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CAMEROON: How Twitter has been used in Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis
The Conversation: Over the past two years conflict has escalated in North West and South West Cameroon.
ETHIOPIA: 10-year-old Radio Erena still the only source of independent news for Eritreans
RSF: Despite the pacification of its relations with neighboring Ethiopia, Eritrea is keeping a tight grip on news production. Ten years after its creation in Paris, Radio Erena, supported by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), remains the only voice that allows Eritreans to access to independent information.
KENYA: KBC Investigated Over Alleged Fraudulent Deals With MultiChoice And GoTV
Broadcast Media Africa: Kenya’s National Assembly has recently launched investigations into suspected fraudulent activity in the multi-billion-shilling business collaborations between Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), GoTV Kenya Limited and MultiChoice Africa Limited.
MALAWI: Malawi Broadcasters, Media Freedom Group Criticize Call-In Shows Suspension
VOA: Supporters of press freedom in Malawi are denouncing a government order suspending all radio and television call-in programs. Malawi’s Communications Regulatory Authority issued the order on Friday, saying it is concerned that the programs could trigger more post-election violence.
NIGERIA: Nigerian Govt Issues Final Order To MultiChoice Nigeria Demanding Changes
Broadcast Media Africa: The Nigerian government’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has issued a “final order” to MultiChoice Nigeria demanding that the pay-TV operator adheres to a new list of demands such as a “24-hour call centres, seven days a week.
NIGERIA: Violence, harassment of journalists, other irregularities marred Nigeria’s 2019 elections
Premium Times via AllAfrica: Violence, violation of ballot secrecy, and harassment of voters and journalists characterised Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has said.
SOMALIA: NUSOJ announces today the date of its General Assembly Meeting
Radio Dalsan: As the term of NUSOJ governing team ends, the outgoing leadership of National Union of Somali Journalists has today officially set a date for the General Assembly kick off.
SOUTH AFRICA: CFO elaborates on SABC financial status (Watch)
SABC: South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Yolande van Biljon, has sought to explain the reasons behind the executives’ plea for a R3.2 billion government guarantee.
UGANDA: Ugandan editor charged with criminal libel and ‘offensive communication’
CPJ: On June 12, police in the capital, Kampala, arrested Kareire on charges, filed on April 30, of four counts of criminal libel and four counts of “offensive communication,” according to the journalist’s lawyer, Daniel Walyemera, who spoke to CPJ, and a charge sheet seen by CPJ.
WESTERN SAHARA: Western Sahara, A News Blackhole (Report)
RSF: In its report on press freedoms in Western Sahara, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sheds light on a territory cut off from the rest of the world, a veritable news black hole that has become a no-go zone for journalists.
AllAfrica: The Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) today [12 June] announced the expansion of its Financial Journalism Training (FJT) program to Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania, joining Ghana and Zambia where training programs launched earlier this year.
REGIONAL: May 2019 in West Africa: Two Killed as Crackdown on Protesters Dominate FOE Space
MFWA: The Freedom of Expression environment in West Africa recorded several low points in May 2019, beginning with a crackdown on post-election protesters in Benin in which two people were shot dead on May 1.
CHINA: Chinese diplomat Lu Shaye, the bane of Canadian media, appointed ambassador to France
RSF: After two years of office in Canada, Lu Shaye will soon be appointed to be China’s ambassador to France. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) insists that a diplomat should not try to intimidate the media of the country where he is posted.
CHINA AND NORTH KOREA: Hotels in Chinese Cities Near North Korean Border Forced to Block Access to South Korean TV
Radio Free Asia: Chinese authorities have ordered hotels in cities close to North Korea’s border that cater to business travelers from the North to remove satellite dishes capable of receiving signals for South Korean television, an order that came at the request of the Pyongyang government, sources in the region told RFA’s Korean service.
CHINA AND THAILAND: Taiwanese Man Faces Thai Trial for Allowing Radio Broadcasts into China
Radio Free Asia: A Taiwanese businessman is scheduled to face trial in Thailand’s northern Chiang Mai city next week on charges that he illegally hosted a radio station that broadcast uncensored news to listeners in China, amid claims that Beijing pressured Thai authorities to shut down the station.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong extradition protests: Government suspends bill
BBC News: The Hong Kong government has suspended its highly controversial plan to allow extraditions to mainland China, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has announced.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong journalists file watchdog complaint alleging police ‘violence and intimidation’
Asia One: The Hong Kong Journalists Association has filed a complaint to a police watchdog over 27 cases of alleged violence or harassment against reporters and other media personnel covering last week’s extradition bill protests.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong police attack journalists with batons, tear gas amid protests
CPJ: Hong Kong authorities should immediately and thoroughly investigate police use of tear gas on journalists and allegations that officers hit and pushed journalists with batons during protests on June 12, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
INDIA: India journalists decry ‘escalating attacks’ on press freedom
Al Jazeera: Recent arrests appear to follow a pattern of attacks on press freedom since Modi’s ascension to power, journalists say.
