AFGHANISTAN: Radio Closures Hit Afghanistan Hard

Radio World: In the 18 months since the Taliban retook full control of Afghanistan, 177 radio stations have gone off the air in the country, displacing about 1,900 journalists and other employees.

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BANGLADESH: Journalists censored, threatened, beaten in two-month crackdown in Bangladesh

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns last week’s closure of the main opposition newspaper by the Bangladeshi government and the preceding two months of violence by ruling Awami League members against reporters who dare to cover subjects that are “off-limits.”

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INDIA: Forget Yellow Journalism, India Is Now Fertile Ground for Saffron Journalism (Opinion)

The Wire: Since India attained its independence in 1947, it has been known as one of the largest democracies in the world.

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INDIA: TRAI seeks views on news on Radio (19 February)

RadioInfo Asia: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper seeking views on issues related to FM radio broadcasting. The issues in the consultation paper include whether FM radio stations should be permitted to broadcast independent news bulletins.

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KASHMIR: Media freedom still a dream for journalists in Gilgit-Baltistan

The Print: The ‘expression of speech’ and ‘media freedom’ is still a distant dream for journalists and activists serving in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Gilgit-Baltistan region.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Detention Of Kyrgyz Activists, Journalists For Protesting Uzbek Border Deal Extended

RFE/RL: A Bishkek court has extended pretrial detention until late April for 26 Kyrgyz rights activists, opposition politicians, and journalists who were arrested in October for challenging a controversial border deal with Uzbekistan. 

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MALAYSIA: Malaysia wants to curb ‘unethical’ journalism but press feels it undermines free speech

Coconuts: The Malaysian government announced yesterday that it will examine and amend the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA), also known as Act 588 to curb unethical journalism.

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MYANMAR: Exiled Myanmar journalists in Thailand fight for truth

DW: Myanmar remains under military rule more than two years after the coup. Most local journalists have fled the country and are continuing to work in exile. They have urged stronger international support for their survival.

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PAKISTAN: Government seeks to criminalize criticism of the military

IPI: The IPI global network is alarmed by a proposed bill in Pakistan that would punish criticism of the Pakistan military and judiciary with prison. 

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-chul to Lead the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the World’s Largest Media Organization (Press release)

KBS: KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-chul has become Acting President of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union(ABU) with effect from 15 February, 2023.

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THAILAND & CAMBODIA: Thailand will not pay ฿28m to Cambodia for SEA Games broadcast rights

Thai PBS World: Cambodia is asking US$800,000 (~28 million baht) for the live broadcast rights to the SEA Games, which it will be hosting in May, but none of the participating countries, including Thailand, are willing to pay, claiming that the price is too high.

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REGIONAL: The Rocky Road to Press Freedom in South East Asia

HRW:  In June 1994, the Indonesian government banned three news weeklies –Detik, Editor and Tempo — triggering a nationwide protest against the government’s repressive regulations against newspapers. 

AUSTRALIA: Laura Tingle a step closer to ABC board with staff union’s surprise endorsement

The Guardian: Journalist Laura Tingle is one step closer to becoming the staff-elected director on the ABC board after a surprise endorsement from the union representing staff across the public broadcaster.

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AUSTRALIA: Media law reform: Media bosses unite to push government on press freedom

Sydney Morning Herald: Australia’s major media bosses united on Monday to push for changes to stop police being able to raid journalists “just for doing their jobs”, and to fix Australia’s beleaguered freedom of information regime.

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AUSTRALIA: SBS World News introduces First Nations place names in nightly national weather forecast (Press release)

SBS: SBS continues to increase the use of First Nations place names across the network with the launch of new weather map on International Mother Language Day.

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FIJI: Fiji govt minister apologises to media for abuse and harassment (13 February) 

RNZ: Fiji’s Attorney-General Siromi Turaga has publicly apologised to journalists for the harassment and abuse they endured during the Bainimarama government’s reign.

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NEW ZEALAND: Climate minimisation still has a foothold in media (Listen)

RNZ Mediawatch: National MP Maureen Pugh was censured by her bosses and made to walk back her words after calling man-made climate change into question earlier this week. But similar sentiments still find a platform in the media.

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ‘Chilling effect on journalism’ – expert warns PNG against changes to media law

RNZ: A Pacific journalism expert has warned the proposed amendments to media laws in Papua New Guinea, if “ill-defined”, could mirror the harsh restrictions in Fiji.

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG’s proposed policy could lead to government control of the press

Asia Pacific Report: Various stakeholders have warned that the draft National Media Development Policy released by Papua New Guinea’s Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on February 5 could undermine media freedom if approved by the government.

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REGIONAL: As US-China rivalry heats up in the Pacific Islands, the press gets stuck in the middle

CJR: Earlier this month—on the same day that officials went public about a Chinese spy balloon flying over the US, triggering weeks of media coverage—the US officially opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands, an archipelago nation in the southern Pacific. 

