Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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What is...
Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
WEEK 15: What does PLURALISM look like?
Media pluralism not only refers to the diversity of voices, opinions, or issues that exist in a media landscape but also to the diversity of media outlets and media types. Pluralism is necessary for the effective functioning of democracy and public service media have an especially important role to play by serving as a public source of impartial information and diverse opinions. Particularly during times of conflict, crises, and elections, pluralism is essential for enabling informed decisions and citizen engagement. In some cases, public broadcasters like ABC are contributing to pluralism by expanding their digital services to improve access to more diverse content on a range of platforms. However, media pluralism is also at risk around the world, especially in countries like Hungary and Poland where media capture and monopolisation have significantly curtailed public access to a broad range of independent media and information.
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Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
2021 World Press Freedom Index
RSF: The 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows that journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organisation.
Battling Bolsonaro’s COVID misinformation
Al Jazeera English: Some of Brazil’s biggest media companies have come together to combat COVID-19 misinformation – a lot of which is coming from President Jair Bolsonaro’s office.
What we're listening to...
Merging media – a commercial and publicly funded stew
RNZ: “Public media is on the verge of its biggest shakeup in 30 years.”
Is climate change the right term? (German)
Deutschlandfunk: When media report that the average temperature on earth is constantly increasing, they often use the term “climate change”. It’s not wrong, but it’s also trivializing.
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Global Headlines
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GHANA: Move broadcasting frequency licensing from NCA to NMC – Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng
GhanaWeb: Former Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng has suggested that the licensing of frequencies for media broadcast in the country should be taken from the National Communications Authority (NCA) and be given to NMC.
GHANA: New Regulatory Framework Should Be Fostered For The Broadcasting Industry – Stakeholders
Broadcast Media Africa: During a consultative meeting led by the Ministry of Information in Accra, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame highlighted the path for the call to regulate media in Ghana.
KENYA: Slain KBC journalist laid to rest as pressure piles on police to crack case
The Nation: As murdered journalist Betty Barasa was laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon, police were yet to find clues on the identity of her killers and why she was shot in cold blood more than a week ago.
MALAWI: Sumbuleta arrested over sexual misconduct at MBC
Nyasa Times: Malawi Police in Blantyre have finally arrested former Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) director general, Aubrey Sumbuleta and is being kept at Limbe Police Station.
MOROCCO: Hunger strike is last resort for some imprisoned Moroccan journalists
RSF: As Omar Radi and Suleiman Raissouni, two Moroccan journalists who have been held provisionally for months, continue hunger strikes to press their demands to be freed, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Moroccan authorities to stop subjecting journalists to arbitrary and abusive prosecutions that drive them to put their lives in danger.
NAMIBIA: Budget cut pushes NBC into corner
New Era: The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation is finding itself in a precarious situation, with a massive budget cut in the current financial year threatening its sustainability.
NAMIBIA: Calls to promote media pluralism
New Era: Although the Windhoek Declaration stressed the need for an independent and pluralistic media, experts say it does not give the microphone to a wide enough diversity of voices.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC adamant it will continue with property auction despite opposition from Mahikeng communities
SABC News: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) says it will continue with its plan to auction off its property in the North West capital, Mahikeng, despite growing opposition from the community.
TANZANIA: Tanzanian Minister Intervenes Following Arrest Of Journalists
MISA: A Tanzanian official on 12 April 2021 allegedly caused the arrest of two journalists, only days after the country’s leader, President Samia Suluhu Hassan promised a change of culture in terms of the authorities’ relations with the media.
TUNISIA: Tunisian police raid TAP news agency to enforce appointment of pro-government director
CPJ: Tunisian authorities should respect the independence of the state news agency Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP), and refrain from using security forces to interfere in the agency’s personnel issues, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
ZIMBABWE: Broadcaster Seeking To Supply More Channels With Digital Terrestrial License
Broadcast Media Africa: The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), a state-controlled broadcaster in Zimbabwe, has applied for the National Commercial Digital Terrestrial (NCDT) license in order to supply more channels. Critics have unwelcomed this request as unfair due to private stations being allocated limited terrestrial space. The reviewers also believe that to create diversity in the media and broadcasting space, spectrum allocation should prioritise independent stations.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghan journalists demand media freedom assurances in peace talks
Afghanistan Times: A group of Afghan journalists who have established the “House for Freedom of Expression” call on the peace negotiating sides to support the freedom of speech in their talks.
