Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues and many countries enter a state of lockdown, 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 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.
The resource will be frequently updated to reflect the changing needs and evolving situation. If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
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 listening to...
Combating COVID conspiracies in times of an election
RNZ: Professor of Law Al Gillespie talks to The Panel about combating conspiracy theories online during the lead up to the election and how to shut down online fake news.
What we're watching...
2020 Annual Public Meeting
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada’s Annual Public Meeting took place virtually on 16 September to discuss how they served the public during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as issues surrounding diversity, regional content and combatting disinformation. Audience members had the opportunity to ask the Board of Directors and the senior executive team questions about the public broadcaster and its future plans. A bilingual version is also available here.
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
EGYPT: Social media censorship in Egypt targets women on TikTok
PRI: The government cites conservative values as the reason for policing music and dancing clips on the trendy video-sharing platform.
GHANA: GBC asked to remain focused on public service mandate
GBC News: The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih has stressed the necessity for the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), to remain focused on its mandate as public service broadcaster.
LESOTHO: MISA LESOTHO ACCESS TO INFORMATION ASSESSMENT REPORT 2020 (Report)
MISA
LIBERIA: Liberian journalist beaten, robbed while covering pre-election events
CPJ: Liberian authorities should credibly investigate the attack on journalist Amos Omaska Jallah and ensure those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
NIGERIA: Nigeria: Govt. Takes A Second Look At Ban On Content Exclusivity – Signals Possible Overturn
Broadcast Media Africa: The Nigerian Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has given the strongest signal yet that the profoundly controversial ban on content exclusivity embedded in the amended 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code could be overturned.
SOUTH AFRICA: Ndabeni-Abrahams sends request to Speaker to start recruitment process of SABC Board member
SABC News: Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has requested National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise to initiate the recruitment process of a new SABC Board member – if the time is appropriate.
SOUTH AFRICA: Poverty and fear of jailing TV owners among reasons SABC battles to collect licences fees
IOL: The SABC has cited poverty and fears of jailing South Africans as some of the socio-economic and political factors preventing it from collecting millions of rand in TV licence revenue.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Govt. Is Committed To “Complete” Digital Broadcast Switchover By March 2021
Broadcast Media Africa: South African communications and digital technologies minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, has had to reconfirm her government commitment to complete the delayed digital migration programme by March 2021.
UGANDA: In Uganda’s 2021 ‘scientific election,’ the incumbent has all the visibility
The East African: Uganda is going to conduct its first-ever digital and mass media campaigns ahead of its 2021 general elections. The so-called “scientific election” will involve observance of social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of Covid-19.
ZAMBIA: ZNBC Appeals For Security
ZNBC: ZNBC Kasama Senior Maintenance Engineer Charles Itamba has appealed to the police in the district to assist the ZNBC transmission center with 24-hour security services. This comes in the wake of unknown people having broken into the ZNBC transmission center in Kasama, stealing 4 containers of 5 [litres] of engine oil used to power the standby genset at the center.
REGIONAL: Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) Collaborates To Deliver Digital Radio In The SADC
Broadcast Media Africa: Southern Africans will soon enjoy digital audio broadcasts, thanks to the strategic initiative brought on by the collaboration between the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA), T&A Associates and SENTECH.
Balancing Act
AFGHANISTAN: Afghan Media Fear Losing Freedom in Taliban Peace Talk (Watch)
VOA: Afghan journalists covering the government’s peace talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, say Kabul did not provide them with full access to information.
CHINA: Four Chinese citizen journalists still missing after investigating covid-19 (Watch)
Asia Pacific Report: Since coming to power in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched an unprecedented crusade against press freedom.
CHINA & AUSTRALIA: Chinese authorities threatened to detain ABC journalist’s 14-year-old daughter
The Guardian: Official told Matthew Carney she would be taken to undisclosed location over alleged visa breach.
