Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
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How serious is this current situation for US press freedom and freedom of speech?
DW: US President Donald Trump has suggested the licenses of TV networks that criticize him should be cancelled. He was speaking after the ABC network indefinitely suspended the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” late night talk show. The host said Trump’s supporters wanted to exploit the killing of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk for political gain.
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Pakistan vs India: Fake news battleground?
DW: The most recent armed conflict between Pakistan and India saw a new wave of disinformation and AI-generated fake or altered videos as both sides sought the upper hand on the disinformation front. DW’s security podcast, Global Eyes, looks at examples from the most recent clash between India and Pakistan with RNW media expert, Surabhi Srivastava, and DW Fact Checking Team Deputy Lead, Rachel Baig.
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Press group urges DRC government and rebel authorities to stop harassing journalist
Jurist News: On Monday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on both government and rebel authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to end harassment of a reporter who has been detained twice and dismissed from his post at a national broadcaster in Goma.
ETHIOPIA: Surge in Arrests of Journalists, Media Workers
Human Rights Watch: Ethiopian security forces have arbitrarily arrested several journalists and media professionals since August 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should end their harassment of independent journalists and immediately release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and opinion.
GABON: RSF meets with Gabon’s President in Libreville and shares recommendations to promote press freedom
RSF: As Gabon has made notable progress in terms of press freedom in recent years — rising from 121st place in the 2020 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index to 41st place in 2025 — RSF travelled to the capital, Libreville, to meet with the authorities and the media.
GHANA: Ghana Has 763 Licensed FM Stations, Only 539 Broadcasting
News Ghana: The National Communications Authority has revealed that Ghana currently has 763 authorized FM broadcasting stations, with only 539 stations actively operating as of the second quarter of 2025, leaving 224 licensed stations off-air.
GHANA: Ghana’s social media crackdown echoes Somalia’s digital dilemma
GBC: The seven-month prison sentence for David Kwodow Prah Afful, a Ghanaian TikToker who threatened to kill the President and other officials, isn’t just a local story. It reflects a mounting continental struggle: how African governments navigate the turbulent waters of a digital age where online platforms amplify citizen voices.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Interviews with former interns show how power imbalances and lack of credible policies push women out and ensure toxic editors can act with impunity
LIBYA: Benghazi Set to Become Arab Media Capital by Hosting International Conference
Libya Update: The city of Benghazi is preparing to host the “First Annual Arab Media Conference – Libya 2025,” which kicks off in three days, running from September 15 to 17. Organized by the Al-Raya Al-Libiya Media Company, the event will gather 45 prominent media figures and communication experts from across the Arab world, making it the first of its kind in Libya.
MALDIVES: Parliament passes repressive media control bill
IFJ: The Maldivian parliament has voted to pass its widely condemned ‘media control bill’ on September 16, granting sweeping new government powers to regulate the country’s media industry, amid escalating harassment and detainment of critical journalists and media workers.
MAURITIANIA: Mauritania justifies closure of media outlet critical of Algeria
Yabiladi: After weeks of silence, the Mauritanian government on Wednesday finally addressed the closure of the news site Anbaa.info. Sanctions have been imposed on this media outlet by the regulatory authorities and the Ministry of Communication, said Houssein Ould Meddou, Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, as well as government spokesperson, during a press briefing.
MOROCCO: Moroccan Media Association Calls for Action Against Influencers Encroaching on Journalism
Morocco World News: The National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME) expressed serious concerns on Thursday over the growing presence of social media influencers and podcasters presenting themselves as journalists.
MOZAMBIQUE: Senior journalist denounces media bill consultations as “a pretence” – Watch
Club of Mozambique: Senior Mozambican journalist, Tomás Vieira Mario, has denounced the current public consultation on new mass media laws as “a pretence”.
NIGER: In Niger, journalist faces up to 3 years jail for alleged defamation of PM
Committee to Protect Journalists: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in Niger to immediately release Ali Soumana, publishing director of the privately owned Le Courrier newspaper, after Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine complained of defamation.
SENEGAL: Concern over freedom of expression under Senegal’s new leaders
African Insider: With a journalist convicted of “offending” the prime minister, commentators jailed and political opponents under pressure, freedom of expression in Senegal is being called into question under new leaders who accused their predecessors of the same failing.
