AFGHANISTAN: Taliban arrest Nangarhar journalist

IFJ: Broadcast journalist Irfanullah Bidar has been released following his arrest by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Jalalabad, Nangarhar on July 12. 

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BANGLADESH: ​​Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media begins official journey

Dhaka Tribune: The Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BIJM) officially launched its operation on Saturday. 

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BANGLADESH: Nur slams media again: Labels two news outlets as govt pawns

Dhaka Tribune: After video of Nurul Haque Nur and his supporters trying to break the gate to their office space that had been locked by the building’s owner over rent “due for almost 17 months” went viral, the leader of a faction of Gono Odhikar Parishad has lashed out at media outlets, calling them “lackeys of the government.”

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BHUTAN: A new hope for Bhutanese media (Editorial) 

Kuensel Online: The press is the mirror of democracy. It is the fourth estate, the watchdog of the government and the people. A free and independent press is essential for a healthy democracy.

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CAMBODIA: Days before general election, government blocks several online media outlets

RSF: A few days before the Cambodian general election, the government has ordered the suspension of online media outlets Cambodia Daily, Radio Free Asia and Kamnotra.

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CHINA: An online service to “train” journalists in the regime’s propaganda, a new tool for brainwashing and coercion

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) alerts on a new threat to press freedom in China: a new smartphone service designed to “train” and even evaluate journalists on the regime’s propaganda as well as to “help” them pass the test of loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping has just been launched.

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CHINA: The Great Leap Backwards of media in China

Global Voices: Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based international NGO, has regularly produced an annual index since 2002 describing the state of media freedom across the world, including China, the latest of which was released in May 2023.  

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HONG KONG: Gov’t-funded broadcaster axes Hong Kong LGBT+ radio show after 17 years

HKFP: Government-funded broadcaster RTHK will suspend a LGBTQ-related radio programme next month after 17 years, the host of the programme has said on its official Facebook page. 

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HONG KONG: Hong Kong mulls exempting national security TV, radio shows from impartiality requirement

HKFP: Hong Kong authorities have proposed that programmes about national education, national identity, and the “correct understanding” of the national security law be exempt from an impartiality clause requiring “even-handedness” when opposing points of view are presented.

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INDIA: A Billionaire, A TV Network, And The Fight for a Free Press in India

Nieman Reports: In late November, Ravish Kumar, one of India’s leading broadcast journalists, resigned from his job as senior executive editor of New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV), the last influential network still willing to cover Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government critically.

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INDIA: National Broadcasting Day 2023: History And Significance Of This Day

NDTV: National Broadcasting Day is observed on July 23 every year in India. The day aims to remind us about the impact of radio on our lives. This day also marks the start of organised radio broadcasts in the country by All India Radio.

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JAPAN: NHK Disciplines Employees over COVID-19 Report

Japan News: Public broadcaster NHK has announced disciplinary measures against a total of four employees over a news report on the COVID-19 pandemic.

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MALAYSIA: Govt ready to facilitate media negotiations to get compensation from tech giants, says Fahmi

The Star: The government, through the Communications and Digital Ministry (KKD), is ready to be a facilitator to assist negotiations of local media organisations to get fair compensation or payment from giant technology companies.

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MYANMAR: Junta threatens legal action against independent media over broadcasting fees

IPI: The IPI global network condemns plans by Myanmar’s military junta to sue two independent media outlets, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Mizzima, for broadcasting fees incurred prior to the military coup in February 2021.

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PAKISTAN: Journalist bodies reject Pemra bill at KPC meet

The News International: All the representative bodies of the journalists during a consultative meeting chaired by Karachi Press Club president on Monday rejected the Pemra Amendment Bill, 2023 and demanded complete reconstitution of the Pemra as recommended by the two-member media commission appointed by the Supreme Court, including Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid and former federal information minister Javed Jabbar.

