get it right? South Korean broadcasters turn to AI

Asia News Network: Korean broadcaster SBS will introduce an AI character as a commentator for its general election broadcasts, a first in Korean broadcasting history.

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TAIWAN: Lessons from Taiwan’s Resistance to an Election Disinformation Wave

GIJN: As dozens of countries brace for an onslaught of local and foreign digital disinformation campaigns in their elections in 2024, Taiwan’s recent experience offers useful lessons for journalists and democracy defenders elsewhere — as well as some much-needed hope.

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VIETNAM: Writer jailed in Vietnam to be recognized with international award

VOA: A Vietnamese writer and journalist serving a nine-year prison sentence for her work has been recognized with an international literary award.

AUSTRALIA: Falsehoods spread about identity of Bondi attacker

AAP FactCheck: Falsehoods about the identity and motives of the man who stabbed at least six people to death in Sydney’s Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre are continuing to be spread online.

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AUSTRALIA: How Conservative Media Fuels Australia’s Nuclear Power Debate (Opinion)

The Diplomat: Debates over nuclear power in Australia continue to be stoked not by industry or voters, but by the media.

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AUSTRALIA: How the Lehrmann v Channel 10 defamation case shone an unflattering light on commercial news gathering (Opinion)

The Conversation: Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson’s victory in the defamation action brought against them by Bruce Lehrmann is the second big win inside a year for the Australian media using the defence of truth. However, it comes at a heavy cost to the reputations of the industry and the profession of journalism.

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AUSTRALIA: Is the tide turning for the media in defamation cases? (Opinion)

Lismore City News: A loud “phew!” echoed yesterday afternoon across newsrooms, broadcast studios and the lone desks of journalists who work at home.

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AUSTRALIA: ‘Major missed opportunity’: Industry reacts to prominence and anti-siphoning findings 

Mediaweek: Bridget Fair predicts a “nightmare scenario” if digital rights are left out of the bill.

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AUSTRALIA: Media fury as Albanese government flirts with $400m fast food ad ban

Australian Financial Review: Major media companies reeling from the prospect of losing $300 million in advertising revenue from a government crackdown on gambling advertising now face an even more expensive blow from a possible ban on junk food ads.

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AUSTRALIA: Proposed new Australian broadcast rules: how much sport will you be able to watch for free?

The Guardian: A report has been released that will shape how fans are able to access sport media content in the Netflix era.

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NEW ZEALAND: End of the news as we know it?

RNZ: This week our two biggest TV broadcasters confirmed plans to cut news programmes by midyear – and the jobs of a significant proportion of this country’s journalists. Many observers said this had been coming but few seemed to have a plan for it, including the government.

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NEW ZEALAND: Newshub: parts of axed New Zealand media outlet to continue in new deal

The Guardian: Newshub owner Warner Bros Discovery strikes deal with Stuff to provide bulletins amid concerns over the country’s shrinking media market.

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NEW ZEALAND: Stuff to provide news bulletins to replace Newshub 

RNZ: Warner Bros. Discovery has done a deal with Stuff to provide news to replace Newshub. It will keep news on TV channel Three from 6 July and help Three retain some viewers. It also means important income for Stuff, but it will also stretch the company’s staff, finances and technology.  

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NEW ZEALAND: What went wrong? Media experts weigh in on NZers’ declining trust in news

PMN: Recently released research by AUT has found that just over a quarter of Kiwis trust news media. So what can journalists do to get it back?

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG public interest journalism training – ‘why we’re doing it’

Asia Pacific Report: Facilitated by ABC International Development, and conducted by veteran journalist Scott Waide, the first-of-its-kind training in Papua New Guinea aims to plug the skills gaps identified in the last 10 years, especially with news journalists.

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SOLOMON ISLANDS: US lashes disinformation in Solomon Islands election

Illawarra Mercury: A US diplomat has fired a broadside at Russian and Chinese state media for running an “overt disinformation campaign” targeting the Solomon Islands voters ahead of the election.

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SOLOMON ISLANDS: Voter education key, Solomon Islands media expert says

RNZ: With a week to go before Solomon Islanders take to the polls, electoral officials say public awareness is important to ensuring the joint vote is fair and transparent throughout the country.

