Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
Every week, PMA compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!
Public media research
Our PSM Research and Resources page brings together all the latest academic studies looking into the world of public media.
What we're watching...
Zimbabwean journalists find ways to create level playing fields for each other
VOA: In an attempt to end polarization in Zimbabwe’s media, an organization is hosting sports events for journalists from the privately owned and state-run media.
What we're listening to...
France 24: behind the scenes of a digital overhaul (French)
RFI: France 24 has just redesigned its website and its application. Objective: to highlight live broadcasts and offer more user-friendly navigation. Two of the architects of this digital overhaul of the French international public service channel tell us about the behind-the-scenes and the ambition.
Subscribe toour newsletter
Keep updated with the latest public
media news from around the world
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: RSF and UNPC open a residence for displaced journalists in North Kivu province
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and its partner, the Congolese National Press Union (UNPC), have inaugurated a residence in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for displaced journalists from the North Kivu region.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO & FRANCE: How does RFI talk about the fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo? (Listen – French)
RFI: The resumption of fighting in eastern DR Congo has sparked a lot of comments from Internet users and RFI listeners. First question: why doesn’t RFI give all the developments on the front line? Some also believe that RFI is trying to hide certain information to serve the warming between Paris and Kigali.
GAMBIA: GPU holds national forum with editors to improve migration reporting
IFJ: The Gambia Press Union (GPU) in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) under the Information, Training and Migration Project in West Africa (INFORMA) 2024, held a one- day National Forum with editors from various media houses on Thursday, 12 December, in Banjul to deliberate on how to improve migration reporting in Gambia.
GHANA: Election 2024: Well done Media – GJA President on election coverage
GBC: Mr. Albert Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has praised Ghanaian journalists for their professionalism and dedication in covering the 2024 elections.
GHANA: Protecting Media Personnel: A Post-Election Reflection
GBC: Amidst this democratic exercise, the safety and security of media personnel remain a critical concern that demands immediate attention.
KENYA: Telecom operator Safaricom puts pressure on Nation Media Group after publication of investigation into widespread surveillance (French)
RSF: An investigation by the Nation, the country’s largest newspaper, has provoked the ire of the private telecommunications operator Safaricom.
KENYA & CHINA: As China partners with Kenyan state broadcasters, analysts point to Beijing’s poor media freedom record
VOA: The Chinese Embassy in Kenya says it has begun training Kenyan journalists to promote professionalism and integrity. But press advocates say the initiative is ironic as China sits close to the bottom in a key press freedom ranking for 2024.
LIBERIA: ALJA Condemns Executive Interference, Warns Lawmaker Over Press Freedom Threats
The Liberia Investigator: ALJA has condemned threats made by Nimba County Representative Samuel Kogar against journalist Julius Jeh of OK FM.
NAMIBIA: Historic: Namibia’s first-ever media union registered … ‘we have a voice in Nampu’ – Journalists
New Era: After almost half-a-decade of letters flying back and forth, and attempts by some media house bosses to reduce it to a briefcase entity, the Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu) was yesterday certified by the Labour Commissioner.
NAMIBIA: Namibia’s press freedom rankings decline amid growing political interference
The Namibian: Political interference is threatening the independence of Namibia’s media, a local research firm has said.
NIGER: Niger suspends BBC for three months, files complaint against RFI (French)
RFI: The authorities of Niger suspended BBC radio for three months on Thursday, December 12. The English-language radio station is accused of having published, according to the authorities, unofficial reports concerning the latest attacks in the country.
NIGERIA: Media Remains Top Priority For House Of Reps- Speaker
Voice of Nigeria: The Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Tajudeen Abbas says the media remains a priority for the House.
NIGERIA: Nigerian editors express concerns over many anti-media, free speech laws
The Premium Times: The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has expressed concerns about the plethora of obnoxious and anti-media laws in the country’s legal book.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC’s Unpaid Debt Strains Sentech’s Financial Stability Amid Calls For Increased Public Funding
Broadcast Media Africa: South Africa’s signal distributor, Sentech, has reported that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has yet to pay off over US$56 million in debt accrued since January 2023.
