Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
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BURUNDI: Communications council rescinds media licenses
Via IFEX: The decision by Burundi’s National Council for Communication (CNC) to strip four broadcast media outlets of their licences and to suspend a radio station for three months will have disastrous consequences for the country’s already fragile media.
CAMEROON: Journalists Not Terrorists
CPJ: In Cameroon, anti-terror legislation is used to silence critics and suppress dissent.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Threats force provincial radio station to close in CAR
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) regrets that a leading community radio station in the southeast of the Central African Republic has been forced to close after being threatened by armed groups, and reminds all parties to the conflict of the need to respect media freedom and independence.
GHANA: Ghana to host 2018 World Press Freedom Day
GhanaWeb
KENYA: Journalists injured, cameras smashed as they covered police brutality
KDRTV: Rights groups and journalists trying to document police brutality as they dealt with protesters soon after the August 8 polls have been met with fierce force.
LIBERIA: Liberian President Slams Abuses, Violence Ahead of Runoff Elections
Front Page Africa: Ahead of the upcoming run-off Presidential elections, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has condemned in the strongest terms what she calls the abuse and misuse of social media through the use of invective, hate speech and outright vulgarity.
MAURITANIA: Mauritania cracks down on critical press after referendum
CPJ: The Mauritanian Radio and Television Broadcast Authority today ordered Mauritania’s five privately owned news stations to shut down for “failing to fulfil their financial agreements” with the country’s broadcast regulator, local media reported.
NIGERIA: Court denies Journalists Access to Courtroom
MFWA: The judicial authorities in Nigeria have denied a group of journalists access to a hearing that was taking place at a High Court in Abuja.
SENEGAL: Presidency Targets ‘Fake News’
Via All Africa: Senegal’s presidency is getting into the fact-checking business.
SOUTH AFRICA: Media freedom continues to face external threats in the form of legislation, intimidation, harassment and surveillance.
Quartz: Media freedom continues to face external threats in the form of legislation, intimidation, harassment and surveillance.
SOUTH AFRICA: One Step Forward, Ten Steps Back For The SABC (Opinion)
Huffington Post: The President has finally appointed the permanent Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Whilst the appointment is most welcome, it comes with some red flags raised regarding some appointees, as well as regarding the circumstances surrounding the timing of the appointment.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa’s media should beware of being the voice of only some (Opinion)
The Conversation
TANZANIA: Shonza Asks Journalists to Publish, Broadcast Worth-News
Via All Africa: Deputy Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Ms Juliana Shonza reminded journalists and media owners to publish air and broadcast information that aim at transforming the society.
UGANDA: Ugandan editors charged over presidential age limit stories
Via Ifex: Two Ugandan newspaper editors were quizzed by the police’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) over age limit budget stories.
ZIMBABWE: Why Zimbabwe has a ‘Minister of WhatsApp’
BBC News: A spoof government notice hit social media as soon as President Robert Mugabe announced he had set up a new ministry responsible for Cyber Security, Threat Detection and Mitigation.
GENERAL: “They’ll only kill you if the denial of revenue does not bring you down”
Nieman Reports: Despite government and commercial pressure—and, sometimes, physical threats—incisive investigative work is getting done across Africa.
AZERBAIJAN: Seeking to Arrest Critical Journalists throughout the Ex-USSR
Eurasianet: The arrest of an Azerbaijani journalist in Ukraine marks a fresh instance of free-media-wary Azerbaijan having a critical reporter apprehended outside its borders.
CHINA: “Change China before it changes us” (Comment)
RSF: If the democracies do not resist, China will not only never be able to enjoy press freedom but will also gradually extend its own lid on free speech to the rest of the world.
CHINA: China Media Bulletin: Beijing’s foreign meddling, censorship innovation, HK campus tensions
Freedom House: A monthly update of press freedom news and analysis related to China.
CIMA: While investments in telecommunication infrastructure are much needed in many parts of Africa, African societies should be aware that Chinese technology and technical assistance may pose a long-term threat to individual privacy and media freedom.
CHINA & PAKISTAN: China Radio International and Radio Pakistan launch Dosti Channel
ABU: The Channel will broadcast programs in Urdu, Chinese and English languages.
HONG KONG: Clarify guidelines for former office holders, Hong Kong government told in wake of John Tsang probe
South China Morning Post: Lawmakers and analysts see no conflict of interest in Tsang’s unpaid radio and TV roles, and say government could have handled the matter with more sensitivity.
HONG KONG: Plans to find RTHK a new home appear in doubt as government struggles to find roommates
South China Morning Post: Authorities still considering a plan for the city’s public broadcaster to share space with other departments, secretary for commerce and development says.
