Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
Every week, PMA monitors these trends, compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!
PSM Innovations
“More than a tool”: RTVE uses AI tech to cover local elections
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE is revolutionising its approach to covering local elections with a new project that uses AI-based technology to create content in real time.
The Technological Strategy Department of Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) has introduced the use of AI-based technologies to cover the 2023 municipal elections in areas referred to as “empty-Spain.” This initiative is aimed at creating accessible and informative content for rural and the less-populated areas in Spain, which cannot otherwise be provided for“with traditional media.”
Dr Pere Vila Fumas, Director de Estrategia Tecnológica e Innovación Digital de RTVE (Director of Technology, Strategy and Innovation) said, “In Spain there are about 4,500 towns with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, and to date it has not been possible to cover the information on electoral results for these towns, so I would like to insist that the initiative is very positive from a social and of public service.”
Mr Fumas has described RTVE’s AI-tool as, “More than a tool, it is, in fact, a toolbox.” The AI performs tasks of data analysis, text creation, graphics creation, and voice synthesis to interpret and transform the election results and turn them into news. To ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information generated, the news on RTVE’s website is prepared using electoral results collected from official sources such as the Ministry of the Interior. “These different artificial intelligence tools have been trained so that the focus of the texts and the writing of the texts are those corresponding to a public service entity and a company of the prestige and impartiality of RTVE,” said Mr Fumas.
One of the most promising aspects of this AI-tool is that it works collaboratively with journalists. This means that it’s not programmed to operate freely, but rather that part of the AI is used to learn to adapt and work in collaboration with RTVE’s journalistic values. It has been designed by journalists from RTVE and therefore the outcomes are intended to be correct, clear, and structured. According to Mr Fumas, it is important that the viewer does not see the use and impact of AI in this sense as contrived and resulting in lower quality. Mr Fumas told PMA, “The Spanish radio-television journalist has designed the structure of the news; he has trained the tool so that he can present it with issues of impartiality and with the style of Spanish radio and television and finally supervises these tasks.”
Read more about SBS: Making elections accessible
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
We want to hear from our members about what you are doing to best cover the crisis on a local level. Email us using the link below.
Public media research
Our PSM Research and Resources page brings together all the latest academic studies looking into the world of public media.
What we're watching...
Experts Look at How Trauma Shapes Journalists
VOA News: The work of journalists can range from covering crime scenes to conflict zones, among other stories. The University of Toronto is looking at the toll journalism can take on reporters and offering newsrooms insights into what they can do to help. From New York, VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has the details.
What we're listening to...
Survive and Thrive: The Media Viability Podcast | Episode 03 with Andrii Dikhtiarenko, Ukraine
Deutsche Welle Akademie: Andrii Dikhtiarenko is a Ukrainian journalist, editor and TV presenter. He owns the online media Realnaya Gazeta which specializes in the situation of the occupied Donbas. Until the summer of 2014, the editorial office was located in the city of Luhansk. On the #surviveandthrive Podcast, he talks about reporting from an unstable region, threats, funding and his hopes for Realnaya Gazeta’s future.
Subscribe toour newsletter
Keep updated with the latest public
media news from around the world
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
ANGOLA: Angolans reject government restrictions on information, say media should report freely
Afrobarometer: Most citizens support role of journalists as watchdogs over government.
EGYPT: Egypt: Rights groups condemn latest blocking of news websites
Via IFEX: The continued blocking of websites exacerbates violations against the right to free media and access to information.
ETHIOPIA AND FRANCE: Ethiopia, France team up in media melody and peace rhythm
The Reporter: The Embassy of France in Ethiopia has announced it will provide EUR 944,000 (57 million birr) to support independent media in advance of Ethiopia’s national dialogue.
GAMBIA: Gambia aims 1st in world press freedom ranking
The Point: The minister of Information Lamin Queen Jammeh, in an interview with this medium, expressed delight with Gambia’s achievement in the 2023 World Press Freedom Ranking, while vowing that we could be become first in Africa and the world in future.
The Voice: In their quest to promote credible, quality, and reliable journalism, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Tuesday, 20th June 2023 held a day discourse with the Gambia media chiefs, managers, and publishers and introduced to them a market-driven solution called the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI).
