Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
Every week, PMA monitors these trends, compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!
PSM Innovations
Pacific Media Network introduces menopause and menstrual leave
The Pacific Media Network (PMN) is the first company in Aotearoa (New Zealand) to adopt a menopause and menstrual leave policy.
“The menstrual & menopause policy provides paid leave for those who access it. Just like one would use their sick leave, this policy applies the same,” said Lusia Petelo, PMN Union Delegate.
The menstrual policy was proposed, debated, and brought to the bargaining table at a union meeting by Ms Petelo and her delegate assistant, Henry Hohenberger. The policy requires all parties to conduct research, which included meetings with union members and doctors, and connecting with an Australian company that already had this policy for assistance.
Due to the increase in the number of women in the workforce, there has been a growing demand for such a policy. Ms Petelo said, “This policy has allowed women in our office to not feel ashamed for what their body is putting them through.”
As part of the new PMN policy, sanitary products are provided. Ms Petelo said, “The biggest difference I have personally seen and noticed is that the men in the workplace no longer flinch or look away when they see me holding sanitary products,” she continued, “There are more open conversations about periods in the office and being a broadcaster, I keep the conversations going with my co-host when we talk on-air.”
Read more about PMN’s innovative menopause and menstrual leave policy
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
We want to hear from our members about what you are doing to best cover the crisis on a local level. Email us using the link below.
Public media research
Our PSM Research and Resources page brings together all the latest academic studies looking into the world of public media.
What we're watching...
Sense of Belonging Research Highlights
SBS: The University of Canberra and SBS have released the findings of a new joint research paper, Sense of Belonging among Multilingual Audiences in Australia. The report […] has revealed that multilingual audiences who feel represented in the news are more likely to feel a sense of belonging; and that those who feel they belong, in turn, are more willing to participate and engage in Australian society.
Researchers from the University of Canberra, in partnership with news broadcaster SBS have released a report into the link between news representation and a sense of belonging among multilingual communities.
Read more via https://t.co/EitUPp7mjA#UniCBR
— University of Canberra (@UniCanberra) May 2, 2023
What we're listening to...
What’s the relationship between public media and social media?
Public Media Alliance: Since its emergence over a decade ago, social networks have provided an exciting opportunity for public broadcasters to reach younger audiences and provide fresh content. It’s been a necessary move, as younger audiences increasingly use these sites as a source of news. But recent headlines about two networks in particular – Twitter and TikTok – have shone a spotlight on public media’s relationship with social media.
What do these issues tell us about what it means for public service media to be on social media? And when the mission and values which govern social media are so different to that of public media, can public service media survive on these platforms? With guests Jean-Paul Philippot (RTBF), Christian Gillinger (Swedish Radio), Courtney Radish Philippe Edmond and Anne-Sophie Letellier (CBC/Radio-Canada).
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Global Headlines
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CAMEROON: Cameroon: Report the Anglophone conflict and perish
Global Voices: The state comes down hard on critical reporting.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Ten recommendations for strengthening media rights in DRC
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Journalist in Danger (JED), its partner in the Democratic Republic of Congo, propose ten recommendations for strengthening the new media law and journalism in the DRC.
EGYPT: Reporters Without Borders calls for Egypt to release Tawfik Ghanem
MEM: Reporters Without Borders has called on the Egyptian authorities to release Tawfik Ghanem, the former bureau chief of the Anadolu Agency office in Cairo, noting that he had begun his third year in detention without being brought to trial.
ETHIOPIA: MultiChoice and Ethiopian Broadcasting Corp to strengthen collaboration
Broadband TV News: The MOU signed is geared towards establishing a partnership for capacity building, benchmarking and experience sharing, intellectual property rights protection, training and skills development within applicable legal frameworks.
GHANA: GBC Staff threaten strike over withdrawal of allowances by Fair Wages and Salaries Commission
GBC News: Staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have threatened to embark on an industrial action if the CEO of Fair Wages and Salary Commission, Ben Arthur, does not reverse his decision to deny GBC workers their legitimate allowances.