SOMALIA: No Democracy Without Media Freedom in Somalia, NUSOJ Says
Garowe Online: On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, 15 September 2025, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) warned that Somalia’s democratic transition is at serious risk unless relentless attacks on journalists and media freedom are confronted.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC signal will NOT be switched off – minister
The South African: Minister Malatsi pours cold water on reports that the SABC signal will be switched off at the end of December 2025 due to outstanding debts …
TANZANIA: Tanzania gears up for satellite communications
Daily News: TANZANIA has made significant strides toward launching its first communications satellite, with the development of a comprehensive radio spectrum strategy and newly issued guidelines for satellite technology.
TOGO: France Médias Monde is surprised by the failure of RFI and France 24 to restore service in Togo (Press release – French)
FMM: On June 16, RFI and France 24 were suspended for three months in Togo by the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC). At the end of this suspension, on Tuesday, September 16, the broadcasting of the two media outlets was not restored in the country, contrary to the HAAC’s decision.
ZIMBABWE: ZUJ president Maponga sets 5-year vision for journalists’ welfare
The Herald: ZIMPAPERS veteran journalist and re-elected Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) president, George Maponga, has laid out an ambitious five-year plan to address the challenges facing journalists in the country.
REGIONAL: African journalists condemn the heightened and relentless deadly attacks on journalists in Gaza
International Federation of Journalists: The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the Pan-African organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), is horrified by the relentless killing and abuses of journalists and media workers in Gaza by Israeli forces under the orders of their government, where at least 221 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed
REGIONAL: MTN Launches Pan-African Media Programme To Combat Disinformation
Broadcast Media Africa: MTN Group has launched a Pan-African Media Innovation Programme to combat the growing issue of disinformation across the continent. In collaboration with the University of Johannesburg and the African Editors Forum, this initiative seeks to enhance journalism in 18 African countries.
CHINA: CPJ urges China to release journalist Zhang Zhan after second conviction
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the decision by Chinese authorities to proceed with the trial of freelance journalist Zhang Zhan and keep her in prison, a move that underscores the country’s reputation as the world’s worst jailer of journalists.
HKFP: The Hong Kong government has vowed to help local media overcome “operational pressures” and expand overseas, with Chief Executive John Lee saying that he would not “interfere with” their work.
INDIA: Prasar Bharati Tender for Waves OTT Focuses on Content, Monetisation and Scaling User Base
MediaNama:L India’s state-owned public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, is inviting bids and seeking industry feedback for its Project Management Unit (PMU) to support its Waves over-the-top (OTT) platform, which was launched in November 2024.
INDONESIA: DPR: RRI, TVRI, and ANTARA must be the mouthpieces of the people’s aspirations (Indonesian)
Antara: Member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Putra Nababan, emphasized the important role of public broadcasting institutions such as Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI), and the National News Agency (LKBN) ANTARA as mouthpieces for the people’s aspirations.
NEPAL: Attacks on media escalate amid anti-corruption protests
IFJ: Amid an escalation of violence against journalists and media outlets during Nepal’s mass ‘Gen-Z’ anti-corruption protests, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has documented at least 42 media rights violations since September 8.
NEPAL: Nepal’s Discord Revolution and the Press
Nieman Reports: For Nepali journalism, the uprising raised unsettling questions that echo globally. First, the issue of trust. Nepal’s media sector has long cast itself as a bulwark against authoritarianism.
NEPAL: Nepal government needs to navigate social media regulation, national security
The Week: Nepal’s social media ban sparked outrage and created technical hurdles for ISPs while raising critical questions about digital freedom versus national security. The government’s directive to register platforms led to widespread restrictions, driving users to VPNs and concerns over trust and governance
SINGAPORE: Mediacorp sheds 93 jobs to adapt to evolving media landscape (1 September)
CNA: Singapore’s national media network Mediacorp has said it is retrenching staff “to adapt to the rapidly evolving media landscape and to better align its operations amid the prevailing economic and commercial uncertainty”.
SINGAPORE: SPH, Mediacorp’s Singapore Media Exchange goes live
The Business Times: SINGAPORE Media Exchange (SMX), a digital advertising marketplace that is the result of a tie-up between Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Mediacorp, is officially live as of today.