KENYA: After Abysmal Ranking, President Ruto Promises To Protect Press Freedom
The Heritage Times: Following his country’s poor ranking in the global press freedom index by Reporters Without Borders, Kenyan President William Ruto has assured that his government will do more to strengthen the freedom of the media.
KENYA: We want accountability from media not favours – Ichung’wah
The Star: National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah now says all they are asking for from the media is accountability and not favours.
KENYA: Why politicians cannot win their war against freedom of the media (Opinion)
Nation: The leaders of the current verbal attacks on the media are Trade And Investment Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
NIGERIA: CJID announces conference on accountability journalism, innovation
Premium Times: The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has announced its maiden West Africa Journalism Innovation Conference (WAJIC). It hopes to gather about 300 journalists to discuss issues surrounding the industry’s growth in the African region.
SENEGAL: Media Freedom Threatened By Government Crackdown
Voice of Nigeria: Recent riots in Senegal have caused the government to crack down on the country’s media, with journalists left struggling in the face of violence and threats.
SENEGAL: Senegalese authorities release 2 journalists, reporter Maty Sarr Niang remains in detention
CPJ: Senegalese authorities should release journalist Ndèye Maty Niang, also known as Maty Sarr Niang, halt the prosecutions against Pape Ndiaye and Serigne Saliou Gueye, and drop the restrictions placed on the two journalists following their release, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
TUNISIA: A journalist detained for 48 hours for having criticized the President of the Republic (French – Press Release)
IFJ: On June 20, journalist Ziad El-Heni, co-founder of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), was detained for 48 hours by Tunisian authorities after being accused of criticizing President Kais El Saied.
TUNISIA: UN rights chief urges Tunisian leader to stop curbing media freedoms
REUTERS: United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday called on Tunisia to stop restricting media freedoms and said it was criminalizing independent journalism since President Kais Saied seized wide powers in 2021.
SOUTH AFRICA: amaBhungane | Zunaid Moti’s war on amaBhungane and journalism
News24: This war is potentially existential for amaBhungane – and has implications for the survival of public interest journalism in South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA: Investigative outlet sets key test for media freedom in S.Africa
France24: The tiny South African non-profit specialises in delving into political corruption — “digging dung and fertilizing democracy,” its editor-in-chief, Sam Sole, said with a chuckle in a recent interview with AFP.
SOUTH AFRICA: Sanef fund to fight misinformation on journalism
Biz Community: The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) will set up a fund to fight fake news and misinformation about the journalism profession.
UGANDA: DW Akademie, UNHCR Radio Project Launched in Africa’s Bidibidi
News Ghana: Vital, reliable information for 270,000 refugees from East Africa: That is the goal of a joint project by the UN refugee agency UNHCR and DW Akademie in Uganda. On June 22, the organizations will launch a new radio station in Bidibidi, one of Africa’s largest refugee settlements. Other partners in Bidibidi FM include the Ugandan NGO Straight Talk Foundation and the Dutch REF FM Foundation.
ZIMBABWE: “Patriot Bill” threat to Zimbabwean journalists two months before elections
RSF: Two months before presidential and parliamentary elections on 23 August, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges Zimbabwe to abandon a proposed “sovereignty and national interest” law that poses a major threat to journalism. Freedom of expression must be safeguarded, RSF says.
IPI: Shutdowns are a disproportionate restriction on press freedom and access to information.
REGIONAL: Journalism on trial in Africa: fortitude and fake news
ISS: Powerful elites are using the fake news narrative to target journalists and evade accountability.
AFGHANISTAN: Returning journalist detained and tortured
IFJ: Journalist Reza Shahir was reportedly detained by the Taliban for two days while returning to Afghanistan from Iran to renew his passport. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the arrest and calls on the Taliban to cease its continued arbitrary harassment and arrests of Afghan media workers.
CHINA: No Questions, ‘Burner’ Phones: Behind the Scenes of Blinken’s China Trip
VOA News: Nike Ching was first VOA reporter to cover news inside China since 2020.
CHINA & HONG KONG: Hong Kong student’s indictment for online posts from Japan shows China’s reach
Japan Times: As a 23-year-old from Hong Kong faces charges at home over social media posts she made while studying in Japan, activists are urging Tokyo to speak up to defend human rights. But political realities mean any steps will have limited impact.
