ARMENIA: How journalism inspired a youth-led initiative against online harm in Armenia

Global Voices: Digital resilience is not about teaching people to fear technology, but about helping them understand power inside digital spaces

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AZERBAIJAN & VIETNAM: AZERTAC and Vietnam News Agency to strengthen information exchange

AZERTAC: The Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) have agreed to strengthen information exchange following a bilateral meeting between Chairman of the Board of AZERTAC Vugar Aliyev and VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.

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BANGLADESH: Ministry directive to BTV renews questions over state control

NewAge: The information ministry has recently directed state broadcaster Bangladesh Television to seek prior approval for a range of activities, renewing questions about government control over the channel and its long-unfulfilled promise of autonomy.

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BANGLADESH: State control stifles BTV’s public role (Opinion)

NewAge: BANGLADESH Television, repeatedly promised autonomy to serve the public fairly, has, in fact, never gained such independence because of the government’s partisan interests.

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INDIA: Prasar Bharati seeks feedback on AI avatars & content creation; suggests mandatory labeling

Medianama: In an attempt to expand its use of AI avatars, Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, is seeking industry feedback on a draft Expression of Interest (EOI) to empanel agencies, studios, and start-ups for AI-generated avatars and other AI content creation, localisation, and archive repurposing across its broadcast and digital platforms, including WAVES OTT, Doordarshan, Akashvani and DD India.

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MYANMAR: PEC voices concern over press censorship in Myanmar

Assam Times: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body, has expressed concern over the continued press censorship in Myanmar, as the military junta authorities have recently revoked the licenses of three more independent news outlets.

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NEPAL: Inside Kathmandu’s newsrooms: How Nepal media reported Bhotekoshi flood disaster (Watch)

The Print: With floodwaters sweeping away roads and communications in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, how did Nepal media cover the Bhotekoshi floods?

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NEPAL: Nepal floods leave local journalists struggling to keep communities informed

Free Press Unlimited: Journalists have lost family members, homes, vehicles. Some journalists are still missing, while others are working with damaged equipment with no electricity and internet connections.

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SOUTH KOREA: Public broadcaster MBC appoints subsidiary director as new president

Korea Joongang Daily: The appointment was approved in a shareholder meeting, elevating the company man who began as a reporter in 1995.

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THAILAND: MCOT–Thai PBS merger plan faces financial reform test

The Nation: Thailand’s proposed merger of MCOT Plc and the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) is facing a key test not only over legal and organisational issues, but whether combining two state-backed media organisations with different financial challenges can create a sustainable future.

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THAILAND: Thai PBS and NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission) conduct the 8th advanced broadcaster training program, aiming to cultivate a new generation of socially responsible broadcasters. (Press release – Thai)

Thai PBS: Thai PBS, in collaboration with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), is organizing the 8th Advanced Announcer Training Program. The course is packed with theoretical content and includes hands-on, one-on-one practical training in a studio. The aim is to prepare new announcers for the professional broadcasting certification exam and to instill a sense of social responsibility.

AUSTRALIA: ABC statement: ACMA findings on Four Corners report “Sacrifice” (Statement)

ABC: The ABC welcomes ACMA’s finding that Four Corners program “Sacrifice” was accurate but rejects its finding regarding impartiality, which if widely applied could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism. 

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AUSTRALIA: ABC’s Pacific news coverage recognised by Lowy Institute (Press release)

ABC: The ABC’s leading role in reporting on Pacific and international affairs has been recognised by the Lowy Institute.

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AUSTRALIA: Four Corners breaches impartiality requirements in War Memorial story (Statement)

ACMA: The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) breached its impartiality obligations in a Four Corners episode about the redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial. 

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AUSTRALIA: Media watchdog and ABC clash over finding

The Saturday Paper: A media watchdog finding that a Four Corners program on the Australian War Memorial breached impartiality obligations has met with rejection from ABC managing director Hugh Marks.