TUNISIA: Launch of a guide for journalists facing legal proceedings (French)
IFJ: The guide, produced by the union in collaboration with the IFJ, is supported by the Norwegian Union of Journalists and funded by the Norwegian government. Available in Arabic and French, it summarises the different stages of criminal proceedings that journalists may face.
ZIMBABWE: MISA urges rethink on broadcasting bill provisions
The Zimbabwean: The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe has offered a mixed critique of the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, 2024, acknowledging both progressive and problematic provisions in the proposed legislation.
AZERBAIJAN: Blinken calls on Azerbaijan to release Meydan TV journalists
VOA: The arrests in Azerbaijan of several journalists, including staff at the independent Meydan TV, have been condemned by the international community, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
BANGLADESH: Tensions peak as Bangladesh blames India for ‘spreading misinformation’
VOA: Tensions between India and Bangladesh have risen to alarming levels following the recent arrest of a Hindu monk in Dhaka and allegations that Hindus are being persecuted in the Muslim-majority nation.
CHINA: China’s global talent crunch
China Media Project: China has placed its hopes for greater global influence on a new national network of city and provincial-level communication centres. But as they try to tell China’s story in ways that foreign audiences find compelling, can they find the talented staff they need at home?
CHINA: Chinese social media Xiaohongshu moves closer to IPO as profits surge in 2024, sources say
SCMP: With popularity booming in recent years and recent profitability, the company has selected underwriters for a planned public listing.
HONG KONG: Media freedom: Hong Kong’s press becomes the target of ‘rule by law’
International Bar Association: A number of recent trials and sentences have shown the full force of Hong Kong’s National Security Law (NSL), which was passed in 2020. On 19 November, over 40 figures involved in the territory’s pro-democracy movement were sentenced on subversion charges under the NSL.
INDONESIA: The Digital Media Environment in Indonesia: Online Gender-Based Violence (Research report)
ABC: Against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in online gender-based violence against journalists, particularly women, became a growing concern in Indonesia.
KYRGYZSTAN: IPI calls on lawmakers to withdraw bill on insult and defamation (Press release)
IPI: Text foresees extrajudicial fines on media to be imposed by Ministry of Interior.
MALAYSIA: Online safety or censorship? Malaysia’s parliament passes two contentious media bills
Global Voices: The Malaysian parliament passed the Online Safety Bill and a measure amending the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) amid concerns from civil society groups that these would stifle free speech in the country.
MYANMAR: ‘We have nowhere to go’: Exiled from Myanmar, journalists fear new Thai law
VOA: A new draft law being considered by Thailand’s Ministry of Interior after a public consultation could damage the fragile existence that he and so many others in exile from Myanmar have.
NEPAL: Govt media should serve people’s right to information: Minister Gurung
The Rising: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the government media houses should serve the people’s right to information.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan scribes’ body warns against attacks on press freedom
The Rising: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Saturday issued a strong condemnation regarding the arrest orders of 150 journalists, including Asif Bashir Chaudhry,
PHILIPPINES: Marcos Jr. vows to make himself ‘more accessible’ to media, says credibility ‘only defense’ vs. fake news
ABS-CBN: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to be more open and accessible to the media as he underscored the need to establish credibility in combating fake news and misinformation.
SINGAPORE: Ministers to send letters of demand to Bloomberg, other media outlets over ‘libellous’ statements
The Business Times: LAW and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng are taking legal action against Bloomberg and other media outlets for publishing statements concerning their property transactions, which they consider libellous.
SOUTH KOREA: Inside South Korea’s right-wing YouTube world openly embraced by Yoon
Reuters: When South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol cited claims of election hacking and “anti-state” pro-North Korean sympathisers as justification for imposing a short-lived martial law, right-wing YouTuber Ko Sung-kook had heard it before.
SOUTH KOREA: Korean journalists recount night of fear under Yoon’s martial law
VOA: South Korea’s most recent encounter with martial law may have only lasted a few hours, but for many South Korean journalists already facing growing harassment under President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government, the threat was deeply unsettling.
