AFGHANISTAN: Afghan Journalists Navigate a Changed Landscape

VOA News: From regulations on what can be covered to rules on where women can work, journalists say it is increasingly difficult to report in Afghanistan.

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ARMENIA: Armenian draft legislation would give government sweeping wartime censorship powers

CPJ: Armenian authorities should not use military conflicts as an excuse to curtail press freedom and should rework clauses in a draft bill that would threaten press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

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BANGLADESH: Bangladeshi Journalist: I Was Kidnapped for Telling the Truth

VOA News: Attack on journalist looking into illegal kilns underscores dangers of reporting on environmental issues in Bangladesh, analysts say.

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CHINA: RSF condemns the arrest of 4 Chinese journalists after last month’s protests

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the arrest of four Chinese journalists following the protests against the zero-Covid policy in China and calls for the release of the two of them still detained. 

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HONG KONG: Is Hong Kong tightening its grip on foreign journalists?

DW: Hong Kong authorities have barred access to a Japanese photographer who documented the 2019 protests. Experts worry the crackdown on local media is being expanded to foreign journalists.

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HONG KONG: Media Freedom in Hong Kong – the case of Jimmy Lai

Doughty Street Chambers: At an event at London’s Frontline Club on 12 January 2023, Sebastien Lai spoke to assembled journalists and media workers about his father’s plight.

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INDIA: BBC Modi documentary ‘may disturb peace’, says JNU, asks students’ union not to screen it on campus

The Indian Express: The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration Monday barred the JNU students’ union from screening on campus the BBC documentary titled ‘India: The Modi Question.’

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INDIA: ‘Determination of fake news can’t be in sole hands of govt’: Editors Guild on draft amendments to IT Rules

Indian Express: The amendment gives authority to PIB to determine the veracity of news reports, and anything termed “fake” will have to be taken down by online intermediaries, including social media platforms. 

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INDIA: UK petition demands independent probe into BBC series on Modi

Deccan Herald: A new online petition has demanded an independent probe into a “serious breach” by the BBC in its duties as a public broadcaster in the UK over the controversial documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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INDIA: Why India Is Using Emergency Laws to Ban a Documentary About Prime Minister Modi

Time: Last Tuesday, the British Broadcasting Corporation released the first episode of “The Modi Question,” a two-part documentary series that tracks how the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi climbed the political ranks of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party during his time as the Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat.

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INDONESIA: KPI Urges TV Stations to be Selective in Airing Viral Content

Tempo: The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has urged television broadcasting institutions to get selective in choosing viral content on social media that they plan to air.

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KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakhstan’s Media, Journalists Under Pressure

The Diplomat: An attack on a journalist highlights the difficult environment for the press.

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KAZAKHSTAN: US, UK and EU diplomats concerned about attacks on independent journalists in Kazakhstan (Russian)

Vlast: The US and British embassies, as well as representatives of the European Union, expressed concern about attacks on independent journalists that have been ongoing since the fall of 2022.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Media Groups Urge Kyrgyzstan To Withdraw Request To Halt RFE/RL’s Operations

RFE/RL: More than 25 media organizations and journalists in Kyrgyzstan have urged the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Youth Policies to withdraw a court request to halt the media operations of RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Radio Azattyk, warning of its effect on the free press.

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KYRGYZSTAN: U.S. Senators Express Concern About Attacks On Press Freedom In Kyrgyzstan In Letter To President Japarov

RFE/RL: Two U.S. senators have written a letter to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to voice their concerns about recent attacks on press freedom in Kyrgyzstan, including a decision last year to freeze RFE/RL’s bank account.

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MALAYSIA: Ex-anchorman Suhaimi Sulaiman named DG of broadcasting

FMT: Former news anchor Suhaimi Sulaiman has been named the director-general of broadcasting.

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PAKISTAN: Pakistani journalist Shahid Aslam arrested in leak investigation

CPJ: Pakistan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Shahid Aslam and allow the media to freely and independently report on military officials, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

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PHILIPPINES: ‘Truth wins’: Maria Ressa, Philippine Nobel prize winner, acquitted of tax evasion charges

The Guardian: Maria Ressa, a veteran journalist and Nobel laureate widely considered the “face of the free press in the Philippines”, has been acquitted of tax evasion charges, in a case she has described as part of a pattern of harassment.