SCMP: Both RTHK and Commercial Radio were taken to task by the Communications Authority for what was deemed biased criticism of police.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong press groups criticise police decision to only recognise journalists registered with gov’t
HKFP: Hong Kong media groups on Tuesday hit back at a police decision to stop recognising the credentials of some local journalists, following months of tension between officers and the press during last year’s citywide protests.
INDONESIA: Radio Republik Indonesia turns 75
Asia Radio Today: Indonesia’s public broadcasting agency Radio Republik Indonesia is celebrating its 75th anniversary this month. The station was established on September 11, 1945, by founding figures, Mohammad Yusuf Ronodipuro, Abdulrachman Saleh, Maladi, and Brigjen Suhardi.
JAPAN: NHK aiming to expand online broadcasting business
The Japan Times: NHK announced a plan on Tuesday aimed at expanding its online services, a move certain to draw strong criticism from commercial broadcasters.
JAPAN: NHK looks to scrap online cost limits
Advanced Television: Japan’s NHK public broadcaster says it wants to scrap the 2.5 per cent limit of viewer fees which it spends on simultaneous online broadcasts.
JAPAN: RSF urges recently appointed Japan Prime Minister to take a new turn towards press freedom
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the recently appointed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to dedicate himself to making Japan, which currently ranks 66th out of 180 in the RSF World Press Freedom Index but was 22nd in 2012, an exemplar of press freedom again.
MALAYSIA: EC says health SOP caused restrictions on media
Free Malaysia Today: Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh has called for media cooperation over health protocols that caused restrictions on which media representatives could enter nomination centres today.
PAKISTAN: As ruling party fans spew online abuse, Pakistan’s female journalists call for government action
CPJ: On August 16, Ramsha Jahangir should have been celebrating a journalistic triumph, the release of a long, deeply reported cover story for the weekend magazine of Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper on the government’s social media strategy and image-building. Instead, she spent the day watching in horror as a torrent of abuse filled her social media feeds. Eventually, she went offline.
PAKISTAN: Journalists, intellectuals and political workers demand Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s release
Geo News: Demonstrations were held in the European Union capital Brussels today against the illegal detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the Editor-in-Chief of the Jang and Geo Media Group, for keeping him under illegal detention for seven months now.
PHILIPPINES: Philippines: Appeal to UNESCO regarding the classification of the Ampatuan massacre case as “resolved”
Via IFEX: A broad group of organizations and individuals have sent a letter to UNESCO regarding the latter’s classification of the Ampatuan Massacre as ‘resolved’. Fifty-eight persons were killed, including 32 journalists, when armed goons attacked an electoral convoy in a southern province in the Philippines in 2009.
PHILIPPINES: EU Parliament denounces deterioration of human rights, press freedom in PH
CNN Philippines: The European Union Parliament denounced the deteriorating state of human rights and press freedom in the Philippines under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
SOUTH KOREA: Lawmakers push to relabel OTTs as broadcasters
The Korea Times: A handful of ruling party lawmakers have been pushing a bill that will reclassify over-the-top (OTT) businesses as broadcasters.
SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka govt agencies directed advertise in state media to cover losses
Economy Next: Sri Lanka’s government agencies would be directed to spend 25 percent of their advertising and promotional budgets in state media to cover their losses.
SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka’s Media freedom will be threatened by proposed 20th Amendment – FMM
Economy Next: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is expressing deep concern about the impending threat to the freedom of expression by the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, a statement from the watchdog group said.
THAILAND: Minister asks media not to cause division
The Bangkok Post: After the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration rally ended peacefully on Sunday morning, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Anucha Nakasai asked the media to report the ongoing political situation in a straightforward and neutral way [to] avoid causing division in society.
AUSTRALIA: ABC takes Queensland honours for investigative and online journalism
ABC: An investigation by the ABC’s Mark Willacy into alleged war crimes by elite Australian soldiers in Afghanistan has been recognised with three of Queensland’s top journalism awards.