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NEW ZEALAND: RNZ host Susie Ferguson on leave amid turbulent period for Saturday Morning show (Paywall)

The NZ Herald: One of New Zealand’s most familiar broadcasting voices is off air following a turbulent period for her and other staff on their RNZ Saturday Morning show.

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SAMOA: Sāmoa Ombudsman raises concerns over local news reporting of siblings’ deaths

PMN: The Samoa Observer has removed one child’s name and published a correction after concerns are raised over privacy and unconfirmed details.

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REGIONAL: Pacific Islands Forum endorses landmark regional labour ministers meeting

IFJ: Pacific Islands Forum Leaders endorsed the establishment of a Regional Labour Ministers Meeting at their 55th annual forum in September.

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REGIONAL: Social media shift challenges traditional news media

Fiji Sun: A survey conducted by BBC Media Action involving more than 6,600 people has revealed that more people are now getting information from social media platforms.

AUSTRIA: More decisive cost-cutting measures will be discussed in the ORF Foundation Board. (German) 

Der Standard: Voices within the ORF’s top governing body are calling for cuts to structures and management positions. Council members are appealing to current ORF management that the savings “should not only affect programming.”

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AUSTRIA: Second round in court: Weißmann sues ORF for severance pay. (German) 

Der Standard: The former head of the ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) is demanding more than €200,000 from the ORF in the legal proceedings. The ORF rejects the claim that Weißmann was forced to resign.

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AUSTRIA: The most important programming mandate of the ORF: Health! (German) 

Der Standard: Foresight conducted a survey for the ORF Public Council to determine which programming mandates are important to the public. Physician Meryn wishes the ORF and its governing bodies had stronger defenses. Thurnher wants to “regain control over the interpretation of the ORF.”

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BELGIUM: Christophe Dujardin, the new CEO of RTBF: “To approach this new mission with humility, ambition and independence” (French) 

RTBF: The government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation appointed Christophe Dujardin as the new Director-General of RTBF on Friday. He will succeed Jean-Paul Philippot on November 1st for a six-year term.

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BELGIUM: How RTBF anchors its content in the heart of the regions: proximity, interactions and collaborations (French) 

RTBF: While social media has profoundly transformed media habits and every citizen can become a journalist from their smartphone, what role does public service media play in the life of the regions?

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BELGIUM & THE NETHERLANDS: Media parties draw up joint guidelines for AI transparency (Press release – Dutch) 

NPO: The Dutch and Belgian media sectors are issuing joint guidelines for transparency regarding the use of AI in image, audio, and video content. This is prompted by the European AI Act, which requires media organizations to clearly indicate that AI has been used in certain forms of AI usage.

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BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: BHRT Journalists Sue the State Over Working Conditions and Rights 

Sarajevo Times: The editorial board of BHT1 is launching an initiative to file a lawsuit against the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all those responsible in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for non-compliance with the Law on the Public RTV System of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a result of which the Public RTV Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) was brought to ruin.

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BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Frozen Accounts, uncertain Wages, Unions stand with BiH Public Broadcaster 

Sarajevo Times: BHRT’s accounts have been blocked since August 21, and the payment of salaries to employees has been questioned. While the program of the Public Broadcasting Service continues, support is coming from trade union organizations throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which warn that the consequences of a possible shutdown would not be borne only by BHRT employees.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: ČT is set to make 350 people redundant within four years; it will start making cuts as early as next year and scale back production (Czech) 

Mediar: By 2030, 12 per cent of staff are set to leave public service television. There will also be programme cuts.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Reaction to the Deník N article about planned savings at Czech Television (Press release – Czech) 

CT: The article was published in Deník N on September 15 with the headline: “Czech Television is preparing extensive cuts. It will cancel nightly live broadcasts, limit regional production”. We are correcting the distorted and misleading information contained therein regarding savings and the draft Production Task for 2027.

