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 compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!
Public media research
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What we're watching...
The Rise in News Podcasts: in conversation with Jonathan Aspinwall, Executive Producer of Newscast.
Broadcast Revolution: Our very own Head of Content Sarah Cann chats with Executive Producer of the BBC’S Newscast podcast, Jonathan Aspinwall on all things news podcasts.
What we're listening to...
Will the third world war be fought over information? (French)
RTBF: Social media, TV, radio – information is everywhere, and every day it faces competition from disinformation campaigns that are just as prevalent. The targeting of users, the automatic creation of content and the use of bots are the new weapons of war used by authoritarian regimes.
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Global Headlines
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BENIN: In Benin, real media diversity which nevertheless does not escape censorship (French)
Global Voices: In 1991, following the Sovereign National Conference of February 1990 which marked the end of the single party system (political system without opposition party), Benin declared its attachment to democratic principles, including freedom of expression and plurality of media.
CAMEROON: Interview with Cyrille Bojiko, Cameroonian journalist and press boss (Watch – French)
VOA: After his beginnings at Radio Siantou, Cyrille Bojiko, a journalist with a unique career, continued his career as a TV presenter on the national television channel of Cameroon (CRTV) in 2002.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: DRC Journalist Blaise Mabala Detained On Insult Charge – Stanis Bujakara Tshiamala Remains Jailed
CPJ: Authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo should immediately release journalists Blaise Mabala and Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, drop legal proceedings against them, and reform the country’s laws to ensure journalism is not criminalised, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
GHANA: Combating Partisan Reporting and Biased Journalism in Ghana’s 2024 Elections
Modern Ghana
KENYA: President Ruto appoints veteran editor Tom Mshindi as KBC chairman
Nation
MALAWI: Communities in Nkhata-Bay Have Never Listened to Local Radios Due to No Signal Since Independence
Nyasa Times
NBC on X: Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (nbc) Director General Stanley Similo says such reckless action can have severe consequences, particularly in regions where communication is vital for information dissemination.
NIGERIA: Community-Based Online Newspaper Unveiled in Abuja
Daily Trust: FCT News Online, a community based premier online news platform that seeks to provide credible, authoritative and timely public-interest news in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT)…
NIGERIA: FRCN DG affirms commitment to staff excellence
FRCN: Dr. Mohammed Bulama, Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), has promised to support and appreciate good performance of employees of the Corporation.
NIGERIA: FRCN to establish more stations to curb violent extremism
FRCN: The Director General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Dr. Mohammed Bulama says the Corporation will establish more Frequency Modulated, FM stations to counter the narratives of extremists groups in the North East region.
NIGERIA: Judgment stopping NBC from imposing fines constitutional, say stakeholders
Punch: The National Broadcasting Commission over the years has been sanctioning and imposing fines on broadcast media houses over the views or comments of guests viewed to have violated regulations.
SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Catastrophic’ SABC Bill must be withdrawn
Tech Central: The “catastrophic and unconstitutional” SABC Bill must be withdrawn, three media organisations have demanded.
SUDAN: Sudanese Journalists Network condemns violence against reporters
Dabanga: In its latest report, the Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) strongly denounced the targeting of journalists by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the war that has been raging for eight months.
SUDAN: The War In Sudan Silences Journalists
Middle East Monitor: This investigation documents how journalists endured hundreds of violations over a period of six months since the outbreak of war between the Army and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.
TUNISIA: In Tunisia, the MEDIA LOVES TECH startup ecosystem grows
DW Akademie: The sixth edition of DW Akademie’s media start-up incubation program has ended. Five Tunisian startups completed the journey and are now part of the MEDIA LOVES TECH network.
TUNISIA: RSF launches NesTounes project to strengthen quality of journalism in Tunisia
RSF: With European Union support, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and several Tunisian civil society organisations are launching a three-year project in Tunisia to boost the financial and editorial independence of media outlets, reinforce journalistic skills, and promote a pluralistic information arena by means of personalised grants and training.
ZIMBABWE: Regulator Cracks Down On Sale Of Starlink Services
Broadcast Media Africa: Zimbabwe’s telecom regulator, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), has issued a warning against individuals and businesses that are selling and advertising equipment to access Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Invites Nominations for Broadcasting Authority Board Vacancies
BNN Breaking: In a pivotal move aimed at revamping Zimbabwe’s broadcasting industry, the Parliament Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has announced openings for three vacancies on the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) board.