SOUTH KOREA: Park Jang-beom Inaugurated as the 27th President and CEO of KBS (Press release)
KBS: The newly appointed President and CEO of KBS, Mr. Park Jang-beom, took office on December 10, 2024.
TAIWAN: AI Sign Language Happiness Taiwan Public Television joins hands with Industrial Research Institute to create an AI sign language weather anchor push database application (Press release – Chinese (Traditional))
PTS: In order to improve information equality and allow hearing-impaired friends to grasp important weather information in real time, the Taiwan Broadcasting Corporation and the Industrial Technology Research Institute have joined hands to create Taiwan’s first “AI Virtual Sign Language Weather Anchor”, which is expected to be launched as soon as next year.
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s multi-cultural broadcaster SBS appoints Nicholas Pappas to board
C21: Australia’s multi-cultural broadcaster SBS has appointed Dr Nicholas Pappas as a non-executive director of the SBS Board. Pappas fills the position left vacant in October by the departure of Peeyush Gupta, who concluded a second term on the board.
ABC: Allegations of workplace misconduct under his leadership at Nine Entertainment “remain a shock” to former chief executive Hugh Marks as he prepares to take on the top job at the ABC.
AUSTRALIA: Hugh Marks appointed Managing Director of the ABC (Press release)
ABC: ABC Chair Kim Williams AM today announced media and production industry executive Hugh Marks as the new Managing Director of the ABC.
AUSTRALIA: Hugh Marks is the new managing director of the ABC. Is he the right person for the job? (Opinion)
The Conversation: Aspects of Hugh Marks’s record as chief executive of the Nine Entertainment Company raise questions about his suitability for the position of managing director of the ABC, to which he has just been appointed.
AUSTRALIA: Meta, Google, TikTok Face New Australian Tax Over News Revenue
Variety: Australia has unveiled plans to implement a targeted tax on major digital platforms that don’t share revenue with news organizations, marking its latest move to regulate tech companies’ relationships with media outlets.
FIJI: How media could help social cohesion and unite people – a Fiji journalism educator’s view
Asia Pacific Report: Social cohesion is a national responsibility, and everyone, including the media, should support government’s efforts, according to Dr Shailendra Singh, associate professor in Pacific Journalism at the University of the South Pacific.
NEW ZEALAND: Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill officially put on hold
RNZ: The government has put legislation that would force tech giants to pay media companies for journalism on hold.
NEW ZEALAND: Legislation paves way to relax advertising rules for media
RNZ: The government is moving to open up Sundays and public holidays for advertising on traditional media outlets.
NEW ZEALAND: Media under the sinking lid in 2024 (Listen)
RNZ: This week, Minister of Racing Winston Peters announced the end of greyhound racing in the interests of animal welfare…
NEW ZEALAND: Successful applicants announced for Moana Reo (Press release)
PMN: Pacific Media Network and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples are proud to announce the successful applicants of the first round of the Moana Reo Media Fund, to support media projects in Pacific languages in Aotearoa.
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ+ Launches Fast Channels with Bloomberg News & FIFA+ Joining the Lineup (Press release)
TVNZ: FAST channels (free ad-supported television) have landed on TVNZ+, with the new additions supporting TVNZ’s strategic focus on accelerating digital audiences and revenues through offering streaming viewers new content and experiences across platforms.
NEW ZEALAND: Whakaata Māori Completes Strategic Realignment Guided by Tātai Whetū Principles (Press release – 5 December)
Whakaata Māori: “The realignment, guided by our Tātai Whetū principles, is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation and connection. These decisions allow Whakaata Māori to continue leading with te reo Māori and tikanga Māori at the heart of everything we do, ensuring their relevance and vitality in a changing world,” says Kaihautū (Chief Executive) Shane Taurima.
VANUATU: Broadcasting disrupted as Vanuatu faces earthquake fallout
FBC: A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Vanuatu, leaving the capital city and surrounding areas reeling from significant damage, casualties, and disrupted services.