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FINLAND: Yle publishes more detailed information about its content costs (Finnish) 

Yle: In addition to content costs, distribution and service costs are also being disclosed more widely than before. New information has been published based on a competition law risk assessment carried out by an external operator.

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FINLAND: Yle’s learning content promotes media literacy among Finns of all ages – school visits bring young people together and Digitreenit brings relief to the everyday lives of the elderly (Finnish) 

Yle: Learning and education are at the core of YLE’s mission. Therefore, Yle offers both learning content and activities that strengthen media literacy for different target groups.

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FRANCE: Delphine Ernotte Cunci, president of France Télévisions: “I am sounding the alarm about safeguarding our cultural model.” (Paywall – French) 

Le Monde: In an interview with Le Monde, the head of the public broadcasting group revealed a €47 million reduction in state funding in 2027 and asserted that the company’s budget would be cut by €90 million due to declining advertising revenue and the lack of new property sales. She sees this as a threat to the funding of French cultural creation.

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FRANCE: France Inter: the strike continues against the column by Charles Sapin, deputy editor of “Valeurs actuelles”, despite management’s proposals (French) 

Le Monde: The protest at France Inter is part of a tense climate surrounding pluralism in public broadcasting, while other public newsrooms are also expressing their concerns.

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FRANCE: Mission possible: Making teenagers read newspapers

CEPR: Is declining news consumption among young people inevitable? This column reports on a large-scale randomised controlled trial in France to test whether free access to a major newspaper and teacher training in media education can boost newspaper reading among high-school students.

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FRANCE: Radio France, the Alliance of Radio and Community Radios are asking the government to guarantee French drivers access to terrestrial radio. (Press release – French) 

Radio France: Radio is not an option. The Alliance de la Radio, Radio France, and community radio stations are calling on the Government to guarantee French drivers access to terrestrial radio.

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FRANCE: Rethinking the role of the media, journalists and Arcom (French) 

The Conversation: The debate on pluralism in public broadcasting raises a broader question: what rules for the media? Three principles can serve as guidelines: neutrality, impartiality and objectivity. Implementing them requires rethinking the role of the media, journalists and Arcom. 

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GERMANY: Broadcasting Board Supports DW’s Strategic Direction (Press release) 

DW: At its meeting on 18.09.2026, the DW Broadcasting Council discussed DW’s development through 2035. It also approved the continuation of DW Greek and discussed the German-language service and reform of the DW Act.

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GERMANY: Deutsche Welle restructures Directorate General (Press release) 

DW: DW Director General Barbara Massing is restructuring the Director General’s unit.

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GERMANY: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s potential withdrawal from the NDR State Treaty would pose a threat to regional media diversity (Statement – German) 

ECPMF: This coming Sunday, 20 September 2026, the state election will take place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The future of the public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) is also a campaign issue for the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

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GERMANY: First joint youth media day of ZDF, ARD and Deutschlandfunk (Press release – German) 

ZDF: The nationwide Youth Media Day for students on November 12th is being jointly organized for the first time this year by ZDF, ARD, and Deutschlandfunk.

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GERMANY: Privatization of ZDF: States reject proposal by Minister of State for Culture Weimer (German) 

Deutschlandfunk: Media Minister Weimer’s proposals for a radical reform of the public broadcasting system are being met with rejection by the federal states responsible for media policy.

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GERMANY: Talking isn’t enough: BEYOND NEWS 2026 brings young journalists and media industry leaders together at one table. (Press release – German) 

ARD: The ARD initiative BEYOND NEWS is entering its second phase. On October 1st and 2nd, 2026, young journalists from various media companies will meet with industry decision-makers in Bonn.

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GERMANY: Weimer’s wild privatization dreams (German) 

Taz.de: Minister of State for Media Weimer proposes privatizing public broadcasting. That is neither his job nor a good idea.