AFGHANISTAN: In Afghanistan, provincial radio stations face economic woes
VOA: In Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province, radio stations are trying to keep broadcasting amid a dire economic situation. From Maymana, VOA’s Afghan Service has the story.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban arrest poet, magazine editor, family members say
VOA: Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Thursday detained an Afghan poet, Izatullah Zawab, who serves as the head of Meena (Love) magazine in eastern Afghanistan, as part of an ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and independent media in the country, family members posted on social media.
AZERBAIJAN: Crackdown on independent media must stop
IFJ: Azerbaijan is facing a worrying wave of arrests and repression against independent journalists and media outlets. Since November 2023, 10 journalists were detained, according to Agence France Presse (AFP). The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) strongly condemn the crackdown on media freedom as new arrests have taken place in recent days.
BANGLADESH: 18 journalists attacked, harassed during Bangladesh general election
New Age: At least 18 journalists were assaulted or harassed while covering alleged election irregularities and violence as Bangladeshis headed to general election on January 7, according to multiple news reports and reporters who spoke to CPJ.
BANGLADESH: What does the absence of freelance journalism in Bangladesh tell us?
The Wire: The lack of a freelance market not only puts immense pressure on existing journalists, juggling tighter deadlines and increased workloads, but also puts pressure on the media houses which, without quality content, cannot remain relevant to their readers.
CHINA & SOUTH KOREA: South Korean League of Legends esports league faces challenges in mainland China after Taiwan controversy, halted broadcast
South China Morning Post: Tencent’s Huya live-streaming platform ended Chinese broadcasts of the new League of Legends season after a Korean team referred to Taiwan as a country.
INDIA: Feedback on broadcasting bill to be taken in a few months: Anurag Thakur
Hindustan Times: The ministry of information and broadcasting will work on getting feedback on the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 in the next few months, around the time India goes to polls, I&B minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday.
INDIA: Indian media say Modi to gain ‘electoral dividends’ post temple event (Briefing)
BBC Monitoring: Media in India highlighted the significance of the inauguration of a key Hindu temple in Ayodhya city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, just months before general elections in the country.
INDIA: Network of Women in Media urges government to reconsider controversial broadcasting bill
Newsclick: NWMI emphasised the potential damage the bill could inflict on the country’s free press, free speech, and creative freedom.
INDIA: Threat to expel French reporter sends disturbing signal for future of journalism in India
RSF: As French President Emmanuel Macron is expected in India on 25 January for a two-day official visit, a French reporter who has been based in the country for more than 20 years is threatened with expulsion.
JAPAN: Regarding exemption from broadcast license fee for “2020 Noto Peninsula Earthquake” (Press release – Japanese)
NHK: The “Reiwa 6 Noto Peninsula Earthquake” has been designated as a specific emergency disaster as an extremely abnormal and severe emergency disaster, and after comprehensively taking into consideration the scale of the damage and the prolonged period of evacuation, With the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, we have decided to expand the scope and period of exemption as follows.
KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakh Lawmakers Propose Bill Legalizing Refusal Of Accreditation Of Foreign Media
Radio Free Europe: A group of Kazakh lawmakers approved a draft bill on January 25 that would allow the Central Asian nation’s authorities to refuse accreditation to foreign media outlets and their reporters on grounds of national security concerns.
KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrygyz media under pressure
IWPR: Media workers in Kyrgyzstan warn that they are facing the gravest freedom of speech crisis since independence amid a series of arrests of independent journalists.
MYANMAR: Journalists Paying a Heavy Price in Myanmar
VOA: Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, at least 176 journalists have been arrested, and four killed, with as many as 50 still in jail or in police detention according to the International Federation of Journalists’ 2023 report.
PAKISTAN: Authorities summon 47 journalists
IFJ: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued summons for 47 journalists and YouTubers, with authorities to question the media figures on their alleged sharing of misinformation targeting Supreme Court Judges.
PAKISTAN: Don’t cover Imran Khan’s PTI: Pakistan’s media told to censor popular ex-PM
Al Jazeera: Several journalists say they have been asked to impose near-blanket ban on the political party’s coverage ahead of February 8 elections.
PAKISTAN: US expresses concerns over freedom of expression, media in Pakistan ahead of elections
Pakistan Observer: The State Department of the United States on Friday said that the future leadership of Pakistan is for its people to decide while the US is interested in democratic processes.
PHILIPPINES: Activists in gutsy press conference indicted for ’embarrassing AFP’
Rappler: ‘Jhed and Jonila saw the press conference as their only way out, and it is absurd to expect them to not take the avenue they saw as their only means to survive,’ says their lawyer.