INDIA: All India Radio to expand global presence
ABU: India’s public broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) is planning to launch services for several countries to boost diplomatic ties and the government’s outreach programmes to Indians settled overseas.
INDIA: Prasar Bharti to go digital, sell India story to world
The Times of India: India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is looking to spread its wings overseas, digitally.
INDONESIA: Global research project examines ‘social impact’ of natural disasters (Project)
Asia Pacific Report: How Indonesian society manages in the face of natural disasters is the focus of a global research collaboration as part of the Indonesian government’s World Class Professor programme.
NEPAL: Underutilised domain
The Kathmandu Post: Community radios have established themselves as indispensable, but the air time value remains largely misspent.
PAKISTAN: Balochi journalists caught between army and rebels
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed to learn that two rebel groups in Balochistan, in southwestern Pakistan, have threatened to attack the province’s media if, by 24 October, they have not begun defying a Pakistani government ban on covering rebel activities.
VIETNAM: #StopTheCrackdownVN: RSF joins counter-offensive against Vietnam’s persecution of bloggers
RSF: As another citizen-journalist, Phan Kim Khanh, awaits trial on 25 October on a charge with a possible 20-year jail sentence, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) joins nine other human rights groups in launching #StopTheCrackdownVN, a campaign against the current unprecedented crackdown on the freedom to inform in Vietnam.
AUSTRALIA: ‘Massively unfair’: Guthrie attacks demand to disclose ABC pay
The Guardian: Chief executive tells Senate estimates the push to publish presenters’ salaries would breach the Privacy Act.
AUSTRALIA: ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie reveals staff salary details
News.com.au: The ABC’s managing director Michelle Guthrie has revealed what the highest paid presenter’s salary is at the national broadcaster.
NEW ZEALAND: New era for public broadcasting anticipated
Stuff.co.nz: Public broadcasting is to benefit from a Labour-NZFirst-Green government, a lobby group says, and it is not too concerned which of the plans proposed by Labour and NZ First is taken forward.
TONGA: Lawyer claims Tonga govt controlling media
RNZ: A lawyer says ousting two journalists from the Tonga Broadcasting Commission’s newsroom is a political move designed to control coverage of the upcoming election.
TONGA: Restructure highlights ongoing struggle for TBC
PMA: The repositioning of two prominent journalists sparks further concern of government interference at the Tongan public broadcaster.
GENERAL: Shailendra Singh: How journalists can walk the Pacific climate change talk
Asia Pacific Report: Climate change seems to be getting increasingly more news coverage recently, which is a positive outcome—on at least some levels.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Bosnia’s Rights Ministry Spotlights Challenges Facing Media
Balkan Insight: A report from Bosnia’s Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees on freedom of speech, which the government has adopted, notes threats, defamation lawsuits and self-censorship as some of the key problems in the media.
BULGARIA: Politicians exert control over Bulgarian media
via Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso: The Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) argues that politicians exert unwarrantable pressure over Bulgarian media.
CYPRUS: From PSB to Privatisation (Journal Article)
VIEW: Structures and vulnerabilities of the greek-cypriot broadcasting sector.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Anti-Fake News Center Doesn’t Czech
Coda Story: The Czech government is on the defensive over its efforts to combat Russian disinformation before this weekend’s elections.
CZECH REPUBLIC: On election eve, billionaire Czech media mogul sparks press freedom concerns
IPI: After purchase of key media outlets, Andrej Babiš on cusp of becoming country’s next leader.
FRANCE: French parliamentarians reject move to ease pubcaster budget cuts
Digital TV Europe: French parliamentarians have withdrawn support for a move to ameliorate an additional €50 million in budget cuts imposed on the country’s public broadcaster, France Télévisions.
GREECE: Greek journalists begin 48-hr strike for better conditions
Sun News Online: Greek news reporters began a 48-hour strike on Tuesday at 5:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), demanding better working conditions.
GREECE: Why Greek journalists are on strike – and hunger strike
ECPMF: No news today. In Greece retired as well as working journalists find themselves ineligible of their pensions and health care. The Greek journalists unions decided a 48 hours strike on Tuesday and Wednesday. Four women have been on hunger strike for more than ten days.
COE: The District Commissioner of Reykjavík issued an injunction on 16 October 2017 against media outlets Stundin and Reykjavík Media, prohibiting them from doing any future reporting on the financial dealings of Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson and his family with Glitnir bank just before the economic collapse of Iceland in October 2008.
ITALY: ’End impunity for those who kill journalists’ – Italy unites with jazz
ECPMF: Just one week after Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, the media freedom community, with United Nations backing, is meeting in Rome to call for an end to impunity for those who murder journalists. With music.
