BANGLADESH: Bangladesh’s Free Press Is Under Fire

The Diplomat: However, growing global scrutiny and an upcoming visit to the U.S. could be forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to go slow on cracking down on the media.

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BANGLADESH: Journalist attacked and thrown off building for reporting on hill-cutting

IFJ: Bangladeshi journalist Ayub Meahzi has suffered grave injuries after a group of unidentified armed assailants attacked and threw him from a two-story building in Chittagong on April 4. 

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CHINA: Journalists and the China story (Campaign)

IFJ: In an evolving media landscape, the influence of China in reshaping the entire global information environment cannot be understated.

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CHINA: To Understand China, Foreign Reporters Need Access, Journalists Say

VOA: Longtime New York Times China reporter Chris Buckley traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the day the city went into lockdown. It was January 2020.

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HONG KONG: CPJ calls on British PM to press for Jimmy Lai’s freedom after Hong Kong report

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed recommendations made by Britain’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in a report about Hong Kong media freedom released Monday, April 24, and joined the group in urging the U.K. government to immediately take action to secure the release of Jimmy Lai and other imprisoned journalists.

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HONG KONG: Hong Kong again bars several registered media outlets from gov’t event, repeatedly evades questions as to why

HKFP: The Hong Kong government barred several government-registered media outlets from covering a National Security Education Day event last Saturday, ignoring emails and evading questions by phone when challenged as to why.

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INDIA: Broadcasting body seeks MIB intervention over C-band auction

The Economic Times: The Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF) has requested the government against auctioning spectrum in the C-band (3,700-4,200 MHz) since the same has been allocated for broadcasting services, and opening this band for 5G, 6G services will disrupt the TV broadcasting sector due to the likely interference of terrestrial transmissions with the satellite signals.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyz Court Annuls Decision Rejecting RFE/RL’s Appeal Against Frozen Bank Account

RFE/RL: The Bishkek City Court has canceled a lower court decision to reject an appeal filed by RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Radio Azattyk, against the freezing of its bank account last year.

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MALDIVES: Maldives to host workshop on investigative reporting

ABU: UNESCO is funding an ABU News workshop on Safe and Effective investigative reporting of environmental crimes.

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MYANMAR: Myanmar Editor Arrested Over Social Media Images

VOA: A journalist is among four people detained by Myanmar’s military this month over social media content related to an airstrike.

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NEPAL: Bill on public service broadcasting will curtail editorial freedom: Experts

The Kathmandu Post: Endorsed by the National Assembly without any major change, the Public Service Broadcasting Bill (2020) that aims to merge Radio Nepal and Nepal Television is currently at the House of Representatives.

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SINGAPORE: POPULAR SINGAPOREAN DRAMAS AND MOVIE CLASSICS TO DEBUT ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO (Press release) 

Mediacorp: The deal will see four popular Mediacorp English dramas and two classic movie titles produced by Mediacorp Raintree Pictures, available on-demand to Amazon Prime Video’s customers in Malaysia and Singapore.

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS to unveil AI-based UHD production solution VVERTIGO at NAB Show 2023 (Press release – 14 April) 

KBS: KBS is set to unveil its state-of-the-art production solution VVERTIGO, an AI-based technology that automatically tracks the target subject to create reframed videos. 

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SOUTH KOREA: Netflix to invest $2.5b in Korean content

The Korea Herald: Netflix chief Ted Sarandos said his company will invest $2.5 billion in Korean content for next four years during a meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol, who arrived in Washington on Monday.

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TAIWAN: INPUT 2023 World Public Television Exhibition will be held in Taipei in mid-May. The creativity of the exhibitors will be eye-opening. (Press release – Chinese)

PTS: Taiwan PTV won the right to host the International Public Television Conference in 2006. This year, after 17 years, Taiwan PTV won the right to host again. 

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THAILAND: 8 political parties responded to the Hack Thailand 2032 policy (Press release) 

Thai PBS: Thai PBS joins forces with people’s networks and political parties to move forward with a transparent, modern, corruption-free state. 

