AFGHANISTAN: Taliban expand ban on broadcasting images of living beings to 16 provinces

Amu: Taliban have expanded their ban on the broadcast of images of living beings to 16 provinces, with both state-run and private television stations now restricted to audio-only reporting, according to an investigation by Amu TV.

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BANGLADESH: The unspoken trauma of journalists

The Daily Star: Generic workplace definitions and regulations do not apply to journalism. They witness pain, often at the frontlines of disasters, tragedies, and conflicts. Yet in Bangladesh, while we cover trauma, our own trauma remains undocumented, untreated, and mostly undiagnosed.

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BANGLADESH & INDIA: In West Bengal, a cricket broadcast reignites nostalgia for BTV

The Business Standard: A recent cricket match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe that aired exclusively on BTV forced Indians to tune into the channel for the first time in years, leading to nostalgia and reminiscence of the golden past, when BTV was a regular fixture in Indian households

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HONG KONG: A journalist club survey finds press freedom in Hong Kong has plunged further 

Global Voices: Self censorship has become a common journalistic practice in Hong Kong.

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INDIA: Waves OTT Achieves Significant Global Reach and Engagement Milestones (Press release) 

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: Waves OTT, a rapidly expanding Over-The-Top (OTT) content platform, has marked remarkable growth across key performance metrics, solidifying its position in the competitive digital streaming space.

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INDIA & PAKISTAN: 16 Pakistani YouTube channels banned in India after Pahalgam attack

Dawn: The Indian government has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels on recommendations from its Ministry of Home Affairs, Pakistani and Indian media outlets reported on Monday.

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INDIA & UK: Why BBC Is Under Fire Over Pahalgam Terror Attack Coverage

NDTV: The government has formally written to BBC India head Jackie Martin, citing the country’s strong sentiments over the Pahalgam attack.

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JAPAN: The slow fade of Japan’s once-powerful daily newspapers (Opinion)

Japan Today: When Tsuneo Watanabe died in December 2024 at the age of 98, it wasn’t just the passing of a powerful media executive — it marked the end of Japan’s old print media empire.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyz authorities move to shutter Aprel TV over ‘negative’ government coverage

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a lawsuit filed by Kyrgyz prosecutors against independent broadcaster Aprel TV, which the outlet reported on April 23, over alleged “negative” and “destructive” coverage of the government.

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MYANMAR: DVB Radio is back on the airwaves inside Myanmar 

DVB: Following the March 28 earthquake, DVB has been providing critical news coverage of the response, the death toll, the number injured, and those who are still missing.

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NEPAL: Workshop on weather and disaster communication begins at PSB Nepal

Radio Nepal: A three-day workshop on weather and disaster communication has kicked off today in collaboration with Public Service Broadcasting Radio Nepal, Nepal Television and BBC Media Action Nepal.

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SINGAPORE: Singapore Votes 2025 – The Roundtable and 《新加坡大选2025: 政党论政》 (Press release) 

Mediacorp: Mediacorp will host and air two “live” General Election (GE) 2025 roundtables in English and Mandarin across its platforms on 27 April and 29 April respectively.

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TAIWAN: Bridging worlds: Jonah Khu on media, Taiwan, and global journalism (Interview – Listen) 

Rti: In the final part of our conversation, Taiwanese video journalist Jonah Khu discusses the evolving role of foreign media in Taiwan, the unique position of local reporters, and shares some thoughtful advice for aspiring journalists.

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THAILAND: SGS students from Thammasat University exchange views on new media and podcasts with Thai PBS. (Press release – Thai)

Thai PBS: Year 2 students from the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, visited Thai PBS to learn about digital media work and listen to knowledge exchange from the Director of the Digital Media Office and the Manager of Audio Media about digital media production and podcasts.

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TURKMENISTAN: State Television and Radio of Turkmenistan and UNICEF have prepared a cartoon about the rights of the child

Turkmenistan Government: The State Committee for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have prepared a joint animated film about the rights of the child.

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REGIONAL: Media practitioners across ASEAN explore innovations in digital journalism

Philippines Information Agency: Ten journalists from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Timor-Leste took part in a 5-day intensive training on Social Media and Digital Journalism held from April 14 to 18, 2025 in Ankara, Türkiye. The program was jointly organized by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) Corporation.

AUSTRALIA: Bad news – why Australia is losing a generation of journalists (Opinion – 17 April)

Asia Pacific Report: Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure of news outlets, job insecurity, lower pay and limited career progression.

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AUSTRALIA: Peter Dutton criticised as ‘illiberal’ for calling ABC and the Guardian ‘hate media’

The Guardian: Academics and former journalists say Peter Dutton’s comments labelling the ABC and Guardian Australia “hate media” are “reminiscent of Donald Trump” and could backfire as the election campaign heads into its final week.