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PAKISTAN: Pakistan ranked third in the world for imposing internet restrictions

Dawn: According to a report by Surfshark, a virtual private network company headquartered in Lithuania, a half-year analysis of internet shutdown based on the Internet Shutdown Tracker reveals that Pakistan was responsible for three of the 42 new restrictions worldwide, which were imposed following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9.

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS Public Statement : “Separate collection of TV licence fees will increase public inconvenience and the revised enforcement ordinance violates the Constitution” (Press release) 

KBS: KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-chul issued a public appeal on 12 July, 2023 following the implementation of the amendment to the Broadcasting Act to separate TV licence fees from electricity bills. 

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TAIWAN: “PubSec+” service upgrade 7/25 launched a new website service and CIS to create an audio-visual platform that parents can rest assured and children happy (Press release – Chinese) 

PTS Taiwan: PTV is committed to promoting digital transformation. Its self-operated “PTS+” audio-visual streaming platform has been upgraded again. 

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TAJIKISTAN: Tajikistan bans independent news site, calling it “extremist organisation”

RSF: Tajikistan’s supreme court declared Pamir Daily News to be an “extremist organisation” on 14 June, thereby banning it from any form of activity in Tajikistan

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THAILAND: Thai PBS welcomes a delegation from Bhutan’s national television station, The Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) (Press release – Thai) 

Thai PBS: Thai PBS as Thailand’s first public media plays a role in presenting news that is neutral in all aspects, ready to open the house to welcome the delegation from Bhutan’s television station The Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) on July 10-13, 2023.

AUSTRALIA: ABC partners with universities to support regional and rural journalism  (Press release)

ABC: In the face of declining local media coverage in regional and rural Australia, the ABC will partner with researchers at Deakin and Griffith universities to look at innovative ways in which the public broadcaster can support local news sustainability.

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AUSTRALIA: Judge says ex-soldier Heston Russell defamation case becoming ‘a bit of a farce’ as ABC reinstates defence

The Guardian: The ABC has reversed a decision to drop its defence of a defamation suit brought by former commando Heston Russell, during a day of legal argument labelled “farcical” by a federal court judge.

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AUSTRALIA: Review into SBS and ABC independence launched

The New Daily: There have been renewed calls for Australia’s national broadcasters to receive more funding, after the government launched a review into ways to protect the SBS and ABC from political interference and avoid “captain’s picks” from stacking their boards.

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AUSTRALIA: SBS seeks bold new documentaries with Australia Uncovered call out (Press release) 

SBS: SBS is inviting submissions for bold and compelling Australian stories for its landmark and award-winning single documentary strand, Australian Uncovered, for broadcast in 2025.  

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AUSTRALIA: The ABC expands Audio Description service to ABC iview (Press release) 

ABC: The ABC is delighted to announce the expansion of audio descriptions to ABC iview, enabling audiences who are blind or have low vision to enjoy their favourite on-demand shows, movies and news in a more inclusive way.

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FIJI: FBC announces 40% reduction in public service broadcast funds

Fiji Village: The Fijian Broadcasting Corporation will have a 40% reduction in their Public Service Broadcast Fund which is provided through taxpayers’ funds.

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FIJI: FMA condemns comments by former PM

FBC: The Fijian Media Association strongly condemns the comments made by former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to camerapersons of Mai TV, Fiji Village and Fiji Sun outside the Suva courthouse as distasteful, unbecoming and unacceptable.

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NEW ZEALAND: ‘Not appropriate’ for RNZ board member to publicise views on Kiri Allan scandal, PM says

RNZ: A member of RNZ’s board should not be sharing his opinion on Kiri Allan’s return to work amid mental health struggles publicly, the prime minister says.

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NEW ZEALAND: Public Interest Journalism Fund closes

Stuff: A $55m contestable fund for New Zealand journalism has now closed. The fund was created to support media through the Covid-19 downturn which saw some titles close at the outset of the pandemic.