INDIA: Jagendra Singh: the Indian journalist burned to death
The Guardian: Shortly before his death, the independent journalist Jagendra Singh wrote a social media post about the threats he believed he faced for investigating sand mining in northern India.
INDIA: Space for media freedom rapidly shrinking in India: Dhruv Rathee
Deutsche Welle: With over 1.7 million subscribers, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee is not scared of speaking against the powers that be. His videos have contributed significantly to making India’s Internet-savvy youth think critically.
INDONESIA: Govt may limit social media access again during first election dispute hearing
The Jakarta Post: The Communications and Information Ministry has informed the public that it might limit access to social media yet again to curb misinformation during the first presidential election dispute hearing at the Constitutional Court on Friday.
KAZAKHSTAN: Journalism Funding in Kazakhstan: A Government Affair
CMDS: With millions of dollars splurged on media every year, control of large ownership stakes in media companies and a raft of loyal media entrepreneurs, the Kazakh government leaves little space for independent reporting and business innovation.
PHILIPPINES: CHR concerned on reported ‘freezing’ of ABS-CBN’s franchise bill
Phil Star: The Commission on Human Rights expressed deep concern on the reported move of the House of Representatives to “freeze” the bill that seeks to renew the legislative franchise of media and entertainment giant ABS-CBN Corp.
PHILIPPINES: Despite progress on HRD bill, attacks against activists and media persist in the Philippines
CIVICUS: A Human Rights Defenders bill moved closer to becoming law in June 2019 after it was approved by the House of Representatives. Despite this, the UN says the situation of human rights continues to deteriorate in the Philippines.
THAILAND: A new ‘chill’ is coming to Thailand (Opinion)
Bangkok Post: Given their open and highly-accessible nature, social media platforms — such as Facebook — should be a platform for the promotion of free speech.
REGIONAL: Working with new media platforms can help broadcasters monetise new audiences #AsiaMediaSummit2019
Asia Radio Today: In a session hosted by Poonam Sharma from Media Guru at AMS2019, a mixed panel of broadcasters and new media companies discussed ideas for monetisation in the digital media environment.
REGIONAL: How can journalists effectively tell the climate story in Asia?
Eco-Business: Although the climate crisis is slowly gaining media attention, journalists from across Asia still face an uphill task of reporting on the environment.This year, World Bank Group and Eco-Business brought together over 20 journalists for the Innovate4Climate 2019 Media Fellowship to learn how to best report on the biggest story of our time.
AUSTRALIA: ABC boss to push for more diversity of views among panel-show guests
The Sydney Morning Herald: ABC managing director David Anderson will push for a greater diversity of viewpoints among guests on its panel shows as the broadcaster braces for more “tough” budget decisions including a review of the controversial website Life.
AUSTRALIA: Australian media owners and journalists unite to call for laws to protect a free press
AdNews: Media owners have united in an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison asking him to defend press freedom in Australia.
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s hunt for leakers has journalists feeling exposed
The Washington Post: It was a scoop that shook Australia’s political and military worlds to the core: a leaked report in 2017 about possible unlawful killings by soldiers in Afghanistan.
AUSTRALIA: Scott Morrison and Ita Buttrose hold ‘constructive’ meeting after AFP raid
ABC News: ABC chair Ita Buttrose described her meeting with the Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Sydney as “very productive”, and says she looks forward to working with him in the future.
NEW ZEALAND: Are we really willing to pay for news? (Listen)
RNZ: Media commentator Gavin Ellis looks at the differing approaches by New Zealand media to the third appearance of the Christchurch mosque attack accused, how a major international study has found only a small increase in the number of people willing to pay for news and is digital advertising starting to flatline?
NEW ZEALAND: Why New Zealand’s media is censoring its biggest story (Listen)
ABC: Brenton Tarrant, who’s accused of murdering 51 people in the Christchurch mosque shootings, is being tried in New Zealand. The whole world will be watching, but you might not find out about everything that goes on in court, because five key news outlets have made a pact to limit what they report.