GHANA: Ghanaian Journalists urged to invest in digital fact checking tools
Business Ghana: Mrs Maud Adjeley Ashong Elliot, Lecturer, Information Technology (IT) Department, University of Professional Studies, has advised journalists to invest in digital fact checking tools to make their news authentic.
MALAWI: Malawi journalist Francis Mzindiko assaulted while covering political event
GNN: Lusaka, May 24, 2023—Malawi authorities should thoroughly and speedily investigate the recent assault of journalist Francis Mzindiko and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
NIGERIA: Minister Urges Broadcasting Regulator (NBC) To Fast-Track Migration To Digital Switch Over
Broadcast Media Africa: Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the outgoing Minister of Information in Nigeria, has urged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to speed up the migration to Digital Switch Over (DSO), warning that delaying the shift will harm the nation’s digital economy.
NIGERIA: This Nigerian organization is teaching journalists how to cover civil and human rights
IJNET: Police killings have been on the rise in Nigeria for over two decades. Since 2000, the country’s police force has shot and killed more than 8,000 citizens, either intentionally or by accident, according to Human Rights Watch. In 2016, the World Internal Security and Police Index deemed the country’s police the “worst in the world.”
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC invites producers to submit proposals for new shows
Bizcommunity: The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Video Entertainment, Content division has invited producers to submit programme proposals for long format drama series.
TUNISIA: The last days of Tunisia’s free press
The New Arab: Press freedom was seen as one of the key gains of the 2011 revolution, but under Kais Saied’s increasingly authoritarian rule the future of independent journalism looks bleak.
TUNISIA: Tunisian court releases prominent radio director from prison
AP News: Tunisia’s most popular private radio station said an appeal court has allowed its director to be released on bail from prison, after more than three months of detention.
UGANDA: Cartoonist Spire Worried for His Life After Exposing Government Failures On Social Media
All Africa: Cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo has expressed worry over his life following a successful spell of social media exhibitions against government institutions.
UGANDA: Ugandan Activists Say Future of Media Uncertain
VOA News: A report in Uganda shows journalists there face a difficult present and uncertain future. Activists say while abuses and human rights violations against journalists decreased slightly last year, the media space remains hostile.
REGIONAL: Fesmedia Africa to host information and communication rights conference
The Namibian: The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (Fesmedia) will be hosting a conference from 31 May to 2 June in Windhoek, where invited delegates will discuss information and communication rights in Africa.
REGIONAL: Press freedom struggles in Africa: a look at propaganda, repression, and insecurity
The Africa Report: Which African governments are responsible for the most press repression? What do journalists risk when they are within the crosshairs of the law? How have press laws evolved? We have a visual overview of the situation.
REGIONAL: Public interest journalism and good governance (Opinion)
New Era Live: In Africa, Freedom of Information legislation began to be implemented in the early 2000s. Two decades later, more than half of the continent has embraced FoI laws in both public affairs and governance. This has substantially reduced secrecy in public affairs, as the expansion of FoI continues to advantage journalism, media development and good governance on the continent.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan: Activists, academics and journalists continue to be targeted as UN talks sideline women’s voices
CIVICUS Monitor: In March 2023, the CIVICUS Monitor downgraded Afghanistan’s rating from ‘repressed’ to ‘closed’, the lowest possible category on the scale.
LBC: Slowly but surely, people are starting to wake up to the case of Jimmy Lai, who last year was jailed almost six years on national security laws in Hong Kong.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong foreign press club raises concerns over unexplained media bans at gov’t events
HKFP: “Media outlets being barred from covering public events raises concerns over the future of press freedom in Hong Kong, which is guaranteed under Article 27 of the Basic Law,” the Foreign Correspondents’ Club said in its first such statement for eight months.
HKFP: Members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Monday questioned the club’s commitment to expressing concerns about press freedom. This year has seen the ongoing Stand News’ sedition trial, journalists reportedly followed and a political comic strip axed after four decades.
INDIA: As India holds G20 meet, ‘brutal’ Kashmir media crackdown slammed
Al Jazeera: The Committee to Protect Journalists demands ‘immediate release of four arbitrarily detained Kashmiri journalists’.
INDIA: India: Three journalists assaulted by Manipur authorities
IFJ: Three journalists were physically assaulted by security forces in the Indian state of Manipur while covering unrest at New Checkon, Imphal on May 22.