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TURKMENISTAN: New study finds internet censorship in Turkmenistan reaches over 122,000 domains

Global Voices: The dictatorship in Turkmenistan does not get a lot of media and scholarly attention, although it is more than worthy of it. 

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VIETNAM: Vietnam must release journalist Nguyen Lan Thang

IPI: The IPI global network condemns the Vietnamese government’s decision to sentence journalist Nguyen Lan Thang to six years in prison.

AUSTRALIA: Google calls for relaxing of Australia’s copyright laws so AI can mine websites for information

The Guardian: In a submission to the government’s review of copyright enforcement published this week, Google argued the government needs to consider whether copyright law has “the necessary flexibilities” to support the development of AI.

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AUSTRALIA: LiSTNR and SBS Audio announce partnership for SBS podcasts and radio streams (Press release)

SBS: LiSTNR and SBS today announced a multi-year partnership that will see no less than 40 of SBS’s premium podcasts, plus six of its digital radio stations, available on LiSTNR.

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AUSTRALIA: SBS Audio and the Australian War Memorial launch the Ode of Remembrance in 45 languages (Press release)
SBS: In collaboration with the Australian War Memorial, SBS Audio presents the Ode of Remembrance in 45 languages to foster greater understanding and inclusion, as well as recognise the cultural diversity of those who have served.

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AUSTRALIA: SBS shares the celebration of Eid with all Australians (Press release)
SBS: SBS is celebrating Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, prayer and community, with an exciting feast of food, entertainment, news and events for all Australians to enjoy and celebrate the rich diversity of our country.

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AUSTRALIA: WA Premier Mark McGowan raised cases of detained Australians during China trip

ABC: Journalist Cheng Lei has been detained in China since August 2020 and is accused of leaking state secrets, while writer Yang Hengjun was arrested in January 2019 and the case against him has never been publicly disclosed.

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AUSTRALIA: Wackadoo! Bluey hits new heights with record-breaking results (Press release)

ABC: Australia’s #1 Children’s TV series, Bluey, returned with a bang on Sunday with the new season 3 episode setting an overnight launch record for the program on the ABC Kids channel.

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NEW ZEALAND: RNZ Welcomes Funding Announcement  (Press release)

RNZ: New funding announced today for RNZ is recognition of the crucial role it plays in the public media sector at a time of much change, board chairman Dr Jim Mather says. Dr Mather has welcomed today’s announcement by the Minister for Broadcasting and Media that RNZ will receive $25.7m in increased funding.

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NEW ZEALAND: What the Actual?! NZ Herald launches Gen Z news service – exclusive to social media

NZ HERALD: The New Zealand Herald continues to keep Kiwis informed with the launch of a new, unique social media brand aimed at and created by Gen Z: What the Actual?!

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NEW ZEALAND: What’s the government’s post-merger media plan?

RNZ: The government is beefing up RNZ’s budget after scrapping the new public media entity it planned over four years. But what’s the ‘broadcasting strategy for all New Zealanders’ the minister says he’s putting together? And what’s the plan for state-owned TVNZ?

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SOLOMON ISLANDS & PAPUA NEW GUINEA: National Broadcasting Corporation of PNG and Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation Sign Historic MOU

ABU: The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the areas of staff exchange, news content sharing, and technical cooperation. The signing was conducted by the Managing Director of NBC, Kora Nou, and the CEO of SIBC, Johnson Honimae.

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REGIONAL: British foreign minister’s belated visit to the Pacific a welcome counter to Chinese influence

The Guardian: James Cleverly’s visit to the Pacific, the first by a British foreign minister to some of the islands since the 1970s, is as welcome as it is overdue.

AUSTRIA: This is how high the new ORF fee will be – the struggle for new rules of the game (German)

Heute: According to  “Heute” information, poker is about the ORF amendment to the final negotiation. The publisher boss is now warning of “a catastrophe for private media”.

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BELARUS: 10-Year Sentence Asked for Journalist Forced Down in Belarus

VOA News: Prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence Friday for a dissident Belarusian journalist who was arrested after a warplane forced down a commercial airliner he was taking to Lithuania.