BANGLADESH: Media ownership in Bangladesh: why more media outlets does not mean more media freedom
CIMA: Bangladesh’s media ecosystem paints a contradictory picture. On the one hand, the country’s media sector has witnessed significant growth in the past two decades. On the other hand, media freedom in the country is steadily declining.
CHINA: Oppression of journalists in China ‘may have been factor in Covid pandemic’
The Guardian: China placed 177th in Press Freedom Index, with warning that persecution of reporters can have international impact.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong journalist who challenged WHO official quits RTHK – sources
Hong Kong Free Press: The award-winning TV producer became a victim of pro-Beijing abuse and doxxing after challenging an official over the WHO’s stance on Taiwan.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai and his media empire face uncertain future (Analysis)
The Guardian: The sentencing of the high-profile Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai may offer a foretaste both of his own future and of the media empire he built.
HONG KONG: Jimmy Lai hit with new national security charge
RTHK: Prosecutors have pressed two additional charges against pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, including another one under the national security law.
HONG KONG: More bureaucrats join management at Hong Kong’s RTHK amid editorial overhaul
South China Morning Post: More Hong Kong bureaucrats are parachuting into the ranks of RTHK’s management to assist its new head in bringing the controversy-plagued public broadcaster in line following a barrage of complaints from the city’s pro-establishment camp.
HONG KONG: ‘Security law could be used to target the press’
RTHK: The chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Chris Yeung, on Saturday said he’s extremely concerned that freedom of the press here could be further restrained, after Police Commissioner Chris Tang warned that the national security law could be used to tackle “fake news”.
INDIA: Extending AIR coverage to radio-deprived hilly regions and fringe zones across India (Opinion)
Asia Radio Today
INDIA: Digital media rules empower Indian government to censor online news (Analysis)
CPJ: Digital news sites in India are on edge and expecting the worst after the government promulgated news rules in February, bringing them under regulation and further endangering the environment for press freedom in the country. The rules, in essence, give the government powers to censor website content, with little chance for appeal.
JAPAN: NHK asked to investigate after anti-Olympic protest muted during torch relay (Paywall)
The Japan Times: People protesting against this summer’s Tokyo Olympics have asked Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, to investigate after the public broadcaster cut the sound while livestreaming an Olympic torch relay run to mute their chants of opposition to the games.
JAPAN & MYANMAR: Japanese journalist detained in Myanmar moved to prison, embassy says
The Japan Times: A Japanese freelance journalist detained by security forces in Myanmar’s largest city Yangon has been investigated for allegedly spreading fake news, the Japanese Embassy in Myanmar said Monday.
KASHMIR: Kashmir: Indian police tighten curbs on media coverage of gun battles
Deutsche Welle: Journalists have been advised to stay away from the site of shootouts in the name of safety and national security. But journalists have said the new rules are meant to prevent them from reporting live on the ground.
KYRGYZSTAN: Journalists detained, attacked while covering Kyrgyzstan referendum vote
CPJ: Kyrgyz authorities should investigate the harassment of journalists covering elections and ensure that members of the press can work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
MACAU: Macau’s Portuguese-language journalists brace for restrictions on press freedom
South China Morning Post: Macau’s Portuguese-language journalists are bracing themselves for restrictions on press freedom following recent events at the gambling hub’s public broadcaster.
MYANMAR: Media freedom in Myanmar: Media Freedom Coalition statement (Statement)
Media Freedom Coalition: Members of the Media Freedom Coalition gave a statement expressing deep concern over continued efforts by the military and police to crack down on media freedom in Myanmar.
MYANMAR: Myanmar junta now publishing lists of wanted journalists
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the international community to react to the Myanmar military’s latest attempts to impose complete control over news and information, which have taken a new turn in the past two weeks with the publication of lists of wanted journalists as well as more arbitrary arrests of journalists.
PAKISTAN: Social media access restored in Pakistan after blockage to ‘maintain public order’
Dawn: The Ministry of Interior on Friday directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to temporarily block access to social media platforms — Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Telegram — from 11am to 3pm.