AUSTRIA: Coalition wants to cut ORF 50 million euros per year from contributions (German)
Der Standard: The ÖVP wants to block the planned ORF contribution increase from 2027 – this would mean more than 250 million in cuts over five years. So far, RSO and Sportkanal have been quickly on the chopping block
AUSTRIA: ORF boss Weißmann warns government negotiators: “ORF indispensable” (German)
Der standard: Media landscape is at a “crossroads”, democracy is “immediately threatened” – He refers to ORF savings in recent years
AUSTRIA: ORF launches HbbTV news app (Press release – German)
ORF: More information on all platforms: ORF is renewing its Smart TV interface and launching its own HbbTV news app, which brings the latest news to the TV screen in a new look.
CROATIA: Remembering Franjo Tudjman #2: How Croatia’s Strongman Muzzled the Media (History)
Balkan Insight: In the second of a series examining the legacy of independent Croatia’s first president, BIRN looks at how Franjo Tudjman turned most media into PR machines – and made life difficult for the rest.
CZECH REPUBLIC: New concession fees? What will change, how much and for what will people pay? (Czech)
Denik.cz: After a two-day meeting, MPs confirmed in the second reading an amendment to the law that will increase concession fees from next year.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Why should big companies pay TV fees? It’s their social responsibility (Press release – Czech)
CT: In connection with the major media law associated with the increase in television fees, the question of why large companies should pay television fees even if their employees do not watch television at work also resonates.
DENMARK: Union website deindexed by Google in the firm’s latest search experiment
EFJ: The Danish Union of Journalists (DJ) website is no longer visible from Google’s search results for 1% of Danish users as part of a “time-limited test” by Google.
ESTONIA: ERR chair on budget cuts, independence, and the future of public broadcasting (Press release)
ERR: The current state budget-dependent funding model of public broadcasting runs counter to the European Media Freedom Act, and to ensure financial independence, this requires a swift solution from the legislature, ERR’s board chair Erik Roose said.
FINLAND: Yle is still the most trusted news media in Finland (Finnish)
Yle: Yle is the number one news provider in Finland and the most important news source for all age groups. According to a recent study (*), 82 percent of Finns trust Yle’s news.
FRANCE: Approval of the 2025 budget (Press release – French)
France Télévisions: Built on the draft finance law prior to the dissolution of the government and awaiting the final finance law voted in 2025, the draft budget of France Télévisions is established with an operating loss of 49.4 million euros and a negative net result of 41.2 million euros.
FRANCE: France Télévisions strengthens its environmental commitment (Press release – French)
France Télévisions: France Télévisions is proud to announce that two of its flagship programs, 100% logique (BBC Studios France) and Le jeu des 1 000 euros (Médicis and Radio France), have just obtained the Ecoprod label, marking a major step forward in the responsible production of its programs.
GALICIA: EFJ supports journalists on strike at CRTVG and opposes the media law reform
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stands in solidarity with the workers of Galicia’s public radio and television (CRTVG), who have been on indefinite strike since 7 October against the dismantling of the public service and attempts to punish and coerce workers who exercise their free right to strike.
GEORGIA: Georgian First Channel Statement – There is no alternative to discussion and dialogue (Press release – Georgian)
1TV: Today, the democratic process in Georgia is in danger, and therefore, the Public Broadcaster, as a democratic institution, has found itself in a difficult situation.
GERMANY: Broadcasting fee not to increase until 2027 (German)
ZDF Heute: The broadcasting fee for ARD, ZDF and DLF should not be increased until 2027 – that is what the state leaders want. However, the decision from Karlsruhe is still pending.
GERMANY: ZDF budget for 2025 approved (Press release – German)
ZDF: The overall balanced budget is based on the broadcasting fee of EUR 18.94 per month recommended by the KEF.
GERMANY: ZDF offers its audience variety and quality (Press release – German)
ZDF: ZDF has largely achieved the goals it set out in its “Declaration of Commitment 2023/2024”.
GERMANY: ZDFneo continues to build on its success (Press release – German)
ZDF: ZDF Director General Himmler: Digital channel reaches new target groups
IRELAND: Elon Musk’s X accuses Ireland’s media watchdog of ‘regulatory overreach’
The Irish Times: Twitter International takes issue with new Online Safety Code’s approach to “restricted” video content
POLAND: Coalition calls on Polish presidency to lead the EU in combating spyware abuse
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe (CDT Europe) as well as twelve civil society organisations, many of which are members of the Spyware Coordination Group, in urging the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to prioritise action against spyware misuse.