SOUTH KOREA: SBS becomes first broadcaster in Korea to set fees for AI training use of news data
The Korea Herald: With KBS’ MOU with Naver, Korean broadcasters continue to balance copyright protection and AI innovation
Thai PBS Verify: Thai PBS Verify discovered a fake advertisement that falsely used the Thai PBS World Tonight logo. It utilized AI deepfake technology to impersonate well-known news anchors and businesspeople, inviting people to invest in a scheme called CRYSTALLUM AI.
THAILAND: Thai PBS reinforces its public media mission by promoting “Big Sign,” connecting music with “sign language and song language.” (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: On World Sign Language Day, September 23 of every year, the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) reinforces its intention to be public media for everyone by serving new content ” Sign Language, Song Language ” with the ” Big Sign, Full Screen Sign Language ” service , a special feature on VIPA.
REGIONAL: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union general assembly underway in Mongolia
NHK: The general assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, or ABU, has opened in Mongolia. NHK programs have won three awards.
REGIONAL: Asia’s protests grew from social media where misinformation also spread
ABC: If the 1920s were roaring, the 2020s are shaping up to be the decade of rage, and not just in the United States. In the past five years we have seen mass protests escalate across Asia, toppling governments and bringing megacities to a standstill.
REGIONAL: KBS President and CEO Park Jang-beom Appointed as ABU Vice President (Press release)
KBS: President Park Jang-beom joins Vice Presidents Inoue Tatsuhiko (Executive Vice President of NHK, Japan), Zhou Jihong (Director General of the International Cooperation Department of NRTA/RTPRC, China), and I Hendrasmo (President Director of RRI, Indonesia). The ABU is currently led by President Professor Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, Director General of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).
AUSTRALIA: Online TV viewers should have power to block gambling ads, former SBS chair says
The Guardian: George Savvides says networks should follow SBS’s lead with opt-out feature to protect people from ‘addictive and destructive’ advertising
AUSTRALIA: SBS shares Australian National Anthem in over 60 languages to foster belonging and connection (Press release)
SBS: SBS Audio announces a landmark initiative, making ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and the Citizenship Pledge accessible to millions of new Australians to help foster a greater sense of connection, pride, and belonging.
AUSTRALIA & PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ABC celebrates Papua New Guinea’s 50 years of independence (Press release)
ABC: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is programming a rich slate of commemorative content across its screen, audio and news channels for Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) 50 years of independence on 16 September.
AUSTRALIA & UK: ABC excluded from Trump’s UK press conference as British officials deny any link to clash with Australian journalist
The Guardian: Australia’s national broadcaster told by Downing Street that accreditation cancelled for ‘logistical reasons’ as other international outlets also denied entry
FIJI: Fiji media stays independent amid support
FBC: China has been a strong and open partner to both the Fijian media maintaining a level of transparency in its engagement.
FIJI: Fiji’s social media crackdown could threaten freedom of expression, critics warn
PMN: While the government reviews international models, experts argue that digital literacy and targeted laws are more effective than imposing blanket bans.
NEW ZEALAND: Independent report into TVNZ news – public broadcaster releases a summary of impartiality and balance findings (Paywall)
NZ Herald: Independent review identifies “minor technical or editorial issues worthy of further internal discussion”, says TVNZ.
NEW ZEALAND: Public media that matters: RNZ reaches a record 83% of New Zealanders (Press release)
RNZ: RNZ is reaching more New Zealanders than before and growing trust. Results from the latest Verian Value Indices Survey show RNZ reaches 83% of New Zealanders 18+ per month, up from 79% in the last survey and a new high. *
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ to introduce social media monitoring tool to allow for more conversation (Press release)
RNZ: With more than 850,000 followers of RNZ social media accounts and hundreds of thousands of comments a month, the task of monitoring them is increasingly time consuming and difficult to do effectively 24/7.
PALAU & TAIWAN: TaiwanPlus officially launches in Palau, ushering in a new chapter in media cooperation between Taiwan and Palau (Press release – Chinese)
PTS: On September 18, 2025, TaiwanPlus officially launched in the Republic of Palau. After months of planning and coordination, the Chinese Embassy in Palau, the Palau Ministry of State Affairs, TaiwanPlus (a subsidiary of the Public Television and Culture Foundation), and the Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) successfully secured the launch of the TaiwanPlus channel on the PNCC digital television platform, with a grand launch ceremony.