VANUATU: ‘Our man in Torba’ goes the extra mile to file
RNZ: Clinging to the top of a swaying coconut tree, Vanuatu journalist Edgar Howard carefully plucks out his phone from his pocket. He’s clambered up there looking for a strong enough signal so he can file his report to VBTC, the country’s public broadcaster in the capital Port Vila.
BULGARIA: Two Bulgarian reporters subjected to absurd judicial probe
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office to explain the absurd judicial probe it has launched against two investigative reporters who exposed a real estate scandal implicating senior officials, including prosecutor-general Sotir Tzatsarov himself.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Call highlights fears over Czech public media’s continued independence (Listen)
Radio Praha: The Czech branch of the International Press Institute has called on MPs to exercise maximum responsibility in the choice of two new members of the council overseeing the Czech News Agency wire service.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Czechs alarmed as populist leaders take aim at public media
France24: Czech journalists and media analysts are raising alarm over the “threat” to the country’s public media from mounting pressure on the press by populist politicians.
FINLAND: Finnish radio drops Latin news after 30 years
BBC: The Yle public broadcaster has told its ‘carissimi auditores’ (dear listeners) that “everything passes, and even the best programmes reach the end of the road. This is now the case with our world-famous bulletin, which has broadcast the news in Latin on Friday for the past 30 years”.
FRANCE: Delphine Ernotte: “Redeploying audiences and budgets to digital is the meaning of history” (French)
Le Monde: For the start of the season, the president of France Télévisions, Delphine Ernotte, wishes to reinforce the information and the French fiction, while making France.tv the first offer of the public group.
FRANCE: Radio France on strike over plans to cut up to 300 jobs
RFI: Employees at Radio France turned off their microphones this Tuesday over plans to axe nearly 300 jobs as part of a cost-cutting efforts, with many of the daily programmes being replaced by music.
FRANCE: Two AFP journalists brutally arrested in Bangui (French)
RFI: Two French journalists were brutally arrested on Saturday (June 15th) during the dispersal of a banned demonstration in Bangui.
GERMANY: The dual broadcasting system in Germany (German)
MDR: The Constitutional Court has repeatedly emphasized it: the special responsibility of public service broadcasting for opinion and democracy. But why is this role so strongly emphasized in Germany and how did it actually come to a dual broadcasting system?
GREECE: Growing protection concerns as journalists in Greece targeted by violent actors
CIVICUS: An overview of the recent attacks on media professionals and decriminalising press defamation as well as protests minority groups within the country.
ITALY: In Italy, Five Star Movement’s war on journalism is picking up pace
CJR: In May, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which leads Italy’s government, voted to cut funding to Radio Radicale, a radio station that has broadcast parliamentary debates, votes, and court cases since 1975.
IRELAND: Report finds Irish language broadcasting in state of crisis
RTÉ: Broadcasting in the Irish language is in a state of crisis, according to a report published by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.
MALTA: Appeal to EU leaders ahead of the 6th South EU Summit to be held in Malta
ECPMF: EU leaders from Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are urged to address the ongoing impunity in the case of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
MONTENEGRO: State of Montenegrin media: Self-censorship and internal pressures on employees
Safe Journalists: The state of media freedom in Montenegro does not change and is constantly at an equally low level, but what is increasingly emphasized in the reports dealing with this topic is the poor social position of the employees and the tendency of self-censorship that comes from fear of job loss.
NETHERLANDS: Most Dutch not concerned about fake news, NOS most trusted brand
Dutch News: The Dutch are again the least concerned about fake news on the internet is a survey of 38 countries by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
PORTUGAL: Altice and RTP conduct Portugal’s first 5G broadcast
Telecompaper: Altice Portugal and public broadcaster RTP have conducted the first live TV transmission in Portugal using the 5G network.
RUSSIA: Activist arrested in Russia for marijuana days after journalist released in groundless drugs case
The Daily Telegraph: A Russian journalist has been accused of financing terrorism and an activist of buying marijuana days after a drugs case against an investigative reporter here was closed under public pressure.
SERBIA: Broadcaster warns of “slow strangulation” of media plurality in Serbia
BNE Intellinews: The owner of N1, one of the few remaining mainstream independent media outlets in Serbia, says media plurality in the EU accession candidate country is subject to “slow strangulation”.