POLAND: Democracy Digest: Poland Moves to Protect TV Stations from ‘Hostile Takeovers’
Balkan Insight: Polish PM Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that the two biggest private television stations in the country, TVN and Polsat, would be declared “strategic companies”, meaning they cannot be sold without the approval of the executive.
POLAND: Telewizja Polska won in court against Michał Adamczyk regarding the resolutions of December 2023 on changes in the company’s authorities (Press release – Polish)
TVP: In the same lawsuit, Adamczyk also questioned the appointment of the new president of the management board of TVP – Tomasz Sygut – by the new Supervisory Board.
SERBIA: Serbia used spyware to hack phones of journalists
EFJ: Less than a week after the publication of our joint appeal to the EU to take urgent EU-wide measures, such as stricter regulation of spyware exports and use, new spyware abuse scandal erupts in Serbia: Serbian intelligence services and police have used spyware and other digital tools to hack the phones of journalists and illegally surveil them, Amnesty International said in a report published on Monday.
SLOVAKIA: According to Danek, the problem with the election of STVR Council members is the name Krajcer (Slovak)
SME.sk: According to the chairman of the Slovak National Party, Andrej Danek, the problem with the election of members of the Slovak Television and Radio Council (STVR) is the name Daniel Krajcer (former Minister of Culture).
SLOVAKIA: The media is under threat (Opinion – Slovak)
SME.sk: When politicians attack journalists, it is regrettable, perhaps even actionable, but we need to be much more vigilant when they are silent and (in)action. Like now.
SWITZERLAND: “Incomprehensible and short-sighted” (German)
Edito: Swissinfo Director Larissa Bieler on the Federal Council’s decision to cancel the SRG’s foreign mandate.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss population has low media literacy according to study
Swissinfo.ch: According to a study commissioned by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), the media literacy of the Swiss population is not very high.
UK: BBC complains to Apple over misleading shooting headline
BBC: The BBC has complained to Apple after the tech giant’s new iPhone feature generated a false headline about a high-profile murder in the United States.
UK: PSNI and Met police unlawfully spied on two journalists, tribunal finds
The Guardian: The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Metropolitan police unlawfully spied on two investigative journalists, a tribunal has found.
EFJ: On 10 December 2024, more than 90 participants discussed via Zoom the development of cooperation between self-regulation and co-regulation bodies in Ukraine, as well as media self-regulation practices in Belgium’s French- and German-speaking regions.
REGIONAL: ARTE joins the European Broadcasting Union, strengthening cultural connections across Europe
EBU: ARTE, the Franco-German public service broadcaster dedicated to culture, has become the newest Member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), having been elected this month at the EBU’s 93rd General Assembly in Lausanne.
RSF: Press freedom has deteriorated in all six Western Balkan countries, according to RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index . Albania and Serbia have the worst results in the EU-Balkans region, while press freedom remains extremely fragile in the other countries in the region despite better rankings.
ARGENTINA: Cristina Pérez joins LN+: “If journalists were not so important, the President would not fight with us” (Spanish)
La Nacion: After confirming his arrival at the channel for February 2025, she reflected on the role of the press in democracy and analyzed the current political situation in the country.
BRAZIL: Rádio MEC and Rádio Nacional achieve record audience share in 2024 (Press release – Portuguese)
EBC: In 2024, the public radio stations of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) recorded audience records after strategic changes in their programming and brand positioning.
COLOMBIA: Long live television! This is the magical and immersive 360° experience presented by RTVC (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: The Public Media System offers a unique technological show in Bogotá that takes you on a magical journey that stimulates the senses through sounds and images that evoke iconic programs and characters in the evolution of the 70 years of the small screen in our country.
COLOMBIA: Media in Colombia reiterate call for respect for press freedom in the face of attacks and pressure (Spanish)
El Tiempo: In an editorial, 25 Colombian media shared a call for a free press with full guarantees for the exercise of fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, as they point out that during the course of this year there has been a setback in this field, therefore who decided to raise a warning.