JAPAN & UKRAINE: Ukraine broadcaster visits NHK for tips on backup operations (Watch)
NHK World News: Ukrainian broadcasting officials are visiting NHK to see how Japan’s public broadcaster runs backup operations in times of emergency.
MALAYSIA: Malaysia’s Media Risks Falling Deeper Into Chinese Global Media Offensive
Eurasia Review: May 29 is the National Journalists Day in Malaysia. Independence of the media remains at the most critical stage of importance for the country and the world. It has to remain free from internal political dictate and influence and the equally important, if not more crucial, the influence of foreign powers and their attempts to sway and interfere in local and public discourse and awareness.
MALAYSIA: ‘Review laws that gag the press’
New Straits Times: The government must look into laws that stifle press freedom if it wishes to create a conducive ecosystem for the media.
NEPAL: Nepal: Minister to raise journalist minimum wage by 40 per cent
IFJ: After years of advocacy by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee (MWFC), established under the Working Journalists Act, has joined the organisation in urging the Nepali government to increase the minimum wage for journalists by 40 per cent, with immediate support from government ministers.
PAKISTAN: Journalist Imran Riaz Khan still missing in Pakistan
Al Jazeera: Since his arrest at Sialkot airport, neither his family nor police appear to know where the controversial commentator is.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan: New ‘contempt’ law threatens press freedom
IFJ: Pakistan’s parliament has approved its Contempt of Parliament Bill 2023 which aims to strengthen parliamentary oversight powers, despite issues raised by media and legal stakeholders regarding the bill’s potential to limit freedom of expression.
SOUTH KOREA: Media union MBC headquarter “Newsroom raid is a retaliatory investigation” (Korean)
Mediaus: The MBC Headquarters of the National Press Union (MBC Headquarters of the Press Union) judged the search and seizure by the police as ‘excessive investigation’ and ‘MBC oppression’ and announced that it would respond. The MBC newsroom was included in the search and seizure target by the police.
SOUTH KOREA: Police raid MBC, reporter’s home for leaking Justice Minister’s personal information
The Korea Herald: The Seoul Metropolitan Police’s anti-corruption unit raided Korean broadcaster MBC on Tuesday as part of a probe into the alleged leaking of Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon’s personal information involving one of its journalists.
SRI LANKA: Broadcasting Authority Bill, another attempt to stifle media freedom? (Watch)
Newsfirst.lk
TAIWAN: Journalists blocked from covering World Health forum
IFJ: Two accredited journalists from Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) were denied entry to the ongoing World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on May 22, with World Health Organisation (WHO) event staff allegedly claiming ‘pressure from China’ as the reason behind the refusal.
TAJIKISTAN: Independent Journalist Handed Seven-Year Sentence In Widening Crackdown (Opinion)
Eurasia Review: International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) regrets the conviction of journalist Khurshed Fozilov in Tajikistan on charges initiated in apparent retaliation for his journalistic activities and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
THAILAND: Thai PBS received the award for “Website accessible to everyone according to WCAG standards” (Thai – Press release)
Thai PBS: The website www.thaipbs.or.th has been awarded the “Website that everyone can access according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard” as a platform that everyone can access equally. Reduce the digital divide reflect the implementation of the strategy in order to truly be a public media for all groups of people.
VIETNAM: Social Media Law in Vietnam Seen as Damaging to Online Debate
VOA News: A move by Vietnam to make all social media users verify their identity is a way to curb one of the few remaining spaces for criticism and independent journalism, analysts say.
AUSTRALIA: ABC fears for Indigenous staff as ‘evil’ comments on the rise in lead-up to voice referendum
The Guardian: Managing director David Anderson says broadcaster has measures in place to protect staff, including blocking emails.
AUSTRALIA: Ita Buttrose breaks silence on Stan Grant as broadcaster discusses ‘bruising’ week
The Sydney Morning Herald: ABC chair Ita Buttrose has blamed an “abusive and toxic culture” in public discourse for driving Q+A host Stan Grant out of his role but refused to be drawn on the broadcaster’s treatment of him, claiming she was initially unaware of the racist attacks on him in recent weeks.