PHILIPPINES: FAST FACTS: The media industry’s struggles amid CNN Philippines’ closure
Rappler: Here’s a quick look at the media landscape, and a few familiar reasons on why the industry’s struggling.
PHILIPPINES: In the Philippines, women journalists face sexual harassment, politically-motivated attacks
Bulatlat: A group of Filipino women journalists launched their “butterfly campaign” to help spread awareness of the continuing gender-based and politically-motivated attacks against their ranks.
SRI LANKA: Online Safety Act major blow to freedom of expression.
Amnesty International: “The passing of the Online Safety Act is a major blow to human rights in Sri Lanka. The Act is the newest weapon in the government’s arsenal of tools that could be used to undermine freedom of expression and suppress dissent. Authorities must immediately withdraw it and ensure respect for the human rights of everyone in the country.
SRI LANKA: Speaker requested not to endorse Online Safety Bill without verifying Supreme Court directives
Newswire: In a collective effort, numerous civil society organisations and prominent individuals in Sri Lanka have penned an open letter to the Speaker of the Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena concerning the recently passed Online safety Bill.
SRI LANKA: Sri Lankan court case against Tamil journalists continues despite international pressure
Tamil Guardian: Despite appeals by international organizations to drop investigations against Tamil journalists Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran and Valasingham Krishnakumar, both journalists were summoned before a Sri Lankan courts for further questioning today.
SRI LANKA: US expresses concerns over Sri Lanka’s controversial internet regulation law
Associated Press: The United States expressed concerns over Sri Lanka’s online regulation bill Thursday, a day after it passed overwhelmingly in Parliament over protests by the media, opposition and rights activists.
TAIWAN: Chinese journalist banned from Taiwan for 5 years, mocked disabled lawyer
Taiwan News: A Chinese journalist has been barred from entering Taiwan for five years after he breached the terms of his visa by appearing on a political talk show and drew criticism for his mockery of a disabled lawyer and politician.
TAIWAN: How Taiwan beat back disinformation and preserved the integrity of its election
Associated Press: The rumours about vote fraud started swirling as the ballots in Taiwan’s closely watched presidential election were tallied on Jan. 13. There were baseless claims that people had fabricated votes and that officials had miscounted and skewed the results.
CNN: A Thai political leader who led his party to a stunning electoral victory on a campaign that threatened to shake up the country’s powerful conservative establishment has escaped being disqualified from politics but his — and his party’s — political future remains in question.
THAILAND: Move Forward MP has defamation case dismissed as court rules her comments were honest criticism
Thai Examiner: Move Forward Party’s Rakchanok Srinok triumphs over defamation suit. Bangkok court deems her comments honest criticism against media figures Anchalee Phairirak and Kanok Rattawongsakul. The ruling is seen as a win for media freedom.
ABC: The ABC has been accused of playing “hardball” by hiring a “notoriously anti-worker” law firm from the US to defend a high-profile unlawful dismissal case involving journalist Antoinette Lattouff.
AUSTRALIA: ABC managing director holds ‘positive’ meeting with union staff a week after no confidence motion
The Guardian: The ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, met with union members a week after they passed a no confidence motion against him over the broadcaster’s alleged failure to protect staff from external attacks on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
AUSTRALIA: How Kim Williams went from ‘obsessive’ clarinettist to the new ABC chair
ABC: As a child, barely in his teens, Kim Williams would take the train alone at night from his middle-class home in Sydney’s north-west and into the city to soak up classical music performances at Town Hall’s grand concert venue.
AUSTRALIA: Kim Williams, former News Corp CEO, to replace Ita Buttrose as ABC chair
The Guardian: Kim Williams, a former chief executive of News Corp Australia, will replace Ita Buttrose as chair of the ABC.
AUSTRALIA: New ABC chair must restore reputation for independence, says MEAA (Press release)
MEAA: The incoming chair of the ABC, Kim Williams, must immediately move to restore the reputation of the national broadcaster by addressing concerns about the impact of external pressures on editorial decision making.
AUSTRALIA: Nine apologises for using digitally altered image of Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell
ABC: The Victorian MP whose image was digitally altered in a Channel Nine news broadcast has said it should “never happen again”, adding she does not entirely “buy” the explanation that an automated edit was to blame.
NEW ZEALAND: Media cop flak over MP’s startling downfall
RNZ: The summer holidays are usually a dead zone for domestic political news – but the unseasonal and unexpected downfall of Golriz Ghahraman bucked the trend this month.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ’S Susie Ferguson to replace Kim Hill on Saturday Morning
RNZ: RNZ has revealed seasoned presenter Susie Ferguson will replace Kim Hill on the Saturday Morning programme.