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TAIWAN: Taiwan Broadcaster Aims to Fill Gaps in Coverage

VOA News: Newcomer TaiwanPlus goes beyond traditional coverage of China to give audiences a fuller picture of life in Taiwan.

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THAILAND: 15 years of Thai PBS, the value attached to the people, ready to elevate Digital First to the media organisation of the future (Press release – 15 January – Thai) 

Thai PBS: On the 15th anniversary of Thai PBS, as a public media that stands with the people, the director of TPA announces that it is ready to raise the level of Digital First to drive the media organisation of the future. 

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SRI LANKA: Situation of freedom of expression and the press in Sri Lanka in 2022

IFJ: Through economic and political collapse, the fundamental human rights the Sri Lankan government claims to uphold are frequently disrespected or ignored. In achieving legitimate democratic governance in Sri Lanka, the voice of protestors must be heard, writes Gayathri Nawarathne.

AUSTRALIA: ABC raises $1.5m in end-of-year appeal (Press release) 

ABC: The ABC’s annual charity appeal, ABC Gives, has once again raised close to $1.5 million for those most in need in the lead up to the festive season.

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AUSTRALIA: Australia’s media regulator to get new powers to crack down on online misinformation

The Guardian: The media regulator will gain new powers to impose a compulsory code of conduct against misinformation on digital platforms, Michelle Rowland has announced.

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AUSTRALIA: Australian press freedom reforms under spotlight

The New Daily: Australia’s news media heads will come together to work on a press freedom reform and review national secrecy laws.

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AUSTRALIA: Federal court changes to journalist access labelled ‘attack on press freedom’

Mumbrella: Changes made by the federal court last Friday, restricting access to some court documents, have been denounced as an “an attack on press freedom” and something which runs against the principles of open justice by well-known professor of journalism and media freedom activist, Peter Greste.

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FIJI: Wholesale change at FBC board ‘inevitable’, says academic

Asia Pacific Report: One of Fiji’s leading media analysts says wholesale changes to the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation’s board were inevitable, given the change of government in the country, reports ABC Pacific Beat.

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NEW ZEALAND: Chris Hipkins as Prime Minister: Expect him to ditch Three Waters, TVNZ/RNZ merger – David Cunliffe

The New Zealand Herald: Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is riding a wave of optimism that carries new leaders through the first weeks and months of their tenure.

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NEW ZEALAND: Myles Thomas: Debate over public media merger is the proof we need it (Opinion)

Asia Pacific Report: How the RNZ/TVNZ merger went from its first reading in Parliament to the legislative extinction list is an example of why New Zealand actually needs more public media and not less.

AUSTRIA: GIS deadline, financial gap: ORF is looking for a new newsroom manager under political pressure (German)

Der Standard: The ORF is preparing a new management for the largest, most far-reaching info editorial team in the country, while the public service giant is currently negotiating with the pressure-building chancellor party ÖVP about its future GIS financing and three-digit million financial gaps.

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BELARUS: Belarusian opposition leader: Exiled media needs our help now, more than ever

Politico: Independent Belarusian media has remained a prime target for retribution. But even in exile, they are inspiring thousands to continue the fight.

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BELGIUM: How does RTBF react when it is under pressure? (French)

RTBF

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FRANCE: France Televisions sets up the Stade 2 Immersive Social Space at Roland Garros

France TV: The Digital Department of France Televisions, with the Sports Department, has proposed a new test of Immersive Social Space dedicated to Roland Garros and the universe of Stade 2.

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FRANCE: French streamer Salto to close after just two years

TBI Vision: Salto only launched two years ago but has failed to secure a substantial subscriber base, with shareholders TF1 and M6 confirming their plans to pull out after the abandonment of their proposed merger deal in the face of regulatory opposition.