HKFP: “I won in the sense of social justice. Yet we’re very clear that even with the top court’s ruling, the government can do anything to change the game. It is not a long-lasting victory,” Bao Choy said of the Court of Final Appeal ruling that quashed her conviction.
INDIA: As Modi visits Washington, DC, the Indian government is preparing to censor the internet
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is drawing lawmakers’ attention to a recent amendment that allows his government to censor any online information it does not like, regardless of its journalistic value.
INDIA & US: Biden must raise press freedom issues during Modi state visit
IPI: IPI expresses concern over escalating violations of press freedom in India.
INDONESIA: Queerphobia in Indonesia’s Newsrooms (Podcast)
New Naratif: In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan and Widia Primastika will talk about the queerphobia media ecosystem in Indonesia, policies that forbid publishing news on LGBTQIA+, and where do journalist queer peoples stand.
KYRGYZSTAN: Analysis: Planned Kyrgyz foreign agent law threatens press freedom
IPI: Russia’s notorious “foreign agents” law is inspiring similar measures in the region. While citizens in Georgia successfully opposed a bill on “foreign agents” in March, Kyrgyzstan is considering a similar proposal, which experts say is modeled on Russian legislation that has been used to suppress independent media and civil society.
MALAYSIA: Malaysia says it will take legal action against Meta over harmful content on Facebook
The Independent: Malaysia’s government says it will take legal action against Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, for failing to remove undesirable and harmful content from its social media platform
MALAYSIA: Star Media Group’s Esther Ng first Malaysian elected to world press body
ANN: She joins four other leading editors and media doyens from South Korea, India, Germany and Finland to the IPI’s global executive board, which elected five new members at the IPI World Congress 2023 in Vienna, Austria.
PAKISTAN: Journalist Says Investigative Reporting Is a Risky Business in Pakistan
VOA News: When journalist Ahmad Noorani looked into a former army chief’s tax records, he found himself facing legal charges.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s Long History of Throttling Press Freedom
The Diplomat: The power game between the military and political parties in the country has always taken a toll on the media space – to the country’s detriment.
PAKISTAN: Pakistani reporter charged because he investigated former army chief
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Pakistani authorities to drop the clearly trumped-up “tax evasion” charge and other charges brought against a Pakistani reporter based in the United States for the obvious…..
SINGAPORE: Mediacorp hunts for the next podcast star
RadioInfo Asia: Mediacorp Singapore has launched its inaugural podcast competition – “Be a Podcaster”, to find the next superstar podcaster. Open to participants between the age of 15 and 25, the competition is accepting entries from June 26 to August 31.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS files a constitutional complaint over the ‘procedures for the enforcement decree on the separate collection of license fees’ (Korean)
Mediaus: KBS filed a constitutional complaint against the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) for shortening the notice period for the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Separate Collection of TV License Fees Broadcasting Act to 10 days.
SOUTH KOREA: Korea’s KBS faces ‘existential crisis’, warns BBC, ZDF, France TV & CBC
TBI Vision: South Korea’s KBS faces an “existential crisis” if proposals to change its funding mechanism move ahead, according to some of the world’s biggest public broadcasters including the UK’s BBC, CBC in Canada, ZDF in Germany and France Télévisions.
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea must drop restrictions on journalists reporting from conflict zones
IPI: Call comes after photojournalist fined for travelling to report on the war in Ukraine.
AUSTRALIA: ABC’s international budget should grow as China spends billions on information war, inquiry told
The Guardian: China is spending billions to win the information war in the region, a committee inquiry has heard, and greater funding for the ABC would allow it to be a stronger presence in the Asia-Pacific.
AUSTRALIA: Australia says Twitter is top platform for online hate, demands explanation
CNN: An Australian cyber regulator on Thursday said it has demanded Twitter explain its handling of online hate as the microblog has become the country’s most complained-about platform since new owner Elon Musk lifted bans on a reported 62,000 accounts.
AUSTRALIA: Media must not confuse voters about Indigenous support for voice, Anthony Albanese says
The Guardian: Anthony Albanese has suggested the media has a “responsibility” not to confuse voters about support for the voice among First Nations people, arguing that Indigenous critics are outnumbered by supporters.