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FIJI: Fiji Sports Council issues strict guidelines for the media

The Fiji Times: Fiji Sports Council will now require all media personnel to possess a pass signed by its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Gilbert Vakalalabure if they want to enter any Fiji Sports Council-managed facility.

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NEW ZEALAND: Board challenge at NZME delays Annual Shareholder Meeting

Radioinfo: NZME, the parent company of 13 New Zealand radio stations and the New Zealand Herald, has postponed its annual shareholders meeting until 3rd June.

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NEW ZEALAND: Should reality TV shows such as The Block NZ and Married at First Sight NZ receive Government rebate support? Media executive shake-ups at Stuff, TVNZ, NZME and Sky TV; TV star’s new podcast (Paywall)

TVNZ: Should popular reality TV shows be supported by a Government rebate?; Executive shake-ups at our biggest media companies; ThreeNews expresses “regret” over two 6pm reports; TV star’s new rugby podcast.

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NEW ZEALAND: Winston Peters makes comments ‘threatening’ RNZ funding (Listen)

RNZ: The New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has raised the spectre of possible cuts to RNZ’s funding during a fiery interview on Morning Report.

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Women in Media PNG marks two years of growth and empowerment

Post Courier 

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REGIONAL: Pacific editor welcomes US Court ruling in favour of Radio Free Asia

RNZ: The former head of BenarNews’ Pacific Bureau says a United States court ruling this week ordering the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to release congressionally approved funding to Radio Free Asia and its subsidiaries “makes us very happy”.

AUSTRIA: Many departures and some question marks in the highest ORF body (German) 

Kleine Zeitung: Following the resignation of chairman Lothar Lockl (Greens), Thomas Zach, head of the ÖVP Friends’ Circle, has now also announced his resignation. Speculation is rife about his successor.

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AUSTRIA: The threat from the FPÖ is gone for now, and now what? (German) 

Frankfurter Allgemeine: Roland Weißmann is the head of the ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation). What makes his broadcaster different from the German public broadcasters? Why is his predecessor now with the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ)? And what’s the deal with the European “Game of Thrones”?

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BELGIUM: Audiovisual media: subtitling and sign language are progressing (French) 

RTBF: Audiovisual media are gradually improving their accessibility for people with sensory disabilities. According to the first audit by the French Audiovisual Council (CSA), published Wednesday, overall progress is ” encouraging, particularly in terms of adapted subtitling and sign language interpretation .”

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CZECH REPUBLIC: The major media amendment will come into effect on May 1. What does this mean for Czech Television viewers? (Press release – Czech) 

ČT: The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, signed a major media amendment that will enter into force on May 1, 2025. After more than seventeen years, the amount of the television fee for individuals is changing from the current 135 crowns to 150 crowns per month.

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DENMARK: Bjarne Corydon becomes new Director General of DR (Press release – Danish) 

DR: DR’s board of directors has now completed the recruitment process to find DR’s new director general. The choice has fallen on Børsen’s current editor-in-chief and CEO Bjarne Corydon.

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FRANCE: Online advertising: 200 French media outlets sue Meta for “illegal practices” (French) 

RFI: This is the first time in France that a lawsuit targeting an American platform has brought together such a united front: some 200 French media outlets, including TF1, France Télévisions, Radio France, and Le Figaro , are taking legal action against Meta, the American parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

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FRANCE: Vincent Bolloré and his empire: investigation into a world of bullies (Watch – French) 

Médiapart: Hanouna, C8… These are just the tip of billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s economic and media empire. A billionaire now at the head of a media and publishing empire (Europe 1, CNews, Le Journal du dimanche, Hachette, etc.), with a clear reactionary agenda that many activists, journalists and civil society voices are calling for to be ‘stopped’, “disarmed” or ‘outflanked’.

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GERMANY: Broadcasting Commission in the State Parliament discusses the importance of children’s television (German)

MDR: A commission of inquiry in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt is developing reform proposals for public broadcasting. On Friday, members of parliament were briefed on the children’s channel of ARD and ZDF.

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GERMANY: Economist criticizes savings proposals for public media (German) 

HNA: Leonhard Dobusch, a professor at the University of Innsbruck, opposes calls to invest less money in public media. He emphasizes the role these media play in the political-democratic infrastructure. He also sees potential for greater audience interaction.

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GERMANY: Zeitverlag CEO Rainer Esser takes a sharper stance against public broadcasting (German) 

Kress: In a video interview with turi2, Zeitverlag CEO Rainer Esser sets out clear demands and expectations for the license-funded public broadcaster. He explains why he doesn’t think much of the ARD and ZDF’s fee-based lawsuits.