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GEORGIA: Under threat, local newsrooms innovate to survive in Georgia

IPI: Local newsrooms in Georgia survive through innovation and building relationships with their communities.

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GERMANY: German police search office of independent broadcaster and 2 journalists’ homes, seize equipment and documents

CPJ: German authorities must immediately stop harassing journalists affiliated with the independent nonprofit radio station Radio Dreyeckland, return all equipment and documents seized in raids on its editors’ homes, and ensure that members of the press are not threatened with criminal charges over their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

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IRELAND: Government promises to reform TV licence fee by third quarter of 2024

The Irish Times: The Government will implement television licence-fee reform by the third quarter of 2024, it pledged on Wednesday, while the technical group set up to examine the issue will report to Minister for Media Catherine Martin by the end of this March.

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POLAND: EU court issues ruling on gay man suing Polish state TV for discrimination

Notes from Poland: The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued a ruling on a case in which a gay man accuses Polish state broadcaster TVP of ending its cooperation with him because he and his husband (pictured above) produced a video promoting tolerance of same-sex couples.

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RUSSIA: How Russian propaganda units are broadcasting fake Polish TV reports

Observers | France 24: Did a Polish news channel really broadcast a weather map showing Poland expanding into Ukrainian territory? Or the TV report on how the Polish army was creating an LGBT paramilitary unit?

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RUSSIA: Russia’s RT France to Close After Accounts Frozen

VOA: RT France, the French arm of the Russian state broadcaster, will shut down after its French bank accounts were frozen over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the channel’s director said Saturday.

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SLOVAKIA: Slovak pubcaster recruits Pavol Pavlik

Broadband TV News: Pavol Pavlik has been appointed the director of the new media section at the Slovak public broadcaster RTVS.

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SPAIN: Cellnex secures RTVE contract

Broadband TV News: The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE and Cellnex’s Retevisión have signed a €301.6 million contract valid for the next five years.

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SWEDEN: Sveriges Radio – largest in newly written music (Swedish – Press Release)

Swedish Radio: “Sveriges Radio continues to be the country’s largest purchaser of new music by Swedish composers.”

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UK: ‘A fundamental blow’: anger over threat to BBC Introducing music discovery platform

The Guardian: It is the nationwide network of weekly regional radio programmes and festival stages that has helped launch the careers of British superstars such as Ed Sheeran, Florence + the Machine, Celeste and Little Simz. But now, the future of BBC Music Introducing is believed to be under threat.

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UK: Richard Sharp: BBC chairman says he won’t quit over Boris Johnson loan row

BBC News: Richard Sharp says he will not stand down as chairman of the BBC over the Boris Johnson loan row.

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UKRAINE: Ukraine’s Media Weigh Powers of New Law

VOA News: Ukraine’s new media law has divided critics, with journalists warning it gives the government new, expansive powers, and Kyiv arguing that it brings the country closer to the European Union and will help fight propaganda.

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REGIONAL: IPI position on the European Media Freedom Act

IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) today published its detailed position on the draft proposal for European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). IPI submitted its position on January 23, 2023, as part of the European Commission’s Public Consultation.

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REGIONAL: PROTECT MEDIA TO PRESERVE DEMOCRACY: THE EMFA AND PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA

EBU: On 19 January, the EBU published its policy position on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). The EMFA is an opportunity for Europe to spell out the key principles that will shield media and journalists from threats and interference. 

ARGENTINA & BRAZIL: Promote a rapprochement between the public media of Argentina and Brazil (Spanish)

Télam: With the arrival of Lula Da Silva to the presidency of the neighboring country, the minister of the Special Secretariat for Social Communication (SECOM) of the Presidency of Brazil, Paulo Pimenta, and the president of Radio and Television Argentina, Rosario Lufrano, agreed to advance in the articulation between both countries. 

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BRAZIL: Country with the worst climate for the exercise of journalism last week in Latin America

VOA News: The Inter-American Press Association (SIP) publishes every week a report on the state of press freedom in the Americas, which is based on data collected by SIP Bot, a real-time monitoring tool based on Artificial Intelligence.