NEW ZEALAND: The NPA’s Andrew Holden: helping newsgroups fight back (Paywall)
Business Desk
AUSTRIA: Murder fantasies in the “Exxpress” forum: ORF demands the release of user data (German)
Der Standard: ORF is also considering further legal steps and the police are already investigating.
AUSTRIA: ORF is advertising more management jobs for Austria’s largest editorial team (German)
Der Standard: Hearings for department heads will begin next week. There is intensive speculation on ORF about the chances of dozens of applicants.
AUSTRIA: The Greens, SPÖ and Neos are calling for the end of chain contracts on ORF (German)
Der Standard: The regulation also represents a preference for ORF over other media companies, said SPÖ media spokeswoman Duzdar
BELGIUM: This is how VRT CRW manages the MIAs: “every second matters” (Press release – Dutch)
VRT: When you say MIAs, you immediately think of the impressive live acts, performed by the absolute top in the Flemish media and entertainment industry. What you may not immediately think about is the hard work behind the scenes.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Media freedom in survival mode Bosnia and Herzegovina
IPI: National media landscape characterized by a widening divergence in press freedom at the entity-level, with legal and political pressures mounting in Republika Srpska
DENMARK: Watch the video from DR Deler: ‘Media development 2023’ (Watch)
DR: Hear the head of DR Analyse, Mads Emil Lidegaard, talk about Danes’ media consumption.
FRANCE: TV5MONDE turns 40: CEO Yves Bigot outlines his positioning in French-speaking Africa (French – Listen)
RFI: TV5MONDE has celebrated its 40th anniversary. L’atelier des médias welcomes its Chairman and CEO Yves Bigot to discuss the positioning of the global French-language channel, particularly in Africa in terms of news and fiction. And this at a time when TV5MONDE’s management aims to involve African states in its governance.
FRANCE & ITALY: The collaboration between Rai Documentari and France Télévisions is born (Press release – Italian)
Rai: Every year two joint projects on culture, sport and geopolitics.
FINLAND: Journalist Johanna Vehkoo about her five-year long legal battle in Finland
Free Press Unlimited: Legal attacks are a big threat to independent media and journalists. It happens all over the world, also in democratic countries that are known to uphold press freedom. Like Finland, where journalist Johanna Vehkoo fought a five-year legal battle against defamation charges.
GERMANY: Q&A: Ann Cooper on the AP in Nazi Germany and the politics of war reporting (History)
Columbia Journalism Review
GEORGIA: The first channel of Georgia hosted the School of Institutional Development of Defense (Press release – Georgian)
1TV: The public broadcaster hosted the students of the School of Institutional Development of Defense of Georgia and their leaders.
GREECE: Journalists in Greece charged for revealing illegal wiretapping (Paywall – French)
Le Monde: After revealing the government’s spying on opponents, journalists and entrepreneurs, several Greek reporters are facing a defamation suit. For Reporters Without Borders, the proceedings are a smokescreen aimed at burying an issue that is disturbing for the government.
GREECE: Stemming the tide of Greek media freedom decline (Report)
IPI: New report examines decline in media freedom in recent years and makes recomendations for democratic reform
IRELAND: RTÉ PUBLISHES HIGHEST PRESENTER EARNINGS FOR 2022 (Press release)
RTÉ
IRELAND: Statement by Siún Ní Raghallaigh, Chair of the RTÉ Board (press release)
RTÉ: The Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) of the RTÉ Board commissioned Grant Thornton to conduct an independent fact-finding review in relation to Toy Show The Musical, as part of an ongoing and thorough process in addressing issues around management, governance and culture in RTÉ.
MOLDOVA: ‘We’re not Criminals!’ – Moldovan Journalist Recalls Detention in Transnistria for Filming Protest
Balkan Insight: Viorica Tataru recalled her experience to BIRN of being interrogated by the security services in the pro-Russian breakaway region for filming a rally.
THE NETHERLANDS: NPO Ombudsman’s conclusion on reporting on the war between Israel and Hamas (Press release – Dutch)
NOS: In four files, Margo Smit writes about the use of words, the balance in reporting and the reliability of the sources.
NORWAY: Bjørn Eckblad becomes new advisor to the Head of Broadcasting (Press release – Norwegian)
NRK: Bjørn Eckblad has been appointed communications advisor to Vibeke Fürst Haugen, Head of Broadcasting. Eckblad comes from a position as senior counsellor at the Ministry of Culture.
