Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, the need for community solidarity and mutual support has never been greater. But this support requires quality, fact-checked and evidence based news and information.
With this in mind, the Public Media Alliance has compiled an extensive and growing list of resources featuring recommended tools, advice and sources for journalists and the public alike. The resources can be found via the link below or in the Tools section of our website.
If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
What is...
Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
Over the past few weeks, we have been exploring impartiality in all its complexities, nuances and challenges to round off our year of explainers. We have already considered what “impartial journalism” is at its core, how “due impartiality” is employed in practice by PSMs, and now finally, we turn to how impartiality impacts journalists.
Week 49: What do IMPARTIAL JOURNALISTS look like?
The concept of impartiality is familiar to public media journalists worldwide. Like news organisations, individual journalists must also be committed to fact-based, informed journalism, regardless of their own personal biases. It is imperative for public trust that there is no perception of an agenda other than reporting in the interest of the public. Their organisation’s approach to impartiality – whether strict or due – should offer important guidance. Journalists are experiencing increasing pressure to remove perceptions of bias regardless of whether they exist or not.
Impartiality guidelines often stray into reporters’ personal lives. For instance, RNZ’s editorial policies says that journalists, programme creators, and presenters must not sign, endorse, or promote public petitions on nationally significant matters which may attract RNZ’s coverage since “to do so would compromise the impartiality of the individual and could negatively affect RNZ’s editorial credibility”. The BBC’s social media guidelines for its staff also prohibit content that “undermines the integrity or impartiality of the BBC”, including views on current political debates and how they vote. Meanwhile, NPR encourages its staff to consider impartiality in their personal lives, including perception biases arising from the actions of loved ones and social media activity.
But impartiality is complicated, and a corporation’s rules can create confusion for journalists. Updated BBC guidelines released last year tried to stipulate how journalists engage with certain issues in a personal capacity, initially causing confusion as to whether reporters could attend events, marches or protests (they could, so long as they were not “taking a stand on politicised or contested issues”). Ultimately, many PSM organisations see an impartial journalist as one who remains impartial both in their work and personal lives and whose actions do not impact public perceptions of bias, which could then undermine not just their own output, but the organisation’s overall output.
If you would like to revisit any previous explainer, you can find all terms on our glossary. This series has been researched and written by Desilon Daniels.
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Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
Podcast interview with Rebecca Vincent, Director of International Campaigns at RSF
Tyto PR: This is our second episode from our new series of interviews with inspiring individuals from across the globe. Our aim with these series is to chat with inspirational guests who can encourage us all to look at the industries we work in (media, comms and tech) from different perspectives.
#NotOk: Online hate, threats and harassment against journalists
CBC/Radio-Canada: We stand united in supporting our journalists and newsrooms against those who seek to silence their stories and threaten their safety. We have joined other media organizations, both Canadian and international, to advocate for industry-wide responses. We also organized the virtual forum #NotOk: Defending Journalism and Democracy, during which the results of the first-ever Canadian survey of online harassment against journalists and media professionals were shared by Ipsos.
What we're listening to...
How 2021 changed journalism
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: In many ways, 2021 saw a continuation of the world-changing events that took place in 2020. Far from emerging from COVID-19, deadly waves of the pandemic continued to have a marked impact on livelihoods, economies and health systems worldwide. We also saw an acute focus on the climate crisis, through extreme weather events and the landmark COP26 summit. In this episode of our Future of Journalism podcast we look at how these events and other trends in society and politics have affected how journalism is practised and consumed and how newsrooms are addressing these challenges.
Why do some Pakistani journalists say they’re being silenced?
NPR: Reports from global media watchdogs suggest it is true: press freedoms in Pakistan are deteriorating. Why is Pakistan’s media under pressure, and where is that pressure coming from?
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ETHIOPIA: More reporters arrested in renewed crackdown in Ethiopia
RSF: Arrests of more journalists in recent weeks for their coverage of the 13-month-old civil war have confirmed the disastrous setback for press freedom seen in Ethiopia in 2021, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
ETHIOPIA: Stop Broadcasting International News! – Regulator Tells Local Media Outlets
Broadcast Media Africa: Ethiopia’s media regulator recently ordered a local radio and television station to stop broadcasting international news.
GAMBIA & GHANA: Gambia’s Information Dept. & GBC discuss how to leverage on RTI Bill (Press release)
GBC: As part of efforts to establish a strong foundation for democratic renewal, the Department of Information in Gambia says access to information and a strong media is crucial to this change.
