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PMA welcomes European Commission’s Recommendations on the safety of journalists and media freedom
European Union Member States urged to put independent media and the safety of journalists and media professionals high on the agenda.
For the first time, the European Commission has outlined several key media freedom recommendations for EU Member States, which include ensuring that they investigate and prosecute all crimes against journalists; that journalists receive adequate protection during protests and demonstrations; improve online safety and digital empowerment, and support initiatives that empower women and minority group journalists. The Commission is also working on an initiative to provide better protections for journalists who are silenced by court lawsuits – known as ‘Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation’ (SLAPP).
We welcome these much-needed steps to strengthen and support the protection of journalists and media professionals online, at work and in the field. But as Cilla Benkö, CEO of Swedish Radio and PMA Board member, also acknowledges, while these recommendations are a step in the right direction, there is still much more work to be done. After all, media freedom is a cornerstone of democracy, but it can only be truly free and independent with strong political and public support.
Read Cilla’s blog for Swedish Radio below.
What is...
Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
Week 36: What does DIGITAL INNOVATION look like?
Public service media (PSM) organisations need to continually adapt and evolve their digital services to reach audiences. It’s necessary to ensure viability; maintain relevance; improve access to content; and bolster democracy by establishing spaces that offer fact-based, trusted and high-quality news across multiple platforms. But the pace of change has increased exponentially. Innovation in 2012 looked like the launch of CBC/Radio-Canada’s first fully online local radio station to serve Hamilton, a community where there were no radio frequencies available. Now, amid more rapid technological change, growing competition and the challenges of a pandemic, the pressure to innovate has never been greater. As COVID-19 spreads, PSM rapidly responded to provide multi-platform, at-home educational resources and new ways to bring people together, such as Dutch public broadcaster NPO’s ‘Watch Together’ feature. As the landscape continues to fragment, it is important that public broadcasters continue to innovate and develop strategic digital approaches, such as Channel 4’s current digital strategy, which will ensure its “continued ability to deliver distinctive content at scale and meet its unique public service remit in a more competitive digital viewing environment.”
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
We want to hear from our members about what you are doing to best cover the crisis on a local level. Email us using the link below.
Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
What would a world without independent media look like?
UNESCO: Without the work of independent journalists providing us with reliable information, who would report on issues of public interest, denounce wrongdoings, social inequalities and unpunished crimes? Protecting journalists and independent journalism is not only a concern for journalists. It’s a concern for all….
What we're listening to...
‘TV has failed disabled people. Utterly and totally’
The Media Show, BBC: Jack Thorne is the acclaimed screenwriter behind episodes of His Dark Materials, Shameless and Skins. In this year’s MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival he set out why he believes the industry has failed disabled people “utterly and totally”. Ros Atkins and guests discuss. Also in the programme, David Elstein, former Channel 5 CEO, sets out his case for the privatisation of Channel 4.
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DRC: Police violence against reporters, media outlet, during protest in Kinshasa
RSF: Police attacked journalists and inflicted damage on the headquarters of a media outlet during a banned protest last Wednesday in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital.
ERITREA: Eritrea – 20 years of dictatorship, two decades with no independent media
RSF: On 18 September 2001, Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki took advantage of the fact that the world was still stunned by the 9/11 terrorist attacks to transform his country into a dictatorship and ban all independent media.
GHANA: NMC constitutes Committee of Experts to assist GBC with its transformation agenda
GBC: The National Media Commission, NMC, has appointed a Committee of Experts to examine ways to transform the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, GBC into a more efficient Public Service Broadcaster.
KENYA: Kenya: Media Council Mandated To Regulate Betting Programmes On Broadcast Platforms
Broadcast Media Africa: The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) will shortly impose rules restricting or banning betting-themed programs in media stations if suggestions in a soon-to-be-released report are implemented.
SUDAN: Two newspapers suspended over eastern Sudan protest announcement
Radio Dabanga: The Press and Publications Council decided to suspend the publication of El Intibaha and El Sayha newspapers for a period of three days, starting from Tuesday, against the background of the publication of an announcement to close the roads in eastern Sudan, where large protests have been taking place.
TANZANIA: Journalists Urged to Study Sign Language
Daily News: The Secretary-General of the Dodoma Association of the Dear (CHAVITA-Dadoma) Amina Issa has urged journalists to study sign language to help the group also participate in debates that will help solve challenges in society.