TAIWAN: CTS News to begin broadcasting on channel 52 next week
Focus Taiwan: Customers of several cable television providers will be able to watch Chinese Television System (CTS) News and Info on channel 52 from April 19, several months after the spot was left vacant following a controversial decision by the National Communications Commission (NCC).
REGIONAL: RSF 2021 Index: Censorship and the disinformation virus hits Asia-Pacific
Asia Pacific Report: The Asia-Pacific region’s authoritarian regimes have used the covid-19 pandemic to perfect their methods of totalitarian control of information, while the “dictatorial democracies” have used it as a pretext for imposing especially repressive legislation with provisions combining propaganda and suppression of dissent.
GENERAL: Progress against the pandemic – but the press remains under fire in Asia (Opinion)
HKFP: “Through both physical violence and subtler measures, governments are trying to hide the unsavoury truth of what they are doing,” writes Robert Gerhardt.
AUSTRALIA: ‘Glaad’ tidings for ABC ME’s award-winning series First Day (Press release)
ABC Australia: ABC ME series First Day has won an international award celebrating programs for their fair, accurate and inclusive representation of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives.
AUSTRALIA: Journalists need to take social media responsibilities seriously (Opinion)
The Sydney Morning Herald: Four days after the ABC published its story about historic rape allegations against a cabinet minister, ABC journalist Louise Milligan tweeted on her personal account.
AUSTRALIA & CHINA: Australia: Chinese ambassador summons Australian journalists to deny Uyghur abuse
IFJ: An ambassador for China in Australia presented journalists with propaganda videos and pressured the media on its reporting during a press conference in the country’s capital on April 7. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said the hostility towards Australian media must cease and Australian journalists should be allowed to safely report on and in China without intimidation or interference.
NEW ZEALAND: Merging media – a commercial and publicly funded stew (Listen)
RNZ: “Public media is on the verge of its biggest shakeup in 30 years.”
NEW ZEALAND: On the air, but at the grassroots: Access radio turns 40 in Aotearoa
Stuff: A new book and an awareness campaign are helping mark the 40th anniversary celebrations of access radio in Aotearoa.
NEW ZEALAND: Social platforms should be captured in new media regulations – officials
Newsroom: After 12 years of indecision, government officials have renewed a push for more cohesive controls for the media – including social media.
NEW ZEALAND: The good, bad and awkward of the new public interest media fund (Comment)
Newsroom: ‘We’re from the Government, we’re here to help’ might well be the message from the holders of Kris Faafoi’s new $50m of taxpayer money as they start to dispense it to the nation’s media. Stephen Parker examines the implications of the PIJF.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Covid-19 Misinformation, A Concern for Authorities
EMTV: While social media can be a great tool to share important information, unverified information on social media platforms is becoming a concern for Authorities.
SAMOA: Samoa election cliffhanger overlooked locally (Listen)
RNZ: After 23 years with one political party and one prime minister in charge, Samoa’s general election last weekend delivered a surprise neck-and-neck result. But it was barely reported in most national media outlets here. How come? And what might improve the situation?
REGIONAL: Six60 Auckland concert to be live broadcast to the Pacific
RNZ: Six60’s concert at Auckland’s Eden Park this weekend will be broadcast to 11 Pacific Islands.
ALBANIA: Reporters Without Borders Call on Albanian Government to Reduce Sanctions on Media During Elections
Exit News: Reporters Without Borders have called on the Albanian government to reduce the sanctions imposed on broadcast media in the electoral code.
AUSTRIA: 700,000 euros in funding for ethnic group media (German)
Der Standard: A budget pot endowed with 700,000 euros for national minority media is being paid out for the first time this year. The basis for the payout is an invitation to tender, explained Susanne Raab (ÖVP), Minister of the Chancellery, who is responsible for minority issues. The funds are part of the funding for the national minorities, which was doubled to almost eight million euros last autumn.
AUSTRIA: Hardly any journalists with a migration background in newsrooms (German)
Der Standard: Only six percent of Austrian journalists have a non-German-speaking migration background.
BELARUS: In Latest Salvo Against Media, Belarus Takes Euronews Off Air
VOA News: Belarusian authorities have stopped the European news network Euronews from broadcasting inside the country amid a campaign to muzzle independent media and journalists as part of the government’s crackdown on dissent following a disputed presidential election that returned strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka to power.