NORWAY: Sámi álbmotbeaivi NRK:s – Sámi National Day on NRK (Press release – Norwegian)
NRK: Join us to celebrate the Sami National Day on NRK on 6 February!
POLAND: Court accepts government’s move to put Polish Press Agency into liquidation
Notes from Poland: A court has officially registered the government’s decision to place state press agency PAP into liquidation. In doing so, the court official came to the opposite conclusion of two other officials from the same court, who last week rejected similar moves to put state broadcasters TVP and Polskie Radio into liquidation.
POLAND: Notary involved in Polish’s government public media takeover charged by prosecutors
Notes from Poland: The notary who drew up documents the government used to change the management of public media has been charged by prosecutors with knowingly certifying false information.
POLAND: Polish Press Agency’s English-language service The First News closed down
Notes from Poland: Poland’s state-owned press agency, PAP, has announced the closure of English-language service The First News (TFN). It says TFN was expensive and “did not have any measurable impact on Poland’s good image” abroad.
RUSSIA: Russia Extends American Journalist’s Detention
The New York Times: The ruling means that Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, will spend at least a year in custody awaiting trial on a spying charge Washington says is politically motivated.
SLOVENIA: Digitally safe – a set of content on RTV SLO with the aim of qualitatively addressing the challenges of modern society (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: With its content, RTV Slovenia wants to encourage each of us to think and raise awareness about the importance of safe use of the Internet and the responsible use of modern technologies.
SLOVENIA: Vanja Vardjan has resigned from the position of editor-in-chief of the TV SLO entertainment program (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: Allegations of suspected irregularities in the implementation of the Eurovision Song Contest project have become public, which are also being addressed by the KPK. The director of Television Slovenia has already accepted the resignation of the editor-in-chief of the TV SLO entertainment program.
SWEDEN: SVT comments on the debate about Israel’s participation in Eurovision (Press release – Swedish)
SVT: Israel’s participation in Eurovision creates debate and today we see a call from Swedish artists where they call on the EBU to suspend Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 .
SWITZERLAND: “For the SSR as for me, it’s the right time” (French)
The Blog of Gilles Marchand: Gilles Marchand, head of the SSR since 2017, announced on Thursday that he would leave his position at the end of this year. This is as the battle is being prepared over a reduced fee.
UK: Channel 4 says it is to sell London HQ as it confirms job cuts
The Guardian: Broadcaster to make biggest round of layoffs in more than 15 years as it shifts to streaming amid ad slump
UK: Channel 4 shares plans to become digital-first public service streamer by 2030 (Press release)
Channel 4: Channel 4 today unveiled an ambitious five-year strategy to reshape the organisation and accelerate its transformation into an agile, genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030.
UK: Latest telecoms and pay-TV complaints revealed (Press release)
Ofcom: Today we’ve published the latest figures for complaints we’ve received about the UK’s main landline, broadband, mobile and pay-TV providers.
UKRAINE: In search of justice: Ukrainian journalists mobilised to investigate war crimes
RSF: In order to contribute to local and international legal proceedings, media outlets are investigating Russian war crimes in real time and transmitting evidence to local and international justice. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) salutes the meticulous and impactful work of these journalists who are fighting against impunity
UKRAINE: Why Some Foreign Journalists Have Made Ukraine a Permanent Home
VOA: Many work for The Kyiv Independent, the English-language news site that has made a name for itself among domestic and international audiences in the past two years. Its staff are united by a shared sense of duty to contribute to a Ukrainian victory in the best way they know how.
REGIONAL: 5 GAME-CHANGING TRENDS SHAPING ONLINE PLATFORMS IN 2024 (Press release)
EBU: As we dive headfirst into 2024, the world of online platforms and distribution has news that will impact European public service media (PSM).
REGIONAL: BIG YEAR AHEAD FOR FREE-TO-AIR TV SPORTS FANS (Press release)
EBU: Eurovision Sport and EBU Members are planning an exciting programme of sports coverage for 2024, with some of sport’s most outstanding events set to be broadcast free-to-air to audiences across Europe and beyond.
REGIONAL: EFJ calls on EU Member States to reach agreement on the AI Act
EFJ: As the Council of the EU is expected to vote on the AI Act on 2 February 2024, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) urges the EU Member States to reach a long-awaited political agreement on this important text for journalism.
REGIONAL: EFJ calls on future Secretary General of the Council of Europe to commit to press freedom
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the call by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to enforce Council of Europe standards on media freedom. This must be the top priority for the next Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who will be elected in June.