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BELGIUM: What attention does VRT pay to books? (Dutch)

VRT: VRT loves to read and books in all styles and genres, for all ages. Discover here how VRT puts the spotlight on this diverse range of books throughout the year.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Television will celebrate its 70th anniversary with an open day and a special program (Press release – Czech)

Czech TV: On May 1, Czech Television will celebrate seventy years since the start of television broadcasting. 

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Efforts to fight disinformation grind to a halt

IPI: After promising start, government of Petr Fiala fails to make progress on media agenda.

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FINLAND: During the week of the news class, middle schoolers rush onto Yle’s platforms – the challenge is part of a months-long media education collaboration (Press release – Finnish)

Yle: This week, the 13- to 16-year-olds who participated in the Uutisluokka activity can be seen and heard in their own news content on Yle’s various channels and online. This academic year, 11 schools and 229 students from different parts of Finland participated in the news class activity.

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FRANCE: Automated music detection and reporting through audio fingerprinting

EBU: Over several years, algorithmic companies specializing in music recognition have emerged, but their collaborations with the various media providers are often fragmented and limited. France Médias Monde (FMM) has carried out real research and innovation work on this subject, even having a staff member dedicated to addressing the challenge.

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FRANCE: Radio France / The public service radio antennas still and always massively chosen by the French (Press release – French)

Radio France: The public service radio antennas still and always massively chosen by the French both on the linear and on the digital. 

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GERMANY: Broadcasting fee debate: CDU media politician Liminski sees broadcasters as having a duty (German)

Deutschlandfunk: More, less or still exactly 18.36 euros? The radio contribution must remain “as stable as possible”, emphasized the CDU media politician Nathanael Liminski again and again. But what does that mean in concrete terms? And where exactly should the broadcasters save?

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GERMANY: FDP wants to reduce contribution (German)

Süddeutsche Zeitung: By party convention resolution, the Liberals are demanding that the nationwide offerings of the ARD and the content of the ZDF be brought together.

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GERMANY: “Too expensive and too one-sided”: gossip against ARD and ZDF – because the broadcast fee should increase drastically (German)

inFranken: The public broadcasters ARD and ZDF are booming. For the first time, the income from the broadcasting contribution (GEZ) exceeded the 10 billion euro mark – and it is set to rise further. An increase from the current 18.36 euros to up to 25.19 euros per month is planned.

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GREECE: In Athens, World’s Journalists Will Take Up Media Freedom Questions

The National Herald: The International Federation of Journalists’ (IFJ) annual general meeting in the Greek capital will look at issues of reporters’ safety around the world, including the question of stifled media freedom in Greece.

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HUNGARY: Hungarian case shows the EU needs a bulletproof media freedom law (Opinion)

Euronews: Back in 2010, when the Hungarian Parliament introduced a string of restrictions, including fines for “unbalanced coverage” of independent journalism through a new media law, several EU governments, international organisations and media freedom NGOs cried foul […] Yet, despite the noise, the law was maintained, and the ruling Fidesz party, led by Orbán, has since had a free hand to bring independent and critical media to heel.

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ICELAND: Dynamic, varied and interesting program (Press release – Icelandic)

RÚV: General meeting, annual accounts and annual report of RÚV.

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IRELAND: RTÉ names Kevin Bakhurst as its next director-general

Broadband TV News: RTÉ says Kevin Bakhurst will become its new director-general when Dee Forbes steps down on 11 July.

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ITALY: Rai journalists attacked in Ostia

Italy 24 News: Anything but friendly reception in Nuova Ostia for a troupe of Rai journalists attacked while they were trying to document the seizure by the carabinieri of the apartment illegally occupied for 17 years by Roberto Spada, a leading member of the homonymous clan, and already convicted – among other things – for the crime of private violence, aggravated by the mafia method. 

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ITALY: The Board of Directors approved the 2022 budget (Press release – Italian)

Rai: Green light also for the Rai Group 2022 Sustainability Report.

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ITALY: With Defamation Suits, Italy’s Govt Squeezes Media Freedom

Balkan Insight: The latest case of a government official in Italy filing criminal defamation charges over a newspaper article underscores the need for reform, rights groups say.