BELGIUM: Cécile Djunga case: Belgian jailed for racism targeting TV presenter
BBC: A man has been jailed for 15 days for sending race hate messages to a Belgian TV host after she complained of a stream of abuse she received while presenting the weather forecast.
CROATIA: Croatian Journalists Union Deplores ‘Intimidating’ Rise in Lawsuits
Balkan Insight: Leading media union says the number of lawsuits filed against Croatian journalists and publishers – aimed at censoring or intimidating critics – is still rising and points to ‘judicial persecution of the media’.
ESTONIA: ERR chief: Work on new TV house construction could start next year
ERR News: Breaking ground on a planned new television house for public broadcaster ERR should go ahead next year, the organization’s management board chair Erik Roose says.
FINLAND: Yle starts its own radio news for the regions of Southern Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia (Finnish – Press release)
Yle: Southern Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia will receive their own provincial news broadcasts on Yle Radio Finland at the beginning of June.
FRANCE: French MPs pass controversial law that restricts images of police
Euronews: French lawmakers have given their final support for a controversial “global security” law which has sparked widespread demonstrations.
GERMANY: Media freedom relegation Germany (German)
MDR360G: The new world map of media freedom of the “Reporters Without Borders” records bright spots at best “south of the Sahara”. And a large country in the middle of Europe changes color…
ICELAND: RUV: We are home to Nordic television (Danish)
Nordvision: Six years ago, the management of Icelandic RUV decided to shift the focus away from American-produced television in the direction of especially Nordic and European television programs. Nordic TV drama in particular has driven the transition.
IRELAND: Media Commission and Future of Media Commission stay on parallel paths
The Irish Times: In considering the future Media Commission, it is important not to confuse it with the Future of Media Commission, which is an entirely different body that just happens to involve some of the same words and concepts.
ITALY: Spike in intimidation against journalists in Italy during pandemic
IPI: Monitoring mechanism documents attacks on media during COVID-19.
NORWAY: Under-represented and overexposed: Norway has a news problem (Research)
Reuters Institute: The first generation of ethnic minority women from Asia and Africa were missing from Norwegian history pages for 50 years. The press played a major role in their invisibility: they failed in writing “the first rough draft of history”.
POLAND: Court halts media takeover by Polish oil company
Politico: PKN-Orlen wants the transaction to be unblocked.
RUSSIA: Russia: Article 19 supports media group’s petition to the European Court
Article 19: Article 19 supports the Moscow bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL LLC) in its petition today to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on an urgent basis, asking the court to grant interim measures ordering the Russian Federation to refrain from enforcing the 520 “administrative protocols” that it has brought or threatened against the media organisation since January 2021 under Russia’s Foreign Agents Law. These interim measures, if granted, would be in place until the court can rule on the lawfulness of the Russian Government’s unprecedented actions.
RUSSIA: Russia Targets Student Magazine With Raids, Criminal Charges
VOA News: Charges come amid heightened pressure on independent news media.
SERBIA: Serbia’s Government ‘Has to Respect Media,’ Investigative Journalist Says
VOA: The head of a Serbian investigative news outlet being attacked for its work uncovering corruption says his country needs to do more to protect media.
SPAIN: Pérez Tornero announces a public consultation on the future of RTVE as the basis for drawing up the new framework mandate (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: The president of RTVE, José Manuel Pérez Tornero, affirmed this Monday that he will launch a public consultation with citizens to debate “what the future of public service should be” of RTVE, as well as the opening of various forums, including the parliamentary and sectoral members, and working groups.
SPAIN: Syrian reporters start Spain’s first refugee-led news site
Infomigrants: Baynana, Spain’s self-proclaimed first refugee-run media outlet, focuses on “the good face of migrants in Spain”. The new online news magazine was founded by four Syrian journalists who fled to Spain in 2019.
SPAIN: The RTVE Board of Directors expresses its support for the independence of the Corporation’s professionals (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: The Board of Directors of RTVE has expressed this Wednesday its support for the independence of the Corporation’s professionals, in what has been its second working meeting after its constitution on March 26.