ALBANIA: Open Letter on Improving Journalists’ Access to the Parliament
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Safe Journalists Network (SJN) and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in expressing, in an open letter to the Parliament of Albania, our serious concern over recent proposals by the parliamentary majority to significantly restrict journalists’ access to the Parliament of Albania.
AUSTRIA: New rules for the dismissal of ORF bosses – for example in cases of “permanent incompetence” (German)
Der Standard: Implementation of the EU Media Freedom Act enters review: Conditions for dismissal formulated. Two-thirds majority remains required.
AUSTRIA: ORF Director-General Weißmann: “Austria’s quality media, both public and private, as guarantors of reliable and independent information.” (Press release – German)
ORF: During the plenary session of the ORF Audience Council, which met on Thursday, September 18, 2025, chaired by Gabriele Zgubic-Engleder, ORF Director General Roland Weißmann informed the council about the program successes of the past few weeks and provided an outlook for the coming months.
AUSTRIA: Thomas Brezina’s KidsTV ends cooperation with ORF (German)
Der Standard: ORF and Thomas Brezina, whose company KidsTV provided large portions of ORF’s children’s programming for many years, are parting ways. Thomas Brezina’s TKB Private Foundation announced the split on Monday via a press release, citing “content and budgetary realignment” as the reason.
BELARUS & POLAND: Belsat TV will help journalists released by the Belarusian regime (Press release – Polish)
TVP: Belsat TV will support its former colleagues – including journalists – following their recent release by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.
BELGIUM: Local media reforms: preliminary draft decree approved in first reading by the FWB government (French)
RTBF: The government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation approved on Friday at first reading the preliminary draft decree formalizing the announced reform of local media (formerly local television).
CATALONIA: 3CatInfo launches successfully and connects with the audience from day one (Press release – Catalan)
3Cat: The data from the launch of 3CatInfo confirm the public interest in the new news model and reaffirm 3Cat’s commitment to quality information that is more accessible, reliable and accessible.
CZECH REPUBLIC: I want to dissuade the new government from abolishing the fee and merging with Czech Television, says radio boss (Czech)
MÉDIÁR: The current financing system guarantees independence, according to René Zavoral, Director General of Czech Radio. He believes that merging with Czech Television would marginalize radio.
CZECH REPUBLIC: People want independence from us. The director of Czech Radio rejects nationalization and merger with CT (Czech)
Novinky: Czech Radio Director General René Zavoral said at a press conference on Wednesday that he would present all the arguments to the next government as to why it makes no sense to merge Czech Television and Czech Radio.
DENMARK: DR and partners will equip children to be both critical and creative in a digital future (Press release – Danish)
DR: With a new grant of 50 million kroner from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Villum Foundation, DR is expanding the successful learning project ultra:bit. Together with the Center for Teaching Materials, Aarhus University and the LIFE Foundation, a new four-year initiative is being launched to equip Danish children to be both critical and creative in a digital society across school, childhood and home.
DENMARK: European media organizations and journalist unions in joint call: Denmark’s plans for a media ombudsman threaten press freedom (Danish)
Via Ritzau: A number of Nordic and European media organizations and journalist unions express deep concern about the Danish government’s plans to introduce a state media ombudsman with legal powers over the media.
FINLAND: Yle invited public service media companies from the Baltic Sea region to discuss security (Press release – Finnish)
Yle: Management from public service media companies in the Baltic Sea region gathered at a seminar organized by Yle to discuss and share experiences on security and preparedness.
FRANCE: Public broadcasting unites and denounces Vincent Bolloré’s media smear campaign (French)
RFI: France Télévisions and Radio France jointly denounce a smear campaign led by the private channels CNews and Europe 1.
FRANCE: Public broadcasting: the far right involves institutions in its ideological war (Paywall – French)
Mediapart: The hearings of the presidents of public broadcasting by Arcom after the Legrand-Cohen affair, as well as the creation of a commission of inquiry into the neutrality of public broadcasting, demonstrate the ability of the media and political far right to impose its obsessions on the institutional agenda.
FRANCE: RADIO FRANCE: Already nearly 10,000 signatories to the appeal for freedom of knowledge (Press release – French) (12 September)
Radio France: Faced with the progression in the world of a form of new obscurantism, hostile to knowledge and to those who produce and disseminate it, Radio France launches an appeal in favor of awareness and collective vigilance on the freedom of knowledge.