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NETHERLANDS: NPO requests OCW provisional recognition ON! to withdraw (Press release – Dutch)

NPO: The Board of Directors of the NPO asks State Secretary Gunay Uslu of Culture and Media to withdraw the provisional recognition of broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON!). 

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NORWAY: NRK bans TikTok (13 April – Norwegian)

NRK: Employees of NRK must now remove TikTok from their service phones. That has been decided by the top management of the media house.

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SLOVAKIA: More and more Slovaks are concerned about media freedom (Slovak)

EURACTIV: A new survey shows that 62 percent of Slovaks are concerned about the independence of the press, compared to 49 percent last year. It is questionable how Slovaks interpret this term, since the voters of the ĽSNS party, which spreads distrust in the mainstream media, have the most concerns. 

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SPAIN: RTVE closes agreements in Cannes to bring its content to the US, Latin America, India, the Middle East or the Maghreb (Spanish)

El Confidencial Digital: RTVE has managed to close agreements in the latest edition of the international television content market MIPTV held this week in Cannes, thanks to which its content can be enjoyed in the United States, Latin America, India, the Maghreb, the Middle East and in European countries such as Poland, Slovakia and the Netherlands, as reported by the entity.

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SPAIN: RTVE will offset 600 tons of CO2 emitted by producing its programs with plans to reforest Galicia and Amazonas (Spanish)

El Confidencial Digital: The three environmental initiatives that will be undertaken in 2023 aim to neutralize nearly 600 tons of CO2 accounted for in the measurement of 13 television programs.

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SWEDEN: Constructive feedback should make SVT’s local news even better (Blog – Swedish)

SVT: SVT’s local newsrooms have recently carried out a large systematic review of the journalism that is published. 

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SWEDEN: Sveriges Radio stops being active on Twitter (Blog – Swedish)

Swedish Radio: For a long time, Sveriges Radio has de-prioritised its presence on Twitter and has now made the decision to completely stop being active on the platform, at the same time that we are shutting down a number of accounts. Christian Gillinger, responsible for social media, looks back and explains the background to the decision.

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SWITZERLAND & RUSSIA: New extent: Russian threat against Swiss journalists (German)

SRF: A journalist was named by the Russian embassy in Bern and criticized for his reporting. That in itself is nothing new for journalists covering Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. What is new, however, is the extent.

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RUSSIA: From Gershkovich to Gadzhiev: 9 Journalists Jailed in Russia

The Moscow Times: The arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich last month brought to light the stark reality of media freedom in Russia, which is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most perilous places for journalists.  

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UK: Draft Media Bill: DCMS Committee launches pre-legislative scrutiny

DCMS: The DCMS Committee is inviting views on a draft Bill aimed at modernising broadcasting legislation to help public service broadcasters meet the challenges created by the growth of on-demand services and new technology.

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UK: Ofcom seeks to reform strict PSB ad rules

Digital TV Europe: Telecom and media regulator, Ofcom has been consulting on whether it is to remove some or all of the stricter advertising rules that apply to commercially-funded public service broadcasters (PSBs), which has provisionally come to the conclusion that stricter advertising restrictions on PSB channels are no longer justified or proportionate.

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UKRAINE: Ukraine tightens rules on frontline reporting

Deutsche Welle: Journalists covering Russia’s war on Ukraine must now observe stricter rules. Media outlets say the changes violate press freedom.

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REGIONAL: Across the EU, a free and independent media is withering

EU Observer: With concentrated media ownership, there is a risk that media outlets can be used to push a specific agenda or political view or business interest, often to serve as a tool of the owners.

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REGIONAL: Liberties Media Freedom Report 2023 (PDF – Report)

Politico: The report covers the main developments in media freedom in 2022 in those eighteen countries, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

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REGIONAL: Media Freedom Poll 2023 (Watch)

Media Freedom Poll: Join us on April 24th as the Committee for Editorial Independence and Reporters Without Borders unveil new data on media freedom attitudes in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The presentation will take place at Gazeta Wyborcza’s offices in Warsaw. Last year’s study highlighted growing concerns about national media independence. This year we will publish fresh insights into public sentiment as Europe moves to support independent, quality journalism through the European Media Freedom Act.