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REGIONAL: As China’s influence on Pacific media intensifies, Australia can’t afford to lose the region’s trust

The Conversation: When the people of Solomon Islands go to the polls on Wednesday, they will be voting for more than just a new prime minister. The election will also be a referendum on whether the country continues with incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s growing strategic alliance with China.

ALBANIA: “We are fighting against a ‘digital army’: Albania’s Citizens Channel faces cyber attacks

Civil Rights Defender: In recent weeks, Citizens Channel, an independent media outlet from Albania, experienced multiple cyber attacks on their website and social media profiles. These attacks occurred shortly after they took a critical stand against the government.

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AUSTRIA: ORF focus on the EU election 24 (Press release – German) 

ORF: The super election year 2024 on ORF will reach its first climax with the election to the European Parliament on June 9th. The ORF is starting its comprehensive program focus on television, radio and online on Sunday, April 14th, with the first of a total of five “press hours” with the top candidates of the parliamentary parties.

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AUSTRIA: ORF salary gap: Precariat next to top salaries (German) 

Der Standard: “Nobody should be forced into such a precariat.” The radio station Ö1 is considered the flagship and epitome of public broadcasting. Where quality journalism is practiced every day, employees who have been exploited have been working for years. 

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AUSTRIA: ORF works council rejects cuts in severance pay at the Supreme Court (German) 

Der Standard: The Supreme Court rejects an application against limits on severance pay and allowances as well as the obligation to disclose top salaries from 170,000 gross

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AUSTRIA: The ORF could be restructured before the election (German) 

Der Standard: In the coalition, new rules for ORF committees and their composition and the ORF leadership are an issue – in pre-election times and heated debates about ORF fees and contributions.

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BELGIUM: How VRT makes programs accessible to everyone (Press release – Dutch) 

VRT: Today is International Voice Day. Various departments at VRT are also working day in, day out with voices, and more broadly, audio.

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BELGIUM: Inclusive Writing at RTBF: the midpoint of last resort (French) 

RTBF: Inclusive writing which aims to eliminate gender inequalities in the French language is slowly but surely taking its place on the airwaves of RTBF.

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BELGIUM: The persecution of Julian Assange is an anti-democratic scandal (French) 

IFJ: For the International Federation of Journalists, the accusations made by the United States against Julian Assange target the work of a journalist who has revealed proven facts in the public interest.

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BELGIUM & UKRAINE: Safeguarding the future of journalism in Ukraine: MediaFit event to be held in Brussels (Event) 

DW: After three years of supporting local and regional media in Ukraine, the EU and German-funded program will host an event on the future of journalism in Ukraine on April 18 and 19.

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CYPRUS: IFJ and EFJ back journalists’ union demands for decent salaries and better working conditions 

EFJ: The Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ) has launched the campaign ‘Journalists have a voice’ to raise awareness of the difficulties journalists face in the country. Low salaries, precarious working conditions and a collective agreement for press workers that has not been renewed over a decade could have a devastating impact on the quality of information, media pluralism and democracy, warns the UCJ.

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DENMARK: New requirements for board members in DR (Press release – Danish) 

DR: In the future, there will be new requirements for the professional and managerial skills of members of DR’s board of directors. At the same time, the majority of the board’s members must be appointed in a new way, according to the Ministry of Culture.

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FRANCE: How Rachida Dati defends the merger of France Télévisions and Radio France

The Huffington Post: The Minister of Culture responds to a column by Jean-Noël Jeanneney, former president of Radio France, who sees in this project a return of the ORTF.

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FRANCE: RSF denounces a cyberharassment campaign against Conspiracy Watch journalists following unfounded comments by MP Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (French) 

RSF: Journalists from the fact-checking media Conspiracy Watch have suffered a campaign of cyberharassment and threats even in their private lives, since unfounded accusations made by the MP and president of the Debout la France party, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, against them.

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FRANCE: The regional press remains the trusted media (French) 

Ouest France: Because it offers useful local information close to their concerns, the regional daily press, of which your newspaper is a part, remains the favorite of the French.