GHANA: GBC to exclusively Telecast Total Energies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
GBC: The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, GBC, has acquired exclusive Free-To-Air TV and Radio broadcast rights of the Total Energies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
MOROCCO: The press victim of the pandemic (French)
IFJ: The National Press Council (CNP) published a report on the difficulties encountered by the Moroccan press in times of Covid-19 and the impact of the virus on a sector in crisis for several years.
SOUTH AFRICA: Hlaudi Motsoeneng ordered to repay R11.5m to SABC within 7 days… plus 5 years’ interest
News24: Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been ordered to repay the public broadcaster over R11 million he received as a “success fee” within seven days.
SOUTH AFRICA: I never caused Special Assignments episode to be aired: Magopeni
SABC: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Head of News Phatiswa Magopeni says she never caused a Special Assignment episode to be aired, nor did she go against the interdict
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC head of legal says there were concerns that the broadcaster’s newsroom was used to fight commercial battles
SABC: Group Executive for SABC Legal Nthuthuzelo Vanara has told the disciplinary hearing into the conduct of News Head Phathiswa Magopeni that there was a concern that the newsroom was being used to fight commercial battles of the corporation.
SUDAN: “Back to the Former Lies” – Sudan Reverts to Media Repression Post-Coup
African Arguments: When the military seized power on 25 October, one of the first casualties was Sudan’s newfound freedom of expression.
SUDAN: Media laws drafted during COVID-19 don’t meet free speech standards
ARTICLE 19
TUNISIA: The President must guarantee free press and access to information
ARTICLE 19: ARTICLE 19 calls on the Presidency of the Republic of Tunisia to respect the principle of equality and non-discrimination towards media institutions and journalists, particularly regarding access to information, and to guarantee the right of Tunisians to a free and pluralistic media.
REGIONAL: Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa program coordinator, on press freedom trends in sub-Saharan Africa (Watch)
CPJ: A record 293 journalists were jailed for their work in 2021, according to CPJ’s latest global prison census. At least 45 are imprisoned in sub-Saharan Africa, where Eritrea remains one of the world’s worst countries for the press.
REGIONAL: Apply Now For The 2022 WIN Africa Leadership Accelerator (Opportunity)
Women In News: We are delighted to announce that applications are now open for our flagship Women in News Leadership Accelerator Programme, with the deadline on 14 January 2022.
MFWA: In the pretext of fighting misinformation and disinformation online, many governments in francophone West Africa are adopting legislation that is being used to suppress freedom of expression online and digital rights.
AFGHANISTAN & UK: Cultural and human rights organisations urge UK Government to open ACRS
English PEN: English PEN was joined by 30 arts, media, and human rights organisations in a letter to the Home Secretary regarding the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
AFGHANISTAN: Since the Taliban takeover, 40% of Afghan media have closed, 80% of women journalists have lost their jobs
RSF: A survey by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) shows a radical change in the Afghan media landscape since the Taliban took power.
HONG KONG: Six-monthly report on Hong Kong: 1 January to 30 June 2021
Gov.uk: “This series of Six-monthly Reports reflects our continuing interest in developments in Hong Kong and our commitment to the faithful implementation of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
JAPAN: Japanese junior lawmaker calls for NHK scrambling system, says she doesn’t own TV
The Mainichi: A junior member of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party called on Dec. 17 for public broadcaster NHK to introduce a scrambling system, under which only people who want to watch NHK programs pay subscription fees for conditional access.
KASHMIR: Is the media crackdown in Kashmir escalating? (Watch)
DW: Journalists based in Indian-administered Kashmir have reported a rise in threats and intimidation tactics since the Modi-led government brought the region under its direct control in 2019.
MYANMAR: Crackdown on journalists and civil society intensifies
IPI: Regime ‘ready to commit any extrajudicial killing’ in an attempt to shut down the flow of news.
PAKISTAN, TURKEY & MALAYSIA: Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia to jointly launch TV channel to promote media link: Fawad
Geo TV: Minister of Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has announced the establishment of a joint television channel to boost media cooperation between Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia, reported Radio Pakistan on Monday.
PHILIPPINES: Killing of Journalist, Criminal Libel in the Philippines (10 December)
HRW: Another journalist has been killed in the Philippines, the 22nd during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.
SRI LANKA: FMM to prepare code of ethics for digital journalists
Daily Mirror: The Free Media Movement (FMM) said over the weekend that an initial agreement had been reached for a code of ethics for digital journalism together with a programme to bring together digital journalists.