AUSTRIA: Is there still hope for ORF Sport Plus? (German)

Der Standard: The government or, let’s say, its turquoise part prescribes an austerity program for the ORF, the ORF presents austerity measures, and the government or, let’s say, its green part speaks out against these austerity measures. Austria in a nutshell.

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AUSTRIA: It’s time to rethink the ORF (Opinion – German)

Der Standard: The ORF has to save 300 million euros by 2026. … This is how Media Minister Susanne Raab wants it. The result: a dispute about what is allowed to stay and what is not. The red pen aims at sports and culture.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech opposition threatens to sue government if public media changes pass

EURACTIV: The opposition party ANO (Renew) threatened the government with a lawsuit due to proposed changes in the selection of councillors of the two public broadcasting media – Czech Television and Czech Radio.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech TV viewing back to pre-pandemic levels (16 February) 

Broadband TV News: TV viewing in the Czech Republic returned to previous levels in 2022 following two years of the pandemic.

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DENMARK: New, improved listener measurement in Denmark (Press release – Danish)

DR: After a thorough tendering process, the parties behind the Danish listener measurement, DR , Bauer Media, Danske Medier and Radio 4, have agreed to make a new agreement with Kantar Media Denmark (Gallup) on the measurement of radio listening in Denmark.

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FINLAND: Yle’s election offering is for everyone – multilingual election discussions reach a wider audience of Finns (Press release)

Yle: Yle’s mission is to serve all Finns equally, which is why Yle is paying special attention to the accessibility of its parliamentary election offering. This year, in addition to Finnish and Swedish, Yle will arrange election discussions in 4 more languages.

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GERMANY: didacta 2023: ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio present educational offers together (Press release – German)

ZDF: For the first time, ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio are presenting a selection of their educational offers – also for the classroom – and to promote media skills with a joint stand at Europe’s largest education fair, the “didacta” (March 7th to 11th, 2023 in Stuttgart). 

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GERMANY: Hessian Broadcasting is cutting jobs and examining real estate (German)

Süddeutsche Zeitung: The Hessischer Rundfunk (HR) wants to reduce staff in the next few years. Director Florian Hager told the German Press Agency: “The number of jobs will be reduced.”

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GERMANY: Public legal radio: Schlesinger who was fired wants more than 18,000 euros a month (German)

Süddeutsche Zeitung: The director of the public service RBB, who was dismissed without notice, is suing for a company pension.

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GERMANY & UK: ZDF and BBC extend strategic partnership (Press release – German)

ZDF: ZDF has extended its strategic partnership with BBC Studios, the BBC’s production and distribution subsidiary. 

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KOSOVO: Kosovo Media, and Regulators, Failing on Privacy Protection

Balkan Insight: Media in Kosovo often publish the personal data of individuals in a race for clicks that ignores standards on ethics.

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MALTA: Court orders PBS, BA to pay damages for unconstitutional, partisan broadcasting

The Shift: In a scathing judgement against the Broadcasting Authority, Public Broadcasting Service and the minister responsible for public broadcasting Owen Bonnici, the Constitutional Court this morning confirmed a July 2022 judgement that found broadcasting during the 2022 general election was unconstitutional and partisan.

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RUSSIA: International Federation Of Journalists Suspends Russian Union Of Journalists

RFE/RL: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has suspended with immediate effect the Russian Union of Journalists over its action since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its role in illegally annexed Ukrainian territories. 

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SLOVAKIA: Analysis: How much has media freedom in Slovakia changed five years after Ján Kuciak murder?

IPI: IPI reflects on press freedom progress following joint mission to Bratislava.

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SLOVENIA: Coalition: We expect the management of RTV SLO to allow the world to function in full (Slovenian)

RTV SLO: Given that the Constitutional Court did not hold up the procedures for appointing the members of the new RTV Slovenia board and that it has been constituted, the coalition expects that the management of RTV SLO will enable the new board to function in full.

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SLOVENIA: Wiesenthal Centre Alert: “Is Slovenian State Media Spreading Antisemitism?”

Wiesenthal: In a letter to recently elected President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, the Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, referred to antisemitism in Slovenian media.

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SPAIN: Elena Sánchez (RTVE) to the PP: “I assure you that I apply prudence when making decisions” (Spanish)

El Confidencial Digital: Defends pluralism on RTVE and clarifies that time quotas do not apply, with the exception of electoral periods due to legal requirements. 

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SPAIN: The workers of the public television and radio of Galicia, called to a strike since March 6 (Spanish)

Europa Press: The staff of the Galician Radio Television Corporation (CRTVG) approved in assembly to start a “sustained and forceful” mobilization in the public media that will start on March 6 with a 24-hour strike.