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IRELAND: What’s Another Year? Ireland to boycott Eurovision again 

RTE: It may be billed as the largest live music event in the world, but the statement from RTÉ confirming that Ireland will not take part in the next Eurovision Song Contest, which is due to be held in Bulgaria in 2027, came as no big surprise.

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ITALY: Director-General Sergio confirms his departure from Rai: “I will consider a move to San Marino RTV” (Paywall – Italian) 

Il Foglio: “I will assess my professional future with complete and total autonomy. Whatever the decision, it will be taken with calm and freedom,” writes the Director-General of Rai

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LITHUANIA: Part of the LRT board supports a public investigation into possible Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė misconduct (Lithuanian) 

LRT: As the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) Council plans to consider the issue related to the public broadcaster’s Director General Monika Garbačiauskaite-Budriene on Tuesday, some Council members are in favor of discussing the issue publicly. 

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LITHUANIA: The association appealed to Matjošaitytė: it calls on her to step down from the activities of the LRT Council. (Lithuanian) 

LRT: The Association of Professional Journalists has appealed to Laura Matjošaitytė to resign from the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) Council. If she fails to do so, the issue of the member’s dismissal is proposed to be considered by the public broadcaster’s council itself.

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THE NETHERLANDS: Broadcasters and the cultural sector call on the cabinet to protect culture within public broadcasting. (Dutch) 

Spreekbhuis: The Cultural and Creative Sector Taskforce, the Broadcasting Authority, the NPO, and Kunsten ’92 call on the Cabinet to retain arts and culture as a permanent core task of public broadcasting. 

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THE NETHERLANDS: NPO continues to invest heavily in streaming to reach young people. (Press release – Dutch) 

NPO: Approximately 100 million euros extra for NPO Start and NPO Luister programming

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NORWAY: NRK depublishes documentary over fears that AI may reveal sources (Norwegian) 

NRK: NRK and Danish DR have removed documentaries from their websites for fear that AI tools could reveal the identities of anonymous sources.

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SERBIA: Serbia expels Massimo Moratti, our correspondent in Belgrade

OBCT: The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), press freedom and free expression partners express our firm support for our colleague Massimo Moratti, the Senior Research Affiliate for the Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), as he faces expulsion from Serbia in apparent connection with his human rights work.

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SLOVENIA: Response to the letter from the mayors of the Primorska region: The proposal does not abolish regional centers or programs (Press release – Slovenian) 

RTV SLO: In response to the public letter from the mayors of the Primorska region, we would like to reiterate that the proposal of the RTV Slovenia Management Board does not envisage the closure of regional centers, programs or broadcasts. Regional content remains an important part of RTV Slovenia’s public mission.

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SWITZERLAND: Swiss Satellite Radios are changing hands (Press release – German) 

SRG SSR: Following an open and thorough selection process, the SRG has found two new owners for Swiss Satellite Radios: CH Media is taking over Radio Swiss Pop, while Digris AG will continue to operate Radio Swiss Classic and Radio Swiss Jazz. Both buyers have committed to maintaining the stations’ musical and content focus for at least two years.

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SWITZERLAND: Swiss Want Comprehensive Public Service Broadcasting – Including in the Digital Realm (Research) 

UZH: Younger people also want to access SRG SSR on social media and streaming platforms, whereas older people consider these channels much less important. These are the findings of a representative study from the University of Zurich.

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SWEDEN: Radio remains the first choice during crises and VMA, but knowledge among young adults needs to increase (Press release – Swedish) 

SR: Today marks the beginning of the Emergency Preparedness Week, when authorities, organizations and companies contribute in various ways to strengthening society’s resilience.

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UK: ‘A losing battle’: will UK public service broadcasters survive amid US onslaught?