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BRAZIL: Ten days after the attacks in Brasilia, the number of attacks on journalists reached 37

IFJ: At least 37 attacks against media workers were recorded both during the riots in Brasilia and after.

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CHILE: Recommendations for a broad and diverse communication ecosystem (Spanish)

El Siglo: The inputs and conclusions of the Report “More breadth, more voices, more democracy. Contribution for the communications of the Chile that comes” prepared by the universities of Chile, La Frontera and La Serena, commissioned by the Ministry of the General Secretariat of Government.

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CUBA: As independent media blossoms in Cuba, journalists face a crackdown

The Guardian: ‘Chilling’ new criminal law penalizing internationally funded journalism comes as repression in the country is on the rise.

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ECUADOR: Concern for freedom of expression in Ecuador (Spanish)

VOA News: National and international organisations expressed their concern on Tuesday over the lawsuit for moral damages filed against a journalist who published a note about alleged acts of corruption that dot the government and the brother-in-law of Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso.

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ECUADOR: Former workers of seized media ask the Government to take into account the Comptroller’s decision on Segcom’s debt (Spanish)

El Universo: The amount amounts to approximately $1,800,000 and they say that it will serve to comply, without decrees or reforms, with the pending obligations with those affected.

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MEXICO: Amedi Jalisco asks public media to be impartial in the State-UdeG conflict (Spanish)

Reporte Índigo: The University System of Radio, Television and Cinematography, of the University of Guadalajara, and the Jalisciense System of Radio and Television, of the state, were ordered by the Mexican Association of Right to Information to maintain their editorial line with ‘high quality standards ‘, and oblivious to the current conflict between those authorities.

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MEXICO: Reporter Publishes Story in Mexico; 24 Hours Later He’s Dead

VOA News: 13 Mexican journalists were killed in 2022.

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PERU: After experiencing the most violent year for the press in 2022, journalists in Peru start 2023 with almost one attack per day while covering the social crisis

LatAm Journalism Review 

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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: PM Rowley Defends Press Freedom

NY Carib News: Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley says he found it “difficult” to accept the allegation of there being no press freedom in Trinidad and Tobago.

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REGIONAL: IAPA calls on democratic governments to demand an end to repression in Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela

IAPA: The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) regretted the presence at the seventh CELAC summit of the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, as well as the foreign ministers Denis Moncada of Nicaragua and Gil Pinto of Venezuela, considering that “they are the three most repressive governments of freedom of the press and expression and of journalism in the Americas”.

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REGIONAL: The most dangerous place to be a journalist is not an active war zone but Latin America

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: 2022 was the deadliest year for journalists in the region in two decades, with Mexico and Haiti leading the count. Will this change in 2023?

IRAN: Reports: Iran Arrests Three Female Journalists Amid Protests

VOA News: ‘In the past 48 hours, at least three female journalists, namely Melika Hashemi, Saideh Shafiei and Mehrnoush Zarei, have been arrested in Tehran,’ reformist newspaper Etemad quoted the Tehran journalists’ union as saying.

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ISRAEL: Will Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation be closed by budget cuts?

The Jerusalem Post: There was a déjà vu atmosphere at the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), known by its trade name, KAN, on Sunday, as veteran broadcasters who had previously worked under the umbrella of the defunct Israel Broadcasting Authority recalled the drawn out, and ultimately successful attempt, to close down the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in 2017.

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LEBANON: Lebanese broadcaster LBCI bombed following comedy segment

CPJ: Lebanese authorities must thoroughly investigate the recent bombing of the privately owned news and entertainment broadcaster LBCI and ensure perpetrators are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

CANADA: 2023 as seen by six of our colleagues with distinguished careers

CBC/Radio-Canada: To usher in 2023, we spoke to six colleagues who have enjoyed long and distinguished careers with us and asked them to share their aspirations for the coming year.

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CANADA: CRTC wants public input on controversial online streaming bill, says new chair

National Post: The CRTC will consider Canadians’ views on how it should implement the Liberal government’s contentious online streaming legislation, according to the broadcast and telecom regulator’s new chairperson.