SPAIN: Elections Madrid 4M This is how the electoral law establishes the time that the public media must dedicate to each party during the campaign (Spanish)
RTVE: The RTVE news programs will offer for two weeks, on the occasion of the start of the campaign for the May 4 elections in the Community of Madrid, daily information on the actions of the different parties. It is precisely the electoral law that marks the time that the public media must allocate to each formation, according to their parliamentary representation.
SWITZERLAND: Public broadcaster shaken by sexual harassment probe
Swissinfo: An investigation has confirmed cases of sexual harassment at French-language Swiss public radio and television, RTS. Two perpetrators have been sanctioned, it was revealed on Friday.
UK: BBC receives 109,741 complaints over Prince Philip coverage
BBC News: The BBC has confirmed it received 109,741 complaints from the public over its coverage of the Duke of Edinburgh’s death.
UK: BBC Studios brokers format deals; bolsters its management team
Real Screen: BBC Studios Productions’ factual chief Tom McDonald has cemented his leadership team with the appointment of Nicola Pinn as director of production and ICM Partners’ Ian Moffitt to the new role of director of commercial and business development.
UK: BBC3 says most of its comedies now female-led
Televisual: BBC Three says it is on course to become the first UK channel to have most of its comedy either starring, written by or created by women this year, with a 58% female representation for long form scripted comedy writing.
UK: Man admits harassing BBC reporter Sima Kotecha
BBC News: A man has admitted harassing BBC reporter Sima Kotecha as she prepared to broadcast on live television.
UK: Ministers veto reappointment of two women to Channel 4 board
The Guardian: Decision not to renew Uzma Hasan and Fru Hazlitt was made against advice of Channel 4 and Ofcom.
REGIONAL: Europe’s fourth estate needs more active support (Op-ed – Paywall)
The Financial Times: Fight for an independent press goes hand in hand with protecting the rule of law.
REGIONAL: Letter: EU broadcasters must be free of state coercion (Letter – paywall)
The Financial Times: From Krzysztof Bobinski, Society of Journalists, Warsaw, Poland.
REGIONAL: ‘Worrying picture’: Journalists in Europe face increasing risk, press freedom group warns
The Guardian: The murder of a high-profile Greek journalist last week marks the fourth killing of a reporter in Europe in the past five years and has underlined growing concerns about a steady decline of press freedoms in several EU member states.
ARGENTINA: After the bag scandal, Leonardo Flores assumed the direction of Public TV (Spanish)
La Nacion: He replaces Eliseo Álvarez, who had submitted his resignation due to health problems.
ARGENTINA: Télam turns 76, with a commitment to the future based on new digital content (Spanish)
Argentina.gob: The National News Agency commemorates its anniversary with all its history entering the future, committed to informative sovereignty, journalistic quality and dialogue with audiences throughout the country.
ARGENTINA: The national public media release an animated spot to warn about the infodemic (Spanish)
Argentina.gob: When there is a health emergency, misinformation can put the health of millions of people at risk. Information helps you make the best decisions: inform yourself through public media and take care of the infodemic.
BRAZIL: #FicaEBC: civil society and politics articulate in defense of EBC and against its privatization (Portuguese)
OBCOMP: Since the announcement by the Federal Government of the inclusion of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) in the National Privatization Plan (PND), several articulations of civil society and politics have taken place in defense of EBC, expressing opposition and concern about the privatization of the state.
BRAZIL & EL SALVADOR: Brazil and El Salvador lead the degradation of the press in Latin America (Spanish)
Hola News: Latin America was the continent where press freedom was most degraded in 2021, with a particularly palpable worsening of the situation in Brazil and El Salvador, according to the annual report of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published this Tuesday.
CHILE: Report: Chilean army allegedly monitored investigative journalists
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today over the findings of an April 9 report by the Chilean nonprofit news site Center for Investigative Journalism (CIPER) that Chile’s army appears to have allegedly monitored journalists covering corruption and human rights abuses.
COLOMBIA: Does the State guarantee freedom of the press and expression? (Spanish – Report)
El Pilón: When trying to remove the discussion from a real state and transfer it to an illusory state, one must ask about the guarantees to develop and exercise the journalism that corresponds to the materialization of the legal basis. Thus, when confronting constitutional law with the effective enjoyment of freedom of expression and related rights, it is pertinent to ask the journalists’ union: Are there guarantees in Colombia to exercise journalism?