ARGENTINA: A new edition of the Pakapaka Invent Council begins (Press Release – Spanish)

RTA: On Friday, April 21, the new Inventar Pakapaka 2023 Council began to function. After the success of its first and second editions –an unprecedented and unique experience of its kind–, a group of boys and girls from all over the country is once again formed to accompany the development and content of the channel for a year.

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ARGENTINA: One of the largest newspapers in the country dismisses almost fifty journalists (Spanish)

IFJ: During the early hours of Sunday, the Clarín newspaper announced by email the dismissal of at least 48 journalists and press workers. This happens exactly four years after the last big wave of layoffs from the company, which is one of the largest and most powerful media conglomerates in Argentina. 

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ARGENTINA: Osvaldo Santoro: “The defense of public media is an act of sovereignty” (Spanish)

Télam: The vice president of Radio Televisión Argentina (RTA), after visiting Spain and Italy, held meetings with the leadership of the audiovisual production companies and national television stations of the two countries and agreed on the assessment of public media.

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BRAZIL: As Fox News settles its case for $787m, a similar outlet in Brazil is in legal trouble

Reuters Institute: Jovem Pan, a group which endorsed Jair Bolsonaro, is facing a legal challenge for spreading misinformation. Its radio licence can be revoked.

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BRAZIL: Brazil’s “Fake News Bill” sets global precedent with dangerous implications (Opinion)

The Brazilian Report: The bill to curb misinformation may finally pass in the House. That is not necessarily good news, given the bill’s provisions.

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BRAZIL: Google will pay a fine of BRL 100,000 if it does not forward emails with threats to journalists (Portuguese)

Metropoles: The court ordered Google to pay a daily fine of BRL 100,000 if it does not pass on information about emails registered on the platform with death threats to two journalists from the Congresso em Foco portal . The Federal District Civil Police identified the suspect sending the messages as a 23-year-old. However, the corporation did not disclose his name.

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BRAZIL: Women journalists on the challenges of reporting in a time of disinformation and censorship

Maine Public: Award-winning Brazilian journalist Patricia Campos Mello, who was targeted on social media by former President Bolsonaro, and Maine Press Association Hall-of-Fame journalist Judith Meyer, join us to discuss the importance of a free press and how journalists deal with threats and intimidation.

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COLOMBIA: Defending Colombia’s Amazon is a high-risk job – as our journalists know (Opinion)

openDemocracy: Colombia promised to protect life. Safeguarding those who resist and expose wrongdoing must be a priority.

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COLOMBIA: Results of assassinated Colombian journalist Rafael Moreno’s investigations revealed

France 24: Colombian journalist Rafael Moreno was killed on October 16 after his reporting exposed corruption and crime, from embezzlement in public contracts to illegal resource extraction – work that ultimately cost him his life.

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COLOMBIA: The paths that are beginning to be traveled to overcome the crisis of journalism (Spanish)

Revista Metro: In Colombia, mistrust in the media and the constant attacks by officials on journalists have motivated both state agents and representatives of non-governmental organizations, as well as different directors and editors of the media, to explore formulas that favor the relationship of public officials and journalists within the framework of due respect for the rights to honor and good name and freedom of expression and of the press.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: President Abinader ratifies commitment to the defense of press freedom (Press release – Spanish)

Presidencia de la República Dominicana: President Luis Abinader ratified his commitment to the defense of journalistic independence, with the right to speak and the guarantees that the Dominican Republic will never be a nation that persecutes those who have committed to truth, freedom and security. Democracy.

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ECUADOR: A second case of exile due to death threats against journalist and lack of state protection (Spanish)

Periodistas Sin Cadenas: The victim, whose name we will keep confidential, has received repeated threats that were brought to the attention of different authorities for eight months.

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ECUADOR: CPJ welcomes Ecuador’s pledge to strengthen press freedom commitments following meeting with the government 

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the Ecuadorian government’s commitment to fund and implement mechanisms that will advance press freedom and improve journalist safety in the country, following a meeting with representatives from CPJ and the local press freedom organization Fundamedios on Tuesday, April 18.  