AUSTRALIA: The ABC latest cuts are unpopular, but are they essential for its future?
The Sydney Morning Herald: The national broadcaster’s axing of 120 jobs last week came as a shock, but it points to challenges the organisation can’t avoid.
AUSTRALIA: The Australian government wants to fight online misinformation. Here’s why it’s so difficult
ABC: The federal government proposed legislation on Sunday that would boost the powers of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to pressure tech companies into fighting online misinformation.
NEW ZEALAND: Decolonising the news: 4 fundamental questions media can ask when covering stories about Māori. (Analysis)
Asia Pacific Report: There is little evidence to suggest Aotearoa New Zealand’s mainstream news media critically evaluate their own reporting on issues about or affecting Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi).
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ Editorial Audit (Ongoing)
RNZ: On 9 June 2023, RNZ advised of inappropriate editing of several wire service stories relating to the war in Ukraine published on its website.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ journalist resigns over changes to international stories
RNZ: An RNZ digital journalist at the centre of an investigation into pro-Russian edits inserted into international wire stories has resigned.
REGIONAL: Protecting democracy requires investing in media freedom says US state dept rep
PMN: The United States of America is upping its investment in media freedom in the Pacific. And to underline the US’ commitment to preserving democratic institutions, assistant secretary of state Bill Russo recently visited newsrooms throughout the Pacific to understand how to better support journalists across the region.
BELGIUM: VRT focuses on sustainability: television studio Daily Cost gets solar panels (Dutch – Press Release)
VRT: A spectacular image in the heart of Leuven: nine solar panels and a home battery will be placed on the roof of the recording studio of Daily Cost . For example, production house Hotel Hungaria and VRT want to focus more on sustainability and green electricity.
FRANCE: Media Freedom Act: audiovisual players are concerned about the “invisibilization” of traditional channels by platforms (French)
Public Senat: The European Affairs and Culture Committees of the Senate heard, this Thursday, June 22, several representatives of the French audiovisual sector about the draft European regulation on freedom of the media. Legislation that subjects platforms to new obligations in order to eliminate distortions of competition with traditional media.
GEORGIA: Georgian President Pardons Country’s Only Jailed Journalist
VOA: Greeted by cheering crowds and surrounded by journalists, including from his own station, one of Georgia’s most prominent journalists walked out of prison Thursday hours after being granted a presidential pardon.
GERMANY: This is how ARD wants to reform itself (German)
Deutschlandfunk: The reforms decided by ARD are a “change of paradigm,” said ARD boss Kai Gniffke in the Dlf. The broadcasting network will work more regionally and economically in the future. However, experts still do not go far enough for the plans in some cases.
HUNGARY: Authors leave Hungarian publisher in protest at sale to Orbán-linked college
The Guardian: Libri Group’s takeover by Mathias Corvinus Collegium raises fears of crackdown on literary freedoms
HUNGARY & SERBIA: Press Freedom Foundation develops community engagement tool
IPI: 2023 accelerator team tells their story: how they solicit reader messages on issues directly affecting their community.
IRELAND: RTÉ director general resigns over Tubridy payments
BBC News: Director general of RTÉ Dee Forbes has resigned with immediate effect after controversy over undisclosed payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.
ITALY: Public broadcaster RAI comes under serious political pressure
IPI: Far-right Meloni government accused of meddling in broadcaster’s management.
NORWAY: Here are NRK’s FleRe grantees 2023 (Press Release – Norwegian)
NRK: Six new talents are ready for this autumn’s batch of FleRe grantees.
ROMANIA: Transition Accelerator: how Iașul Nostru doubled its subscribers
IPI: 2023 accelerator team tells their story: how they grew their audience by building an impact-effort matrix.
RUSSIA: Take a Day Off After ‘Tense’ Weekend, Russia Tells Journalists
VOA: Knackered after covering a stunning march on Moscow by a small army of mercenaries? Take a day off after a “tense” weekend, Russian authorities told journalists Sunday.
SLOVAKIA: RSF asks former Slovak PM Robert Fico to stop legitimising harassment of journalists
RSF: Condemning the online attacks that a Slovak website reporter received after describing a YouTuber as “extremist” in his coverage of a debate involving the YouTuber and former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on Fico to also condemn the attacks instead of legitimising the harassment of journalists.