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GEORGIA: Mariam Nikuradze Denied Access to Parliament Debating Foreign Agent Law 

Women Press Freedom: Restrictions against journalists signify government’s attempt to weaponize access by targeting independent media.

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GEORGIA: MFRR partners strongly condemn new attempts to introduce a law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” 

EFJ: The undersigned media freedom organisations strongly condemn Georgia’s ruling party’s renewed effort to pass a Russian-style “foreign agent” law that would threaten media freedom and civic space in the country, which received EU candidate status last year.

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GEORGIA: Several Arrested As Georgians Protest ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill 

RFE/RL: Thousands of Georgians protested a controversial “foreign agents” bill that has roiled the Caucasus nation as lawmakers from the ruling party gave it an initial green light despite scuffles in parliament.

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GERMANY: 65 years on: ‘Change as an opportunity’ for DW Arabia (Press release) 

DW: DW’s first radio address in Arabic was held in 1959. Since then, the Arabic program, now a multimedia offering, has been building bridges between Germany and the MENA region and is constantly reinventing itself.

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GERMANY: Deutschlandradio Board of Directors reconstituted: Karin Brieden (ZDF) elected chairwoman, Tom Buhrow (WDR) elected deputy (Press release – German)

Deutschlandradio: At its constitutive meeting, the board of directors of Deutschlandradio elected ZDF’s administrative director, Karin Brieden, as the new chairwoman and Tom Buhrow (WDR) as the new deputy.

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GERMANY: Women Press Freedom Condemns Dismissal of Journalist Helen Fares Amidst Death and Deportation Threats

Women Press Freedom: Broadcaster yields to campaign aimed at silencing, instead of defending journalist’s right to free expression, as agreed upon in her employment terms.

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GREECE: Greek journalists launch 24-hour strike over low wages

DW: Greek radio and television carried no news and internet portals did not update their websites on Wednesday, as journalists staged a mass walkout to protest low salaries against the backdrop of higher living costs.

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GREECE: Three years later: still no justice for murdered Greek journalist

EFJ: Three years have elapsed since the assassination of Giorgos Karaivaz, a veteran Greek crime reporter.

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GREENLAND: How a Greenlandic publisher uses its own AI translator to boost subscriptions

Journalism.co.uk: In this special series that focuses on journalism rather than algorithms, Sermitsiaq’s tool translates news content into a minority language ignored by most platforms – and subscribers can also use it for themselves.

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HUNGARY: Media banned from accessing a conference of far-right elected officials in Budapest (French) 

RTBF: Journalists from the Flemish public media VRT and several Dutch editorial offices (including the public channel NOS) were refused access to a European CPAC conference (for “Conservative political action conference”) which will be held in Budapest on April 25 and 26.

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ICELAND: RÚV’s rules on election coverage for the 2024 presidential elections (Icelandic – Press release)

RÚV: There are two weeks until the deadline to run for president of Iceland expires. RÚV has issued rules on how to cover the elections.

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IRELAND: Former RTÉ workers feel let down and unrepresented by Siptu ahead of Oireachtas hearing 

Irish Examiner: Former bogus self-employed RTÉ workers have criticised their own union as not representing their best interests after it emerged that they will not be allowed to address an Oireachtas committee hearing on the subject.

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ITALY: Italy moves ahead on AI and right to information, rest of Europe should follow suit 

RSF: As Europe approaches elections, Italy is working on a bill for regulating the development and use of artificial intelligence. A provisional version of this bill, which was initiated by the government, was published at the start of the April. It establishes principles for financing and supervising AI in many areas including health, employment, education and research, copyright and national security. But it is on protecting the right to information that, at this stage, the bill is most ambitious. 

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ITALY: Italy must drop disproportionate ban on working as journalist from proposed defamation law reform

RSF: The planned reform of the defamation legislation, currently examined by the Justice Committee of the Italian Senate, includes – in addition to increased fines – an outrageous ban of journalistic practice. 

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ITALY: Meloni Senator’s Proposed Draconian Penalties for Defamation Alarm Italian Media

Balkan Insight: Proposal to sharply increase penalties for defamation meets opposition in Italian Senate’s Justice Committee, including from parties in the PM’s coalition.