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GUATEMALA: Guatemala orders arrest of lawyers for imprisoned journalist

AP News: A Guatemalan judge on Thursday ordered the arrest of three lawyers defending jailed journalist José Rubén Zamora. The announcement by prosecutors was the latest in a case that has drawn concerns about press freedom in Guatemala.

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GUYANA: Pressure mounts on PPP govt for attacking journalists, as PNCR member F-bombs Chronicle reporter

Demerara Waves: Less than one week after a group of civil society activists castigated the Guyana government for attacking media workers who ask questions that they dislike, a senior People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member on Wednesday F-bombed a Guyana Chronicle reporter.

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HAITI: Kidnapping: Release of Canal Bleu boss Robert Denis (French) 

Constant Haiti: Release this Thursday, April 20, 2023, of Robert Denis dit Bobby, CEO of Canal Bleu Television, broadcasting images on channel 38. 

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MEXICO: Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui named 2023 IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero

IPI: Aristegui honoured for her decades of fearless reporting on corruption despite targeted efforts to silence her.

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MEXICO: They demand to guarantee freedom of the press after the robbery of a Quadratín reporter

Euro Es Euro:  Members of Delegation 37 of the National Union of Press Editors (SNRP) based in Chilpancingo, the Association of Journalists of the State of Guerrero (APEG) and independent reporters expressed their solidarity with three colleagues who have been victims of robberies in recent months. The concern of journalists is that thieves only take work tools that contain information from journalistic work.

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NICARAGUA: Argentina Olivas: The Price for Being “on the Right Side”

Havana Times: Nicaraguan journalist Argentina Olivas had to go into exile after being threatened for her work directing the women-oriented radio station “Radio Vos.”

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NICARAGUA: Daniel Ortega inaugurates a “cultural center” in the building that he expropriated from the newspaper La Prensa, the oldest in Nicaragua (Spanish)

Infobae: The Daniel Ortega regime inaugurates this Wednesday, April 19, a state technical education center in the building of the legendary newspaper La Prensa , occupied by the military since August 2021 and whose newsroom went into exile due to the persecution that unleashed against its staff.

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PERU: Every 60 days on average, Congress raises a project against the press or freedom of expression (Report – Spanish)

El Comercio: Since 2006, Congress has formulated at least 94 bills that violate or threaten freedom of information and expression. 52% was processed in the dissolved Parliament.

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REGIONAL: The IAPA will alert at a semi-annual meeting of the “bleak” panorama for the press (Spanish)

Swissinfo.ch: The Inter-American Press Association (SIP) will inaugurate its three-day biannual meeting tomorrow Tuesday in the midst of a “critical period” for press freedom in the Americas, with the worsening of attacks against media and Nicaragua turned into a country “without legitimacy or justice”.

IRAQ: Journalists detained and attacked in Iraqi Kurdistan

CPJ: Iraqi Kurdistan authorities should immediately return equipment confiscated from the privately owned outlet Rast Media and ensure those who attacked a news crew for the local broadcaster KNN TV are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

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ISRAEL: Is Public Television the Israeli Government’s Next Target?

The New York Times: When you host one of the world’s last over-the-air radio shows in Yiddish, fans occasionally get in touch… 

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ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Palestinian reporter breaks barriers by reporting in Hebrew on Israeli TV

CNN: Sitting at the oversized crescent desk on a set lit up by massive screens, smartly-suited Suleiman Maswadeh fits right in with his colleagues at Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11.

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LEBANON: Lebanese Press Freedoms in Danger as Independent Journalists Are Summoned for Questioning

The Media Line: A recent Lebanese campaign has targeted directors of independent news sources, worsening the situation in a country already ranked 130th out of 180 in the 2022 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index

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YEMEN: Four journalists on death row released in prisoner exchange

IFJ: Journalists Tawfiq Al-Mansoori, Abdul Khaleq Amran, Akram Al-Waleedi and Hareth Humaid, who had been sentenced to death for their journalistic work, have been released as part of a prisoner exchange on 16 April, they had spent eight years behind bars. 