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GREECE: In Greece, a radio festival to educate young Europeans about media and information (French) 

RFI: Radio, a fun and educational tool for media and information literacy. This is what the educational social network European School Radio, based at the International University of Thessaloniki in Greece, has been offering for the past ten years. 

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THE NETHERLANDS: [DutchMedia Podcast] on NPO, DPG Media and ACM (Listen – Dutch) 

Marketing Report: In the 50th episode of the DutchMedia Podcast, the media debate in the House of Representatives about the future of the NPO and the adopted motions are discussed. Also discussed are the auction of regional commercial radio frequencies, Disney Jr, DPG Media, the ACM, Apple TV+ at Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Russia has committed 833 crimes against journalists and media in Ukraine

IFEX: In the 38 months since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have killed 12 reporters, kidnapped 29, and threatened or intimidated 129.

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SLOVAKIA: The members of the STVR Council do not want the public or journalists at their meetings, even though the law says they should be public. (Paywall – Slovak) 

Dennik N: According to them, the condition is met by audio transmission and recording on the web. Neither the opposition nor the media lawyer agree. The Constitutional Court dealt with the limitation of public control back during the HZDS government.

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SLOVENIA: Director of TV Slovenija Calls for Discussion on Israel’s Participation in Eurovision 

Eurovoix: The Director of TV Slovenija at RTVSLO has called on the EBU to enable discussion between its members on Eurovision participation.

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SPAIN: RTVE Responde analyzes how the RTVE brand is sold in a world of platforms and the rise of podcasts. (Watch – Spanish) 

RTVE: RTVE’s commercial director, Javier González, joins the Audience Ombudsman, Rosa María Molló, on the upcoming broadcast of “RTVE Responde” to analyze new consumer habits and explain how public broadcasting is managing to make headway among strong competitors such as Korea and Turkey, as well as the pressure from platforms.

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SWITZERLAND: Reform draconian banking secrecy laws to protect public-interest journalism

IPI: Call comes after renowned European investigative journalists face threat of criminal investigation after recent reporting on bank Reyl Intesa Sanpaolo

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SWITZERLAND: SWI swissinfo.ch 2024 Annual Report (Press release) 

Swissinfo.ch: This annual report provides an overview of the main issues that underpinned our work in 2024 and gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the work of our editorial teams.

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SWITZERLAND: Switzerland introduces new EU sanctions targeting Russian media

Swissinfo.ch: Switzerland adopted further Russia sanctions imposed by the European Union including widening an advertising ban on media organisations, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said in a statement.

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UK: BBC to take immediate action as it publishes independent review into culture (Press release) 

BBC: The BBC has said it will take immediate action to improve workplace culture, after publishing a comprehensive independent report.

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UK: BBC Workplace Culture Review (Report) 

BBC: Following a competitive tender, the BBC Board, led by the Chairman, commissioned Change Associates to conduct a workplace culture review. 

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UK: Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon to step down after nearly eight years

The Guardian: The broadcaster’s first female boss, who helped fight off privatisation attempt, will leave in the summer

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UK: Young UK journalists lean towards activist roles, away from objectivity – new survey

The Conversation: The role of journalists has been changing for some time now. Due to the rise of social media, journalists no longer hold the monopoly on informing the public and holding the powerful to account.

IRAQ: In Iraq, Al-Salam radio “turns down the knobs” due to lack of funding (Listen – French) 

RFI: On April 30, 2025, it will cease broadcasting in northern Iraq. For ten years, Al-Salam radio has become the voice of internally displaced people and Syrian refugees fleeing the Islamic State to seek refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan.

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ISRAEL: Israelis less concerned about made-up news, press freedom than other countries: poll

The Times of Israel: Pew study finds that public in Israel believes media has appropriate level of freedom, is relatively confident in free expression

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PALESTINE: RSF condemns Hamas’ threats against journalists bombarded by Israel

RSF: Several journalists in Gaza, which has been bombed day and night by Israeli forces for over 18 months, have reported to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that they are being threatened by Hamas which governs the Palestinian territory.

CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada is an essential service worth protecting (Opinion)

The Hill Times: There is a definite need to reform the public broadcaster, but a failure to preserve it would remove a cornerstone of our country when we need to build it up.

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CANADA: ‘It feels dystopian:’ AI-generated content about election flooded online news void 

CTV: A group that tracks elections-related social media activity says a tsunami of content created by artificial intelligence filled Canada’s online news void, making this federal election campaign the most “dystopian” the country has ever seen.

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CANADA: News Is Blocked on Meta’s Feeds in Canada. Here’s What Fills the Void.

The New York Times: Hyperpartisan and misleading content from popular right-wing pages such as Canada Proud is thriving on Facebook as the election nears.