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ITALY: Public service RAI becomes a “megaphone” of the government  

EFJ: Public service broadcaster RAI has decided to grant ministers and undersecretaries unrestricted airtime on its programs when referring to institutional matters.

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ITALY: “Rai occupied? Let the Italians judge” (Italian) 

Il Giornale: To those who ask [Meloni] about the Amadeus case and whether there is government control over Rai: “I think that citizens can judge whether there is control over Rai.”

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ITALY: To Sergio and Dg Rossi, we are always on the side of legality (Press release – Italian) 

Rai

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LITHUANIA & POLAND: Polityka’s cross border collaboration with Delfi: newsroom transformation and business development 

Stars4Media: When Polityka (PL), Poland’s biggest weekly magazine of general opinion with almost 70 years of history, joined Delfi (LT), the biggest news website in Lithuania, they were a bit skeptical of the results of their partnership as both were as different as they could be.

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MALTA: Press freedom threatened (Opinion)

Times of Malta: A government’s move to regulate the media is bad news for democracy, and consequently for the voice of the people.

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MOLDOVA: How Agora is creating a more engaging news experience to draw readers to its website 

The Fix: Originally focusing solely on news, Agora has diversified its content over the years, embracing long reads and feature stories. However, the team is currently shifting its focus back to news.

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NETHERLANDS: Threats of legal action against Dutch journalists leading to self-censorship

NL Times: Journalists in the Netherlands are increasingly facing threats of legal action – people threatening to sue them over a publication. And that is leading to self-censorship, psychological complaints, and financial pressure, especially for freelance journalists and smaller media, Free Press Unlimited (FPU) found in a survey of over 50 journalists, editors-in-chief, lawyers, and other parties.

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NORTH MACEDONIA: How North Macedonia’s Metamorphosis Foundation is weathering smear campaigns and online attacks 

IJNet: The media environment in North Macedonia is challenging. Mis- and disinformation are major concerns, and the media industry is plagued by low salaries and a lack of professionalism. For many young people beginning their careers, there’s a sense that the industry doesn’t offer much promise, and lacks credibility.

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NORWAY: NRK shares learning points from the internal evaluation of “Ingen elsker Bamsegut” (Press release – Norwegian)

NRK: In December 2023, broadcasting manager Vibeke Fürst Haugen ordered an internal evaluation of what happened during the planning, production and publication of the series “Ingen elsker Bamsegut”. Today, she presents the most important learning points at the professional conference Skup.

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POLAND: Court confirms Polish government’s move to put state TV into liquidation 

Notes from Poland: A court has confirmed that state broadcaster TVP is in a state of liquidation. The decision was welcomed by culture minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, who in December moved to put the station into liquidation as part of the new government’s efforts to take back control of public media from the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.

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POLAND: The position of Telewizja Polska SA in liquidation regarding the financing of public media (Press release – Polish) 

TVP: The intensifying dispute over the sources of financing of public media should not obscure the difficult situation in which Polish Television and Polish Radio find themselves, and, above all, all those who create common media.

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RUSSIA: Under Investigation Across Europe, Pro-Kremlin Voice Of Europe Has Deep Balkan Ties 

RFE/RL: Despite the website being blocked and inaccessible, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service has learned that Stanojevic gave an interview to Voice of Europe, which was published in January, a month after his right-wing populist party, We — The Voice From The People, scored surprising results in local and national elections in Serbia.

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RUSSIA & UK: Ukraine Russia war: BBC Russian journalist Ilya Barabanov branded ‘foreign agent’ 

BBC: The Russian justice ministry has labelled two prominent journalists – BBC Russian correspondent Ilya Barabanov and science reporter Asya Kazantseva – as “foreign agents”.

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SERBIA: “I wish to tell every worker that our strength is in the unions”

IFJ: To date, more than 50 media professionals at RTV have signed indefinite term-contracts, thanks to a groundbreaking agreement won by SINOS with the support of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). It’s a union win, and there are more to come.

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SERBIA: IFJ Voice- April 2024: Editorial 

IFJ: Our affiliate SINOS in Serbia has just signed over 50 permanent contracts with RTV, the regional public broadcaster. […] This Serbian success illustrates how collective action strengthens our ability to defend fair wages, better working conditions, equal treatment for all and ethical standards in our sector. 