ARGENTINA: Community media fight for the Development Fund and demand that deputies not eliminate it (Spanish)
Agencia Farco: Community and cooperative media throughout the country are fighting to prevent the approval of the defunding proposed in one of its articles in the draft Law on Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines, known as the Omnibus Law.
CHILE: Santiago Pavlovic: “Pinochet had two journalists at TVN who were with him constantly. We called them ‘the caravan of good humor’ (Spanish)
El País: Santiago Pavlovic Urionabarrenechea (Sewell, Chile, 77 years old), journalist from the University of Chile, is one of the few, if not the only Chilean reporter, who continues working in the field after more than five decades.
COLOMBIA: Journalist Mardonio Mejía Mendoza is killed in Colombia (Spanish)
CNN: Journalist Mardonio Mejía Mendoza, director of the Sonora Estéreo community radio station, was murdered this Wednesday in the municipality of San Pedro, department of Sucre, the press office of the Colombian National Police in that area confirmed to CNN.
COLOMBIA: Murder of Colombian journalist Mardonio Mejía leaves “a huge void” in his community (Spanish)
VOA: Relatives and the journalism community regret the murder of Mardonio Mejía, the first communicator murdered in Colombia this year.
COLOMBIA: Nórida Rodríguez spoke about her management at RTVC: “The entity is at the service of Colombians, not the government in power” (Spanish)
Infobae: The actress, who spent nine months at the head of the Public Media System, revealed in conversation with Infobae Colombia the challenges and changes she will face in 2024 as leader of the entity: “we want to reach and inform remote Colombia.”
COLOMBIA: Transmission Station at risk (Press release)
RTVC: RTVC Public Media System , led by its manager Nórida Rodríguez , is pleased to report that today, Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at around 6:43 in the afternoon, the fire teams managed to calm the flames that threatened to destroy The Transmission Station that RTVC has located there and which includes an equipment room and the caretaker’s home, who has already been evacuated.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: The IAPA is Concerned About the Intelligence Law in The Dominican Republic, Due to its Implications for Press Freedom (Press release – Spanish)
IAPA: The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expressed today its concern about the implications for press freedom and confidential sources of information posed by a recently approved law in the Dominican Republic.
ECUADOR: Ecuador Prosecutor’s Killing Adds to Journalists’ Safety Fears (Watch)
VOA: Ecuador’s journalists are focusing on personal safety after a prosecutor investigating an armed raid on a TV station was killed amid a wave of violence sweeping the country. VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story, with VOA Spanish Service contributing.
ECUADOR: TV channel journalist attacked in Ecuador: “We are at risk, the threat continues” (Spanish)
Hoy: Guayaquil, Ecuador.- Journalist José Luis Calderón, one of the workers of the Ecuadorian channel TC television who was attacked by an armed group on January 9 in Guayaquil, assured that this event has marked his life and that of many of his colleagues. , and warned that communicators are at risk because “the threat (of organized crime) continues.”
EL SALVADOR: Report indicates digital violence against journalists in El Salvador
La Prensa Grafica: The APES presented its most recent report on digital violence against journalists and recorded a total of 4,057 attacks from October 2023 to January 10, 2024.
GUATEMALA: Arévalo undertakes not to “judicially persecute” the press (Spanish)
VOA: The head of the new Guatemalan government assures that he will not resort to legal tricks to harass the media or journalists in his country.
HONDURAS: The International Federation of Journalists demands that the murder of a journalist in Honduras be investigated (Spanish)
Latam General: The International Federation of Journalists condemned the murder of the Honduran journalist, Luis Alonso Teruel , on January 28, at the hands of a group of armed people who forced him to get out of his vehicle and immediately injured him.
JAMAICA: Media Association joins call for media access in Jolyan Silvera case
The Gleaner: The Media Association Jamaica (MAJ) Limited has joined the Press Association of Jamaica in calling for restoration of media attendance at the court case involving murder accused Jolyan Silvera.
MEXICO: Mexico investigates the theft of personal data of journalists (Spanish)
RFI: The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reported this Monday that his government is investigating the theft of personal data of hundreds of journalists accredited to the Presidency, blaming the leak on his political adversaries.
MEXICO: Radio and TV voted for Sheinbaum (Opinion – Spanish)
El Economista: During the pre-election campaign period for the Presidency of the Republic, the national electronic media gave more space and coverage to Claudia Sheinbaum of Morena, relegating her competitor Xóchitl Gálvez, of the Front for Mexico.