TANZANIA: JOWUTA tells Government to stop issuing general penalties for errors committed by journalists
IFJ: The President of the Journalists Workers ‘Union of Tanzania (JOWUTA), Claud Gwandu, has called on the Tanzanian Government to “stop issuing general penalties for errors committed by journalists. Government, he said, is always in a haste to close down a media house when such mistakes are committed”.
UGANDA: Concern rises on exorbitant fees to access public information
The Independent (Uganda): Organizations promoting access to information and journalists have asked government to prevail over Public offices charging exorbitantly for access of information in Public interest.
ZIMBABWE: ZBC management implored to come up with sound business strategies
ZBC: Government has implored the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) management to come up with sound business strategies in line with the dictates of the National Development Strategy one.
REGIONAL: #IPIWoCo recap: Distributing information via messaging platforms: a tradeoff
IPI: A growing number of African news outlets use messaging platforms like Telegram, Facebook or WhatsApp to distribute content and to interact with readers. The platforms help journalists to adapt and improve their journalism according to readers’ needs, African journalists at IPI’s World Congress agreed.
REGIONAL: MISA urges SADC member states to uphold media freedom (Speech)
MISA
AFGHANISTAN: More than 100 Afghan journalists appeal for help through RSF
RSF: More than 100 anonymous Afghan journalists have issued an urgent appeal to the international community through Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
AFGHANISTAN: The mounting press-freedom toll in Afghanistan
CJR
BANGLADESH: DRU: Probe into journos’ bank accounts a threat to media freedom
Dhaka Tribune: The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) probe into the bank accounts of 11 journalist body leaders is a threat to the media freedom in the country, said Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) General Secretary Mosiur Rahman Khan.
RSF: On September 17th, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and a coalition of 44 human rights NGOs urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to exonerate and release Covid-19 reporter Zhang Zhan, who has been on hunger strike since May 2020, for which she was forced-fed.
HONG KONG: Radio 3 host Hugh Chiverton disappears from airwaves, RTHK refuses to comment
HKFP: RTHK has refused to comment on the whereabouts of its English-language radio presenter Hugh Chiverton after he disappeared from the airwaves without explanation over two weeks ago.
INDIA: All India Radio to convert 4 Tamil Nadu & Puducherry stations into relay stations
The Times of India: India’s largest public radio broadcaster, All India Radio has decided to convert four’primary news stations’ in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry radio station to ‘relay stations’ from October 3, triggering frears about their possible shutdown.
INDIA: India: Government Raids Targeting Critics
HRW: Stop Harassment of Activists, Journalists, Peaceful Protesters.
INDIA: New form of censorship in Jammu and Kashmir
IFJ: In the latest in a series of intimidation tactics against Kashmiri Journalists, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration has adopted a new order which requires all journalists to be authorised and registered before reporting in the field or publishing media coverage online. The International Federation of Journalists condemns this misuse of state power to suppress the media.
KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakhstan moves to restrict foreign social media usage
Reuters: Kazakhstan’s parliament approved a bill on Wednesday requiring owners of foreign social media and messaging apps to set up offices in the country or risk being blocked as part of a campaign against cyberbullying.
MYANMAR: Will Myanmar’s Press Crackdown Muzzle Reporting on Environmental Crimes?
GIJN: In the wake of the military coup in February, Myanmar’s new regime leaders escalated their forceful crackdown on nationwide protests, with sweeping restrictions on the media severely curtailing independent journalism in particular.
NEPAL: Implementation of laws governing media a major challenge in federal structure, stakeholders stress
Freedom Forum: Freedom Forum conducted a dialogue- Implementation of media rights in Federal, Province and Local level- through online platform Zoom on September 18. Around 40 experts from diverse sectors including media, media advocates, civil societies and academia from different provinces of Nepal participated in the discussion.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan: Media regulation bill proposes jail term for journalists
Deutsche Welle: Critics say a plan to consolidate media regulatory agencies will further shrink press freedom in the country. Journalists and opposition parties have decried the law as “draconian” and unconstitutional.
PAKISTAN: Pakistani Journalists Protest New Media Bill As Fresh Blow To Freedoms (Watch)
RFE/RL: Journalists across Pakistan are expressing outrage over a proposed set of regulations they warn will further curtail press freedom and dramatically bolster the powers of a government that is already seen as imposing censorship to control the media and free speech.
PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN: In Pakistan, journalists are caught between state censorship and threats by terrorists
Scroll.in: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has warned journalists to avoid using the term ‘terrorist’ for the group.