JAMAICA: Music 99 off air but still available
Jamaica Gleaner: After 21 years, Music 99FM switched off its over-the-air transmission at midnight on April 15, 2021. The station, a part of the Independent Radio Company, which is a member of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, was sold to satisfy one of the conditions of the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica’s acceptance of the amalgamation of RJR Communications Group and The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited in 2016.
MEXICO: Mexico elections 2021: Journalist safety kit (Safety advisory)
CPJ: Mexico will hold the largest elections in its history on June 6, 2021. Candidates will run for, among other offices, the federal Chamber of Deputies, governorships in 15 states, and mayor in hundreds of municipalities.
URUGUAY: Uruguay leads the freedom of the press in South America; Brazil falls into the red zone in RSF ratings (Spanish)
MercoPress Español: With no South American country in the top 12, the Non-Governmental Organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Monday lowered Brazil’s rating on press freedom to 111th, placing it within the red zone.
VENEZUELA: Former Ibero-American presidents condemn ruling against El Nacional (Spanish)
Deutsche Welle: A score of former heads of state and government of Ibero-America described as “spurious” the judicial ruling that forces the Venezuelan newspaper to pay a millionaire compensation.
GENERAL: The IAPA will delve into the decline in press freedom in the region (Spanish)
Hola News: The setback of press freedom, the judicial decisions against independent media in Venezuela or Nicaragua and the blocking of digital platforms to content will center the agenda of the Mid-Year Meeting of the Inter-American Society of Prensa (SIP), which will be held virtually from Tuesday until next Friday.
TURKEY: ‘Pressures on journalists were a harbinger of current social crisis’
Bianet: RSF Representative to Turkey Önderoğlu: “Though the number of arrested journalists has been on the decrease in Turkey in the last 2 years, the practices that put their minds behind bars don’t go unnoticed. Censorship and bans are everywhere…”
TURKEY: Turkey violated rights of jailed journalist Ahmet Altan, ECHR finds
Euronews: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Turkey to pay €16,000 to veteran journalist Ahmet Altan, who it ruled was unreasonably convicted on terrorism charges.
REGIONAL: A decade on from the Arab Spring: ten ways use of social media has changed in the Middle East
Journalism.co.uk: In 2011, Facebook and Twitter were key players for political uprisings in the region. Ten years later, TikTok videos celebrating Ramadan are proving a hit.
CANADA: CBC British Columbia breaks new ground with ASL-interpreted town hall (Blog)
CBC/Radio-Canada: Presenting additional options to make content more accessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences.
CANADA: CBC Montreal begins move into new Maison Radio-Canada (Watch)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC Montreal’s afternoon radio show Let’s Go with Sabrina Marandola became the first program to settle into CBC’s new building on René-Lévesque and Papineau. CBC has been broadcasting from the original Maison Radio-Canada tower since 1973.
CANADA: CBC Sports’ Andi Petrillo knows pandemic adds new hurdles to challenge of broadcasting an Olympics
CBC/Radio-Canada: Network will host coverage from Toronto studio rather than onsite in Tokyo.
CANADA: Mauril: New mobile app for learning English and French now available (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada is pleased to introduce Mauril, a new platform for learning English and French through varied, stimulating and entertaining content – from news, current affairs and documentaries, to comedy, drama, variety and more.
CANADA: Opinion: Canada’s commitment to media freedom must be matched by action (Opinion – Paywall)
The Globe and Mail
CANADA: Rendez-vous Radio-Canada OHdio 2021 (Blog)
CBC/Radio-Canada: On March 30, Radio-Canada OHdio held its inaugural Rendez-vous conference for the French-language podcasting industry.
CANADA: Spotlight on journalist safety at the Media Freedom Symposium
CBC/Radio-Canada: As Chair of the Global Task Force for public media, Catherine Tait spoke today at the Media Freedom Symposium, an international gathering hosted by the Public Media Alliance and Association for International Broadcasting. She discussed issues of media freedom and journalist safety with news media organizations from around the world.
US: A new way of looking at trust in media: Do Americans share journalism’s core values? (Research)
American Press Institute
PR Newswire: The next wave of market disruption may lie with Generation Z – who prefer to play video games, stream music and engage on social media, rather than just watch TV or movies.