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SERBIA: Safety and justice: demanding accountability for attacks against journalists in Serbia 

EFJ: Commemorating 25 years since the brutal murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, the European Federation of Journalists joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and the SafeJournalists Networkto condemn the continued impunity surrounding his assassination and demand accountability for all acts of violence committed against journalists in Serbia.

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SLOVAKIA: The draft law on Slovak television and radio will undermine the independence of the media. This is according to the experts who discussed the changes in RTVS (Slovak) 

RTVS: Representatives of the European Broadcasting Union and some European public media discussed the future of RTVS in Bratislava on Wednesday (April 10). Representatives of the Ministry of Culture, which prepared the law on the new Slovak Television and Radio, did not come to the discussion.

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SPAIN:  RTVE brings ‘Generation D’ to Melilla to help citizens improve their digital skills (Press release – Spanish) 

RTVE: The ‘Generation D’ fleet is deployed in Melilla in order to develop and improve the digital skills of its citizens, learn to take advantage of the opportunities of digitalization and learn about new tools. 

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SWITZERLAND: SRG 2023 annual results: a balanced operating result (Press release – German) 

SRG SSR: The SRG closed the year 2023 with an annual operating result of 2.2 million francs. This balanced result was achieved despite continued falling commercial income.

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SWITZERLAND: SRG enters into partnership with the “Fondo for the promotion of the Italian language and Swiss cinema” (Press release – German)

SRG SSR: In order to ensure that Italian-language films are better noticed in Switzerland, the SRG has extended the partnership concluded in August 2023 with the “Fondo for the promotion of the Italian language and Swiss cinema” for another year at the end of March 2024. 

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UK: BBC World Service Presents to showcase breadth of global journalism with series of events (Press release) 

BBC: The BBC World Service Presents will showcase the journalistic excellence and global storytelling across three days of events with top presenting talent from Monday 29 April.

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UK: Channel 4’s barrier-breaking Production Training Scheme opens for applications across the UK (Press release) 

Channel 4: Channel 4 has opened applications for its Production Training Scheme, offering 13 fully paid placements with unscripted indies across the UK.

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UK: Ensuring the quality of TV and on-demand access services (Press release) 

Ofcom: Ofcom is today announcing changes to [its] Access Services Code and associated best practice guidelines, to improve the accessibility of TV and on-demand programmes for audiences.

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UK: Political ads could be heading to UK TV screens due to legal loophole

The Guardian: ITV is considering taking paid ads from parties on its streaming platform where ban does not apply.

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UK: PressPad, an attempt to bring some class diversity to posh British journalism, is shutting down 

Nieman Lab: While it’s not true that all good things must come to an end — personally, I’m a fan of gravity — it’s true in digital media more often than you’d like. And it seems to be true with an interesting British program that’s tried to address the class gap in journalism.

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UK: TV has become exploitative and cruel, says Ofcom chair Michael Grade

The Guardian: The boss of the broadcast regulator has expressed concern about how the chase for audience ratings is harming the industry

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UK: Use TikTok to combat misinformation, MPs tell government 

The Guardian: Cross-party committee urges creation of strategy engage with new platforms that appeal to young

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UKRAINE: Four journalists injured in drone strikes in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia 

EFJ: On 4 and 5 April, Russian drone strikes hit respectively the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia injuring at least four journalists, with some ending at the hospital in serious and worrying health conditions. 

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UKRAINE: In their own words: VOA covering Ukraine (Watch) 

VOA: With Russia’s war on Ukraine in its third year, VOA’s Celia Mendoza shares her experience of reporting on the ground in Ukraine and speaking with those affected by the conflict.

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UKRAINE: Occupied territories of Ukraine: RSF calls on Russia to release a Ukrainian journalist and her colleagues who have been held in secret detention for nearly eight months

RSF: It was at a conference on the safety of journalists in Ukraine, organised by the Council of Europe in Kyiv on 9 April, that the name of Anastasia Hlukhovska, a journalist with the online media RIA-Melitopol, was mentioned for the first time in public since her arrest by Russian occupying forces in the southeastern city of Melitopol on 20 August 2023.