SLOVAKIA: Slovakia abolishes broadcasting fee: How independent can media report? (German – Listen)
Deutschlandfunk
SPAIN: RTVE hosts the 90th EBU General Assembly in Madrid (Spanish – Press Release)
RTVE: This week, RTVE will host the 90th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union ( UER:EBU ), which will bring together in Madrid directors general and International Relations from more than fifty European countries…
SPAIN: RTVE urges the Popular Party to withdraw the application for registration of the ‘Verano Azul’ brand (Spanish – Press Release)
RTVE: Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) has urged the Popular Party (PP) to desist from its application to register the ‘Verano Azul’ trademark and to cease its use.
SWITZERLAND: The initiative for a 200-franc radio-TV fee has succeeded, according to the initiators
RTS: The popular initiative “200 francs, that’s enough” – which wants to reduce the radio-TV fee to this amount – has succeeded, according to the initiators.
UK: BBC Studios Acquires Scandinavian Producer STV
The Hollywood Reporter: The companies noted their “established relationship, partnering on original IP, ‘Denmark Saves the Planet’ for TV2 and the ongoing development of a local version of ‘The Office’.”
UK: Making amateur radio licences fit for the future (Press Release)
Ofcom: Ofcom has today proposed changes to amateur radio licences and policies to make sure our regulations meet the needs of current and future amateur radio users.
UK: Ofcom and UK’s biggest telecoms firms commit to recruit more women into senior tech roles (Press Release)
Ofcom: Ofcom and the UK’s biggest telecoms companies have come together to sign a new pledge, committing to help get more women build technology careers across the industry.
UK: Record breaking digital audiences for Glastonbury 2023 on the BBC (Press Release)
BBC: New records set as content is streamed a record 50.3m times across BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds to date.
UK: UK Broadcasters & Bectu Begin Forging “Industry-Led Strategy” To Solve Freelancer Crisis
Deadline: The UK’s public broadcasters and broadcasting union have taken their first step to forging an “industry-led strategy” to address the current freelancer crisis.
REGIONAL: Draft EU plans to allow spying on journalists are dangerous, warn critics
The Guardian: Move to allow spyware to be placed on reporters’ phones would have a ‘chilling effect’, say media experts.
REGIONAL: European Media Freedom Act: Council secures mandate for negotiations
Council of Europe: EU member state ambassadors have agreed the Council’s position on a new law to safeguard media freedom, pluralism and independence in the EU.
ARGENTINA: Reporters Without Borders repudiates attack on journalists from La Izquierda Diario, Télam and other media (Spanish)
La Izquierda Diario: The international organization of journalists issued a statement and disseminated complaints about what is happening in Jujuy. The repression also extends to the workers and press workers who try to reflect the facts.
ARGENTINA: Televisión Pública received fifteen nominations for the Martín Fierro Awards (Press release – Spanish)
Argentina.gob.ar: “We are proud that the programs that give life to our screen achieve the recognition they deserve”, because “they demonstrate the importance of Public Television as a public service, reaching all corners of the country, with federalism, diversity, inclusion and citizen construction”.
ARGENTINA: The necessary restructuring of Public TV (Opinion – Spanish)
Perfil: Public media lose more than $30 billion per year, despite treasury transfers from the Executive Power and contributions from private audiovisual sectors. It is a false premise that they cannot generate profitable cultural products.
BRAZIL: Private sector does not like public broadcasters, because they break the unique thought (Portuguese)
RBA: President of EBC states that the station does want an audience. But remember that the public should be treated as a citizen and not as a consumer.
BRAZIL: The challenge of rebuilding TV Brasil (Portuguese)
Other Media: President of the station reports the battle to free her from the bolsonarist rigging. Evangelical soap operas and interruptions of programs in ordinary acts of the Presidency are the most visible face. In the government, there are those who want to leave everything as it is
CHILE: The IAPA is concerned about the creation in Chile of an official commission against disinformation (Spanish)
El Nacional: The president of the Inter-American Press Association, Michael Greenspon, assures that these types of commissions “always tend to look at reality from ideological perspectives. They advise biassed public policies, with negative effects on freedom of expression and of the press.”