FRANCE: Successful transformations, recognized management efforts, a financial situation requiring urgent clarification (Court of Auditors Report)
France Télévisions: France Télévisions agrees that the company is now in a “critical financial situation” after 10 years of efforts, which is consistent with the group’s repeated warnings about its governance.
FRANCE: The Court of Auditors orders France Télévisions to reform “without delay” (Paywall – French)
Le Monde: While acknowledging the public company’s successes in terms of audience and the management difficulties due to the fickleness of its supervision, the institution highlights a financial situation that is “unsustainable without major structural reforms.”
GERMANY: Cohesion study by ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio Study shows concern about cohesion in Germany (Study)
Deutschlandradio: According to a recent study, around three-quarters of people in Germany are concerned that our society is falling apart. At the same time, they highly value the contribution of public media to social cohesion, especially young people.
GERMANY: Is Germany joining the trend of politics shaping media freedom? (Listen)
EUObserver: In Germany, a dispute over public broadcasting has reached the political spotlight. Julia Ruhs, a journalist and presenter of Klar, a programme that often covered right-wing themes such as immigration and Covid-19 policy, has been dropped by Germany’s public broadcaster NDR.
GERMANY: Minister of State for Culture calls for more diversity of opinion in public broadcasting (German)
Deutschlandfunk Kultur: Following the dismissal of presenter Julia Ruhs from Norddeutscher Rundfunk, criticism has come from federal politicians. Minister of State for Culture Weimer told the broadcaster “Welt TV” that large sections of the population, particularly among eastern Germans, feel that public broadcasters report in a one-sided political manner.
GERMANY: Number of women in ZDF management positions at record high (Press release – German)
ZDF: ZDF Director General Himmler: Equal representation remains the goal
GERMANY: Television Council: Insults and threats against journalists endanger press freedom (Press release – German)
ZDF: ZDF Television Council and Director General position themselves for independent reporting
IRELAND: RTÉ celebrates Irish Sign Language Awareness Week 2025 (Press release)
RTÉ: RTÉ in collaboration with the Irish Deaf Society, will celebrate Irish Sign Language Awareness Week with some special Irish Sign Language (ISL) content across our platforms throughout the week, highlighting RTÉ’s ongoing commitment to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and ISL Community in Ireland.
IRELAND: Submissions of interest in new commercial sound broadcasting services (Press release)
Coimisiún na Meán: Coimisiún na Meán is currently undertaking a review of its Broadcasting Services Strategy (“BSS”). This review will support the achievement of the organisation’s Strategic Outcome to encourage and develop “a media landscape that is sustainable, pluralistic, and participative, and that reflects and shapes who we are as a society.”
MOLDOVA: Fears for press freedom in case of pro-Russian victory
IPI: Journalists warn significant backsliding possible after elections on September 28
THE NETHERLANDS: NPO cuts back on supply channels and organization (Press release – Dutch)
NPO: The NPO intends to discontinue NPO Campus Radio, NPO Soul & Jazz, NPO 2 Extra, and BVN. A reorganization will also follow, and the NPO will critically review additional costs.
NORWAY: Several NRK profiles call for Eurovision boycott (Norwegian)
Aftenposten: Several NRK profiles, including comedian Sigrid Bonde Tusvik, are urging NRK to boycott Eurovision if Israel is allowed to participate.
POLAND: Eight Ways to Deal with Political Opponents: How PiS Used TVP to Fight Organizations (Paywall – Polish)
Gazeta Wyborcza: TVP used as many as eight mechanisms to humiliate and destroy Kaczyński’s opponents. “Repeatedly, repetitively, persistently, and deliberately,” argue the authors of the report by the commission investigating repression during the PiS government.
SERBIA: How Serbia could use EU Digital Services Act for state censorship
EUObserver: Two weeks ago, a leaked audio recording obtained by the Organized Crime and Reporting Project and Serbian investigative outlet KRIK confirmed that the CEOs of the state-owned Telekom Srbija and the Netherlands-based United Group discussed plans to remove the chief executive of United Media, a subsidiary of United Group that operates several outlets in the country, including the leading opposition outlet N1.