MACEDONIA: Indicators for the level of media freedom and journalists’ safety (Report)
ECPMF: Supported by the European Union, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia has produced a report which intends to assess media freedom throughout three main indicators.
MALTA: Death of Maltese journalist ‘could be linked to fuel-smuggling network’
The Guardian: Sicily chief prosecutor says he ‘could not exclude’ possibility that alleged crime syndicate may be behind murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
MALTA: In Malta, RSF urges EU to back campaign for journalists’ safety
RSF: In an address to thousands of people who gathered yesterday in Malta to demand justice for slain Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the European Union to press for the creation of a special UN representative for the safety of journalists.
NETHERLANDS: Dutch public and commercial broadcasters unite to promote diversity
DutchNews.nl: State broadcaster NPO plus commercial companies RTL and Vice have joined forces to fight the discrimination and stereotyping of women who work in the media.
POLAND: Eroding Checks and Balances (Report)
HRW: Rule of Law and Human Rights Under Attack in Poland – including interference with the independence of public media and undermining freedom of expression.
POLAND: TVP to Coproduce Documentary Series with Chinese TV Chengdu Radio & Television
Film New Europe: Polish public broadcaster TVP and CDRTV China’s TV Chengdu Radio & Television are coproducing an eight-episode documentary series about Polish and Chinese economic relations.
RUSSIA: How Russia Weaponized Primetime
Coda Story: The Kremlin has found the perfect vehicle to spread its message: drama and comedy hits on its own TV channels.
RUSSIA: ‘Nobody defends us’: Russian journalists respond to knife attack
The Guardian: Reporters decry climate of hatred after Tatyana Felgenhauer is stabbed in neck at Ekho Moskvy radio station.
SPAIN: RTVE, TV3 workers oppose Spanish state’s threat to take over Catalan media
Rapid TV News: Following the Spanish Government’s potential move to take control over Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA), workers from both RTVE and TV3 have spoken out to defend freedom of speech.
SPAIN: Spanish Government considers taking control of Catalan public broadcaster
Rapid TV News: In the escalating conflict between the Spanish and Catalonian governments, public media continue to play a key role, with the Spanish Prime Minister mulling the takeover of Catalan public TV.
SWEDEN: Sweden concludes DTT migration
Broadband TV News: This month, transmitter comoany Teracom will conclude the DTT migration from the 700 MHz band.
SWITZERLAND: Radio and TV licence fee vote to be held next March
Swissinfo.ch: Voters will decide on March 4, 2018 on a proposal to scrap the mandatory licence fee for services of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), including swissinfo.ch.
UK: BBC partners with UK universities in major data initiative
Digital TV Europe: The BBC has launched a five-year research partnership with eight UK universities in a bid to “unlock the potential of data in the media”.
Journalism.co.uk: The project will allow partner stations to share lively 60-second news videos on their own websites and social media channels.
OSCE: The safety of journalists and putting an end to impunity for crimes committed against them must be adequately addressed to maintain a favourable environment for freedom of the media in Ukraine, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said during his visit to Kyiv.
GENERAL: European Broadcasting Union Director Simon Fell to step down
IBC365: Director of Technology and Innovation Simon Fell has announced he will leave the EBU at the conclusion of his tenure in February 2018.
GENERAL: First speakers announced for Vienna 2018
RadioDays Europe
CUBA: For Cubans, Wi-Fi means family
Reuters: The introduction of Wi-Fi hotspots in Cuban public spaces two years ago has transformed the Communist-run island that had been mostly offline. Nearly half the population of 11 million connected at least once last year.
ECUADOR: Ecuador TV and Gamavisión seal alliance (Spanish)
El Comercio: Within the framework of the public policy of optimization of resources of the State , the television channels Ecuador TV and Gamavisión unite.
MEXICO: The murders of journalists in Mexico (Spanish)
RCI: Violence, impunity and forced displacement in Mexico have taken on alarming proportions since the armed forces were deployed to combat organized crime.
PERU: Smart TV market thrives in Peru
Rapid TV News: Along with increasing online video and over-the-top (OTT) consumption, the penetration of smart TVs has tripled in Peru over the last two years.
VENEZUELA: Venezuelan journalists and media outlets censored and attacked during regional elections
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Journalists were the targets of anti-press sentiment and actions from officials, security forces and citizens leading up to and during the Oct. 15 regional elections for 23 governorships in Venezuela.
ISRAEL: Israeli forces raid several Palestinian media production companies
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Israeli authorities to stop harassing Palestinian media and to release two staff members of a media company arrested during a series of raids in the West Bank yesterday.
Nieman Lab: As a site focused on independent music, the five-year-old Ma3azef.com still has limited competition — and is trying everything from new print products to multi-country live music festivals.