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NEW ZEALAND: RNZ announces appointment of Chief News Officer

RNZ: RNZ’s Chief Executive and Editor in Chief Paul Thompson has announced Mark Stevens as RNZ’s Chief News Officer. Mark Stevens is a former Head of News for Stuff. His 29-year-long media career has seen him rise from reporting ranks to executive management roles at Stuff, as well as sitting on the board of several media industry bodies.

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NEW ZEALAND & SAMOA: Radio station develops app to spread Gagana Samoa to the world

RNZ: A new language app developed for Gagana Samoa – the Samoan language – has been launched in New Zealand.

ALBANIA: Defending media freedom and journalists’ safety in Albania

ECPMF: The partners in the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), as organisations dedicated to the protection of media freedom and the rights of journalists, are deeply concerned by recent events in Albania, which not only highlight a deteriorating environment for press freedom, but also pose a severe threat to the safety of journalists and their ability to inform the public.

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AUSTRIA: New ORF contribution decided by the ÖVP and the Greens (German)

Der Standard: Against the votes of the FPÖ, SPÖ and Neos, the ÖVP and the Greens passed the new ORF law in the National Council on Wednesday with a new ORF contribution from everyone. 

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AUSTRIA: News for young people: ZIB Instagram reaches one million followers (Press release – German)

ORF: “Zeit im Bild” offers the most important breaking news, videos, photos and quotes of the day on Instagram – and with great success: more than a million users are now following the ORF news program. This makes the ZIB by far the country’s largest news portal on Instagram.

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AZERBAIJAN: Freedom of movement for journalists in Karabakh must be guaranteed

IFJ: Police violence, restricted freedom of movement, repression of freedom of expression, over-regulation by the new state media agency… Azerbaijani journalists face a particularly hostile working environment. 

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BELGIUM: “Participating in the technology for the new VRT house is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” (Press release – Dutch)

VRT: The year is 2026. VRT has a new building, a milestone in the evolution of a public broadcaster. Not only the building itself is brand new: there is also room for innovation. One of the main advantages of a new building is the technological infrastructure that enables innovative and efficient programs. With endless creative possibilities for the media maker.

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BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Bosnia and Herzegovina: UN experts alarmed by re-criminalisation of defamation in the Republika Srpska entity (Press release)

OHCHR: UN human rights experts* expressed alarm about the recent adoption of amendments to the criminal code in the Republika Srpska entity that re-criminalise defamation and risk to adversely impact freedom of expression in Bosnia and Herzegovina and contribute to a climate of shrinking civic space in the country.

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FINLAND & SWEDEN: Yle and SVT: Public service strengthens society’s capabilities in exceptional times (Press release – 3 July – Finnish)

Yle: Yle and SVT have decided to strengthen their mutual cooperation in emergency matters. It will be 500 days since Russia started a war of aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, the security situation in Finland and Sweden weakened significantly. Both countries must strengthen their social preparedness, and the public service media is in a decisive position here.

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FRANCE: Record strike in defence of journalistic values at French Sunday paper

RSF: DD’s readers are spending their fifth weekend in a row without their Sunday paper, which is unprecedented in the French media world since the 28-month strike at the Parisien newspaper in 1975.

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GERMANY: Broadcast contribution: Director of Deutschlandradio criticizes political interference (4 July – German) 

Berliner Zeitung: The director of Deutschlandradio, Stefan Raue, has criticized the debate about increasing the license fee. Public broadcasting in Germany is under political pressure like never before, said Raue on Tuesday evening in Magdeburg at the ecumenical reception of the churches in Saxony-Anhalt. 

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GREECE: Privacy watchdog finds 92 ‘targets’ in Greek wiretapping scandal

EURACTIV: Greece’s independent Data Protection Authority announced on Thursday that more than 350 SMS related to the Predator spyware programme had been sent, and 92 people have been spotted as targets, triggering a strong reaction from the opposition as the so-called “Greek Watergate” remains in the dark.