SWEDEN: One year until the election, about media, podcasts and election campaigns (Listen – Swedish)
SR: With one year to go until the 2026 parliamentary election, Swedish newsrooms have begun planning their coverage of the intense domestic political year ahead. In the last parliamentary election, energy issues and crime and punishment received significant coverage.
SWITZERLAND: 30 years of cooperation between SRG and ARTE (Press release – German) (11 September)
SRG SSR: Since 1995, SRG and ARTE have realized numerous co-productions in the fields of fiction, documentary film, and music, which have received considerable international acclaim.
UK: Public Service Broadcasters – These measures can help secure distinct British broadcasting for the future (Press release)
BBC: Read the joint statement from the CEOs of the UK Public Service Broadcasters setting out the urgent plan for the future of the industry, originally published in Broadcast Now on Thursday 18 September 2025
UK: This news just in: we hoped the middle- and upper-class capture of the media would lessen. It’s got worse (Opinion)
The Guardian: While only 7% of people attend private school nationwide, our report found half of newspaper columnists are privately educated, along with 47% of political commentators, 45% of leading podcasters and 38% of BBC executives. What’s more, the proportion of privately educated newspaper columnists has actually increased since our last report in 2019. In the case of BBC executives, it has jumped by 10 percentage points.
UKRAINE: Demand for justice from Russia one year after death of Victoria Roshchyna
EFJ: One year after Victoria’s tragic death, MFRR partners reiterate our demand for full justice for her family. Russian authorities must be held accountable for the death of the journalist who was posthumously granted the Order of Freedom award by Ukraine.
REGIONAL: MAPPING MEDIA FREEDOM MONITORING REPORT (Report)
MFRR: Between 1 January to 30 June 2025, the Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) database documented 709 press freedom violations in 35 European countries. In total, 1249 media-related persons or entities were targeted.
BRAZIL: President of EBC talks about the future of TV in a special edition of Sem Censura about 75 years of Brazilian television (Press release – Portuguese)
EBC: Andre Basbaum joins experts to discuss the challenges, achievements and transformations of TV in Brazil.
BRAZIL: Technology’s Hand in Reclaiming Amazon Voices: Indigenous Media Turns Silence Into Power
The Latin American Post: In the Amazon, microphones now capture chainsaws where birds once sang. Indigenous storytellers are recording that shift, broadcasting it worldwide, and transforming lived memory into climate evidence—forcing policymakers to hear the rainforest in their own language and urgency.
CHILE: TVN reduces its losses and advances in the transformation process (Press release – Spanish)
TVN: The public signal reports on its financial status, transformation process and modernisation.
ECUADOR: The National Secretary of Public Integrity accuses a media outlet of money laundering and tax evasion (Spanish)
Fundamedios: Diario Expreso has rejected accusations of tax evasion by a high-ranking government official before the IRS investigation has even formally begun. Fundamedios warns of the seriousness of using documents from an ongoing investigation, where due process should be respected, to discredit a critical media outlet that has uncovered corruption schemes.
EL SALVADOR: Salvadoran journalists’ association closes offices over restrictive foreign agents law (Spanish)
LatAm Journalism Review: “The Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES for its initials in Spanish) announced Tuesday [Sept. 16] that it will stop carrying out projects funded by international cooperation and close its offices indefinitely, citing what it called the “suffocating, arbitrary and illegal conditions” imposed by the Foreign Agents Law promoted by President Nayib Bukele’s government.
GUATEMALA: Guatemala’s community journalists silenced as promises of change go unfulfilled
LatAm Journalism Review: Community journalism, represented largely by community radio stations that are often tied to ancestral peoples, saw in this promise a path toward change after years of constant criminalization.
GUYANA: WPA to advocate for press freedom legislation
Demarara Waves: The Working People’s Alliance said it would use its one seat to press for legislation guaranteeing press freedom, a day after concerns were raised about the exclusion of several media houses from President Irfaan Ali’s press conference.
HAITI: Haitian journalist says defending colleagues has made him a target
LatAm Journalism Review: Guyler C. Delva, a journalist and press freedom advocate in Haiti, fears for his life after he said he’s been the target of repeated threats, legal harassment and hostility. Meanwhile, the organization he leads, SOS Journalistes, is experiencing severe financial difficulties.