COLOMBIA: The Presidency was sued for violating freedom of expression and the press: Cundinamarca Court accepted the case (Spanish)
Infobae: The lawsuit, filed by the Foundation for the Rule of Law, denounces statements by the President that stigmatize journalists and media outlets, causing a serious violation of fundamental rights and access to information.
MEXICO: RSF expresses concern for journalists in Mexico (Spanish)
Forbes: The president of Reporters Without Borders expressed his concern about the situation in Mexico, the Latin American country with the highest number of murdered and missing journalists.
PARAGUAY: The draft law on the protection of journalists and human rights defenders in Paraguay is moving forward (Spanish)
Nanduti: Senator Mario Varela, president of the Human Rights Commission, is leading the dissemination of the draft law “On the protection of journalists and human rights defenders.”
PERU: TVPerú Internacional: 7 years connecting Peru with the world (Press release – Spanish)
IRTP: Since its launch in 2017, TVPerú Internacional has been the bridge that connects Peruvians abroad with their roots and traditions, while promoting the country’s cultural wealth on a global level. This channel from the National Institute of Radio and Television of Peru (IRTP) has established itself as the medium that shows the best of Peru to the world.
IRAN & US: Iranian-American Journalist Reza Valizadeh Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison In Iran
RFE/RL: An Iranian court has sentenced Reza Valizadeh, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, to 10 years in prison on charges of “collaborating with a hostile government.”
IRAN & US: US condemns Iran’s prison sentence for former Radio Farda journalist
VOA: The Biden administration has condemned Iran for sentencing an Iranian American dual national to 10 years in prison, in the only publicly reported case of a U.S. citizen being jailed by the Islamic Republic since a rare U.S.-Iran prisoner swap in September 2023.
ISRAEL: Privatizing public broadcasting, turning the watchdog into a lapdog (Opinion)
The Jerusalem Post: Privatizing KAN is not just an unnecessary step but one that undermines the very foundations of a democratic society.
SYRIA: After the shutdown of state television, what future for freedom of the press? (French)
RFI: In Syria, rebels are sending out reassuring messages and claiming that all communities will be able to live freely. A symbol of the lack of freedom under Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the propaganda organ that is state television is no longer functioning.
SYRIA: Calls rise for accountability in Assad’s crimes against journalists in Syria
VOA: When news broke about the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria this week, photojournalist Paul Conroy found himself thinking about a former colleague, Marie Colvin.
SYRIA & US: A CNN team rescued a prisoner from Syrian jail. But is he really who he says he is?
The Independent: After a fact-checking group in Syria concluded that a man found in an abandoned Syrian prison was actually an Assad officer who took part in tortures, CNN said it is now investigating if the prisoner gave them a “false identity”.
SYRIA & US: Family of missing Austin Tice say they are ‘incredibly hopeful’ the US journalist will be found in Syria
The Independent: The brother of Austin Tice, Jacob, says they believe every effort is being made to find the journalist in Syria.
TURKEY & PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s PTV and Turkiye’s TRT to collaborate on joint broadcasts, including ‘Ertugrul Ghazi’
The Express Tribune: Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and Head of Communications at the Turkish Presidency Professor Prof. Fahrettin Altun, have reached an agreement to enhance media cooperation between the two nations.
REGIONAL: Head of Saudi Broadcasting Authority Becomes President of Arab States Broadcasting Union
Saudi Press Agency: The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), encompassing all Arab radio and television organizations, announced during its 43rd regular session held in Tunisia the election of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the presidency of ASBU for the second consecutive session, represented by Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) CEO Mohammad bin Fahd Al-Harithi for the years 2024-2025.
CANADA: Canada’s production sector caught in ‘perfect storm’ says outgoing CBC boss Catherine Tait
C21: Catherine Tait, the outgoing president and CEO of Canadian public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada, says the country’s production sector is in a “worrisome” position due to the fact the regulatory conversation has not kept pace with an industry in “high-speed transformation.”