PHILIPPINES: Rappler’s Maria Ressa: fighting for press freedom in President Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines
Sydney Morning Herald: Threats. Abuse. “Lawfare”. Journalist Maria Ressa cops plenty for challenging the authoritarian regime of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. But it’s the sheer scale of the online disinformation campaign around her that international observers see as the canary in democracy’s coalmine.
SINGAPORE: Singapore suspends licence of independent news portal
IPI: IPI urges authorities to reverse decision against The Online Citizen.
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea: Reject Amendments to Press Law
Human Rights Watch: Proposed Amendments Threaten Media Freedom, Free Expression
THAILAND: Thai PBS delivers the Thai PBS Learning Shelf for the year 2021 to the BMA (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: On September 14, 2021, Khun Monruthai Phongsothorn, Corporate Communications Manager of The Public Broadcasting Organization of Thailand (SAT) or Thai PBS, delivered the 2021 Thai PBS Learning Shelf to Mr. Pichet Wanthong, Director of the Educational Service Area Office to deliver learning kits that can be used as teaching aids during the epidemic situation of COVID-19 to 37 schools under the supervision of the Bangkok Primary Education Service Area Office.
AUSTRALIA: ABC offers summer internships with Media Diversity Australia (Opportunity)
ABC Australia: The ABC is offering two six-week placements as part of Media Diversity Australia’s Summer Internships Program 2022: One in Melbourne with ABC Everyday and one in the SA newsroom in Adelaide.
AUSTRALIA: Bullying must end, but it can’t all be tweet nothings (Opinion)
The Sydney Morning Herald: On Tuesday, one of Australia’s most senior journalists, the ABC’s Leigh Sales, published an opinion piece calling out the bullying of journalists on Twitter after her colleague, News Breakfast co-anchor Lisa Millar, deactivated her Twitter account after daily bullying.
AUSTRALIA: NITV continues commitment to storytelling through two new documentary series (Press release)
SBS: National Indigenous Television (NITV) and Screen Australia are pleased to announce two new distinctive documentary series slated for 2022 – Larapinta and Our Law.
AUSTRALIA: People who actively seek fact-checked information often still share misinformation, study finds
ABC News: More than 30 percent of people who actively seek fact-checked information have shared misinformation themselves, a new study suggests.
AUSTRALIA: What to watch from the 2021 Emmys — let the ABC Chatbot recommend your next series or movie
ABC News: Every year, the Emmy Awards celebrate the best content TV networks and streaming platforms have to offer. But there are so many good series and films nominated this year, it’s hard to know which you should give your time to. So if you’re looking for a recommendation on your next watch, let the ABC Chatbot give you a hand.
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND: Australian media ruling could change landscape in NZ
RNZ: A recent ruling in Australia that saw media companies liable for defamatory posts on their social media pages could see businesses in New Zealand switch off comments, or shut down their pages altogether.
FIJI: Slippery slope for Fiji’s media in politically charged climate
Asia Pacific Report: Do the Fiji news media represent a wide range of political perspectives?
NEW ZEALAND: Closing the digital divide requires ‘constant attention’, say education experts
Pacific Media Network: The divide between the digital haves and have-nots continues to be one of the major fallouts from this pandemic, according to education minister Chris Hipkins. Despite over 45,000 laptops and hundreds of modems being distributed to schools over the past 18 months, Hipkins has admitted that while “we’ve done a lot of work on closing that digital divide, have we nailed that problem? No we haven’t.”
NEW ZEALAND: How Māori women have reshaped New Zealand’s media through their native language
The Guardian: Despite some pushback, the use of the country’s indigenous tongue te reo is now becoming common in mainstream media.
REGIONAL: ABC needs more resources to expand reach in Asia-Pacific
Asia Radio Today: On 20 December 1939, just after the start of World War II, Robert Menzies launched Radio Australia with the words: “The time has come to speak for ourselves”. Today, its international audiences are in the millions and in the regions and countries of great geostrategic importance to Australia.
ALBANIA: Albanian Broadcasters Happy to Host Antivaxxer Conspiracy Theorists (Analysis)
Balkan Insight: Albania is trailing much of the rest of Europe in vaccinating its citizens against COVID-19, yet the country’s main television channels see little wrong in giving airtime to the most outlandish anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.