MEXICO: Freedom of expression is at risk, say Chilpancingo journalists (Spanish)
El Sol de Acapulco: Journalism professionals took a stand during the presentation of the Sentimientos del Pueblo awards.
NICARAGUA: The US demands proof of life for Nicaraguan journalist Leo Cárcamo from the regime (Spanish)
Confidencial: The citizen, illegally detained on November 23, 2024, remains in a state of “enforced disappearance.”
PERU: Anti-government protests in Peru leave twelve police officers injured and six journalists attacked (Spanish)
Swissinfo: The protest against the Peruvian government and Congress in Lima this Saturday left 12 police officers injured, six attacks on journalists, as reported by the National Association of Journalists (ANP), and more than a dozen protesters injured.
PERU: Journalists from 25 countries reject attacks by political authorities on journalism in Peru (Spanish)
Convoca: Peru has become an increasingly dangerous country for journalism: in addition to the already familiar methods of legal harassment, smear campaigns, and disinformation, there have been death threats, physical attacks, and increasingly violent rhetoric from public officials against journalists.
ISRAEL: Kan public broadcaster rebuffs calls to bow out of Eurovision over boycott threats
The Times of Israel: ‘No reason’ to marginalize Israel at annual song contest, says CEO, after a number of countries say they will refuse to participate if Jewish state is not barred from competition.
ISRAEL & SPAIN: Spain first of Eurovision ‘big five’ to say it will boycott event if Israel participates
The Guardian: Head of state broadcaster says it is ‘impossible to look the other way’ over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
LEBANON: Ensure draft media law upholds free expression
IFEX: Rights groups warn Lebanon’s draft media law could weaken free expression by allowing pretrial detention and vague defamation rules, urging transparent debate and safeguards for journalists.
SYRIA: A new momentum for journalism after the fall of Assad’s regime
IFJ: This week, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Anthony Bellanger, led a fact-finding mission to Damascus to support the efforts of its affiliates — the Syrian Journalists Union (SJU) and the Syrian Journalists Association (SJA) — who are working together to rebuild journalism after the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s Syrian regime in December 2024.
TURKEY: Journalist under investigation over coverage of police crackdown on opposition
IFEX: Fatoş Erdoğan is accused of “inciting the public into hatred and enmity” over her reporting on the police crackdown at CHP’s İstanbul headquarters. She said she was hit by rubber bullets during the incident.
YEMEN: Israel attack on Yemeni newspaper was second deadliest on journalists ever recorded
The Guardian: Press freedom group says ‘brutal and unjustified attack’ is deadliest since 2009 Maguindanao massacre in Philippines.
The Conversation: The shortage of climate journalists is a common problem across the Middle East. When climate change is covered by Jordanian media, it is often discussed as a secondary consideration relative to geopolitical threats – not as a challenge in its own right.
CANADA: CRTC launches hearing on Canadian content obligations for music streamers
Richmond News: The federal broadcast regulator begins a hearing today to look at which Canadian content obligations should apply to music streamers like Spotify.
CANADA: Radio-Canada apologizes after reporter uses antisemitic language on air
CBC: Radio-Canada is apologizing after one of its reporters used antisemitic language during a television broadcast on Monday.
CANADA: Unifor’s new campaign goes into the corners for journalism
Campaign: The “Fact Checked” campaign by Wunder reminds Canadians to consult credible news sources, rather than social media, for factual information.
US: After Trump’s Cuts, ‘Crippled’ NPR and PBS Stations Must Transform
The New York Times: Radio and television stations, facing enormous budget holes, are pleading with NPR and PBS to lower their fees as they examine whether to drop national programming altogether.
US: Central Pennsylvania NPR, PBS station among first to close after cuts to public media
USA Today: A central Pennsylvania public media outlet is among the first stations to close down after President Donald Trump’s federal cuts to public radio and television.
US: Ghanaian-American journalist fired over Charlie Kirk social media post
Ghana Web: Ghanaian-American columnist, Karen Attiah, a longtime contributor to The Washington Post, claims she was fired from the newspaper’s Opinion department over social media posts, criticising political violence following the assassination of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk.
US: In Assault on Free Speech, Trump Targets Speech He Hates
The New York Times: The president’s complaints about negative coverage undermine the rationales offered by his own officials.