AUSTRALIA: Australia Uncovered returns with a call out for more documentaries exploring stories of contemporary Australia (Press Release)
SBS: Australia Uncovered, SBS’s strand of prime-time single documentaries exploring diversity and equality in contemporary Australia, is returning with SBS now inviting proposals for projects to be broadcast in 2022.
AUSTRALIA: Digital-only newsrooms are in the firing line as Australian news law grinds toward reality (Opinion)
Nieman Lab: The Australian government’s attempt to make Google and Facebook pay for news looks likely to destroy media startups caught in the crossfire as the platform giants become more extreme in their reactions to the proposed regulation.
AUSTRALIA: ‘People like me need to move aside’: ABC’s Kirstin Ferguson on leadership and diversity
The Sydney Morning Herald
ABC News: None of us could have predicted it would get this big. When ABC News launched a callout for audience questions about COVID-19 six months ago, we thought that with all the uncertainties in the early stages of the pandemic, this project was a great way to navigate the unknown together and give Australians the information they needed to know to stay safe and up to date.
NEW ZEALAND: Combating COVID conspiracies in times of an election (Listen)
RNZ: Professor of Law Al Gillespie talks to The Panel about combating conspiracy theories online during the lead up to the election and how to shut down online fake news.
NEW ZEALAND: Comprehensive multi-platform election coverage from RNZ’s trusted team
RNZ: Election 2020 will see RNZ providing the most comprehensive and innovative general election coverage ever delivered to audiences across its multimedia networks.
NEW ZEALAND: The drama of the TV election debate (Listen)
RNZ: They come around every three years. Everything from the studio sets and the position of the podiums, to the colour of the ties, is carefully thought out; and then they’re analysed to death.
NEW ZEALAND: Whakatau 2020 Māori Election Coverage Schedule
Maori Television: The first of eight debates sees Te Tai Hauāuru candidates lead out WHAKATAU 2020, Māori Television’s election coverage commencing on Monday 28 September at 7pm.
BELARUS: ANDREI BASTUNETS: Today, the law does not defend us (Statement)
Belarus Association of Journalists: Today, the law does not defend us. From the beginning of the year to mid-September, BAJ recorded more than 300 cases of gross violations of journalists’ rights. Absolute majority of them occurred in the post-election period, that is, in just 1.5 months.
BELARUS: Belarus authorities continue to arrest, detain journalists amid protests
CPJ: On September 16, the Frunze District Court in Minsk, the capital, tried and convicted two journalists who had covered the protests in the country calling for the resignation of President Aleksandr Lukashenko…
BELARUS: Belarus : “Police purposefully target journalists” (Watch)
RSF: The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) correspondent in Belarus reports that journalists are being hindered from covering rallies for free elections.
BELGIUM: VRT NWS launches new EDUbox on financial education (Dutch)
VRT NWS: The VRT is committed to collaboration with and support for education. That is why VRT NWS is launching a new EDUbox, an educational tool for secondary education.
BULGARIA: New rules in Bulgaria’s parliament building: Journalists cry foul
EURACTIV: Protests in Bulgaria asking for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev have entered their third month. Against this background the Bulgarian parliament has become a fortress in which journalists are treated as the enemy.
DENMARK: DR launches big news in the field of children (Press Release)
DR: DR has today launched the brand new children’s offer DR Minisjang for the 1-3-year-olds. It is a toddler offer that all parents can choose from April 2021.
ESTONIA: Analysis: Fewer than 7 percent of ERR’s news stories are original
ERR News: Of the stories published on public broadcaster ERR’s online news portal (err.ee), 6.7 percent constitute original content, while the weight of original articles by entertainment portal Menu editors is just 0.5 percent, a study by University of Tartu research fellow Marju Himma suggests.
FINLAND: Yle Areena will continue to be Finland’s most respected online brand (Finnish)
Yle: Online brands are becoming more and more respected, says a recent study.