THAILAND: “VIPA” shows a 300% increase in views, continues to organize activities to expand audience base with Kids Mode function (Press release – Thai – 13 December)
Thai PBS: “VIPA”, Thai PBS’s video streaming platform, has collected data that reveals high levels of users and viewing figures.
UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan’s National News Agency joins Turkic.World media platform
Trend News Agency: Uzbekistan’s “UzA” national news agency has joined the project “Turkic World” – a media platform that unites news from Turkic-speaking states, created at the initiative of Trend News Agency and Turkish Albayrak Media Group.
VIETNAM: Campaign against independent voices barrels forward
ARTICLE 19: The conviction of three leading Vietnamese human rights defenders in relation to their online advocacy signals the continuation of the Vietnamese government’s repressive campaign against independent voices, said ARTICLE 19.
Global Voices: Press and internet freedom faced challenges in 2021.
AUSTRALIA: ABC plans to boost Pacific presence as China’s shadow grows
The Sydney Morning Herald: ABC managing director David Anderson has revealed the national broadcaster is preparing to step up its presence in the Asia-Pacific region significantly next year, more than seven years after its cable channel dedicated to the region was shuttered.
AUSTRALIA: David Anderson looks to move on from the ABC’s year from hell
The Sydney Morning Herald: The cordial conversation between ABC managing director David Anderson and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher in a quiet corner of the Sydney Institute’s annual dinner this week was more telling than a year’s worth of public spats between their two employers.
AUSTRALIA: Murdoch’s Fox News escalates Four Corners complaint to media watchdog
The Sydney Morning Herald: Rupert Murdoch’s 24-hour US cable TV network Fox News has taken its concerns about an ABC Four Corners investigation to the local media watchdog after the national broadcaster’s internal complaints’ division dismissed its allegations of bias.
FIJI: Rabuka calls for public inquiry into Walesi
Fijivillage: People’s Alliance Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka is now calling for a public inquiry into Walesi as he says the unilateral decision to transition all television operators to one singular digital platform is typical of the arrogance of the dictatorial regime.
NEW ZEALAND: Commerce Commission outlines issues for media bid to negotiate collectively with Facebook, Google
Stuff: The Commerce Commission has outlined the issues it will consider when it decides whether to grant an application from the country’s media companies to negotiate collectively with Facebook and Google.
NEW ZEALAND: Ex-cabinet minister Simon Power to replace Kevin Kenrick at TVNZ
RNZ: TVNZ has appointed former cabinet minister Simon Power as its new chief executive.
NEW ZEALAND: Simon Power can guide TVNZ through political minefield: media expert
Stuff: Former Cabinet minister and interim acting head of Westpac NZ Simon Power’s principal role as head of TVNZ would be to negotiate the broadcaster’s position in a merger with RNZ, says a media expert.
BELARUS: “We cannot give up our struggle for freedom of the press”
RSF: Seven months after what was a terrible day for TUT.BY, Belarus’s leading independent news website, one of its journalists, Aleksandra Pushkina, describes for Reporters Without Borders (RSF) how this popular media outlet was persecuted.
BELGIUM: VRT comes out with an ambitious action plan (Press release – Dutch)
VRT: The VRT starts an extensive action plan that further prepares the public broadcaster for the future and that meets the expectations of the Flemish: a strong digital offer, reliable and critical journalism and creative and relaxing programs for everyone.
FINLAND: Rose-Marie Dahlström & Cilla Lönnqvist: Hi, content creators, this content is needed to fill the gaps in our offer (Feature – Finnish)
Yle: Specs are Yle’s method of identifying and filling supply gaps. Specs are made so that Yle stays involved in understanding the needs of the customers, ie what content the customer wants and what his or her way of using the media is.
FRANCE: 250 professionals from the press, television and radio warn: “The hyper-concentration of the media is a media, social and democratic scourge” (French – Paywall)
Le Monde: Information is “a public good”, believes Informer is not a crime, a collective gathering of more than 250 professionals from the press, television and radio, in a forum at the “World”.
FRANCE: France.tv service arrives on Canal Plus’ myCanal platform (Paywall)
Telecompaper: Public broadcaster France Televisions has expanded the availability of the France.tv digital offering, with the launch of the service on Canal Plus’ myCanal streaming platform.
GERMANY: Deutschlandradio-Hörfunkrat adopts economic plan for 2022 (Press release – German)
Deutschlandradio: Supervisory body welcomes reform projects of the federal states for public broadcasting.