AUSTRIA, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND: Netflix invests half a billion in German-language titles (German)
Horizont: The Netflix streaming service wants to invest half a billion euros in German-language titles from Germany, Austria and Switzerland by 2023. The company announced this on Wednesday.
BELARUS: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visits RSF: “Belarusian journalists need EU funding”
RSF: During a visit to the headquarters of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Paris today, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya agreed with RSF on the need for the European Union to provide significant long-term assistance to Belarusian journalists and media outlets that have had to relocate abroad.
DENMARK & GERMANY: Michael Reiter: ‘I see it as a call to build a bridge between Denmark and Germany’ (Press release – Danish)
DR: DR’s correspondent in Germany is currently covering one of the most interesting elections in the country for several years. Michael Reiter himself is half German, and here he talks about the work of making our neighbor to the south relevant to the Danes.
FRANCE: Audiences of the summer: France Inter remains the most listened to radio station
Le Monde: According to data from Médiamétrie, RTL and Franceinfo complete the podium of the most popular frequencies this summer.
FRANCE: CSA launches consultation on interactive DTT as cable channels protest new obligations
Digital TV Europe: French media regulator the CSA has launched a new public consultation on the development of interactive services in the country’s digital-terrestrial TV platform.
FRANCE: France Télévisions condemns the attack on a team of journalists from Martinique La 1 ère (Press release – French)
France TV: Yesterday, Wednesday September 15, 2021, a team from Martinique La 1ère which covered a rally against the compulsory vaccination of firefighters and health personnel in front of the Saint-Paul clinic, was taken to task and very violently attacked by an isolated individual. One of the journalists was physically assaulted.
GERMANY: Don’t give the impression that we prefer someone (Editorial – German)
Deutschlandfunk: How do the stations of Deutschlandradio report shortly before the Bundestag election? Which politicians will then be interviewed? And what about secondary journalistic activities? Answers from Friedbert Meurer, moderator and head of the News department.
GERMANY: The media agencies are primarily interested in earning heavily (German – Paywall)
Horizont: Hans-Joachim Strauch, Managing Director of ZDF Werbefernsehen, speaks up in the debate about sold-out TV advertising blocks – and attacks the media agencies sharply.
GERMANY & AFGHANISTAN: Shortwave to Kabul (German)
Deutschlandfunk: Deutsche Welle is now broadcasting daily radio programs for Afghanistan on shortwave. If the Internet is switched off, people can still be reached, said DW editor Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi in the Dlf.
ITALY: RAI to switch most TV channels to MPEG-4 on Oct 20
Advanced Television: Italian public broadcaster RAI will discontinue DVB-T MPEG-2 broadcasts for nine of its thematic TV channels from October 20th.
POLAND: Poland is still worried about the European Parliament, this time about the media (French)
RTBF: Poland and respect for the EU’s fundamental values on its soil were once again on the agenda of the European Parliament’s plenary this week, with a new motion for a resolution this time worrying about “freedom of the media and the further deterioration of the rule of law”.
POLAND: European Parliament denounces Poland’s ‘Lex TVN’
Broadband TV News: The European Parliament has condemned what it describes as “the continuing deterioration of media freedom and the rule of law in Poland”.
RUSSIA: Russia: Government must end its crackdown on independent voices ahead of the parliamentary election
Article 19: Ahead of the parliamentary election on 17-19 September, the Russian authorities have intensified the crackdown on freedom of expression and access to information in the country as websites affiliated with the opposition leader Alexey Navalny, popular independent media outlets and civil society organisations (CSOs) have been the target of a new wave of repression.
SLOVENIA: Firing Ignites Charges of Political Pressure at Slovenia’s Public TV
VOA: The dismissal of Radio Television Slovenia’s (RTV) director of television programming has reignited charges of political pressure on the country’s influential public broadcaster.
SLOVENIA: Valentin Areh to head TV Slovenija
Broadband TV News: Valentin Areh has been appointed the acting director of the public broadcaster TV Slovenija for a maximum period of six months, effective September 21.
SPAIN: Government action against disinformation should involve all stakeholders (Spanish)
Article 19: ARTICLE 19 expresses its concern that the Spanish Ministerial Order in which the Procedure for action against disinformation is published does not comply with international standards of freedom of expression.
SPAIN: TV and public service (Opinion – Spanish)
El Diario: It is evident that Radio Televisión Canaria (RTVC), that is to say, the autonomous network of the islands, has played a very important role in keeping the population informed since the eruption of the La Palma volcano began this Sunday. It is symptomatic that every time a news item that transcends the usual occurs, it is when many turn their gaze towards the public media, true bastions, on occasions like this, of what it is to provide useful service to citizens.