ABC News: I work as the social media producer for Q+A and have seen the things some of you write about Stan Grant. If you knew what your relatives and close friends are saying behind the comfort of their screen, you would be horrified, writes Neryssa Azlan.
AUSTRALIA: Screen Australia, SBS and NITV call for applications to Digital Originals 2023 (Press Release)
SBS: Screen Australia, SBS and National Indigenous Television (NITV) have announced that applications are now open for the fourth year of the highly successful Digital Originals initiative.
AUSTRALIA: Sense of Belonging Research Highlights (Watch)
SBS: The University of Canberra and SBS have released the findings of a new joint research paper, Sense of Belonging among Multilingual Audiences in Australia. The report […] has revealed that multilingual audiences who feel represented in the news are more likely to feel a sense of belonging; and that those who feel they belong, in turn, are more willing to participate and engage in Australian society.
AUSTRALIA: The most successful original commission in SBS history
SBS: Alone Australia has now secured its place as SBS’s most watched ever original production In terms of total consumption.
FIJI: Tubuna acknowledges media role in economic recovery
FIJI TIMES: Assistant Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister Sakiusa Tubuna commended the media for their role in the economic recovery.
NEW ZEALAND: Enhanced future focus for RNZ (Press release)
RNZ: RNZ is starting a new chapter with a strengthened purpose as Aotearoa’s non-commercial public media organisation. Our vision is to provide outstanding public media that matters.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ takes home several top Voyager Media Awards
RNZ News: RNZ was honoured with several top honours for its journalism at the 50th annual Voyager Media Awards on Saturday night.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: An inside look at the role of media in Solomon Islands’ national security landscape
The Lowy Institute: Asking hard questions also means knowing what information to trust and having faith journalists will also be respected.
ARMENIA: Probe Reveals Dozens Targeted By Pegasus Spyware In Armenia, Including Two RFE/RL Journalists
RFE/RL: A joint investigation involving researchers from several Internet watchdogs and rights groups has revealed that at least a dozen public figures in Armenia, including two Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists based in Yerevan, as well as hundreds of phone numbers in Azerbaijan, were targeted with Pegasus spyware.
AUSTRIA: Guidelines for the media: Climate journalism network presented the climate code (German)
Der Standard: Media companies that sign the code commit themselves to scientific facts, give climate reporting space and resources, show solutions and options for action and pay attention to appropriate illustrations and choice of words.
DENMARK: New constitutional tradition: DR gathers the party leaders for a constitutional party and gives the Danes the floor (Danish – Press release)
DR: DR invites both children and adults to a week of debate and conversation about our society and democracy, as a celebration of the constitution.
FRANCE: France’s Minister Threatens To Ban Twitter After Musk Pulls Platform From EU’s Disinformation Code
International Business Times: France’s digital minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Monday lashed out against Elon Musk-owned Twitter, threatening to ban the social media platform in the European Union if it “repeatedly” refuses to abide by the bloc’s rules for digital platforms.
FINLAND: How Finnish schools teach every child to spot fake news – and what UK parents could learn from them
INEWS: Gen Z are digital natives of the post-truth age but in Finland they are taught how to navigate a world of fake news and conspiracy theories
GERMANY: Draft law against hate speech: Targeting hate speech (German)
Deutschlandfunk: There has long been a struggle to find the right laws against hate and hate speech online. The federal government is now planning a new law. But is that enough? Critics are calling for even simpler rules – and are primarily targeting large accounts.
ITALY: Italy: Half-baked defamation reforms will fail to protect journalists
ARTICLE 19: ARTICLE 19 Europe has commented on proposals to amend Italian defamation legislation. While we welcome the initiative and the potential for change, we remain concerned that these proposals will not be comprehensive enough to protect journalists and their right to freedom of expression.
KOSOVO: Kosovo Ruling Party Criticised for Electing Supporter to Media Regulator Board
Balkan Insight: Kosovo’s ruling Vetevendosje party has been accused of trying to ‘recapture’ the Independent Media Commission after its MPs elected a known supporter to serve on the board.