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IRELAND: Kevin Bakhurst announces new RTÉ Interim Leadership Team (10 July – Press release) 

RTÉ: As confirmed earlier today, RTÉ Director-General Kevin Bakhurst has stood down the organisation’s Executive Board, which has been replaced with a temporary interim leadership team to continue running the organisation.

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IRELAND: Steve Dempsey: Tubridy’s pay has opened a badly needed debate on public service broadcasting (Opinion) 

Independent IE: We should all be thankful for Ryan Tubridy and the RTÉ pay scandal. Why? Because it has reopened a debate on how public service broadcasting is funded in Ireland. The Government blinked when the Commission for the Future of Media Commission report landed, but TDs couldn’t resist giving RTÉ execs a grilling when the opportunity arose. 

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POLAND: Takeover of Polska Press confirms stark increase in media control

Article 19: The undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium organisations today warn that Poland’s state-controlled oil company PKN Orlen’s takeover of regional news publisher Polska Press has damaged press freedom, as well as journalists’ right to report freely. The takeover is a shocking example of media capture in the European Union.

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PORTUGAL: RTP elected the second European television with greater gender equality (Press release – Portuguese) 

RTP: As a public media service operator, RTP assumes as part of its mission the promotion of a culture of social responsibility and justice through the principle of gender equality. 

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SLOVAKIA: According to Slovaks, RTVS television news is the most objective (Press release – Slovakian) 

RTVS: For the fourteenth time in a row, RTVS television news was rated by viewers as the most objective in Slovakia. 

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SLOVENIA: An agreement was reached for greater safety and plurality of work in the public institution RTV Slovenia (Press release – Slovenian) 

RTV SLO: On July 13, RTV Slovenia and the representative Union of Broadcasting Workers of Slovenia concluded a Collective Agreement, which represents an important achievement in social dialogue for the public institution and its employees.

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SLOVENIA: The employees of RTV Slovenia elect a labor director

RTV SLO: The employees of RTV Slovenia are electing a labor director, who is the only one missing from the media house’s new administration. There are four candidates.

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SPAIN: RTVE adds four digital channels to offering

Digital TV Europe: Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE has revealed it has added the four new thematic digital channels Era, We are Cinema, Crime and The Promise to its offering.

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SPAIN: RTVE and the RAE renew their collaboration in favor of the promotion and dissemination of culture, letters and the Spanish language (Press release – Spanish) 

RTVE: The interim president of RTVE, Elena Sánchez Caballero , and the director of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Santiago Muñoz Machado , have signed an agreement this Wednesday in Prado del Rey that renews the collaboration between both institutions in favor of the promotion and dissemination of culture, letters and the Spanish language.

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SWEDEN: The radio manager takes a seat in the public service debate (Swedish)

Aftonbladet: She is the manager of 2,324 employees and has 7.3 million listeners. Cilla Benkö is also attacked by politicians who want to limit public service and faces competition from podcasts and audiobooks.

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SWEDEN: Therefore, Sveriges Radio publishes a policy for generative AI (Press release – Swedish) 

Swedish Radio: For several years now, Sveriges Radio has been actively exploring how artificial intelligence can strengthen our offer to listeners and make our operations more efficient. It provides both opportunities and entails risks, writes Olle Zachrison, news orderer about Sveriges Radio’s AI policy.

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UK: BBC faces review of licence fee model with alternative methods considered

The Guardian: Ministers expected to order assessment of funding models including premium subscription, broadband levy and advertising.

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UK: BBC News launches a week’s focus on Artificial Intelligence (Press release)

BBC: All week BBC News is taking a closer look at Artificial Intelligence (AI) – exploring how AI is already affecting our lives, and looking at the ways it could impact all our futures

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UK: BBC Radio welcomes applications for Indie Development Fund following success of inaugural year (Press release) 

BBC: Successful indies will receive funding for a specific idea or aspect of their work, and will also receive mentoring from the relevant BBC commissioning team. 