GERMANY: MFRR expresses concern over rising attacks against journalists covering protests (Statement)
EFJ: The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express their concern about the increasing number of attacks against journalists across Germany, particularly in the context of anti-vaccine demonstrations.
GERMANY: ZDF 2021 market leader for the tenth time in a row (Press release – German)
ZDF: Artistic director Bellut: “Guarantor for reliable information offers”.
GREECE: Greece journalists denounce press freedom backslide
France24: A reporter’s murder, the prime minister publicly scolding a foreign journalist, and alleged state surveillance. It’s been a bad year for media rights in Greece.
HUNGARY: Hungary Pegasus scandal: ‘I was absolutely shocked to see the scale of this surveillance’
IPI: IPI joined CIJ conference in Budapest to discuss Pegasus surveillance of journalists in Hungary.
ITALY & ROMANIA: Italian journalists locked in room by Romanian anti-vax senator
EFJ: A reporter and her crew working for Italian public broadcaster RAI were held in a Bucharest police station for several hours on Monday 13 December after an anti-vax Romanian Senator kept them locked up inside her office during an interview.
NORWAY: Norwegian public broadcaster, NRK, chooses Plint as new digital localisation partner
PR Newswire: Norwegian public broadcaster, NRK, has awarded Plint the contract as new digital partner of integrated localisation software and thereby joins the company’s tribe of software licensees and integration clients like the European Parliament and ViacomCBS.
POLAND: The US Department of State on lex TVN: we encourage President Duda to confirm with his actions what he said earlier (Polish)
TVN24: [The] spokesman, Ned Price, said the US was “deeply concerned” about the adoption of a law that, if it became law, would “greatly undermine media freedom.”
POLAND: ‘We need free speech’: protests erupt across Poland over controversial media bill
The Guardian: The bill, yet to be signed into law, would tighten rules around foreign ownership of media.
RUSSIA: Repression, Exile, and a Nobel Prize: 2021 Was a Tough Year for Russian Media (Watch)
VOA: Russian journalism experienced extreme highs and lows in 2021. On the plus side, a Nobel Peace Prize for newspaper editor Dmitry Muratov. But the downside saw an escalating government crackdown on independent media.
SERBIA: Wave of lawsuits against investigative portal KRIK chills media freedom
ECPMF: We, the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), express our concerns over the recent wave of vexatious lawsuits against the investigative portal Network for Investigation of Crime and Corruption (KRIK) in Serbia.
SLOVAKIA: Slovakia must be more ambitious in its support for media independence, RSF says
RSF: Ten months after receiving a Slovak governmental delegation led by then Prime Minister Igor Matovic (who is now deputy prime minister), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has a mixed assessment of the measures proposed by the government to support journalism and trustworthy reporting.
SLOVENIA: Always innovative and credible (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: 20 years of the Multimedia Center of RTV Slovenia and modern online services, video, audio, image and textual content, interactive applications, websites and services for people with disabilities.
SLOVENIA: MEPs rebuke Slovenian government over attacks on media
The Guardian: Resolution condemns ‘climate of hostility, distrust and polarisation’ in current holder of EU presidency.
SPAIN: New meeting of the Board of Directors of RTVE (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: The Board of Directors of RTVE has committed in its meeting this Thursday to collaborate with the parliamentary groups during the processing of the new General Audiovisual Law in order to guarantee the financing of RTVE.
SPAIN: The president of RTVE says that his business respected the law (Spanish)
El País: The president of RTVE, José Manuel Pérez Tornero , defended this Monday in Congress that all the activities of his private companies carried out during the stage in which he was linked to the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have been ethical, legal and compatible with its function.
SWEDEN: Erika Bjerström: “The attacks on me are an attack on all of us” (Swedish – watch)
Dagens Nyheter: Climate correspondent Erika Bjerström and 48 other SVT journalists were hung out by Nazis as “angels of death”.
SWEDEN: When the pace of news slows down, new stories are born (Blog – Swedish)
SVT: Stopping and going down at a different news pace, deepening a topic or a place gives the audience a different kind of story. And it is also beneficial for us journalists.
SWITZERLAND: SWI swissinfo.ch joins DG7 international public media network (Press release)
SwissInfo: The unanimous decision to include SWI swissinfo.ch/SBC to represent Switzerland was taken at the annual meeting of the DG7 group this month. SWI swissinfo.ch reaches a global online audience of around four million users a month.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR signs deal with trade union to increase starting wages (Paywall)
Telecompaper: Swiss broadcasting corporation SRG SSR has signed a new collective labour agreement with the trade union representing workers in the media, SSM.