LATVIA: Public media should be merged without haste, says Saeima committee in Tallinn
BNN: Latvian Saeima’s press-service reports about the trip of its deputies to Tallinn. The purpose of this visit is studying Estonian public media ERR operations and funding model. During this visit, Latvian Saeima deputies concluded the decision to merge Latvia’s public media “is a correct and forward-looking decision”.
POLAND: Poland sanctions 365 Belarusians over journalist’s imprisonment
Poland has imposed sanctions on a further 365 Belarusian citizens over the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin in Belarus, the interior ministry said on Monday, amid rising tensions between Warsaw and Minsk.
RUSSIA: Russian Court Extends Pre-Trial Detention for US Journalist Evan Gershkovich
VOA News: The United States has called for Russia to immediately release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after Moscow sought to extend his pre-trial detention by three months.
SERBIA: Antigovernment Protesters Encircle Serbian State TV Building, Demand Media Freedom
VOA News: Huge crowds of antigovernment protesters Saturday encircled the Serbian state television building in downtown Belgrade to press their demand for autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic to ease his tight grip on the mainstream media and allow alternative voices.
SLOVENIA: The Constitutional Court lifted the temporary suspension of the government law on RTV Slovenia (Slovenian)
RTV SLO: The Constitutional Court lifted the temporary suspension of the implementation of part of the amendment to the Act on RTV Slovenia. No later than seven days after the publication of this decision in the Official Gazette, the new board of RTV Slovenia must be constituted.
SPAIN: RTVE will use AI to generate content in real time and automatically from local elections (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: RTVE’s Technological Strategy Department has launched and is leading a project to use new technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the generation of written and sound content, in real time and automatically, for the local elections of 28 May and in which the coverage of the nearly 5,000 municipalities in Spain with less than 1,000 inhabitants will be given.
SWEDEN: SVT next to introduce AI policy (Swedish – 12 May)
Dagens Media: At the public service company SVT, a policy has been drawn up and decided on for how the employees should relate to the rapid development in AI.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss gov’t favors compensation for journalistic ‘snippets’ posted by online services
AP NEWS: Switzerland’s executive branch says it favors changes to copyright law to require large online service providers — including social media platforms and search engines — to pay media companies for use of their journalistic content, even small excerpts known as “snippets.
UK: BBC looks to build ‘an iconic brand with public service purpose at its heart’
Marketing Week: The BBC is looking to define its brand positioning within a digital-first future by hiring its first “chief brand officer”.
UK: Netflix Threatens To Purge Shows In UK To Avoid Falling Foul Of “Onerous” New Streamer Regulations
Deadline: Netflix has threatened to preemptively remove films and TV shows from its UK library to avoid falling foul of new streamer regulations being introduced by the British government.
UKRAINE: UNESCO and IWPR train Ukrainian journalists in conflict reporting
UNESCO: A diverse group of 14 journalists from various cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, Kamianske, Lviv and Kharkiv have participated in the training since January.
REGIONAL: EU Council advances on source protection, fund transparency in media law
EURACTIV: A new compromise text on the European Media Freedom Act from the Swedish EU Council Presidency proposes changes to areas including the threshold of application for transparency rules on the allocation of public funds and the provisions covering spyware and the protection of sources.
ARGENTINA: Pakapaka received two awards at the “Chilemonos 2023 International Animation Festival” (Press Release – Spanish)
RTS: The award ceremony was held from May 22 to May 27 in Chile, and seeks to promote and develop Latin American animation.
ARGENTINA & BRAZIL: Argentina’s public media signed cooperation and exchange agreements with Brazil
Télam: The agreement signed by the owners of the Brazilian Communication Company (EBC) with the public companies Radio Televisión Argentina (RTA), Agencia Télam and Contenidos Públicos foresees sharing content and policies to promote integration between the two countries.
BRAZIL: Entries open for the Rádio MEC 100 Years Award (Press Release – Portuguese)
EBC: This Thursday (27), at 3 pm, registration for the Rádio MEC 100 Years Award begins. The initiative aims to reveal and disseminate recordings of unpublished musical works and value the production of artists from all over Brazil. Those interested in competing must fill out a free form on the contest page ( premio.ebc.com.br ) until June 12th.