SPAIN: Unai Iparragirre, the New Boss at Basque Public Broadcast Network ETB, on His Ambitious Mandate
Variety: There’s a new kid in town, who is actually an old kid in town, at the Basque public broadcaster EiTB.
SWEDEN: Cilla Benkö: A hopeful step to strengthen media freedom in Europe (Blog – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: On Thursday, the European Commission presented for the first time ever recommendations to the Member States to strengthen the security of journalists, both online and in their daily work. It is a step in the right direction, writes Swedish Radio’s CEO Cilla Benkö.
UK: BBC chairman calls for tighter social media regulation
Televisual: The BBC’s chairman Richard Sharp is calling for tighter regulation of the world’s major social networks and platforms to crackdown on disinformation and fake news.
Variety: BBC director general Tim Davie has said that the government’s shock cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, which saw the ousting of yet another Culture Secretary, points to a dire need for a “really serious, grown-up” dialogue with government to discuss the future of the creative industries.
UK: BBC Three set to return as TV channel after Ofcom gives green light
The Guardian: Service was taken off air in 2016, but corporation says some younger viewers still want linear TV.
UK: Britain’s broadcast media is too valuable to be the toy of politicians and moguls (Opinion)
The Guardian: Rupert Murdoch launches a new channel, C4 is threatened and notions of impartiality seem up for grabs. Are we seeing a challenge to the old order?
UK: Cabinet reshuffle comes at tumultuous time for UK pubcasters
Digital TV Europe
UK: Melanie Dawes: Independence part of Ofcom DNA
Broadband TV News: Ofcom’s chief executive has told RTS Cambridge that independence is a part of its DNA, because what the regulator does is make decisions that get challenged in the courts.
UK: MPs to question BBC senior leaders
Advanced Television: The UK’s House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to question the BBC’s senior leaders in its regular scrutiny of the work of the corporation.
REGIONAL: DR and NRK put children’s podcast habits under the microscope (Danish)
Nordvision: The Nordic public service providers will map children’s and pre-teens’ sound consumption in order to best involve them on their own platforms. But the strategy is quite different when comparing DR with Swedish Radio and NRK.
REGIONAL: EU countries urged to protect journalists as number of attacks rises
The Guardian: European Commission calls for action as it says 908 media workers were attacked in 23 EU states last year.
REGIONAL: MFRR partners welcome European Commission’s recommendation safety of journalists
MFRR: The partner organisations in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) welcome the European Commission’s Recommendation on ensuring the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists and media professionals in the European Union, presented today.
REGIONAL: MFRR: EU action needed to tackle spyware abuses after Pegasus revelations
IPI: As the European Parliament today debates the Pegasus spyware scandal, the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) call for an immediate investigation into the alleged use of the spyware against journalists by Hungarian authorities and urge the strong implementation of new EU rules on the export of cyber-surveillance technology around the world.
REGIONAL: What the EU’s Media Freedom Act could mean for journalism in Europe (Blog)
LSE: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, provided details on a new Media Freedom Act during her State of the Union speech on 15 September. Damian Tambini assesses the potential of the initiative, writing that it can be viewed as both a power grab and a principled protection of press freedom.
REGIONAL & US: Journalists in Europe, US Face Harassment over Pandemic Coverage
VOA News
ARGENTINA: Hard statement from workers of Catamarca Radio and Television (Spanish)
Página/12: They denounce “abandonment and neglect of the processes for the generation of content on the screen, imposed by the authorities.”
ARGENTINA: Rosario Lufrano ratified its continuity in Argentine Radio and Television (Spanish)
Télam: The head of RTA clarified that the letter of an alleged resignation that circulates on social networks is “false” and confirmed that she continues “working for the reconstruction of public media.”
ARGENTINA: The audiences have the floor in the first Code of Ethics of Argentine TV (Press release – Spanish)
Televisión Pública: Until September 22 next, the audiences will be able to make their contribution in the elaboration of the first Code of Ethics of Argentine TV, on which workers and managers of Public Television and RTA have been debating, with the contribution of specialists from the country and the world .
BOLIVIA: Media see that law against legitimation puts source secrecy at risk (Spanish)
La Prensa Digital: The National Press Association of Bolivia (ANP) and opposition legislators observed risks against source secrecy in the draft Law Against the Legitimization of Illicit Profits, Financing of Terrorism and the Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction or not Conventional, which was recently approved by the MAS majority in the Chamber of Deputies.