UK: 2021 sees over 1.3bn plays on BBC Sounds with podcast listening up nearly 25% (Press Release)
BBC: In 2021 (January to November) there have been 1.3 billion plays of radio, music and podcast on BBC Sounds, an increase of 8% over a similar period in 2020, as listeners enjoy more brilliant BBC audio on their devices.
UK: BBC could make fewer dramas and show more repeats as budget cuts bite
The Guardian: The BBC could be forced to replace expensive high-end dramas and natural history shows with cheaper programmes owing to government-imposed funding cuts.
UK: UK government vetoes reappointment of another two Channel 4 directors
Financial Times: The UK government has blocked two Channel 4 directors from rejoining the broadcaster’s board in the latest sign of its willingness to intervene in media appointments.
REGIONAL: Online Intimidation: Controlling the Narrative in the Balkans
Balkan Insight: Nearly 800 cases of digital rights violations in eight countries of south-eastern Europe were recorded by BIRN and SHARE Foundation. Hate speech continues to thrive, journalists and vulnerable groups are systematically targeted in the online realm, and the presence of fake news does not decline.
REGIONAL: Press freedom under threat in Europe
NHK World: When it comes to press freedom, Europe is often hailed as a model of liberty. But some experts are sounding the alarm about an increasingly hostile environment for journalists.
ARGENTINA: The 2001 crisis in Argentina: Public space and media (Spanish)
Pagina12: The 2001 crisis, which led to a social fracture, also had its support in the farandulization of politics and the romanticization of poverty through the media system that created its own version of events aiming to hold the political class accountable…
ARGENTINA: With the impulse of the public media, 2021 was the year with the greatest visibility of women’s football (Spanish)
El Destape: Soccer has no gender, but the differences between men and women are still abysmal.
COLOMBIA: Proud of our public TV (Spanish – opinion)
Semana: In the TAL awards, the main recognition of the best of public TV in the region, our productions swept last December 14, with 73 nominations and eleven awards that made Colombia the most awarded country of this edition.
JAMAICA: Advertising dollar to go digital …but mainstream media recovery by 2024 projected
Jamaica Observer: Head of the Advertising Association of Jamaica (AAJ) Arnold “JJ” Foote shared with the Jamaica Observer that the upsurge of advertising seen with traditional media in the final quarter of 2021 is only one plank of what companies are doing to recover revenue under conditions “which are not normal”.
MEXICO: Media: Public money for private purposes? (Spanish – opinion)
Heraldo de Mexico: In the comparative democratic experience, the flow of public resources to any objective is subject to rules of rationality and transparency.
Venezuela: ‘Illuminate the Darkness’: Creating an Independent News Site in Crisis-Hit Venezuela
GIJN: “A tiny speck of information can illuminate the darkness.” This is the driving force behind Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish, “firefly effect”), an independent Venezuelan news site launched in 2015.
REGIONAL: How new Latin American voices are breaking the media mold – Part 2: Filling the void
IPI: Across Latin America new digital media are innovating the long tradition of local media and radio stations operating as a service to the community.
REGIONAL: Journalists and data experts in Latin America debate the lack of resources and tools in Spanish
LatAm Journalism Review: It is not easy to get updated resources and tools on the web about data journalism in Spanish. Just look at the results in Google in English on the subject that almost triple those in the Spanish language.
LatAm Journalism Review: As we finish 2021 and enter a new year, the LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) team takes our annual look at the most interesting and important stories we covered this year.
LEBANON: Don’t Let Elections Wake Lebanon Up From Its Siesta (Analysis – Paywall)
Haaretz: Lebanon’s journalists’ union is facing a new challenge from younger, more aggressive professionals. But the media just reflects the political battle heating up ahead of the elections to be held.
TURKEY: ‘771 people work for Turkey’s media authority RTÜK, they watch only 5 channels’
Bianet: Main opposition CHP İzmir MP Atila Sertel has said, “771 people work at the Radio and Television Supreme Council. These people only watch Halk TV, KRT, TELE 1, FOX TV and TV 5 and impose fines over fines on them.”
TURKEY: Journalists win legal struggle for press cards in Turkey
Bianet: Turkey’s Council of State has halted the execution of the Press Card Regulation upon the appeal of the professional organizations.
TURKEY: What refugee journalists in Turkey need
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: This paper, by a Journalist Fellow who prefers not to be named for their own safety, chronicles the struggles of journalists who sought refuge in Turkey.