CHILE: The IAPA is Concerned About the Official Commission Against Disinformation in Chile (Press release)
IAPA: The Inter American Press Association (SIP) expressed its concern about the decision of the Government of Chile to create an official commission to combat disinformation, warning it “could fall into the temptation of establishing censorship mechanisms.”
COLOMBIA: The Valle del Cauca Business and Union Sector condemned the harassment by an illegal armed group against journalists and environmentalists (Spanish)
El País: The Valle del Cauca Interunion and Business Committee strongly condemned the recent act of harassment by an illegal armed group against Asocaña collaborators, journalists, environmental leaders and community representatives from Palmira and El Cerrito.
COLOMBIA: Thousands of people protest against the Petro government and its social reforms (Spanish)
El Comercio: People of all ages began to gather this morning in the National Park of Bogotá amid shouts of “No more Petro” and signs that indicated “The press is respected” or “No to the Petro reforms”, all surrounded by Colombian flags. .
GUATEMALA: Muzzled press unable to cover Guatemalan elections freely
RSF: In a joint report published on the eve of Guatemala’s presidential and legislative elections on 25 June, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and nine other organisations denounce a policy of terror and persecution of the country’s journalists and media that will prevent them from covering the elections properly.
GUYANA: An increase of online attacks against journalists in Guyana is raising red flags: 5 questions for Nazima Raghubir, Caribbean journalism leader (12 June)
LatAm Journalism Review: April was a difficult month for women journalists in Guyana. At least three of them were victims of different types of attacks, including online harassment, intimidation, and direct insults.
GUYANA: Guyana’s newspaper press: A convenient historical guide
Stabroek News: In the early days of newspaper printing, the term press referred specifically to the machine used for transferring inked type onto paper, resulting in the reproduction of text or images.
PERU: The Peruvian Congress backs down and rejects a project described as a “gag law” against the press (Spanish – 16 June)
EFE: The Peruvian Congress rejected on Thursday to approve, in a second vote, a bill that proposed raising the penalties for the crime of defamation, which was described by national and international journalistic organizations as a “law gag” that sought to intimidate the press and that had received the green light in a first debate.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Dennis: Press freedom in Tobago under threat
Trinidad & Tobago Newsday: PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis fears that freedom of the press may be under threat on the island.
REGIONAL: Press freedom in Latin America: a lost cause? (Watch – Spanish)
Deutsche Welle: The Latin American press fared badly in the latest Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Classification. Almost all the countries of the region are at the bottom of this report. The situation is especially serious in Mexico. In turn, in the Central American countries there are reports of cases of espionage, closures of the media, raids and arbitrary arrests.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi media minister calls for Arab efforts to address content infringing on societal values
Arab News: Arab countries need a unified approach to address media content that violates the region’s religious, cultural and moral principles, said Saudi Arabia’s media minister on Wednesday.
TURKEY: German institutions criticize TRT for the series defaming Osman Kavala
Bianet: Germany-based media-culture-arts organizations made a joint statement and criticized the Turkish public broadcaster for its role in the financing and broadcasting of the production defaming Osman Kavala for whom there is no final verdict in the trial he stands.
TURKEY: Meet Turkey’s first AI-powered columnist, Senai Bilir
MEM: A news website thinks artificial intelligence can help introduce readers to fresh ideas in a stifling media environment
TURKEY: Report: Turkey Copying Russia, Using Courts to Target Journalists
Balkan Insight: New report published by Germany’s Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom says Turkey is copying the Russian ‘playbook’, using the judiciary to silence critical journalism.
REGIONAL: Journalism and AI will go hand in hand, Elaph chief tells Arab News
Arab News: The media industry has been urged to stop being afraid of artificial intelligence and embrace it by managers of leading Arabic news website Elaph as it prepares to launch a new AI-augmented service.
CANADA: Canada Forces Google and Facebook to Pay News Outlets for Linking to Articles (Paywall)
The New York Times: A new Canadian law will require technology companies to license news content. Facebook’s owner said it would drop news from the platform.
CANADA: Canadians will no longer have access to news content on Facebook and Instagram, Meta says
CBC News: Bill C-18, the Online News Act, received royal assent after passing House and Senate.