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UKRAINE: Ukrainian military attempts to intimidate journalist Yevhen Shulhat, reports say 

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling for a transparent investigation into reports that Ukrainian military officers attempted to serve investigative journalist Yevhen Shulhat with a summons.

IRAN: Fake Images, Clips: Misinformation Runs Amok as Iran Attacks Israel

Iran Wire: The Islamic Republic was not truthful during its “True Promise Operation” against Israel. Iranian media published a significant amount of inaccurate and false information within less than 24 hours following the IRGC’s drone and missile attack on Israel.

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IRAN: Iran Takes Legal Action Against Analyst, Newspaper Over Criticism Of Israel Attack 

RFE/RL: Iran’s judiciary has initiated legal proceedings against the Tehran-based Etemad newspaper and political analyst Abbas Abdi over comments related to the Islamic republic’s interactions with Israel, according to the Mizan News Agency.

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IRAN: Iran’s Deadly Message to Journalists Abroad 

The Atlantic: A stabbing in London has energized those it was likely meant to silence.

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IRAN: Iranian Justice denounces journalists and media for their coverage of the attack on Israel (Spanish) 

Infobae: The Iranian Justice has denounced several journalists, media outlets and an activist for “disturbing the psychological security of society” in relation to Saturday’s Iranian attack against Israel, the Mizan agency reported.

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IRAN: Kurdish Journalist Detained Again by Iranian Authorities

Iran Wire: Iranian security forces have again detained Mustafa Hamdi, a Kurdish journalist and social media activist from Saqqez. Hamdi, who administers the “Porsman” Telegram channel in Saqqez, has a history of facing detention and interrogation for his journalistic and activist work.

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IRAN: Three months after their appeals trial, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi are still under threat of re-imprisonment 

RSF: Both journalists have been awaiting, for three months, for the court to issue that decision, with no set date in sight.

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ISRAEL: Group Harasses and Threatens Almudena Ariza, Interrupting Live Broadcast 

Women Press Freedom: Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the recent harassment and intimidation of Almudena Ariza, a Spanish journalist, while she was reporting live from Jerusalem for Telediario. The incident occurred when a man, along with others, obstructed the broadcast by positioning himself in front of the camera and issuing threats, leading to the abrupt termination of the report. 

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ISRAEL & GAZA: Attacks, arrests, threats, censorship: The high risks of reporting the Israel-Gaza war 

CPJ: Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, journalists and media across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting on the war exceptionally challenging.

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ISRAEL & GAZA: CPJ seeks probe of Israeli attack on TV journalists wearing press insignia 

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an independent investigation into the Israeli attack on journalists in Gaza working for the national public broadcaster of Turkey, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT). 

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JORDAN: Jordan’s Prime Minister vows firm action against some media outlets 

Roya News: Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh has pledged a resolute approach towards certain media outlets in Jordan, emphasizing the government’s commitment to taking decisive action through all legal channels.

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JORDAN: Media Commission refers Al-Mamlaka TV to Attorney General

Ammon News: The Media Commission considered what Al-Mamlaka TV published to be in violation of the law, after the Minister of Government Communications Muhannad Mubaideen denied the authenticity of the news.

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LEBANON: Justice must be rendered for Lebanese reporter killed by targeted Israeli shelling of journalists six months ago

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the international community to apply pressure to ensure that Israel is held to account for a Reuters journalist’s death six months ago in southern Lebanon. Six different investigations, including one by RSF, have concluded that targeted Israeli shelling killed him and injured six other reporters. 

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LEBANON: Lebanese newspaper introduces ‘AI President’ in effort to break political deadlock 

Arab News: A Lebanese newspaper has launched what it claims is the world’s first artificial intelligence tool designed to assume presidential duties for a nation, in an attempt to break the long-standing deadlock over who should assume the country’s presidency.

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TURKEY: Meta ‘temporarily’ closes Threads network in Turkiye 

Arab News: Facebook owner Meta said Monday it would “temporarily” shut down its Threads short-messaging service in Turkiye after an order from Ankara’s competition watchdog over data-sharing.

CANADA: CBC/RADIO-CANADA ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY COVERAGE PLANS AND HOST LINEUP FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 (Press release) 

CBC: With the countdown on to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer, CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s Olympic network, today announced highlights of its upcoming coverage.