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UK: Channel 4 reports £1.14bn revenues amidst “challenging consumer environment” (14 July)

Digital TV Europe: UK pubcaster Channel 4 has reported it ended the financial year 2022 with total revenues of £1.14 billion, less than 2% below 2021’s record £1.16 billion, following a significantly more challenging consumer environment.

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UK: Making sure TV and on-demand services remain accessible to all (Press release) 

Ofcom: Ofcom is today consulting on proposed changes to our Access Services Code and associated best practice guidelines.

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REGIONAL: EU lawmakers push to enhance protections for journalists in media law

EURACTIV: The parliamentary committee on civil liberties adopted a broad majority opinion report on the Media Freedom Act on Tuesday (18 July), putting forth stronger safeguards against the surveillance of journalists.

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REGIONAL: Media pluralism at risk: Europe needs a stronger EMFA

IFJ: The results of the 2023 Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM), which have just been published, confirm the decline in media pluralism in Europe. 

ARGENTINA: Argentina’s journalists speak out against online gender-based violence

UNFPA: “In Argentina, it is a widespread problem,” Mariana Iglesias told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Ms. Iglesias has reported for the major Argentinian newspaper, Diario Clarín, since 1996, is the country’s first journalist to carry the title of gender editor…..

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BOLIVIA: The closure of Página Siete, Bolivia’s most prominent independent newspaper

LatAm Journalism Review: It was the end of one of the rare Bolivian media of independent journalism, a newspaper that strived to remain dignified and relevant in the midst of a very adverse context.

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BRAZIL: Political violence causes physical attacks against journalists to increase by 34.2% (Portuguese)

Abraji: The radicalization of the political scene has seriously affected the situation of press freedom and journalistic activity in Brazil. The number of serious attacks on journalists grew by 34.2% between January 1 and May 15, 2023, compared to the same period of the previous year.

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BRAZIL: “Work with fear”: Brazilian journalists face sexual violence in their daily work (Portuguese)

Abraji: Being a journalist in politically polarized contexts means taking more risks, especially when you are a woman and/or LGBTQIA+. 

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COLOMBIA: Media Landscape in Colombia: Breaking Barriers, Yet Giants Still Reign

Journalism Research: Colombia’s independent media still struggle to find a profitable path, according to our latest study about the country’s journalism.

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HAITI: Haiti’s media workers vow to launch anti-kidnapping campaign

Jamaica Observer: Journalists and other media professionals in Haiti Wednesday vowed to actively support an anti-kidnapping campaign in the crisis-torn French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

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HAITI: Journalist Kidnapped in Haiti, Sixth So Far This Year

IAPA: Blondine Tanis, co-host of the “Tribune Matinale” program broadcast on Radio Rénovation FM (107.1FM), fell into the hands of her captors on Friday, July 21, as she was entering her home in the Delmas neighborhood, east of Port-au-Prince, local media confirmed.

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JAMAICA: Radio Jamaica Ltd Records Lower Profit For 2022/23

Radio Jamaica News: For the 12 months, the company, which operates as the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, made $197 million after tax. That’s compared to the $342 million made for the 2021/2022 year.

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MEXICO: How abuse, harassment of journalists and more than three years of strikes culminated in the closure of Notimex

LatAm Journalism Review: Notimex, once a public media standard in the region, had been languishing since 2019, mired in administrative and labor chaos that includes serious accusations of harassment against journalists, allegedly perpetrated by director Sanjuana Martínez. LJR heard from experts on the meaning and impact of the agency’s demise, announced by President López Obrador in April.

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MEXICO: Mexican journalist Nelson Matus Peña killed in Acapulco

CPJ: Mexico City, July 20, 2023—Mexican authorities must investigate the killing of journalist Nelson Matus Peña, determine whether he was targeted for his work, and bring his killers to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

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MEXICO: Mexico’s Journalists Demand Action After Latest Killings

VOA News: The killings of two journalists in one week in Mexico has renewed calls for the country’s media community to be given better protection.