BRAZIL: Facebook announces investment to support journalism in Brazil (Press release – Portuguese)
Facebook: Facebook today announces a three-year investment program in Brazil to support news outlets, of all sizes and regions, and train thousands of journalists.
BRAZIL: Survey analyses tweets attacking Brazil’s media
RSF: An analysis of half a million tweets using hashtags reflecting hatred of the media during a period of three months shows that supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro’s government are the main authors of these attacks and that their principal targets are, firstly, media outlets critical of the government and, secondly, women journalists.
CUBA: Despite Censorship and Poor Internet, Cuban Podcasts are Booming (Paywall)
The New York Times: New audio shows made in Cuba are finding a rapt audience and upending the island’s hyperpartisan media landscape.
CUBA: The official press and the president (Spanish)
Diario de Cuba: In Díaz-Canel’s recent meeting with journalists, it was found that even within the ruling party there are different versions of how journalism should be.
LatAm Journalism Review: A bill that regulates communication is being discussed in Ecuador. It seeks to be in accordance with international standards and definitively end the legacy of one of the most restrictive communication laws on the continent.
EL SALVADOR: El Salvador: In a few days there were several attacks on journalists by government officials (Spanish)
IFJ: In recent days, the hostility of the government towards press workers and against the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES), an affiliated organization, has intensified. One of the attacks was carried out by President Nayib Bukele, who published yesterday on his social networks a false complaint against a member of the APES leadership.
GUYANA: GPA Guidelines for responsible reporting on suicides in Guyana (Press release)
Guyana Press Association: On Wednesday, several editors attached to media houses adopted Guidelines for responsible reporting on suicides in Guyana. These guidelines would assist with reporting on suicide as a mental health issue as well as guide reporting on mental health.
MEXICO: Eleven TV and Channel 22 go with ups and downs, but the Public Broadcasting System takes off in the capital (Spanish)
El Economista: More than 315,000 residents of the capital watch the public media with coverage in the Valley of Mexico every month, and although in the generalized group, these media have lost their audience, the audiences still fight, until they have a share of 2.08%, greater than that of channels such as ADN 40 and the Nu9ve channel.
NICARAGUA: The newspaper ‘La Prensa’ fires more than half of its workers for the persecution of Daniel Ortega (Spanish)
El País: The oldest newspaper in Nicaragua publishes only in its web edition after the takeover of the newsroom and the imprisonment of its general manager.
NICARAGUA: Press freedom, protest, and the Nicaragua election
CJR
PERU: Peruvian Press Council asks President Castillo to sign principles of freedom of expression (Spanish – 9 September)
RPP Noticias: In a meeting at the Government Palace , CPP officials asked the president to sign the Declarations of Chapultepec and Salta in light of the recent attacks on journalists, the limitations that exist on their daily work.
VENEZUELA: Maduro uses state media to favor his party, denounces an NGO (Spanish)
Swissinfo: The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, “has made 18 proselytizing speeches” through the state media between January 25 and September 14, the association Súmate denounced this Wednesday.
REGIONAL: “A perfect storm”: Current expression issues in the Americas
IFEX: August 2021 in the Americas: A news digest on freedom of expression produced by IFEX regional editor Paula Martins, based on reports from IFEX members and news from the region.
LEBANON: Reporter refused entry to Lebanon’s presidential palace to cover cabinet meeting
Arab News: A Lebanese journalist was denied entry to Baabda Presidential Palace to cover a cabinet meeting on Thursday because of an incident that happened there last month.
TURKEY: Cases of Turkish journalists before ECtHR drag on as they languish in jail: report
Stockholm Center for Freedom: The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has yet to deliver verdicts on the cases of dozens of journalists from Turkey, many of whom have been behind bars for a number of years, Turkish Minute reported.
TURKEY: Internet Freedom Continues to Decline in Turkey: Report
Balkan Insight: A new report by watchdog Freedom House says that online freedom of expression is under unprecedented strain around the world, while the online environment in Turkey is being subjected to increasing government control.
REGIONAL: Arab journalists’ body, Facebook, media groups join forces to empower women writers
Arab News: Women have long faced discrimination in the workplace with issues ranging from unfair pay gaps to unconscious biases.