FRANCE: France Televisions Ramps Up Youth-Skewing Scripted Offer
Variety: French public broadcaster France Televisions is set to ramp up its roster of edgy premium scripted series aimed at younger audiences with “Carrement craignos,” “La Brigade des cauchemars,” “Bug” and “La meilleure moitié.”
FRANCE: France Télévisions will broadcast its first commercials on segmented TV in November and December (French)
La Revue du Digital: FranceTV Publicité, the advertising agency for France Télévisions, is determined to make concrete progress on segmented TV. The management announces that it can launch, as of now, the first segmented TV offers under the name of “addressable.tv”.
GERMANY: Changed focus of corona reporting and more diversity in the top news topics (German)
ZDF: The corona virus was once again the most extensive reported in August. The discussion about a possible second wave of infections and the associated increase in the number of cases ranks first among the top topics, followed by the debate about nationwide demonstrations against the corona measures.
GERMANY: Deutschlandradio lets listeners vote on the think tank topic for 2021 (German)
Deutschlandradio: Deutschlandradio lets listeners of Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Deutschlandfunk Nova decide which topic the national radio should pay particular attention to in its “think tank” in the coming year. …
GREECE: Greek police uses brutal violence and arbitrary bans to obstruct reporting on the refugee crisis
RSF: In order to avoid their contacts with asylum seekers, the police has limited the movement of journalists on Lesbos, going as far as to very violently apprehend the correspondent of the German daily Die Welt.
IRELAND: €3m RTÉ spend on mammoth digitisation of archive footage
The Irish Examiner: RTÉ is set to spend more than €3m on the digitalisation of hundreds of thousands of video and audio recordings dating back to 1950 “as a matter of some urgency”.
HUNGARY: Hungary Renews Attacks on Independent Radio Station
HRW: In the most recent attack on media freedom in Hungary, the country’s Media Council last week unexpectedly announced it would revoke Klubradio’s frequency as of February 2021. It justified its decision by referring to the independent, commercial station’s breaches of Hungary’s restrictive media law. But according to Klubradio’s president, Andras Arato, the council simply wants to shut them down for good.
HUNGARY: RFE Launches In Hungary As Problems Mount At Home
Balkan Insight: RFE/RL is giving independent journalism a boost in Hungary, but politics at home and abroad are complicating the US government-funded media outlet’s mission.
RUSSIA: COVID-19 Provides New Material for Russian Anti-EU Disinformation (Interview)
Balkan Insight: Russian disinformation in the Western Balkans and ‘Eastern Partnership’ countries has taken “a new turn” with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, portraying the European Union as overwhelmed and unable to support its neighbours, Romanian expert Nicolae Tibrigan told BIRN in an interview.
SLOVENIA: EFJ concerned over Rupel’s nomination for OSCE media rep (Paywall)
STA: Ricardo Gutierrez, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) general secretary, expressed concern on Friday over the Slovenian government’s decision to nominate Dimitrij Rupel for the post of representative on freedom of the media at the OSCE.
SWEDEN: P4 Östergötland strengthens local surveillance (Press release – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: Expect that Åtvidabergare, Finspångsbor and Boxholmare will be heard unusually much this autumn in P4 Östergötland. As part of Sveriges Radio’s efforts to strengthen the journalistic coverage of places outside the big cities, the channel is opening a rolling pop-up editorial office at the library in each location, three weeks at a time.
SWEDEN: Stop the attacks on public service (Comment)
Debatt: When politicians attack and suspect journalistic content and the work of individual journalists in the public service, they also sow the seeds of more threats and hatred.
SWEDEN: SVT comments on increased costs for security (Blog – Swedish)
SVT: There is information in the media that SVT has received extra funds that will go to strengthen the protection of our staff. However, that is not the whole picture.
UK: 250,000 Brits cut out licence fee, but revenue still up says BBC
Digital TV Europe: More than a quarter of a million Brits have not renewed their licence fee this year, it has been revealed. The BBC Television Licence Trust has published its annual report, revealing that the number of licence fees sold by the end of March was down by 256,000.