COSTA RICA: Protecting Press Freedom in Costa Rica: Constitutional Chamber’s Verdict
The Tico Times: In a significant ruling, Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber condemned the verbal attacks made by President Rodrigo Chaves against journalists. The Court deemed the derogatory remarks unjustified, emphasizing the potential harm they could cause to press freedom and democratic values.
GUATEMALA: Meet the journalists defying a widening crackdown on press freedom in Guatemala
Reuters Institute: After elPeriódico’s closure, a few outlets are resisting government pressure and working together on fact-checking and investigations.
LatAm Journalism Review: “The bill under study focuses on the urgency of protecting the honor, dignity, good reputation and personal privacy of the individual and family, through our legal estates, sanctioning [persons] with an increase of the penalty for the misuse of the media, social media or websites that affect fundamental rights of the person protected by our legal order.”
VENEZUELA: Prodavinci expands its educommunication program to train Venezuelan journalists on key issues
LatAm Journalism Review: In another attempt to undermine journalism, the Venezuelan government promoted in early 2023 a three-month online course to “train and certify reporters.”
REGIONAL: UNESCO to create spaces for Latin American reporters at risk
UNESCO: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) announced that the global project Supporting Safe Spaces for Journalists in Conflict Situations will reach Latin America, starting in Costa Rica in the second half of 2023, it was reported Thursday.
IRAN: ‘You will be killed’: Iran’s female journalists speak out on brutal crackdown
The Guardian: Ahead of a trial of journalists who covered the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, reporters describe beatings and threats as government agents try to wipe out independent media.
TURKEY: Erdoğan has used his control of the media to rig Turkiye’s elections
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounces the Turkish media’s biased coverage of the parliamentary and first-round presidential elections held on 14 May and the presidential run-off between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and opposition challenger Kemal Kiliçdaroglu that is to be held on 28 May.
TURKEY: Journalists Union of Turkey: ‘We will not allow journalism to be destroyed in this country’
Bianet: We will continue our fight both for freedom of press and freedom of expression and also for our rights, carrying on from where we were,” said Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) President Durmuş.
TURKEY: The rising toll of Turkey’s dangerous silence
IJNet: On the morning of February 21, Turkey’s top public information website, EkşiSözlük, went offline. […] EkşiSözlük had become a safe haven for people to express their opinions without fear of political repercussions. Its closure represents a dire threat to freedom of expression, especially in the context of the ongoing elections.
TURKEY & GERMANY: Berlin denies Turkey’s accusations of press freedom violations in detention of journalists
SCF: The German Foreign Ministry has denied Turkey’s accusations of violation of freedom of the press over the brief detention of two journalists from the pro-government Sabah daily.
CANADA: CBC/RADIO-CANADA LAUNCHES NEW NATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY PLAN TO BETTER SERVE AND REPRESENT CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES (Press Release)
CBC Media Center: CBC/Radio-Canada today launched its 2023–2025 National Accessibility Plan. This new three-year plan, Breaking Barriers, provides a framework for the national public broadcaster to better serve people with disabilities, better represent them in its content, and become the accessible public broadcaster that all Canadians deserve.
CANADA: Critical lack of journalists in the region (French)
Le Devoir: Cities all over the country are turning into a media desert, for lack of journalists.
CANADA: Get the facts: Our response to the May 20 article by The Globe and Mail’s editorial board (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: A recent editorial in The Globe and Mail (“CBC English TV has lost its relevance. It’s time to talk about that,” May 20) repeated the contradictory criticism that some make about the public broadcaster these days: that it’s a waste of money because its TV audiences are low AND that it’s also too successful because its digital audiences are high. The article also makes some sweeping and inaccurate statements about the public broadcaster as a whole.
CANADA: Minister says he’s reviewing CBC’s mandate with eye to making it less reliant on ads
CBC News: Liberal government has said it wants to update CBC’s mandate to meet the modern needs of Canadians.
CANADA: Quebecers criticize the work of the media (French)
Le Devoir: Distrust of the work of journalists is spreading to a good part of Quebecers: nearly half of the population has the impression that they often or sometimes deliberately disseminate fake news.