CANADA: CBC commissions docuseries focused on influence of Black Canadians
C21 Media: Canadian public broadcaster the CBC has commissioned an 8×60’ docuseries examining the history of the Black experience in Canada.
CANADA: How the party platforms compare on future of CBC, media supports (18 September)
CBC News: Parties have put forward lots of ideas on media regulation and the public broadcaster.
CANADA: Indigenous radio station in Manitoba celebrates 50 years
CTV: An Indigenous radio station is celebrating 50 years on the air in Manitoba.
NCI-FM (Native Communications Incorporated) has been broadcasting in the province since 1971.
CANADA: Newcomers and the news
CBC/Radio-Canada: Our newly launched product, MTM Newcomers, includes two reports focusing on newcomers’ perceptions and consumption of news. Based on a sample of over 4,000 respondents, this special dual release gives you exclusive insights into newcomers’ trust in national and international news sources, their news consumption habits, their favourite platforms and devices to stay informed, and much more.
US: CPB Awards $1.3 Million To Help Roll-out Format
Radio Ink: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded the grants to three public radio stations to implement the Urban Alternative format to connect with young, multicultural audiences.
Pew Research Center: As social media and technology companies face criticism for not doing enough to stem the flow of misleading information on their platforms, a sizable portion of Americans continue to turn to these sites for news.
US: New nonprofit will expand digital health and education offerings through datacasting (Paywall)
Current: A platform originally designed to deliver educational materials to K-12 students via spare bandwidth on pubcasters’ DTV signals has expanded into a new nonprofit corporation with a fresh name and a broader mission.
US: NPR Board Welcomes Newly Elected Directors
NPR: NPR welcomes the election of A. Rima Dael from WSHU in Fairfield, CT (first term); Jennifer Ferro an incumbent from KCRW in Santa Monica, CA (second term); Maria O’Mara an incumbent from KUER in Salt Lake City, UT (first term); and Tina Pamintuan an incumbent from KALW in San Francisco, CA (first term), who were elected as Member Directors of the NPR Board of Directors in the 2021 NPR Board elections, with three-year terms beginning in November 2021.
US: “Public Radio Music Day” to be Celebrated Nationwide on November 10th
NPR: The noncomMUSIC Alliance today announced that the second annual Public Radio Music Day will take place on November 10, 2021, with a nationwide celebration uniting public radio music stations, fans, and performers.
Forbes: YouTube, in partnership with National Public Media (NPM) today announced their collaboration on a brand new custom podcast series titled The Upload: The Rise of the Creator Economy.
US & AFGHANISTAN: How the U.S. Helped, and Hampered, the Escape of Afghan Journalists (Paywall)
The New York Times: The secretary of state cites a “massive effort” by the government, but people involved in the evacuation instead describe bureaucratic snags.
‘Freedom on the Net’ report paints grim picture of online rights
Al Jazeera: Myanmar and Belarus proved particular low points in the report compiled by Freedom House as online rights declined globally in 2021 for the 11th year in a row.
G7 speakers to call on social media platforms to clamp down on trolling
ITV News: G7 speakers are poised to urge social media platforms to prevent trolling after attending a conference discussing security issues in parliaments.
In an Era of Misinformation and Tracking Technology, Long-Held Journalism Norms Are Shifting
Nieman Reports: Newsrooms are rethinking traditional ideas of neutrality, the use of invasive tracking data, and source relationships with law enforcement
Journalists are exhausted and we need a safe space to talk about it (Opportunity)
Journalism.co.uk: Headlines Network has created free workshops to provide training and support for those who care about the mental wellbeing of themselves and their colleagues.
Lessons from Brazil on how to better cover the environment and the climate crisis (Feature)
RISJ: In February this year, secretary-general of the United Nations António Guterres said that climate disruption, pollution, and accelerated loss of biodiversity were the critical elements that make up what he called the “defining issue of our time”.
Opinion: Opt-in to op-eds, a final attempt to distinguish news from opinion
Poynter: Americans can’t tell the difference between fact and factoid and assign political labels to news outlets based on columnists rather than reporters.
The Washington Post: Register now: For 31 years, the Courage in Journalism Awards have honored more than 100 brave women journalists from 56 countries who refuse to step aside or be silenced in their pursuit of the truth.
CMDS: In a study released today, CMDS Director Marius Dragomir introduces a new tool to assess the editorial independence of the world’s state media and finds that nearly 80% of 546 state-administered media companies in 151 countries lack editorial independence.
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