UK: Amal Clooney quits government envoy role over law break plan
BBC News: Amal Clooney has quit her role as the UK’s envoy on press freedom “in dismay” at the government’s willingness to break international law over Brexit.
UK: BBC faces era of cuts after reporting ‘substantial shortfall’ (Paywall)
The Financial Times: Director-general warns of ‘challenges ahead’ for UK public broadcaster after it records £119m deficit.
UK: Netflix wants to boost BBC, not destroy it, bosses tell parliament
The Guardian: Executives refuse to tell DCMS committee hearing how broadcaster should be funded.
UK: New BBC Director-General Tim Davie says improving diversity is “mission critical” (Watch)
Royal Television Society: The BBC’s new Director-General, Tim Davie, has said that managers who fail to reach diversity targets will not be promoted.
REGIONAL: New report shows public radio’s music activity worth €3.15 billion (Press Release)
EBU: An independent report commissioned by the EBU from Oxford Economics calculates that the economic impact of EBU Members music radio activity contributed in excess of €3.1 billion to Europe’s GDP and supported over 50,000 jobs in 2018.
ARGENTINA: Argentinian radio journalist Luis Alberto Mancini assaulted after reporting on local corruption
CPJ: Argentinian authorities must investigate the assault on journalist Luis Alberto Mancini, find out whether it was related to his journalistic work, and prosecute his assailants, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
BELIZE: Cyber Crime Bill introduced in the House
Amandala: The long-awaited Cyber Crime Bill was finally introduced in the House of Representatives during Wednesday’s meeting. The Cyber Crime Bill 2020, which was read for the first time, is aimed at combating various forms of cybercrime by categorizing certain acts of internet wrongdoing as offenses and prescribing penalties for such offenses, as well as a process of investigation, and prosecution for such cybercrimes.
BRAZIL: FENAJ celebrates 74 years in defense of Journalists, Journalism and Democracy (Portuguese)
FENAJ: The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) turns 74 this September 20, celebrating its history of struggle, resistance and daring together with the Unions, journalists and all the partners and partners who have been helping to build it.
BRAZIL: UN warns of violence against activists and journalists in Brazil (Potruguese)
FENAJ: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned on Monday of the growing military involvement in public affairs and law enforcement in Brazil. On the eve of President Jair Bolsonaro’s speech at the opening of the debate at the UN General Assembly, the former Chilean president also denounced attacks against activists and journalists in the country.
CUBA: Cuba: New technologies favor citizen journalism (Spanish)
Diario Las Americas: With the increasing presence of smartphones in Cuba, taking photos, recording video or audio, it is becoming increasingly common among journalists and citizens who denounce the reality of the island and disseminate information through social networks.
CUBA: ‘If it’s from afar, don’t question, don’t criticize’: official journalists deny Cuban emigrants the right to express their opinion (Spanish)
Diario de Cuba: The official journalist Francisco Rodríguez Cruz considered that those who decided to leave Cuba “should not be aware of what is happening on the island 24 hours a day”, in a post in which he opened a controversial debate on the right of emigrants to comment on what what happens in your country.
COLOMBIA: Colombian reporters face criminal defamation inquiry for reporting on assault allegations
CPJ: In early September, the Colombian attorney general’s office ordered freelance journalists Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Matilde de los Milagros Londoño Ruiz-Navarro to appear for questioning on September 14 in response to a criminal defamation complaint against them.
COLOMBIA: IPI condemns assault on journalists covering Bogota protests
IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom, today condemned the arbitrary detentions of numerous Colombian journalists covering the Bogota protests.
HONDURAS: Police shoot directly at international photojournalist (Spanish)
C-Libre: The photojournalist Orlando Sierra was attacked this Tuesday, September 15, after police elements of the National Directorate of Special Forces (DNFE), violently evicted the social protest on the Day of the Homeland Independence.