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CANADA: RSF calls on parliamentary candidates to make specific commitments to counter threats to the safety and sustainability of journalism

RSF: Canada’s long history of protecting press freedom gives the country an opportunity to establish itself as a true global leader in the space at a time when both political and economic forces are arrayed against journalism.

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CANADA: What Canadians think about 20 policies proposed by Carney and Poilievre

YouGov: Among policies asked about, Conservatives and Liberals differ most on funding CBC / Radio-Canada

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US: Close to Home: Public media is a unifying force

The Press Democrat: Public media is one of America’s best chances at bringing people together and healing the divisions we see across the political and economic spectrum — and I’d like to tell you why.

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US: Columbia Journalism Review Faces the Kind of Crisis It Usually Covers 

The New York Times: The publication is now trying to find a successful business model without its top editor, who was abruptly fired last week.

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US: CPB Announces Five New Grants Totaling Up to $9.6 Million to Rural Public Broadcasters to Upgrade Emergency Alerting (Press release) 

CPB: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it has awarded five grants totaling $9.6 million to statewide public broadcasting networks in Louisiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, as well as KUTE (KSUT Tribal Radio) in Colorado.

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US: For Trump, the message is all. No surprise he’s targeting NPR and PBS (Opinion) 

The Guardian: Trump’s anti-media diatribes are part of the authoritarian playbook. Congress must reject his planned cuts

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US: Here are the latest details about the Trump Administration’s plans to defund public media

WOUB: You may have heard the news that the White House plans to ask Congress to rescind funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a move that would undercut NPR and PBS stations across the country.

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US: Here’s how much public media relies on federal funding, and what could happen next 

Current: Public media is no stranger to calls for ending its federal funding. Every Republican president since Richard Nixon has proposed reducing, or eliminating entirely, the congressional appropriation for CPB.

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US: How free is the press in the United States? Your opinion probably depends on your political party 

Nieman Lab: Like the economy and crime before it, perceptions of First Amendment freedoms are largely seen through a partisan lens.

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US: Indiana public broadcasting stations look to future after state eliminates funding

IPM: Indiana’s 17 public broadcasting stations, including WFIU/WTIU, are reacting to the elimination of state funding.

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US: RSF and 21 civil society groups urge Congress to preserve funding for public media

RSF: The Trump administration is planning to ask Congress to rescind the funding it appropriated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) earlier this year.

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US: SDPB and Federal Funding for Public Media

SDPB: SDPB has received many questions from listeners and viewers about potential cuts to public media’s federal funding and how they might impact SDPB.

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US: Trump’s war on the press: 10 numbers from the US President’s first 100 days

RSF: As President Donald Trump approaches the 100-day mark of his second presidency, he continues to carry out the threats he made on the campaign trail against the news media by intensifying his monumental assault on press freedom.

Case study: Denník N’s stellar anniversary campaign attracted 24,000 subscribers with impressive retention rate

The Fix: Denník N’s bold move resulted in 70%+ subscriber retention. Here’s a look at the strategies behind their impressive results

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Court Ruling Against Google Ad-Tech Monopoly Is a Victory for Journalism (18 April) 

Washington Monthly: Antitrust advocates rejoice at the second decision against the $1.8 trillion behemoth in less than a year.

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How the West is losing the international information war (Long read – Paywall) 

Le Monde: Under Donald Trump’s orders, Voice of America has ceased broadcasting, and funding for Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia has been cut. European efforts to save them are faltering. In contrast, China and Russia’s international media have enormous budgets.

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International public media face uncertain future in democracies 

Swissinfo: More and more Western governments are paring down their funding for international public media, even as authoritarian regimes beef theirs up. Yet these platforms can be instrumental in the information war, some experts say.

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Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over

The New Yorker: Social media has become less social. Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, admitted as much during more than ten hours of testimony, over three days last week, in the opening phase of the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Facebook’s parent company, Meta.

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RSF and over 190 media outlets worldwide urge tech giants to embrace the Journalism Trust Initiative

RSF: The challenges facing journalism —  disinformation, declining public trust and mounting financial strain on newsrooms — are manifold, but they all converge online. This doesn’t just endanger the news media — it threatens democracy worldwide.

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Strengthening media with indigenous voices (Study) 

UNESCO: The study Indigenous Peoples and the Media is a result of two years of extensive research and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders.

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The health of health reporting (Listen)

RNZ: “There isn’t a single aspect of the cardio team that’s well resourced at the moment,” the former head of Nelson Hospital’s cardiology service Dr Tammy Pegg told TVNZ’s 1News last weekend.

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The US used to be the gold standard for press freedom. Not any more (Opinion) 

The Guardian: The Trump administration is creating a chilling effect on independent reporting and public dissent