CANADA: How a Small Newsletter is Changing Canadian Journalism
The Rover: With a fraction of the budget of our competitors, The Rover is producing journalism that forces the police to go after polluters and gives a platform to our most marginalized communities.
US: CPB Awards Up to $500,000 to Two Public Radio Stations to Improve Emergency Alerting (Press release)
CPB: Raven Radio in Sitka, Alaska, and WCLK in Atlanta Secure Next Generation Warning System Funding
US: Donald Trump made a bizarre pick to lead Voice of America (Opinion)
Poynter: Kari Lake, who has spent years decrying ‘fake news,’ may head the federally funded broadcaster that provides independent news worldwide
US: Journalists anticipate renewed hostility under the incoming Trump administration
PBS: For the press heading into a second Trump administration, there’s a balancing act between being prepared and being fearful.
US: Kari Lake, Trump’s VOA pick, hates the “fake news” — and called Fox a “globalist network”
Media Matters for America: Donald Trump’s pick to lead the federal government’s international news agency is an unhinged conspiracy theorist who lashes out at the press, hobnobs with far-right and antisemitic extremist outlets, and has criticized Fox News as “a globalist network.”
US: Trump ally Kari Lake tapped to lead Voice of America
BBC: President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Kari Lake, a fierce ally who has denied the results of the 2020 US presidential election, to lead Voice of America – a federally funded global news outlet.
US: Trump and His Picks Threaten More Lawsuits Over Critical Coverage
The New York Times: The small flurry of threatened defamation suits is the latest sign that the incoming Trump administration appears poised to do what it can to crack down on unfavorable media coverage.
US: Why ABC News settled with Donald Trump for $15 million
CNN: George Stephanopoulos ended Sunday’s “This Week” program without any mention of him or ABC News settling Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against them. The suit was triggered by a segment on “This Week,” but ABC News has not reported on TV its agreement to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential foundation at all.
French people affected by “information fatigue”, according to a study (Listen – French)
RFI: The study published Wednesday shows that only a third of those surveyed say they are interested in the political sequence that followed the dissolution.
How to deal with trolls: Advice for journalists targeted with online harassment
IJNet: First, there were angry letters. Next came abusive emails. Then social media-amplified public harassment, smear campaigns and doxxing — the malicious exposure of information like home addresses and phone numbers — disproportionately targeting already marginalized groups.
CJR: When it comes to social media, I’ve never been an early adopter…
Platforms need the news — but they’re killing it
The Verge: Media critic Matt Pearce on ‘Lessons on media policy at the slaughter-bench of history’
Predictions for journalism 2025: social media, influencers and content creators
Journalism.co.uk: Traditional media will struggle to keep up with creators on TikTok or Substack. Your biggest competitors will be new media startups, journalists going solo and online personalities
RSF: The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2024 Round-up reveals an alarming intensification of attacks on journalists — especially in conflict zones, where over half of the news professionals who lost their lives this year perished.
Social media is a growing vehicle for climate misinformation
National Observer: A few weeks ago, delegates from nearly 200 nations met for the 29th United Nations climate summit (COP29) in Azerbaijan, where they discussed how best to reduce emissions to slow dangerous global warming.
Streamers behind 14% of European scripted shows in 2023, report claims
BroadcastNow: The European Audiovisual Observatory’s report found that 14% of fiction titles (TV films and series) produced in 2023 had been commissioned by global streamers, with public broadcasters accounting for 55% and private broadcasters standing at 31%.
Tips for maintaining a sustainable career in media
IJNet: As the news industry struggles with funding shortfalls, layoffs, declining trust, and rapidly changing technology, journalists — from freelancers to newsroom leaders — have professional and financial security top of mind.
Tuning out TV news might be behind the decline in media trust. (No, really!)
Nieman Lab: A new wide-ranging study finds that trust in news has fallen further in countries where television news use has declined, as well as in countries where more people are turning to social media for news.
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: Empty television studio with camera. Image: Grafissimo/iStock
Related Posts
PSM Weekly | 20 November – 3 December 2024
Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 14-19 November 2024
Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 6-13 November 2024
Our weekly round-up of public service…
PSM Weekly | 30 October – 5 November 2024
Our weekly round-up of public service…