The Guardian: Jobs and programme budgets in firing line at BBC, Channel 4 and ITV as they are outgunned by YouTube and Netflix

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UK: BBC and Birmingham City University announce landmark 10-year partnership to develop the next generation of creative media professionals (Press release) 

BBC: The collaboration will establish a centre for creative skills and learning at the Tea Factory in Digbeth, the BBC’s new Midlands headquarters

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UK: BBC cash reserves hit lowest level in a decade after big single-year spend 

The Guardian: Exclusive: Reserves at public service arm drop 66% as broadcaster undertakes large cuts in effort to save £500m

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UK & JAPAN: A new collaboration with NHK on the future of public service media

BBC Research & Development: The partnership aims to address some of the most significant opportunities and challenges facing global media. 

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UK & US: Meta launches legal challenge against UK media regulator over Online Safety Act

The Guardian: Action against Ofcom comes as social media companies are being accused of using courts to slow down implementation

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UKRAINE: Technology Should Be Controlled by People — Suspilne Ukraine Is Participating in the Development of Guidelines for the Use of AI in Newsrooms (Press release) 

Suspilne: Human oversight must always be one of the key principles in working with artificial intelligence. This was emphasized by Angelina Karyakina, advisor to the chair of the board of Suspilne Ukraine, at the roundtable discussion “From Experiments to Standards: The Ethical Use of AI in Ukrainian Newsrooms,” which took place on September 11.

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UKRAINE: The role of Suspilne Ukraine in crisis preparedness: Mariya Frey joins closed-door discussion in Brussels (Press release) 

Suspilne: Public service media should be part of a country’s crisis preparedness system, rather than merely a channel for disseminating messages during emergencies. This was emphasised by Mariya Frey, Member of the Managing Board of Suspilne Ukraine responsible for regional content, during the closed-door discussion “What can Europe learn from Ukraine about civil preparedness and inclusive security?” held in Brussels on 8 September.

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REGIONAL: EBU responds to European Commission’s Call for Evidence on EU position for WRC-27 (Press release) 

EBU: The EBU has welcomed the chance to help shape the EU’s position for the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference, stressing spectrum’s role in media pluralism.

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REGIONAL: Over 20 public broadcasters join forces at MIPJUNIOR to support the future of kid’s animation (Press release) 

VRT: More than 20 public broadcasters come together at MIPJUNIOR this October for a dedicated invitation-only, closed-door discussion addressing the challenges and opportunities facing kids’ animation.

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REGIONAL: Radio 2 and NOËP join forces in a pan-European marathon broadcast (Press release – Estonian) 

ERR: The marathon show, which starts at 8 p.m. Estonian time and lasts six hours, will be produced this year in cooperation with 12 European radio stations led by BBC Radio 1.

IRAN: Inside the Iranian exile media sector

The Fix: There are countries where press freedom is under pressure, and there are countries where independent journalism is barely possible at all. Iran belongs to the second group.

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IRAN: UK and allies expose spyware used by Iranian state actors to target dissidents, activists and journalists

National Cyber Security Centre: INDIVIDUALS at risk of digital surveillance by the Iranian regime are being provided with fresh advice today (Tuesday) to help them identify and counter the threat from spear-phishing and spyware attacks.

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IRAN & ISRAEL: IDF arrests Iran’s Press TV journalist in West Bank, hands her to police, source confirms to ‘Post’

The Jerusalem Post: The IDF confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that the journalist, identified by the Iranian state broadcaster as Palestinian-American Naqqa Hamad, was transferred to the Israel Police.

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ISRAEL: The Guardian view on NAZA’s persecuted directors: journalism is not treason (Opinion) 

The Guardian: Politicians who threaten filmmakers rather than investigate alleged military crimes expose not strength but a leadership frightened of the evidence

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SYRIA & US: Assad regime planned US journalist’s kidnap for weeks, BBC finds

BBC: US journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in 2012, was kidnapped in a calculated operation which was more than a month in the planning, the BBC can reveal.

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TURKIYE: Turkey detains dozens in crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists and journalists

The Guardian: Turkish authorities have used accusations of obscenity to justify a wave of raids and arrests targeting the LGBTQ+ community, which has grown to include journalists as well as more than 150 arrested during protests against the raids.