TURKEY: Trial for Turkey journalists in energy minister email case
IPI: Six journalists and media employees in Turkey face trial today in Istanbul on accusations of spreading terrorist propaganda and revealing state secrets stemming from leftist hackers’ release of emails last year from a private account of the country’s energy minister, the son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
CANADA: Journalism in the age of alt-facts and fake news the topic of Banff Centre conference (Q&A)
CBC News: ‘Pointing out where the inaccurate facts and the fake news is, is more important than ever’.
CANADA: Magnitsky human rights law, protections for journalists’ sources get royal assent
CBC News: Russia says passing of Magnitsky law causes ‘irreparable damage’ to Russia-Canada relations.
CANADA: Why the murder of a journalist in Malta sent ripples as far as Canada
CBC News: Daphne Caruana Galizia’s death has implications for investigative journalists around the world.
US: Bringing the ‘Public’ Back to Public Media (Opinion)
Mediashift
US: CPB Commits $5.6 Million to Enhance PBS KIDS Digital Learning Experiences for Children
CPB: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded PBS KIDS a $5.6 million grant for digital innovation, which will help fund the creation of integrated video-and-game experiences for children, experimentation with short-form video and community engagement around the recently launched PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream via local PBS stations.
US: Deborah Amos | 2017 Courage In Journalism Award
IWMF: “I’ve been thinking about the reporters on the ground. That was as risky a situation as I’ve ever seen.” One might think that NPR’s Deborah Amos was commenting on a conflict in Syria, Iraq, or another of the war-torn locales she’s covered over the years. In fact, she was reflecting on the recent protests in Charlottesville, VA.
US: Laura Walker: Public media can be ‘a haven from divisive rhetoric’
Current: Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act into law, the American media landscape has transformed in ways that visionaries, pioneers and advocates for nationally funded “public telecommunications services” scarcely imagined.
US: Nearly Half of US Voters Thinks the Media Is Conspiring Against Trump, Poll Says
VICE: A whopping 46 percent of all American voters believes the media makes up stories about the president.
US: Pioneering Virtual Reality and New Video Technologies in Journalism
The New York Times: How do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives? Marcelle Hopkins, deputy video editor and co-director of virtual reality at The Times, discussed the tech she is using.
US: Reporting on Las Vegas, Pixel by Pixel
The New York Times
4 tips for staying safe when covering disaster or unrest
IJNET: Based on their decades-long experience in journalism, Magar and Narendra Shrestha, a Nepalese photojournalist who also covered the earthquake, shared some tips for staying safe when reporting in dangerous and traumatic situations.
Best practices for covering climate change with data
GEN: Six data journalists weigh in on how to best report on climate change.
DAB digital radio sales approach 60 million worldwide
Asia Radio Today: WorldDAB’s latest market report reveals that, by the end of Q2 2017, almost 60 million consumer and automotive DAB/DAB+ receivers (58,432,000) had been sold in Europe and Asia Pacific – up from 48 million one year earlier.
For local reporters, climate change means covering an ‘existential threat’
CJR
Interpol: The abuse red notices is bad news for critical journalists
Index on Censorship: Red notices have become a tool of political abuse by oppressive regimes. Since August, at least five journalists have been targeted across Europe by international arrest warrants issued by Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
“News you don’t believe”: Audience perspectives on fake news (Report)
RISJ: In this RISJ Factsheet by Rasmus Kleis Nielsen and Lucas Graves, we analyse data from 8 focus groups and a survey of online news users to understand audience perspectives on fake news.
Public radio’s digital moment: Smartphones, streaming, and the future of listening
Geekwire
Rules of Engagement: When should journalists intervene?
IJNET
The Agora Project turned polarising topics into deeper stories through cross-border collaboration
Journalism.co.uk: ‘There’s so much possibility to learn from each other’: 10 journalists worked together to put their stories into a European context
The Future of Truth and Misinformation Online (Report)
Pew Research Center: Experts are evenly split on whether the coming decade will see a reduction in false and misleading narratives online. Those forecasting improvement place their hopes in technological fixes and in societal solutions. Others think the dark side of human nature is aided more than stifled by technology.
The powers and perils of news personalization
Nieman Lab: News personalization could help publishers attract and retain audiences — in the process making political polarization even worse.
This Week’s Top Ten in Data Journalism
GIJN
Want more women in journalism? Get predators out of our way.
Witness: Photojournalism has an undeniable diversity problem. In recent years, World Press Photo contest statistics have consistently tracked women’s participation at about 15 percent.
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Header image: PBS Headquarters, Crystal City. Image: melanie.phung/Creative Commons
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