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US: FCC Efforts Come Up Short As Latest Report On Ownership Diversity Shows Little Progress.

Inside Radio: In the quarter century since media ownership caps were changed, the Federal Communications Commission has resisted further relaxation of its rules in part as a way to help promote diversity of ownership. 

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US: FRONTLINE (PBS) Names Inaugural Cohort of the Investigative Journalist Equity Initiative

CPB: FRONTLINE, the award-winning PBS investigative documentary series based at GBH in Boston, today announced the selection of filmmakers for the Investigative Journalist Equity Initiative (IJEI), a new effort aimed at increasing diversity in the documentary filmmaking landscape. 

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US: How pubmedia can build relationships with teens and tweens

Current: A new study from Sesame Workshop draws on lessons from project leaders and youth alumni.

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US: Lakeshore Public Radio (LPR) celebrates 14 years of continued service to residents of Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland.

Lakeshore Public Media: The listener supported public radio station hit the airwaves January 19, 2009 to provide the communities of Lake Michigan’s southern shore with localized news and cultural coverage under its mission to support life-long learning, celebrate human diversity, and engage in civic concerns.

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US: Public Radio’s Winning Strategy: Music Discovery

Billboard: A handful of public radio stations dedicated to playing new singles have enjoyed notable ratings bumps in recent years.

Alireza Haji Hosseini, director of CNN Academy, on simulated news training

Journalism.co.uk: Most reporters learn the ropes of the job through a mixture of university, work experience and their first gigs in the industry. But is there another way?

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Connecting the dots between my upbringing and my love of journalism

Poynter: Links, resources and tips for your week in journalism education. 

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Dozens of journalists were killed last year amid a ‘precipitous decline in press freedom,’ alarming new report finds

CNN: In its annual report set to publish Tuesday morning, the Committee to Protect Journalists found that the number of journalists killed “increased sharply” in 2022, according to an advance copy of the report CNN has reviewed.

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How meteorologists cover climate change (Listen)

Wisconsin Public Radio: Meteorologists are seeing the effects of climate change in real time, as extreme weather events and disasters become more common. We talk with three meteorologists about how they try to talk about climate change, how they see our world changing and what pushback they get from skeptics. 

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How public policy can help save local news

CJR: It’s understandable that the idea that government should help save local media makes many journalists’ skin crawl. How can reporters get support from one of the institutions we’re supposed to be holding accountable?

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Informed app attracts big-name publishers to join curated subscription bundle

Press Gazette: Paywalled publishers such as the Financial Times, Economist, Bloomberg and NYT are on board.

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IS BIG TECH TAMPERING WITH MEDIA CONTENT!?

EBU: On 20 January, the EBU released a video that explains how big tech is tampering with public service media content and services.

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Journalism has a Davos problem

CJR: ON WEDNESDAY—Day Three of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland—the digital newsroom Semafor came out with the third installment of its “Davos Daily” newsletter, a one-stop template for how the media covers the WEF and the global rich.

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TikTok rolls out its ‘state-controlled media’ label to 40 more countries

TechCrunch: TikTok today announced it’s expanding its “state-controlled media” label to more than 40 additional global markets, to alert users when videos they’re seeing on the app are being published by entities whose “editorial output or decision-making process” is subject to influence by a government, the company said on Wednesday.

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Trust in media up in the UK but remains among lowest in the world, Edelman survey finds

Press Gazette: The UK and the US were just two of six countries where trust in media increased in 2022, according to the latest trust survey from PR firm Edelman.

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UNESCO seeks nominations to its Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom 2023 prize

ICIR: UNESCO invites member states to nominate candidates for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2023, in consultation with their National Commissions, as well as international and regional professional non-governmental organisations in the field of journalism and press freedom.

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Why Tiktok is one of the ‘main priorities’ at BBC News for 2023

Press Gazette: BBC News has gained 802,000 Tiktok followers since launching the account in March 2022.

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Youth radio journalism resources roundup

Reynolds Journalism Institute: Starting a journalism program for teens? You don’t need to create training and curriculum materials from scratch.