SLOVAKIA: Mass Surveillance Operation on Slovak Journalists
COE: Slovak media in April revealed the existence of a massive surveillance operation on journalists conducted between March 2017 and February 2018…
SPAIN: APPEC awards Vicent Sanchis and Saül Gordillo for “defending public media” (Spanish)
La Vanguardia: The meeting of the Association of Periodic Publications in Catalan (APPEC) will award during the Press Night the directors of TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio, Vicent Sanchis and Saül Gordillo, respectively, for “their defense of the public media in a context of repression. “
SPAIN: Telcos demand ‘all for one’ RTVE tax
Advanced Television: Spain’s telcos have demanded that the new streaming OTT platforms – including Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Dazn, among others – should also finance public broadcaster RTVE paying the same tax as currently levied on the telcos.
SPAIN: The Parliament refuses to reproach the directors of TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio (Spanish)
El País: The motion of Citizens was seconded by the PP and rejected by the rest of the parties.
SWITZERLAND: Inequalities in the media (French)
Le Temps: Women journalists occupy fewer positions of responsibility, sign less editorial content and pay less than their male counterparts. Overview of news from French-speaking Switzerland.
SWITZERLAND: The centralisation of SSR divides the senators (French)
Tribune de Genève: The relocation of the Geneva and Bern sites of the SSR occupied debates for one hour Tuesday at the Council of States.
BBC News: Today, the BBC Board has announced its decision on the future of the over 75s licence fee concession. The Government’s current scheme comes to an end next year and Parliament – through legislation – gave the responsibility to the BBC Board to make this decision.
UK: Independent and Standard urge state not to investigate Saudi ties
The Guardian: The Evening Standard and Independent have asked the government not to investigate the news outlets’ Saudi Arabian investors, saying the UK media industry could become financially unsustainable if officials probe the source of the offshore investments.
UK: Ofcom approves BBC’s proposed 12-month iPlayer window
TBI Vision: UK media regulator Ofcom has provisionally given the BBC a green light for its planned changes to BBC iPlayer, subject to certain conditions and guidance.
UK: JPI Media set to close ten local newspapers across UK
Press Gazette: JPI Media has unveiled plans to axe a further ten regional newspapers, from Portsmouth to Glasgow, as it looks to shore up the “long-term stability of the business”.
GENERAL: MPM 2020 (Resource)
CMPF: The Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) is a tool that has been developed by our Centre to assess the risks for media pluralism in a given country.
COLOMBIA: Journalist finally brings attackers to justice but warns: ‘Colombia’s sliding backwards’
The Guardian: Nearly two decades after her ordeal, Jineth Bedoya’s voice still cracks when she describes the day she was brutally attacked while carrying out her job as a reporter in Colombia.
COLOMBIA: Mourning for journalist murder in Samaniego, Nariño (Spanish)
El Tiempo: José Libardo Montenegro, linked to the community broadcaster Samaniego Estéreo, was killed in an attack by gunmen.
HAITI: Journalist shot to death in Haiti amid escalating attacks
CBC News: Several journalists targeted during protests calling for president’s resignation.
MEXICO: For media covering Mexico’s AMLO, access comes with attacks
France24: Mexico is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the press, and now journalists face a new risk: insults and attacks from leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
MEXICO: Seventh journalist murdered in just six months
The Guardian: Norma Sarabia, a 46-year-old crime reporter, had reportedly received threats for denouncing police corruption.
IRAN: Iran charges Telegram news channel Gam reporters over labor coverage
IFEX via CPJ: The arrest and detention by Iran’s judiciary of journalists who cover events in the public interest, such as labor issues, is unacceptable.
IRAN: US-Iran debates: Fake writers and state-funded trolling (Watch)
AL Jazeera: Tax-funded smears & a fake activist: worrying twists in the US-Iran propaganda war.
ISRAEL: Palestinian journalist sentenced, five others pending trial
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for an end to Israel’s obstruction of Palestinian journalists and for transparency in its judicial proceedings against them after the first of six Palestinian journalists held for threatening Israel’s security was tried and convicted this week. The other five are still awaiting trial.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Massive and Grave Violations against Media Freedoms in Palestine during May
MADA
QATAR: Twitter deletes Saudi journalist’s call for bombing of Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera: Twitter has deleted a series of tweets posted by Saudi journalist Khaled al-Matrafi, in which he called for the bombing of the Al Jazeera headquarters in Qatar’s capital.
SAUDI ARABIA: G20 summit : gesture needed from Saudis to recover place on international stage (Opinion)
RSF: Saudi Arabia was isolated during the Group of 20’s last summit, held a few weeks after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, but now it is about to take over the G20 presidency from Japan at the summit in Osaka at the end of the month
TURKEY: Turkey charges Bloomberg reporters with undermining the economy
CPJ: A criminal court in Istanbul accepted an indictment charging the reporters Kerim Karakaya and Fercan Yalınkılıç with undermining Turkey’s economic stability, and requesting that they be imprisoned, according to their employer and media reports. If convicted, the journalists could be jailed for up to five years.