El País: The outlook for journalism in autocracies that oppress researchers and restrict freedom of expression is bleak. That is the conclusion of the talk Dictatorships that persecute journalists this Sunday at the Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias.
IRAN: Iran’s Parliament Triples Budget for State Broadcasting, Sparks Controversy
Iran News Update: In a significant move, Iran regime’s Parliament has approved a threefold increase in the budget of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) for the year 2024, soaring to 24 trillion tomans compared to the previous year’s budget of less than eight trillion tomans.
ISRAEL & GAZA: CBC News Network’s Deana Sumanac-Johnson speaks with the President of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Jodie Ginsberg on the growing number of media members killed during the Gaza war. (Watch)
CBC News
ISRAEL & GAZA: From Opposite Sides of War, a Hunt for Elusive Facts
The New York Times: The Israel-Hamas conflict has produced a prodigious amount of disinformation, putting people who fact-check claims — especially those who live in the region — back on their heels.
ISRAEL & GAZA: The War the World Can’t See
The New York Times: From outside Gaza, the scale of death and destruction is impossible to grasp, shrouded by communications blackouts, restrictions barring international reporters and extreme challenges facing local journalists.
ISRAEL & GAZA: Why, as a Palestinian American journalist, I had to leave the news industry (Opinion)
Al Jazeera: What I experienced before October 7 and what I’ve seen after has made me lose hope US media can change.
PALESTINE: Journalist Motaz Azaiza showed the world what Palestinians endure in war. Now he’s left Gaza
CBC: An independent Palestinian photojournalist whose social media coverage of the war in Gaza gave millions of people around the world a view of life and death in the besieged territory, has evacuated after surviving 108 days of reporting amid relentless bombings and battles.
SAUDI ARABIA: Profile: Women appointed to the board of Saudi Journalists Association
Arab News: Following a slew of new appointments, the board of the Saudi Journalists Association now has more women than at any time in its 21-year history.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi media strike cautious balance on Houthis (Analysis)
BBC Monitoring: Coverage by Saudi media of the Houthi rebels – whom the kingdom battled for over eight years in Yemen – has shown notable shifts over the last six months, but not yet settled on a consistent track.
TURKEY: Turkey still among top 10 offenders in CPJ’s census of imprisoned journalists
SCF: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has published its annual prison census for 2023, which shows that Turkey is still among the top 10 countries where journalists are imprisoned, Turkish Minute reported.
CANADA: Canada’s newsrooms are facing a financial crisis
IJNet: As Canada’s media contends with major financial instability, newsrooms are laying off their journalists.
CANADA: CBC launches a series of seven local podcasts across Canada
CBC: New CBC podcasts spotlight and celebrate the diverse stories of your communities and answer listeners’ questions from coast to coast.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada announces new partnership between National Film Board and Collab (Press release)
CBC: Collab, CBC/Radio-Canada’s partnership program with public libraries, and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) today announced a new partnership to expand the content available on the CBC Corner / L’espace Radio-Canada digital portal.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada returns to Canada’s largest library conference (Press release)
CBC: From January 24 to 26, CBC/Radio-Canada is attending the Ontario Library Association (OLA) Super Conference. Attracting more than 5,000 librarians from across Ontario and Canada, this is the country’s largest event focusing on librarian education and resources.
CANADA: Google begins rollout of conversational AI search ads (Paywall)
Media in Canada: Canadian advertisers now have beta access to the tech giant’s ad campaign product.
CANADA: Hockey Canada scandal proves that sports journalism is not dead (French)
Radio-Canada: Is sports journalism dead? Over the last few days, the ups and downs of the news have rather settled this strange question.
CANADA: TVO launches free learning resources to promote International Day of Education (Press release)
TVO: TVO Media Education Group (TVO) is celebrating International Day of Education (January 24) and this year’s United Nations’ theme of “Learning for Lasting Peace” by launching an online hub of curated learning resources, documentary programming, current affairs, videos and family-friendly content.
US: Business Insider cuts 8% of staff, becoming latest news outlet to undergo layoffs
CNN: Business Insider said Thursday that it will cut 8% of its staff, becoming the latest news organization to undergo a round of painful layoffs as news companies struggle to stay afloat amid brutal industry headwinds.
US: Frequently asked questions about the PRESS Act
Freedom of the Press Foundation: The need to protect journalists from government surveillance and from court orders to burn their sources is urgent, but that doesn’t mean we support just any journalist shield bills.