CANADA: Independent broadcasters urge Ottawa to uphold CRTC streamer contribution rules

Broadcast Dialogue: Independent radio and TV broadcasters from coast-to-coast have signed an open letter urging the Canadian Government to stand firm in its commitment to Canadian sovereignty and culture.

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CANADA: ‘Very harmful’: website uses AI to generate northern Indigenous news ‘correspondents’

CBC: Articles, images and even writers all created using artificial intelligence on the WE NEWS website

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CANADA & US: F.B.I. Temporarily Halted Cooperation With Canada Over References to 9/11 (Paywall)

The New York Times: Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, temporarily halted some cooperation with the agency’s counterpart in Canada this month after the nation’s public broadcaster reminded its journalists of a longstanding policy not to refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as “terrorism” without attribution to experts, according to multiple officials with knowledge of the event.

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US: Alabama Public Television board chooses political polling firm for survey research

Current: Cygnal, a Virginia-based company that describes itself as “center-right,” will poll Alabamians on their views about the state network and its programming.

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US: Freedom oppressed: the journalists caught up in Trump’s ICE crackdown

The Guardian: Media workers are grappling with increasingly volatile press climate in US, with some detained and even deported

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US: Ideastream Public Media, PBS Western Reserve announce merger

Ideastream: Ideastream Public Media and PBS Western Reserve announced Thursday that they intend to merge.

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US: KEET Deploys PMM Cloud

TVTech: The Eureka public broadcaster has avoided large MC replacement costs by adopting the cloud

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US: NPR Announces $1 Million Gift to the Public Media Bridge Fund to Support Member Stations (Press release) 

NPR: NPR today announced a $1 million restricted gift to the Public Media Bridge Fund to support NPR Member organizations addressing sustainability challenges.

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US: NPR Funding Gap Highlights Pressure On Public Radio Revenue.

Inside Radio: Public radio organizations are facing sharply lower year-over-year donor growth after an extraordinary fundraising surge in 2025, adding financial pressure for National Public Radio as it approaches the end of its fiscal year.

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US: Statement on White House bans from Tommy Evans, NPR’s Editor in Chief (Statement)

NPR: Barring journalists from the White House because the president dislikes their reporting is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, and NPR condemns it without qualification.

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US: Trump Says He Has Banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico From White House (Paywall) 

The New York Times: The president cited reporting from the outlets that he deemed “fake news.” It was unclear how such a ban would be enforced or defended in court.

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US: What’s behind Trump’s White House media ban — and what happens next (Opinion)

Poynter: Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. Here’s what we know, why it matters and what could come next.

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US: Where Americans view the limits of press freedom

Pew Research: The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press from restrictions by the government, and most Americans say this is highly important to the well-being of society. But there are few press freedom absolutists, and Americans hold a wide range of opinions on how press freedom should play out in practice.

IBC2026: WorldDAB and BNE urge broadcast radio in all new vehicles

RedTech: At IBC2026, WorldDAB and Broadcast Networks Europe called for the proposed Digital Networks Act to mandate terrestrial radio in all new vehicles.

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Is the right of reply under threat in the social media age? (Listen) 

BBC: The right of reply has long been a cornerstone of journalism, giving those involved in a story the chance to respond before publication. But with politicians and public figures now using social media to publish their own version first, is this principle being undermined?

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Public Service Broadcasting: “Everyone has the right to be properly informed”

IFJ: IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger spoke at Public Service International (PSI)’s “Public Service fight back” conference held in Madrid, Spain, on 16-17 September 2026. The conference brought together public service union leaders from across the globe to “counter authoritarianism, protect quality public services, and equip unions to lead an effective global fightback.”

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Tackling online harassment of women journalists as a professional risk issue

EFJ: Today, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law (FRRL) Group hearing dedicated to the topic of online harassment of women. This provided the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) with an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of tackling online harassment of women journalists as a professional risk issue.