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REGIONAL: Media watchdog tells Kurdistan do more to protect journalists

RUDAW: An international press freedom advocacy organization on Thursday appealed to Kurdistan Region authorities to “cease harassing” journalists after two separate incidents against reporters occurred this week.

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REGIONAL: YRJ spokesperson calls for adopting unified vision about women’s issues

ANHA: On the Kurdish Press Day, the spokeswoman for the Women’s Media Union called on all female media professionals to adopt a unified vision that would enhance the role of women’s media in issues related to women, and reject the patriarchal media.

CANADA: CBC Gem and ICI TOU.TV: Streaming in perfect harmony (17 April – Blog)

CBC/Radio-Canada: The story behind an ambitious project.

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CANADA: CBC partners with Markham Library to offer youth Radio Camp

CBC News: ‘I’ve never been so creative before and I’ve always wanted to be more creative about storytelling’.

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CANADA: ‘Finish line is in sight’: Liberals’ controversial online streaming bill back before Senate

CBC News: The Liberal government’s controversial online-streaming bill was back in the upper chamber on Tuesday, with one senator who earlier had opposed it saying she expected it to pass.

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CANADA: Google argues for media fund to support Canadian journalism

Canadian Dimension: Google would rather contribute to a fund supporting Canadian news, similar to one it set up recently in Taiwan, than be forced to negotiate deals with media outlets under Bill C-18, the Online News Act, according to head office executives called on Ottawa’s virtual carpet last week.

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US: As Carlson and Lemon Exit, a Chapter Closes on Cable’s Trump War

The New York Times: The two hosts took very different approaches, but the decisions by Fox News and CNN to shed the stars marks at least a temporary shift in the excesses of Trump-era coverage.

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US: Encore: America’s largest newspaper company is creating news deserts (Listen)

Wyoming Public Media: The country’s largest newspaper company, Gannett, is once again forecasting it will sell off more of its daily newspapers.

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US: Despite DEI promises, media companies are still mostly hiring white people

Digiday: Publishers are slowly publicly releasing the latest reports on the diversity of their workforces. And while Condé Nast, Hearst, The New York Times, Vice Media Group and Vox Media diversified their companies’ staffs compared to the year prior, they are still primarily hiring white people.

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US: Intelsat gains exclusive PBS distribution over US

Advanced Television: Intelsat used the NAB show in Las Vegas to announce that it was now the exclusive satellite distributor for the US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) transmissions. More than 150 affiliates take Intelsat’s PBS signals.

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US: Oklahoma officials accused of talk of killing journalists

AP News: Oklahoma’s governor is seeking the resignation of four county officials after a newspaper’s audio recording apparently captured some of them complaining about two of the paper’s journalists and knowing hit men and where two holes are dug.

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US: Podcasts as a Source of News and Information

Pew Research Center: About half of Americans have listened to a podcast in the past year, and most of those listeners come across news content.

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US: Public radio listeners want more climate coverage

Current: From massive hurricanes and flooding, wildfires and droughts, record heat waves and epic snowstorms, Americans are experiencing weather disasters around the year — with climate change turbocharging their impact. 

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US: Report details USAGM’s impact on the global demand for truth (13 April)

USAGM: The U.S. Agency for Global Media released its annual report today, detailing the work accomplished in 2022 and the impact that work has had on audiences in media-repressed environments.

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US: The FCC Wants to Speed Up The Rollout of Free ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV

Cord Cutters: Today the FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced plans to try and help speed up the rollout of ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV, according to TVNewsCheck. 

ClimateXchange to boost local climate reporting

Journalism.co.uk: A new global initiative ClimateXchange wants to create collaboration opportunities for local news organisations worldwide to help them reach and engage new audiences.

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Exploring the role of Multi Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists in tackling challenges of the digital era

UNESCO: On Tuesday 21 February 2023, as part of the “Internet for Trust” Global Conference, beneficiaries and partners supported by UNESCO’s Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) met to discuss how to translate the outcomes of this global multistakeholder discussion into practical work and results on the ground.

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France Télévisions Boss Decries Twitter’s Attempt To Label Media Orgs: “To See An American Billionaire Play With Our Independence Like This… Is Terrifying.”