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PANAMA: The IAPA warns of the sentence in Panama that orders the confiscation of the publishing group (Spanish)

IAPA: The Inter-American Press Association (SIP) remains alert for a conviction in Panama that orders the confiscation of the shares of Grupo Editorial Panamá América SA (EPASA), a conglomerate that publishes three newspapers. The organization will remain vigilant regarding the possible implications for press freedom that could result from its seizure.

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PERU: IPYS, ANP and College of Journalists reject aggression against the press during the Third Takeover of Lima (Spanish)

Infobae: While covering the demonstration against the government of Dina Boluarte, journalists and cameramen from different media suffered physical and verbal violence.

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URUGUAY: Cainfo expressed concern about reports of “pressure” from the direction of TV Ciudad (Spanish)

Montevideo Portal: After the resignation of journalist Lucas Silva, the organization targeted the management of Alejandra Casablanca, who leads the public media.

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REGIONAL: Journalism is being killed in Central America: Crackdowns on honest reporters make clear that Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador are becoming ever more backward (Opinion) 

Boston Times: Erect and dignified but barely containing his emotions, Guatemala’s leading journalist faced a judge last month. He had already been in prison for nearly a year. During that time, four of his lawyers were imprisoned and two others fled the country. Hours before the hearing, he had sent his wife abroad out of fear for her safety.

IRAN: Closed-Door Trials of Iranian Journalists: A “Travesty of Justice”

Iran Wire: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly condemned the continuation of the closed-door trials of two women journalists who have been imprisoned in Iran for 10 months for reporting on the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.

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ISRAEL: A Plan ‘To Eliminate the Press’: Israeli Journalists Slam Minister’s Proposed Media Reform

Haaretz: The proposed plan, which would shutter existing regulatory bodies and severely curtail the revenues of public broadcaster Kan, would remove professional standards, journalist associations warn. The plan also contains several changes that would benefit the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14

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ISRAEL: US groups demand Abu Akleh probe via Justice for Shireen Act

Al Jazeera: Dozens of rights organisations renew calls for justice for Al Jazeera journalist who was killed by Israeli forces.

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JORDAN: Proposed cybercrime law would deal new blow to press freedom in Jordan

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges Jordan’s parliament to reject the draconian, government-backed cybercrime bill that it has been discussing since 15 July, which would probably impact journalists’ work negatively and restrict their freedom to report the news.

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PALESTINE: Continued attacks on journalists covering Israeli military operations in West Bank (Statement)

IPI: Israel must respect and protect journalist safety and hold those responsible for attacks on journalists to account.

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PALESTINE: MADA welcomes the release of journalist “AWAWDA” and calls for stopping the policy of arresting journalists

MADA Center: The journalist “AWAWDA” was arrested against the background of his critical posts on social media, the latest of which was a video clip he published on Thursday before he was arrested on the same day, in which he refutes what the spokesman for the security services stated about the absence of political arrests.

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TURKEY: Media Unions Urge Turkey to Stop Using Violence Against Journalists

Balkan Insight: Marking Turkish Press Day, which honours the freedoms gained in the revolution of 1908, journalists’ unions and media organisations called on President Erdogan’s government to stop censoring, jailing and using violence against journalists.

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TURKEY: Turkey imposes advertising ban on Twitter for failing to name local representative

Turkish Minute: The Turkish Telecommunications Authority (BTK) has imposed an advertising ban on social media giant Twitter for failing to comply with a law that tightens control over social media by requiring companies to name a local representative in Turkey, local media reported on Friday.

CANADA: APTN seeks public support for licence amendment process (Press release – 12 July)

APTN: APTN is seeking public support for its licence amendment process. The network recently submitted an application to amend its broadcasting licence with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the regulatory body that governs the conditions and terms by which APTN operates to provide programming to audiences in Canada.

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CANADA: CBC PODCASTS LAUNCHES NEW STREAMING CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE (Press release) 

CBC: CBC, the #1 Canadian podcaster, today announced a new channel on YouTube that sees a diverse collection of CBC podcasts available through the digital platform. 