US: CPB Announces Federal Grant Amounts
Radioworld: Here’s the list of ~400 stations to receive federal pandemic grants.
US: How listening to the community transformed this Charlotte newsroom
Trusting News: Engagement has continued to become more of a priority in newsrooms over the last few years, and there are good reasons for that.
US: Journalists reporting on COVID-19 vaccines should ‘tell the story in its totality’
Poynter: Most Americans will soon be eligible for the vaccine, but some are hesitant to get the shot. Here’s what journalists can do.
US: Judge blocks arrest of journalists covering Minnesota protests amid reports journalists rounded up
The Independent: Federal judge notes journalists were struck by projectiles, pepper-sprayed, and grabbed.
US: Minnesota police promise not to detain, pepper-spray journalists covering protests
Reuters: Minnesota police on Saturday promised not to detain, threaten or rough up journalists covering protests over the police shooting of Daunte Wright, after officers detained and pepper-sprayed journalists on Friday night and forced some to lie face-down.
US: NPR has ‘not completely bounced back’ from pandemic’s impact on revenue, says acting CEO (Paywall)
Current: NPR has rolled back some cuts made to staff benefits last year, but the network has not fully recovered from the financial hit it experienced due to the pandemic.
US: Public Media for All analysis highlights persistent gaps in pubmedia diversity (Paywall)
Current
US: The Supreme Court’s Increasingly Dim View of the News Media
The New York Times: A comprehensive look at references to the press in justices’ opinions revealed “a marked and previously undocumented uptick in negative depictions.”
US: What Journalists Can Do To Report More Effectively — and Compassionately — on Gun Violence
Nieman Reports: Ten ways to constructively cover gun violence by applying a “public health model”.
US: What’s up with salaries in public media? (Opinion – Paywall)
Current
US: Why local journalism must be considered infrastructure (Opinion)
The Hill: President Biden’s infrastructure bill has sparked debate over what qualifies. Is broadband infrastructure? Of course it is — and so are other key components of our information systems, especially local journalism.
RSF: The 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows that journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organisation.
BBCM webinar: Covid-19 and the global spread of vaccine misinformation (Blog)
BBC Monitoring: New global research from BBC Monitoring has found that online communities sharing harmful anti-vaccine content have seen a significant boost in following during the pandemic.
EJN Launches New Online Course for Journalists on Covering Zoonotic Diseases (Opportunity)
Earth Journalism Network: More than a year since the very beginnings of Covid-19 journalism began to dominate the news cycle, zoonotic diseases continue to be a source of debate, conflict and misinformation worldwide.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Shaped Data Journalism
GIJN: As COVID-19 cases surged throughout the past year, so did data visualizations. Graphical concepts like “flattening the curve” became household terms, and even non-epidemiologists began talking about R numbers and exponential growth.
Is climate change the right term? (German – Listen)
Deutschlandfunk: When media report that the average temperature on earth is constantly increasing, they often use the term “climate change”. It’s not wrong, but it’s also trivializing.
Over 600 COVID-19 related press freedom violations in past year
IPI: One year on, IPI Press Freedom Tracker shows extent of challenge to independent journalism.
Skepticism, not objectivity, is what makes journalism matter (Opinion)
The Conversation: “That reporter is too biased to cover this story.” It’s a too-familiar complaint from news consumers — and sometimes also from newsroom managers — because people expect journalists to be impartial, detached or even “objective.”
What Works: Addressing COVID-19 Misinformation – Lessons from the Frontlines in 100 Countries (Report)
Internews: A global COVID-19 vaccine rollout must be coupled with funding and strategies to support trusted local media worldwide. The experience of communities in countries across the world demonstrates an urgent need to support groups at the local level if misinformation and mistrust is to be tackled effectively.
Why converging newsroom cultures can make media houses more sustainable
The Conversation: Until the arrival of the world wide web, the media model that worked revolved around money made from selling advertisements and from revenue from subscriptions or copy sales. But online delivery has left traditional media struggling to find new revenue sources while using web metrics to quantify audience numbers and engagement.
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Header image: Empty television studio with camera. Credit: Grafissimo/iStock
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