CANADA: WIFT TORONTO ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF CBC BUSINESS OF BROADCASTING MENTORSHIP (Press Release)
CBC: Women in Film & Television (WIFT Toronto) is thrilled to announce the recipients of 2023’s CBC Business of Broadcasting Mentorship. The two Toronto producers, Zeynep Güler-Tuck and Paula Sanderson, completed their exclusive mentorship in May.
US: AZPM honored with three national awards from the Public Media Journalists Association
AZPM: Each year, the Public Media Journalists Association recognizes the best of local public radio news in a wide array of categories. Arizona Public Media was honored with a first-place award for Interview Podcast and two second-place awards for Interview and News Feature. This is the first time AZPM has been honored by the PMJA.
US: CBS News Touts Growth in ‘Solutions Journalism’ to Combat Bad News Fatigue
VOA: Each effort to tackle youth mental health issues has been featured on a local CBS newscast recently, examples of a movement toward “solutions journalism.”
US: PBS board approves 3% station dues increase for FY24 (Paywall)
Current: PBS’ total budget is expected to break even at $372.2 million.
US: Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed Among Endorsers of Anti-Censorship Initiative
VOA: Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen and Ibram X. Kendi are among hundreds of authors who have endorsed an announcement by the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers that calls attention to the 70th anniversary of a Freedom to Read Statement issued by book publishers and librarians during the height of the McCarthy era.
US: Storytelling series unites Southern stations with regional collaboration (Paywall)
Current: “The best stories are universal. It doesn’t matter where they’re set,” said Arkansas PBS CEO Courtney Pledger.
US: With CPB Support, PMJA Editor Corps Pushes for Sustainability (Press Release)
CPB: Public Media Journalists Association receives $100,000 grant from CPB.
RSF: The freedom of information suffers from significant shortcomings in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania despite their high ranking in the World Press Freedom Index.
Courageous Journalists Win International Awards for Spotlighting Crises, Exposing Corruption
ICFJ: The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) announced prestigious awards to three journalists distinguished by their passion and perseverance in covering global crises and uncovering widespread corruption.
WAN-IFRA: Emang Mutapati, editor-in-chief of The Voice in Botswana, has been named 2023 Laureate for Africa; Lina Ejeilat, co-founder and editor-in-chief of 7iber in Jordan, has been named 2023 Laureate for the Arab Region; and Glenda Gloria, the executive editor and co-founder of Rappler in The Philippines, has been named 2023 Laureate for Southeast Asia.
Exile journalists map – fleeing to Europe and North America
RSF: For the first time, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is publishing a map showing the migratory flows of journalists who are forced to flee their country for safety reasons, and the countries that host exile media. Most of the countries that provide refuge to threatened or persecuted journalists are located in Europe or North America.
‘Change is coming, but it needs to be pushed’: Media tech CEOs discuss sustainability
TVB Europe: The Media Tech Sustainability Summit 2023 brought together a group of CEOs to discusses why integrating sustainability makes good business sense
Media event submarine search (German)
Deutschlandfunk: News, enigmatic reports, breaking news: The search for the submarine lost on the way to the Titanic occupies a large space in the media. Why is that so? And would the media no longer have to report on the dying in the Mediterranean instead?
Modelling the journalism business under pressure
IPI: Independent journalists and news outlets in challenging or repressive environments are finding ways to stay viable
Surveillance of journalists on broad national security grounds would “poison EMFA from within”
RSF: The version of the European Media Freedom Act adopted by the Council of the EU on 20 June provides for a general “national security” exception concerning journalists’ protection against surveillance and for the confidentiality of their sources.
THE EMFA MUST ENSURE JOURNALIST PROTECTION AND RAISE THE BAR WITH ONLINE PLATFORMS
EBU: On 21 June, deputy permanent representatives to the EU endorsed a negotiating mandate on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
Transition Accelerator: Ukraine’s Hromadske Radio reached audiences during war
IPI: 2023 accelerator team tells their story: how Hromadske Radio innovated to reach displaced audiences and create resilient technology to ensure content delivery amid war.
PSM Weekly is available via email. You can subscribe by signing up to our mailing list at the bottom of the page or email editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Header image: Podcast studio. Credit: Austin Distel / Unsplash.com