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SWEDEN: Ekot invests in investigative journalism (Press release – Swedish)

Swedish Radio: Ekot reinforces excavation journalism and recruits further. Two managers, where Gunilla Kyhlén is newly recruited, will lead the work with digging and investigative journalism where more recruitments await.

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SWEDEN: Public service investigation in an uncertain time (Blog – Swedish)

Swedish Radio: The government has now published the directives for the upcoming public service investigation. It is an extensive investigation that is pending and reflects an uncertain world situation where Sveriges Radio’s important role in Swedish preparedness is emphasized. CEO Cilla Benkö briefly comments here on the inquiry’s directive.

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SWEDEN: SVT comments on the directives on public service (Blog – Swedish) 

SVT: Today, the government presented the directives to the public service committee, which will make proposals for future conditions for the period 2026 – 2033.

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UK: BBC appoints Chief People Officer (Press release) 

BBC: He will be responsible for shaping the organisation’s people strategy and fostering an inclusive BBC in line with its ten-point Diversity and Inclusion plan

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UKRAINE: A Year of War in Ukraine: Upholding Media Freedom Under Fire 

Balkan Insight: Ukrainian journalists have been working in non-stop crisis conditions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country a year ago, but despite the dangers and emotional hardships, they are determined to consolidate press freedom.

ARGENTINA: The value of sustaining public media (Spanish)

Radio Nacional

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BRAZIL: Estadão reporters are attacked during coverage of the tragedy in São Sebastião (Portuguese)

Estadão: One of the attackers forced photojournalist Tiago Queiroz to delete photos of flooded streets and journalist Renata Cafardo was pushed into a flooded area; Minister of Justice sends the case to the Observatory of Violence against Journalists.

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COLOMBIA: MinTIC, in support of RTVC, launches rural connectivity pilot plan in La Vega (Spanish)

Radio Nacional Colombia: According to ICT Minister Sandra Urrutia, one of the great challenges is to guarantee the internet as a right that allows regions to have equitable access to telecommunications.

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HAITI: A Journalist Kidnapped in Haiti Freed

IAPA: A journalist kidnapped earlier this month in Haiti was released last Friday, February 17, by his captors demanding US$ 200,000 for his release.

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MEXICO: Article 19 warns about company that charges for removing public interest journalistic investigations from the web

LatAm Journalism Review

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PERU: Extremists arrived at the journalist’s home to harass her (Spanish)

IPYS: On February 21, 2023, members of the far-right group La Resistencia managed to locate the current home of journalist Rosa María Palacios to reach the outskirts of it and hurl insults and slander at her. 

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SURINAME: SVJ points to the importance of press freedom and free expression during dialogue (Dutch)

Waterkant: At the start of the national dialogue process initiated by the government in Suriname, the Surinamese Association of Journalists (SVJ) once again emphasized the importance of freedom of the press and the right of free expression. 

IRAN: How journalists do their work in Iran

CJR: The modern history of journalism in Iran has been driven by the battle between the nation’s liberal and repressive politics. 

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IRAN: RFE/RL Chief Says ‘Nothing Will Halt Our Work’ After His Inclusion On Iran’s Sanctions List

RFE/RL: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and Chief Executive Office Jamie Fly is one of more than two dozen people and entities to have been added to Iran’s sanctions list in response to new measures taken by the European Union and the United Kingdom against Tehran.

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IRAN: Tens of millions still use Instagram in Iran despite crackdown: Meta

France24: Meta on Thursday said that tens of millions of people in Iran are using Instagram despite government efforts to block the service due to months-long protests.

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ISRAEL: EBU CONCERNED BY NEW THREATS TO ISRAELI PUBLIC BROADCASTER

EBU: The EBU is concerned by fresh threats to the independence and sustainability of the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

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PALESTINE: MADA condemns the occupation forces’ attack on journalists in Nablus

MADA Center: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” condemns the flagrant attack against journalists in Nablus yesterday, which resulted in the injury of three journalists in different parts of their bodies while covering the storming therein by the occupation forces.

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SYRIA & TURKEY: IFJ launches solidarity call for journalists in Turkey and Syria

IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest organisation of journalists, has launched a solidarity call to support journalists in Turkey and Syria, following the devastating earthquake that took place on 6 February and affected many media professionals and their families.

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TURKEY: Turkey indicts 10 journalists on terrorism charges

CPJ: Turkish authorities must stop charging members of the press with terrorism and release all jailed journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

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TURKEY: Turkish journalists detained over earthquake reports

BBC News: Press freedom groups say dozens more have been detained, harassed or prevented from reporting.

CANADA: Canadian media advocates accuse Google of disrespect (French)

Le Devoir: Print and digital media advocates say Google is disrespecting Canadian readers by temporarily blocking news to some of its users.