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CANADA: Enlisting teens to teach teens (Watch) 

CBC News: Kathryn Hill, executive director of the media literacy organization MediaSmarts, on why teens can be effective teachers for their peers and using social media as a tool for good.

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CANADA: In the face of online misinformation, these teens are learning how to sort fact from fiction 

CBC News: Media literacy group MediaSmarts is spearheading the Teen Fact-Checking Network in Canada, which has partner editions in the U.S., Brazil, India and Spain. The Ottawa-based organizers whittled applicants down to 16 students (English- and French-speaking) for the inaugural lineup. 

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CANADA: Meta’s news ban changed how people share political info — for the worse, studies show

CBC News: Since Meta blocked links to news in Canada last August to avoid paying fees to media companies, right-wing meme producer Jeff Ballingall says he has seen a surge in clicks for his Canada Proud Facebook page.

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CANADA: More than 5 million Canadians joined CBC/Radio-Canada on TV and online to share the experience of the April 8 solar eclipse (Press release) 

CBC/Radio-Canada: Millions of Canadians across the country joined CBC/Radio-Canada for its coverage of last Monday’s solar eclipse, in English and French, on TV and online. 

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CANADA: Student newspaper at UNB Saint John goes back to the future with print editions 

CBC News: The Baron hadn’t been available in hard copy for a decade, online-only until recently

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CANADA: Teen fact checkers take on fake TikTok posts (Watch) 

CBC News: An elite teen squad of fact checkers with the help of media literacy organizations are learning to suss out scams and fake information on TikTok, making videos to teach other teens about misinformation online.

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US: Accelerator program helps KERA, WNET successfully launch children’s podcasts (Current) 

Current: KERA’s “Tiempo Tranquilo” and WNET’s “The Plate Show” were developed as part of PRX’s podcast accelerator program.

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US: Forget a Ban — Why Are Journalists Using TikTok in the First Place? (Opinion) 

The Intercept

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US: Google blocking links to California news outlets from search results

The Guardian: Tech giant is protesting proposed law that would require large online platforms to pay ‘journalism usage fee’

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US: Hacking journalism 

Columbia Journalism Review: This past weekend, the Brown Institute at Columbia and Hacks/Hackers, a nonprofit, put on a three-day event called the Open Source AI Hackathon. The idea, according to Burt Herman, the board chair of Hacks/Hackers and one of the founders of the organization, was to get journalists and coders into a room to talk about what they could build together. 

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US: ‘Huge blind spot’: The 19th’s Jessica Kutz on covering the gender-climate connection (Interview) 

Columbia Journalism Review

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US: Is the Texas Tribune an example or an exception? A conversation with Evan Smith about earned income (Interview) 

Nieman Lab

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US: Lawmakers fight over privacy—on two very different fronts

Columbia Journalism Review: According to The Hill, the two members of Congress decided that the time was right to push for a national privacy law in part because of recent fears that social platforms are harming children, but also due to concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence.

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US: Looking to recognize younger talent in public media? Tell Current about your “Rising Star.” (Opportunity)

Current: Let us know by May 17 about a young professional who is making a difference in your corner of public media.

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US: Media Matters statement on winning injunction against Texas AG Ken Paxton in federal court (Statement) 

Media Matters for America: Elon Musk encouraged Republican state attorneys general to use their power to harass their critics and stifle reporting about X. Ken Paxton was one of those AGs that took up the call and he was defeated. Today’s decision is a victory for free speech.

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US: News Outlets Urge Trump and Biden to Commit to Presidential Debates 

The New York Times: In an unusual statement, the news organizations said “there is simply no substitute” for a face-to-face debate, a campaign staple since 1976.

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US: NPR in Turmoil After It Is Accused of Liberal Bias (Paywall)

The New York Times: NPR is facing both internal tumult and a fusillade of attacks by prominent conservatives this week after a senior editor publicly claimed the broadcaster had allowed liberal bias to affect its coverage, risking its trust with audiences.

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US: Staff shortages? Breaking news chaos? PMJA Editor Corps is a lifesaver! (Paywall) 

Current: Get the on-demand editorial support your newsroom needs to thrive, not just survive.