TURKEY: IPI Turkey trial observation reports: May 2019
IPI: Since 2018, the International Press Institute (IPI) has been observing trials of journalists in Turkey to monitor violations of the rule of law and fair trial guarantees.
TURKEY: IPI urges Turkey to protect media freedom ahead of mayoral re-vote
IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom, today urged Turkish authorities to respect journalists’ rights and ensure journalists’ safety in the run-up to the mayoral re-election in Istanbul on June 23.
CANADA: Annual Public Meeting (Watch)
CBC/Radio-Canada: You’re invited to our Annual Public Meeting. On May 22, 2019, we shared CBC/Radio-Canada’s new strategic vision in a new three-year plan and we would like to discuss it with you.
CANADA: CBC’s CEO says public broadcaster is not the enemy of local media
The Chronicle Herald: Thinking of the CBC as strictly a government-funded institution isn’t exactly the whole picture, says the president and CEO of the public broadcaster.
CANADA: How fake news affects Canadian media trust (Paywall)
Media in Canada: A new study from Ipsos declares fake news a ‘global epidemic’ as Canadians fix blame on Americans.
CANADA: Why CBC News is doing a series on climate change
CBC News: The environment is shaping up to be major issue in election year…
US: Apple’s restrictions on kids apps will hurt PBS, the broadcaster says
CNET: New App Store rules aimed to protect kids’ privacy will be a blow to the network, which uses data to make its apps more effective educational tools, says PBS’ CEO.
US: How can public media heal a divided nation? (Opinion)
Current: On the morning after the 2016 presidential election, as the nation was reeling in shock from Donald Trump’s surprise victory, I realized that my training in public radio had prepared me for that moment.
US: New NPR news VP looks to bolster investigative journalism, embrace working with stations (Paywall)
Current: PR News chief Nancy Barnes said Friday that she will build on the collaborative news projects under development among NPR and its member stations.
US: Patricia de Stacy Harrison, of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, on YouTube and Trump
The New York Times: A Brooklyn native with deep ties in Washington, Ms. Harrison distributes nearly $450 million a year to public media.
US: The Woman Leading PBS Through TV’s Time of Turmoil
The Wall Street Journal: Paula Kerger discusses why she isn’t afraid of Netflix, sharing ‘Sesame Street’ with HBO and how to cultivate female CEOs.
US: Two new bills in Congress propose a helping hand for a hurting industry
CJR: As the news industry continues to suffer layoffs and sinking profits, efforts are afoot in Congress to lend a hand.
10 most urgent cases of journalists under threat: June 2019
Deutsche Welle: Journalists serve the public by speaking truth to power, a pursuit which puts some reporters in peril. Here’s a list of the 10 most urgent cases for June 2019, published by the One Free Press Coalition.
Facebook plans to help news publishers generate revenue
Journalism.co.uk: The social media platform will help media organisations monetise content, including a dedicated space for news and a Facebook-powered subscription tool.
Public say they are relying more on ‘reputable’ news brands to counter misinformation
University of Oxford: Public concern about misinformation is making some people more careful about the brands they choose and the content they share online, according to the eighth annual Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.
The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News
The New Yorker: The current system for delivering news online is broken. Readers and journalists will need to work together to find a new one.
Environment reporters facing harassment and murder, study finds
The Guardian: Thirteen journalists who were investigating damage to the environment have been killed in recent years and many more are suffering violence, harassment, intimidation and lawsuits, according to a study.
News outlets will need public support to battle governments set on chilling investigative journalism
Nieman Lab: Recent police raids against journalists in Australia and the United States seek to instill fear in the minds of journalists and their sources — less to punish the last story than to discourage the next one.
Number of fact-checking outlets surges to 188 in more than 60 countries
Poynter: Strong growth in Asia and Latin America helps fuel global increase.
Nieman Lab: What if distrust is a smaller problem than the way news consumption leaves readers stressed, anxious, depressed, afraid, disempowered, and exhausted?
2019 Reuters Digital News Report finds that trust in the media continues to fall
Journalism.co.uk: With 71 per cent of UK audiences turning away from the news because of Brexit overload, news organisations are redefining their values and approaches to audiences to rebuild relationships
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All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
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Header Image: Cameraman at Sunset. Credit: lisegagne/istock
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