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CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada pausing advertising on Facebook and Instagram (Press release – 5 July) 

CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada is pausing its advertising on Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, as some other Canadian news organizations announced earlier today. Last month, Meta announced its intention to block access to all news content prior to the Online News Act (C-18) coming into effect at the end of this year.

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CANADA: TVO Media Education Group welcomes 15 Toronto students in this year’s Black Student Summer Leadership Program (Press release – 11 July) 

TVO: Continuing a partnership with Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement, students will get hands-on experience in how TVO educational content and programming is made.

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CANADA: Your questions about Meta and other social media giants blocking news in Canada, explained

CBC: Some Instagram users in Canada are finding their access to news accounts restricted as Meta and other social media companies prepare for the country’s Online News Act to come into effect.

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US: Digitization project will preserve decades of archival content for Arkansas PBS (Paywall) 

Current: The station is seeking partnerships with archival organizations to make the collection accessible to the public.

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US: Local TV stations form new coalition to urge streaming reform

Axios: Hundreds of local broadcast stations have come together to create a new advocacy coalition that will urge the Federal Communications Commission to take action on a regulatory loophole that they say imperils their ability to get distributed on streaming services.

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US: ­Most Americans favor restrictions on false information, violent content online

Pew Research Centre: Most Americans say the U.S. government and technology companies should each take steps to restrict false information and extremely violent content online. 

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US: OpenAI partners with American Journalism Project to support local news

Reuters: OpenAI is committing $5 million to the American Journalism Project (AJP) under a partnership that will look for ways to support local news through artificial intelligence, the Microsoft-backed startup said on Tuesday.

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US: Reauthorization of Section 702 surveillance law will imperil the work of journalists

IPI: As U.S. lawmakers debate the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire at the end of this year, the IPI global network expresses profound concerns about the statute’s risks for journalists, and calls on Congress to enact serious reforms to Section 702 that address those risks before any decision on reauthorization takes place.

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US: Survey finds PBS app users want more content, features (Paywall) 

Current: The survey’s findings were presented last week at the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in Atlanta.

Does VR still have potential for publishers?

Press Gazette: Virtual reality (VR) has faded out of the newsroom technology conversation in recent years, but might it still have untapped potential for journalism? Two executives previously involved in publisher metaverse experiments, Grant Townshend and Gerry Smyth of GAS Commercial, told Press Gazette journalism needs to “jump on the bandwagon now” when it comes to VR.

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Elon Musk is changing Twitter to X. Why? (Opinion) 

Poynter: You spend $44 billion of your own money to buy one of the most successful and recognizable social media sites on the planet.

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How a new two-minute quiz measures misinformation susceptibility

Nieman Lab: Results from a recent YouGov survey using the MIST suggest that younger Americans do a worse job than older Americans distinguishing real news from fake news.

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The American soldiers who made movies in Pyongyang

CJR: Last week, Travis King, a US Army private, signed up for a tourist trip to the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, on the border of North and South Korea.

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To report on climate change where coal is king, journalists need to focus on solutions

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: When Katowice, Poland, hosted the COP24 climate conference in 2018, foreign journalists were shocked to see coal decorating the meeting’s venue, or spotted lying next to houses. 

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Top News Publishers Are Reportedly Planning To Sue AI Firms

Forbes: Several major U.S. and international publishers are joining forces as part of an effort to sue major artificial intelligence companies for using their content to train their generative AI models and seek new rules that govern such actions, Semafor reported Sunday.

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What do journalists think about Threads?

Journalism.co.uk: One week after its launch, Meta’s new text-based app Threads has already surpassed 100 million users.

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Writing guidelines for the role of AI in your newsroom? Here are some, er, guidelines for that

Nieman Lab: What’s okay and what’s verboten when it comes to AI in the production of news? Here’s how 21 newsrooms in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere have laid out their own policies and plans.