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CANADA: CBC Corner is a free portal for public libraries!

CBC News: As an extension of our partnerships program, we have developed CBC Corner, a free digital portal specifically for public libraries, offering access to a wide variety of CBC and Radio-Canada content including news, TV and radio shows, podcasts, kids content, news in foreign languages in a single digital experience.

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CANADA: Pierre Poilievre’s media-bashing foreshadows his approach to governing (Opinion)

The Toronto Star: This is a dark hole that the Conservative leader is taking his party down. Threats and even attacks on journalists are on the rise in many countries.

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CANADA: Why Google is blocking some Canadians from seeing online news

CBC: Google is blocking some Canadian users from viewing news content in what the company says is a test run of a potential response to the Liberal government’s online news bill.

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US: Bill to disband current KET board, require Senate confirmation for some appointments advances

Kentucky Lantern: Called an effort to “protect” the integrity of Kentucky’s public television broadcaster, a bill passed unanimously out of a Senate committee Wednesday that would disband the current board for Kentucky Educational Television and require future appointments by the governor to the board be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate.

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US: Pat Harrison on failure: ‘There are no shortcuts down the road to success’ (Paywall)

Current: The CPB president talks about her experiences with failure in “The Dirty F-Word: Lessons From Our Failures,” a new book by the leader of PBS Charlotte.

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US: PBS Reveals New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Annual Report

PBS: Today, PBS released its annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report for Fiscal Year 2022. The report highlights the progress PBS made to enhance inclusive, equitable and diverse representation throughout the public media system. 

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US: Political meddling threatens the independence of West Virginia Public Broadcasting

RSF: Alarmed by a pattern of meddling by political authorities in stories and staffing decisions at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for greater transparency in WVPB’s editorial decisions with a clear line drawn between political leaders and journalistic staff.

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US: Suspension of NPR’s Kroc fellowships disrupts talent development, career plans of student journalists (Paywall)

Current: Applicants to this year’s fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio.

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US: VOA Puts Two Russian Journalists on Paid Leave Following Complaints

VOA: Voice of America placed two journalists in its Russian-language service on leave Friday following complaints over their prior employment at Kremlin-backed groups.

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US: With layoffs, NPR becomes latest media outlet to cut jobs

NPR: NPR’s chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its current workforce – at least 100 people – and eliminate most vacant positions. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally.

Female journalists face escalating online abuse (Opinion – Paywall)

The Washington Post

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Field of Action: Media and Journalism Education

DW Akademie: Journalists work in difficult media environments, competing with politicians, spreaders of disinformation and others in order to gain audiences. Media and Journalism Education programs give journalists tools to keep up.

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Fixing a global news problem

CJR: This is part of a series on platforms and the press published jointly by CJR and the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy.

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From tsunami to Turkey earthquake: The role of media during natural disasters

News Laundry: Freedom of the press impacts how stories can be told. Here’s how.

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How Global TV Sales Houses Are Adapting To The Cost-Of-Living Crisis – London TV Screenings

Deadline: The cost-of-living crisis is wreaking havoc and the global TV industry is not immune. As hundreds of buyers and sellers descend upon the UK for the annual London TV Screenings, distributors are looking closely at how they can adapt their catalogs and work in tandem with clients in the face of the incoming recession.

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How public media are financed in the world (Spanish)

Perfil: Methods include licensing, advertising and taxes, and direct government funding. In several cases, mixed systems are chosen.

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Integrating Ethnic Content into Public Service Broadcasting (Report)

Centre for Law and Democracy: This Note looks at how ethnic content can be integrated into public service broadcasting (PSB). The goal is to help various actors who are interested in working towards a more democratic future for Myanmar.

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Meet the first-ever artificial intelligence editor at the Financial Times

Nieman Lab: Madhumita Murgia describes herself as an accidental tech journalist. As a biology student, Murgia studied non-human intelligence in a gray parrot named Alex before she ever focused on intelligence of the artificial variety.

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Tech giants defend their work amid criticism over rising misinformation (Spanish)

VOA: The technology companies say that they “need more time” and criticize some legislation that “restricts” their work, other experts convened these days in Paris by UNESCO, believe it is urgent to establish global protocols and guides for content moderation.

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The Toll it Takes: Media Trauma in an Unrelenting News Cycle

VOA: Trisha Thadani, City Hall reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, has covered a host of difficult topics: homelessness, the fentanyl crisis, flooding, and shootings. But for a time during the pandemic, her work ground to a halt.

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Where did Facebook’s funding for journalism really go?

CJR: Four years on—and with Meta rapidly distancing itself from the news industry—a number of questions abound. How much money do we know made its way from Meta to US local news organizations through major grant-giving programs? Which news organizations received that money? How much did they get and for what? Which, if any, were repeat beneficiaries?