US: GBH News to launch Equity and Justice reporting unit
Current: A grant from the Barr Foundation provides “seed funding” for GBH News to build the “capacity and intention to support this work in perpetuity,” says Executive Editor Lee Hill.
US: How anti-diversity laws are jeopardizing public media’s DEI efforts
Current: Leaders in public media fear the state laws could have a “chilling effect” on DEI work at some stations.
US: Journalists at New York Daily News Walk Off Job for a Day
The New York Times: Newsroom workers at The Daily News Union, which formed in 2021, are in negotiations for their first contract.
US: Latino journalist layoffs threaten coverage of disinformation targeting Hispanics
NBC: As Covid ravaged the country, Los Angeles Times opinion writer Jean Guerrero saw firsthand how outrageous claims of cures on social media were being passed around Latino families by relatives. Her father had sent her one on YouTube.
CNN: The news industry is enduring a brutal start to the new year, with outlets large and small across the country hemorrhaging reporting staff as legacy business models that kept much of the industry afloat for decades collapse in plain sight.
US: NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era
NPR: NPR has selected former Wikimedia Foundation chief Katherine Maher to lead the network through an era of declining broadcast listenership, financial uncertainty and technological turbulence.
US: ‘Pink Slime’: Partisan journalism and the future of local news
Columbia Journalism Review: It is now four years since the Tow Center’s landmark investigation exposed the scale of an opaque “pink slime” news operation using the veneer of local journalism to push partisan talking points in the run-up to a presidential election.
US: Public Media Venture Group partners with tech company to build content syndication networks
Current: Public Media Venture Group announced Thursday that it will work with a technology company to develop content partnerships among local news outlets.
US: The Death of the Washington Bureau
Columbia Journalism Review: On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times laid off 115 people, more than 20 percent of its total staff. If those cuts went to the bone, in Washington, DC, it was more like an amputation: nearly half of the bureau’s journalists were let go.
4 sustainability tips media outlets can learn from freelancers
IJnet: Few topics in media today are more predictable than layoffs. It’s almost formulaic: A financier acquires a news organization and tries to fix a broken business model, but falls short. Then, the editorial staff gets the short end of the stick.
AI consultant Mattia Peretti on his “career river” and how newsrooms should approach AI
The Fix: Insights from Peretti’s non-linear career path and years of working with AI in journalism
Could AI companies actually “save” journalism from Google? (OPinion)
Tech in Asia: If readers start relying on AI apps for their news – and there are already indications that this could become a thing – media houses could see a fall in subscriptions.
Facebook made a major change after years of PR disasters, and news sites are paying the price (22nd January)
CNBC: In getting out of the news distribution business, Meta has upended many publications that had come to depend on Facebook for referral traffic.
IPI: Teams from 12 purpose-driven local media joined IPI’s Local News Accelerator to build their skills in newsroom management and media innovation.
How is AI affecting the creative media industry? (Watch)
CBC: For many, artificial intelligence is a tool. For others, it represents plagiarism and theft of intellectual property.
How media managers think AI might transform the news ecosystem
The Guardian: The news industry is talking about AI. This is unsurprising, because AI models like ChatGPT seem to be capable of automating many of the cognitive tasks that underpin journalistic workflows, and those models seem to be steadily improving.
How Totem’s courses can help protect journalists against DDoS attacks
Free Press Unlimited: DDoS attacks increasingly target journalism outlets, disrupting news dissemination. To combat this threat, journalists can employ strong authentication and security training to safeguard their websites and protect their vital role in providing information to the public. Our online learning platform Totem can help with that.
Political Jailings a Symptom of Democratic Backsliding, Report Finds
VOA: Political imprisonments of human rights defenders and journalists are a symptom of broader democratic backsliding, according to a report released Thursday.
The news about the news business is getting grimmer
The New York Times: Mass layoffs, closures and reader fatigue are afflicting news organizations as Americans prepare for a consequential election year.
These women-led newsrooms are helping change journalism in the Global South
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Editors from Brazil, Uganda, Nigeria and Nepal share what they’ve learnt while launching independent projects with a focus on women’s issues
TV channels are using AI-generated presenters to read the news. The question is, will we trust them?
BBC: A start-up is developing a news service presented by anchors created by artificial intelligence. Will it upend decades of parasocial relationships between television audiences and the people they watch on screen?
Watching the watchdogs: Law, Propaganda, and the Media walk into a bar (Opinion)
Al Jazeera: Or what happens when legal proceedings at the ICJ expose Western media bias and Israeli state propaganda.
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Header image: Telecommunications towers at sunset. Credit: Mario Caruso / Unsplash.com
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