MEXICO: Public media favorites and punished in 2021 (Spanish) (Opinion)
El Economista: The federal public media are characterized by the fact that there is no general policy that encourages them. Its budget for 2021 shows that while the government supports some more, others are excessively restricted in resources and some are only supported by their basic operation but not allowed to grow.
NICARAGUA: Asset Freeze Threatens to Silence Independent Nicaraguan Broadcaster
VOA: Journalists at Canal 12 News, one of Nicaragua’s two remaining independent news broadcasters, face an uncertain future after a court in the capital, Managua, ordered the station’s assets seized as part of a tax case that one of its editors says is political retaliation.
TRINIDAD: Judge: GML can report on CEPEP execs’ salaries
Trinidad Guardian: A High Court Judge has partially removed an injunction blocking this newspaper from continuing a series of investigative reports into salary increases that were allegedly paid to Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) Company Ltd chief executive Keith Eddy and corporate secretary Nicole Gopaulsingh.
VENEZUELA: In the «Shadow 2019» report, 642 alerts are registered against press freedom in Venezuela (Spanish)
Cronica Uno: The “Sombra 2019” report by Voces del Sur –project directed by 10 organizations that defend press freedom in Latin America– indicates that the systematic abuse of state power, violent attacks, attacks and threats, disinformation, lack of transparency and censorship , made this period the “worst year” for the record of Venezuelan journalism.
IRAQ: Iraq journalists covering protests threatened with death
Middle East Monitor: A number of Iraqi journalists revealed that they had received death threats following their coverage of the protests against ruling Shia parties in the country, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported yesterday.
QATAR: U.S. Orders Al Jazeera Affiliate to Register as Foreign Agent (Paywall)
The New York Times
TURKEY: Turkey threatens to seize assets of exiled journalist Can Dündar
CPJ: An Istanbul court today announced that Can Dündar, an exiled Turkish journalist living in Germany, would be declared a fugitive and his assets would be seized unless he returns to the country within 15 days, according to news reports.
TURKEY & GREECE: Erdogan files complaint over Greek newspaper’s insulting headline
Al Jazeera: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lodged a criminal complaint against four senior staff employed by a Greek newspaper about an insulting headline, according to Turkish media.
CANADA: Annual Public Meeting 2020 (Watch)
CBC/Radio-Canada: Despite the challenge of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, CBC/Radio-Canada has kept its focus on providing Canadians with trusted news and information, accelerating its progress on diversity and inclusion, and supporting Canadian creators and cultural organizations. Rewatch CBC/Radio-Canada’s Annual Public Meeting, took place on September 16, 2020, in a virtual mode.
CANADA: Canadian police arrest Indigenous journalist covering land rights movement
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the arrest of Indigenous Canadian journalist Karl Dockstader in relation to his reporting on an Indigenous land dispute in southern Ontario. RSF calls on the Ontario Provincial Police to drop all charges against him.
CANADA: Mi’kmaw journalist assesses media coverage of fisheries dispute (Listen)
CBC News: APTN journalist Trina Roache spoke with host Jeff Douglas about what the mainstream media can do to better report on Indigenous issues at a time when many eyes are on Saulnierville, N.S. That’s where Sipekne’katik First Nation launched a self-regulated fishery this week. It’s been met with resistance and anger from commercial fishermen.
CANADA: Voices for Change: Media’s Moment to Shine (Watch)
The Canadian Journalism Foundation: The death of George Floyd ignited a reckoning across every facet of our society. In media, conversations about anti-Black racism have given weight and prominence to stagnant discussions about newsroom culture and composition—and the biases found in coverage of Black, Indigenous and people of colour. Is this the year meaningful change will finally happen?
US: Al Jazeera condemns AJ+ FARA registration order in US
Al Jazeera: Al Jazeera has strongly condemned a US Department of Justice (DOJ) order that forces AJ+ to register as a foreign agent, saying it appears the designation was a precondition of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to “normalise” diplomatic ties with Israel.