US: A new iteration of the Black Press is changing the media landscape in Kansas City
NPR: Like so often happens to him these days, Ryan Sorrell’s phone was lighting up. People were sharing a local news story about an unnamed teenager getting shot. One report called it “a case of mistaken identity.”
US: From alligator clips to high-speed internet: the past, present and future of remote work at NPR (Paywall)
Current: While the pandemic has accelerated the pace of change and increased the sheer number of people working remotely, NPR has had at least some remote workers for nearly its entire existence.
US: Local radio station joins national network of FEMA emergency broadcasters
Hawai’i Public Radio: Hawaiʻi joined other states Wednesday in securing an emergency broadcast studio where two operators can live independently for 60 days. The facility is designed to withstand weather and human-caused disasters.
US: Oklahoma lawmakers preserve OETA with veto override (Paywall)
Current: Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt had argued that Oklahomans didn’t want to “use their tax dollars to indoctrinate kids.”
US: Online speech cases fizzle at Supreme Court, but threats to journalists remain
Freedom of The Press Foundation: Journalists concerned that two highly anticipated Supreme Court rulings might cause online platforms to censor news content can breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
US: PBS KIDS Invites Kids and Families to Come Along on a Summer of Adventure (Press Release)
PBS: Summer is almost here and whether it’s making sidewalk art, playing in the backyard, building a pillow fort, taking a road trip, or learning something new, the warmer months are a time of exploration for kids, families, and educators alike – and, as always, PBS KIDS is along for the ride.
US: Saving and rebuilding America’s local free press system (Opinion)
The Seattle Times: The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 72nd annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on May 25, 2023 in Vienna, Austria, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on states that are committed to improving the safety of journalists – including Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) member states and partner states – to develop rapid visa support schemes for journalists at risk and requiring immediate, temporary safe haven.
Countries that are leading the charge to get Big Tech to pay for news content
News Media Canada: While Canadian senators continue their work on reviewing Bill C-18, the Online News Act, a news story from the U.S.-based Poynter Institute provided some context around how there’s a growing global movement to ensure Big Tech platforms pay publishers for the use of their news content.
How can we make the media less toxic?
The Conversation: “We in the media must ask if we are truly honouring a world worth living in. Too often we are the poison in the bloodstream of our society.”
IPI: The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 72nd annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on May 25, 2023 in Vienna, Austria, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on states that are committed to improving the safety of journalists – including Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) member states and partner states – to develop rapid visa support schemes for journalists at risk and requiring immediate, temporary safe haven.
Journalism’s Essential Value (Paywall)
The New York Times: For more than a century, The New York Times has remained relentlessly committed to the journalistic practice of independence, pledging to cover the world “without fear or favor.” A.G. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, wrote an essay published May 15 in Columbia Journalism Review that puts this long-standing commitment in today’s context. The full copy of this essay is below.
The complexities and nuances of transgender coverage
CJR: Transgender people are increasingly in the news, and not always in a good way.
These projects are putting Indigenous voices at the heart of their journalism
Reuters Institute: From Colombia to Kenya and Indonesia, several initiatives are trying to draw greater attention to the narratives of these communities
Three Journalists Awarded Inaugural Jim Hoge Reporting Fellowships to Cover Pressing Global Issues (Press Release)
ICFJ: A reporter known for her coverage of the Syrian War, a journalist in Nigeria specializing in Russia’s involvement in West Africa, and a journalist who reports on climate and gender in Brazil are the inaugural recipients of the Jim Hoge Reporting Fellowship.
Under Elon Musk, Twitter has approved 83% of censorship requests by authoritarian governments
El País: The social network has restricted and withdrawn content critical of the ruling parties in Turkey and India, among other countries, including during electoral campaigns.
What Succession said about the media business
CJR: This weekend, Succession—an HBO comedy-drama about the dysfunctional family that runs a media and entertainment conglomerate—will end with the conclusion of its fourth season, avoiding the later-years decline of so many American TV shows by quitting while it’s ahead. In addition to its sharp explorations of universal human themes, Succession has held a particular resonance for many of those who work in (or observe) the media business …
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All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
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If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Header image: Students Experimenting With Video Software stock photo. Credit: TommL/iStock
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