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US: Texas Tech Public Media cuts spark concern among university faculty (Paywall)

Current: The restructuring included layoffs and cuts to local programming.

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US: The California Journalism Preservation Act would do more harm than good. Here’s how the state might better help news

Nieman Lab: The California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) — like its federal cousin, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) — is the latest in a century’s attempts by the newspaper industry to diminish fair use and extend copyright for the benefit of publishers against competitors.

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US: Trump and the US media’s conflict of interest 

Al Jazeera: This election year, each story about Donald Trump must first pass the Lonely Planet test.

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US: Trump’s media group has lost nearly 60% on the stock market since its IPO (French) 

France24: The valuation of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), 57.3% owned by Donald Trump, has fallen by almost 60% since its IPO on March 26. A document published at the beginning of April showed that the group had only generated $4 million in turnover in 2023, resulting in a net loss of $58 million.

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US & CAMBODIA: Khmer Post USA serves Cambodian readers in Massachusetts 

VOA: The Massachusetts city of Lowell is home to the second-largest Cambodian community in the U.S., and the Khmer Post USA, a newspaper printed in English and Khmer, aims to keep them informed under a near-constant threat of closure.

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US & RUSSIA: How Russia’s disinformation campaign seeps into US views

VOA: The files exposed a Kremlin-linked campaign in which “political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions,” the Post reported.

AI in newsrooms – three interesting use cases 

The Fix: Newsrooms across the globe are incorporating different AI elements into their workflow. The motivation stems from multiple factors like the financial struggle of newsrooms, fear of losing the competitive edge and the desire to make their organisation more efficient. 

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Democracy Dies Behind Paywalls (Opinion)

The Atlantic: The case for making journalism free—at least during the 2024 election.

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“Fake news” legislation risks doing more harm than good amid a record number of elections in 2024

Nieman Lab: “Whether intentional or not, the legislation we examined created potential opportunities to diminish opposing voices and decrease media freedom — both of which are particularly important in countries holding elections.”

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Fake news: The most useful strategy for combating it is correct before censoring

El País: A study reveals that, in the battle against disinformation, proving the falsehood of a news item is more effective than eliminating it. X has recently incorporated that approach for tweets

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Five tips to manage your screen time as a journalist 

Journalism.co.uk: Being a journalist means for most of our week we are stuck behind screens editing, writing, emailing, scrolling, and the list goes on. And at the end of the day, how do we unwind? Many of us are guilty of simply heading back to another screen.

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From Scoop to Civil War: why is it so hard to portray journalism on screen?

The Guardian: The character of the journalist continues to be a trusty mainstay on both the big and small screen, but noble intentions aren’t enough to overcome cliche

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Guidance for building trust with the communities you serve

IJNet: One way journalists and news organizations can strengthen audience trust is to focus on reaching people who may not actively read or watch the news, suggested Lynn Walsh, assistant director at Trusting News, during an ICFJ Empowering the Truth Global Summit session.

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Journalism students see an industry in crisis. It’s time to talk about it

The Conversation: Journalism educators need to have new conversations with students that address their experiences, their worries and their understanding of what journalism is and what they want it to be.

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News media job cuts 2024 tracked: Open Democracy and GB News among latest outlets affected 

Press Gazette: 2023 was a brutal year for the journalism indsutry, with at least 8,000 job cuts in the UK, US and Canada, according to Press Gazette’s analysis.

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The rise and fall of fact-based journalism (Opinion) 

Fulcrum: What happened that led us from the days of Walter Cronkite to the present era in which the autonomy of professional journalism seems to be vanishing faster than the Amazon rainforest. Here are the three developments of the recent decades that proved pivotal. 

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The Vital Connection Between Philanthropy and Independent Media in Preserving Democracy

GIJN: In a world where the pillars of democracy face unprecedented challenges, the relationship between philanthropy and journalism is mutually beneficial.

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What AI can do for your newsroom: tips from Ring Publishing’s latest handbook 

Journalism.co.uk: Auto-generated content unlocks a new world of potential, but do not forget that the most valuable asset for any media is the trust of its readers