US: Native public radio braces for ‘devastating and catastrophic’ Trump budget cuts
The Guardian: Indigenous broadcasters scramble to maintain weather alerts, language programs and local news
US: NPR to trim $5 million this year as public radio stations struggle to pay bills
Houston Public Media: NPR plans to make trims totaling more than $5 million over the course of the coming fiscal year to bring its annual budget into balance. Meanwhile, local stations are asking for more help.
US: Pentagon Expands Its Restrictions on Reporter Access
The New York Times: The Department of Defense will force reporters to pledge not to gather or use any information that had not been formally authorized for release, or risk losing their credential to cover the military.
US: Radio Bilingüe, the largest Spanish-language public station in the US, stands firm against Trump
El Pais: The closure of CBP, which distributed federal funds to public radio and TV, has endangered dozens of rural and community stations.
Can YouTube Make Livestreaming Its Next Big Thing?
The New York Times: The world’s largest and most influential video platform wants to persuade a lot more content creators to broadcast live.
Columbia Journalism Review: What dueling song contests in Europe and Russia have to say about public broadcasting and geopolitics.
Everything you need to know about the closing stages of Google’s ad tech antitrust trial
Digiday: The ad tech trial many thought would go nowhere has done the unthinkable: it delivered. Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google illegally monopolized the digital advertising market – validating years of industry gripes.
Inside Accra street journal, the startup betting on street-level journalism in Ghana
My Joy Online: In Ghana’s bustling media landscape, a new digital entrant is betting that the future of journalism lies not just in Parliament House or corporate boardrooms, but on the country’s streets. That platform is Accra Street Journal, a less than a-year-old news and editorial hub that blends business reporting, cultural commentary, lifestyle pieces, and the lived realities of everyday Ghanaians into one dynamic space.
“It’s not just younger people making the shift”: Meet Reuters’ first social-first video reporter
Nieman Lab: “Stories need to be either boiled down to the essentials, or reframed to put all the attention on the most social-friendly angle.”
I Was a Fixer. Here’s Why Journalism Needs to Rethink the Role
Nieman Reports: Fair compensation, recognition are essential for local journalists who take risks to bring stories to life.
Leading economists warn of risk of ‘collapse’ of quality journalism (French)
RTBF: A dozen renowned economists, including Nobel laureates Joseph Stiglitz and Daron Acemoglu, warned on Monday of the risk of a “collapse of public interest journalism,” with “considerable consequences,” particularly for the economy.
Meta Approaches Media Companies About AI Content-Licensing Deals (Paywall)
The Wall Street Journal: The overtures mark a shift in the Facebook parent’s relationships with news outlets and other publishers.
Newsroom Standards in the AI Era
China Media Project: FT Chinese editor-in-chief Wang Feng discusses how his newsroom integrates AI tools while maintaining journalistic standards, revealing the added value of humans — and why traditional journalistic skills remain essential.
OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws
ComputerWorld: In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits.
Plagiarism, fake quotes and new opportunities: How AI is transforming journalism education
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Professors from Cambodia, Peru, Serbia, Spain, the UK and the US explain how they are adapting their teaching to AI and how their students are using it
Radio Free Europe’s Fading Signal—and the Fight to Keep It Alive
International Policy Digest: RFE/RL is squeezed by Central Asian crackdowns and U.S. politicization, exposing a leadership-field gap even as it keeps broadcasting when other channels go dark.
The Global Radio for Resilience Initiative (Opportunity)
UNRIC: The Global Radio for Resilience Initiative, led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in collaboration with regional broadcasting unions—including the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), and European Broadcasting Union (EBU)—seeks to highlight the enduring importance of radio as a trusted, accessible, and inclusive communication tool in disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Tiktok blocks “ZiB” content – ORF launches four new Tiktok formats (German)
Der Standard: “Algorithms slow down democracy,” warns ORF Director General Weißmann and calls for regulations on the findability of media content on social media
What the video of Charlie Kirk’s murder might do
The New Yorker: Parents have less and less control over what their children see. Our children will likely understand history, and the world, very differently as a result.
Why the Media Industry Is Bracing for More Blowback
The New York Times: Jimmy Kimmel remains off the air. But President Trump, the chair of the F.C.C. and local TV companies are likely to keep up pressure on broadcasters.
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Header image: Business newspaper pages. Credit: Unsplash
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