Deadline: France Télévisions President Delphine Ernotte Cunci has entered the fray over Twitter’s bungled move to label public broadcasters as “government-funded”, warning that the incident has wider implications for news and information.

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Global AVOD to grow by $50bn

Broadband TV News: Global AVOD revenues for TV series and movies will reach $91 billion in 2028.

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Hybrid media navigates these challenges in authoritarian countries

IJNet: Independent media is in the crosshairs as authoritarianism takes firmer root globally. From Turkey to Russia, China to El Salvador, more and more journalists and newsrooms are relocating abroad to freely report on their home countries, as a result. 

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International Journalism Festival 2023: what we learnt in Perugia about the future of news

Reuters Institute: Journalists from all over the world gathered again this year at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia to discuss some of the most important issues for the profession. Here are some of the highlights of the festival so far, curated by the Reuters Institute’s editorial team. 

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IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer award: 10 trailblazing organizations shortlisted

IPI: Across 5 continents, these organzations are meeting the moment through innovative models of journalism, media, or press freedom defence.

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Local journalists are vital forces in the fight for social justice

Journalism.co.uk: In the face of economic crises, political instability and pandemics, independent media across the globe have become crucial in the fight for social justice. Amid state negligence and at times repression, they are building accountability around critical issues in their countries and communities.

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News for the Powerful and Privileged: How Misrepresentation or Underrepresentation of Underprivileged Communities Undercuts Their Trust in the News

Reuters Institute: There is no single trust problem, and therefore no single solution either. This understanding has been the keynote for the past two and a half years at the Reuters Institute’s Trust in News Project.

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Should ChatGPT Join the J-School Classroom?

CJR: Roughly five years ago, Glyn Mottershead pitched the idea of an artificial intelligence (AI) teaching assistant to the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University. 

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“Tell a more complete story” and other lessons from a new report on mistrust of news media

Nieman Lab: There’s a new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism that focuses on distrust of news media — and what news organizations might be able to do about it.

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The Hacker

CJR: Runa Sandvik has made it her life’s work to protect journalists against cyberattacks. Authoritarian regimes are keeping her in business.

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The Mercenary: A cautionary tale of journalism and trauma in the Afghanistan war

MEM: New book highlights perception gap between western media and their crucial reporting partners in the Global South.

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Three Years Later, Covid-19 Is Still a Health Threat. Journalism Needs to Reflect That

Nieman Reports: In December 2020, before the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, when many had chosen to celebrate Thanksgiving in groups, which sent Covid cases soaring, The New York Times ran an opinion piece on why we should not shame people who traveled during the holidays. 

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Twitter changes stoke Russian, Chinese disinformation

PBS NewsHour: Twitter accounts operated by authoritarian governments in Russia, China and Iran are benefiting from recent changes at the social media company, making it easier for them to attract new followers and broadcast propaganda and disinformation to a larger audience.

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Twitter drops ‘government-funded’ label on media accounts, including in China

Reuters: Twitter dropped the “Government-funded” and “China state-affiliated” labels, which implies government involvement in editorial content, from the accounts of various global media organizations, their profiles showed on Friday.

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Ultimate Report on Media Coding Service Market [2023-2030] | Industry is Booming Worldwide at a Remarkable Growth (Press Release)

Digital Journal: Pre and Post-Covid Report Is Covered | Final Report Will Add the Analysis of the Impact of Russia-Ukraine War and COVID-19 on the Media Coding Service Industry.

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“We must take responsibility for what readers know”

Journalism.co.uk: How do I make hard facts—about pandemics, wars, natural disasters, social justice—easy reading? How do I get readers to pay attention to what they need to know?

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Will AI-generated images create a new crisis for fact-checkers? Experts are not so sure

Reuters Institute:  Over the past few weeks, a number of improbable images went viral: former US President Donald Trump getting arrested; Pope Francis wearing a stylish white puffer coat; Elon Musk walking hand in hand with General Motors CEO Mary Barra. 

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Women journalists receive abuse “within seconds” from posting online

Journalism.co.uk: ICFJ unveiled a new tool at The International Journalism Festival in Perugia that will explore the link between online and offline abuse of women journalists.