US: House Committee Issues Subpoena for USAGM CEO
VOA: The House Foreign Affairs Committee issued a subpoena Friday to Michael Pack, head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), after the chief executive canceled his scheduled appearance before the committee.
US: Newsrooms Need a Plan to Diversify Investigative Teams, Too
Nieman Lab: Across the country, journalists of color have called out their employers for the lack of diversity. News organizations have responded by creating teams of reporters to cover issues of race and inequity across the country. But what remains missing in these newsroom changes are concrete steps to diversify investigative teams.
US: NPR Board Welcomes Newly Elected Directors
NPR: NPR welcomes the election of John Decker, an incumbent from KPBS-FM in San Diego, CA, Myrna Johnson from Iowa Public Radio in Des Moines, IA, and Nico Leone, an incumbent from KERA in Dallas, TX, who were elected as Member Directors of the NPR Board of Directors in the 2020 NPR Board elections, with three-year terms beginning in November 2020.
US: NPR budget for new fiscal year aims to avoid layoffs despite deficit (Paywall)
Current: NPR plans to continue implementing cost-saving measures next fiscal year to offset a projected $29 million budget deficit, CFO and Treasurer Deborah Cowan said during a board committee meeting last week.
US: PBS Wins Five News Emmy® Awards
PBS: PBS programs were honored with five News Emmy® Awards, the second most-earned by any organization.
5G For The Distribution Of Audiovisual Media
IBC 365: This whitepaper elaborates on the potential of 5G to facilitate the distribution of the whole range of PSM services to portable and mobile devices.
Keep your emotions in check and three other tips to think rationally about data (Watch)
Reuters Institute: ‘FT’ columnist Tim Harford explains which kind of precautions journalists should apply when working with statistics.
Legal Aid For Journalists And Media – Tools And Resources
GFMD: Legal threats to journalists and media houses are not a new phenomenon. But in an increasingly hostile media environment, lack of funding has resulted in a diminished appetite for legal cases on the part of the media houses and newsrooms, leaving journalists high and dry when it comes to legal protection and, inevitably, resulting in increased self-censorship. But what do you do when your story leads to litigation regardless of precautionary measures and how do you protect yourself from future law-suits?
Looking to teach about misinformation? The line starts here (Resource)
Poynter Institute: Clemson’s Media Forensics Hub is offering a new online game, Spot the Troll. It’s a fun interactive that’s definitely assignment-worthy, as it challenges students (you know, the digital natives) on their ability to spot real social media profiles vs. fake ones.
Report It: Everyone can highlight threats against journalists, speak up and speak out
EFJ: To protect press and media freedom, we need an accurate picture of the forces that threaten it. To do this, we must collect and verify as much information as possible. That is why the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) has launched the ‘Report It’ campaign to create awareness and encourage everyone to play a role in documenting and reporting the many violations committed against journalists and media workers across Europe.
Reviving democracy requires reviving local journalism
CJR: The foundations of local journalism are crumbling, as this newsletter seeks to explain each week; over the past few years, as the US has faced voter suppression, foreign meddling, and executive overreach—and as political polarization charges the atmosphere around the world—the foundations of a democratic government can also seem precarious.
Stream@UNGA: Can the ‘misinformation pandemic’ be stopped? (Watch)
Al Jazeera: In the second of a special series of shows with the UN, a panel of experts joins The Stream to debunk coronavirus lies.
What Diversity Looks Like in Investigative Newsrooms Around the World
GIJN: From the global coronavirus pandemic to the soul-searching that has come as a result of the Black Lives Matter protests, 2020 has cracked open society’s fault lines.
Words Hurt: Ethical Reporting on Race (panel video) (Watch)
EJN: The following is an edited video version of our online panel from September 10, 2020. Moderated by Keme Nzerem, with journalists Ayshah Tull, Hannah Pool, Pat Younge and Daniel James Henry.
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Header Image: TV cameras lined up, covering large public event. Credit: Microgen/istock
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