YEMEN: This Reporter Helped Free 1,600 Yemeni Prisoners (2 December)
Open Society Foundations
REGIONAL: In Middle East and North Africa, a drop in attacks on journalists belies dire state of press freedom (Watch)
CPJ: The Middle East and North Africa region has long been especially dangerous for journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists’ research has found that one out of every three reporters killed worldwide in retaliation for their work since 1992 — 477 out of 1,422, or 33.5% – were located in the region.
REGIONAL: Nearly all journalists currently held hostage are located in Middle East
Middle East Eye: Sixty-four out of 65 reporters held around the world were taken hostage in the region, says Reporters Without Borders.
CANADA: Between us: A Look Back on 2021 (Blog)
CBC/Radio-Canada
CANADA: Call for entries: Canadian Journalism Foundation awards and fellowships (Opportunity)
Newswire: To celebrate the exceptional work of journalists and news organizations across the country and to provide professional growth opportunities for emerging journalistic talent, The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is now accepting entries for its 2022 awards and fellowships program. The deadline for all submissions is January 14.
CANADA: Canadians now listen to digital audio more than the radio (Paywall)
Media in Canada: Despite the growing market, ad spend accounted for just 1% of total digital ad spending in Canada.
US: CBC Calgary’s Blitz Day surpasses halfway mark to $1M goal for Calgary Food Bank
CBC: Our annual food bank drive returns with special events and broadcasts this month.
US: 2021: A Review of Public Media Advocacy (Blog – 8 December)
Protect my Public Media: It has been a year. 2021 brought a new Administration and Congress as well as continued concerns about how public media could survive the pandemic.
US: CPJ urges U.S. House committee to drop subpoena of journalist Amy Harris’s phone records (Statement)
CPJ: The U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot at the Capitol should drop its subpoena of journalist Amy Harris’s phone records.
US: FCC filing window gives stations chance to launch new radio broadcasts (Paywall)
Current: About three dozen pubcasters hope to emerge from an FCC application process with expanded coverage areas.
US: How the local news crisis affects coverage of COVID-19 and the climate … and vice versa
Poynter: ‘Local news organizations are just so much less equipped now … to cover even something as consequential as the coronavirus pandemic’.
US: PBS and stations look to improve use of metadata in streaming-centric world (Paywall)
Current: PBS is spearheading efforts to help stations reach more viewers by improving their metadata, an area in which the system is lagging behind the commercial media juggernauts.
US: US Journalists Covering Protests at Risk of Arrest
VOA: At least 57 journalists were detained across the U.S. in 2021, with nearly all those cases taking place in just two cities where media were covering protests.
US: Why US publishers aren’t signing up to Google News Showcase
Press Gazette: Google is struggling to persuade some of America’s largest publishers to sign up to its News Showcase aggregation scheme, an investigation by Press Gazette has found.
Advice for journalists heading into 2022, from ICFJ Knight Fellows
IJNet: Journalists globally faced yet another challenging year reporting on today’s pressing issues.
How Do You Know? Amy Davidson Sorkin on the moments when trust is tested
CJR: “IKE, HOW DO YOU KNOW?” Bob Johnson, the AP’s Dallas bureau chief, asked James “Ike” Altgens, one of his photographers, on November 22, 1963. There were scattered reports that President John F. Kennedy, who was visiting the city, had been shot, but they hadn’t been confirmed.
Journo episode 8: Why political journalists get elections wrong (Listen)
Judith Neilson Institute: In the final episode of season one, host Nick Bryant considers whether political coverage is broken.
Migrant Narratives: an indispensable resource for journalists covering migration
IFJ/ILO: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have joined forces to launch the Migrant Narratives project, a new digital platform which provides essential resources, tips, activities and best practices for media workers reporting migrants’ stories.
Number of journalists in arbitrary detention surges 20% to 488, including 60 women
RSF: According to Reporter Without Borders’ (RSF) annual round-up published today, a record number of journalists – 488, including 60 women – are currently detained worldwide, while another 65 are being held hostage. Meanwhile, the number of journalists killed in 2021 – 46 – is at its lowest in 20 years.
Protecting safety of journalists, media freedom and pluralism: stakeholders invited to share their views (Opportunity)
OHCHR: The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression has just launched a call for comments on opportunities, challenges and threats to media.
The highs and lows of flying solo as a journalist creator in the Global South
Reuters Institute: Reporters from India, Brazil and Nigeria share what they’ve learned while working with platforms like YouTube and Substack
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