This week’s round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world highlights the global status of press freedom and is introduced by our CEO, Sally-Ann Wilson.
SA Wilson
Sally-Ann Wilson, CEO PMA

Another year has passed and once again our team at PMA prepares to mark World Media Freedom Day this Thursday.  I’d like to say ‘celebrate’ but that doesn’t reflect how we feel. The team are considering the state of media freedom around the world. Even as I write we receive news of another eight journalists killed this morning in Kabul, Afghanistan. The mood in the office is sanguine. Reports from Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House, alongside emails from our own extensive media networks make it clear that despite the tremendous revolution in media technology, little has improved in terms of professional journalists being empowered to ‘Speak Out’.

If you care about media freedom and acknowledge the role it plays in a healthy democratic society, then it is difficult not to be negative. In a digital media world, consumed by the ravages of ‘fake news’ and toxic outbursts on social media, it is easy to lose sight of the public good delivered by many mainstream media organisations.

This year at PMA we have decided to be positive. We aim to focus on that public good and the solutions to the current crisis in public trust in the media. The theme of our biennial Global Conference in Jamaica will be: Speak Out! Rebuilding Trust in Media and Democracy. As one of very few countries to be noted as improving in the recent RSF World Press Freedom index, Jamaica seems an ideal location to host a conference about the positive roles that public interest media can play in society. We hope that you can join us either at our conference or in celebrating the role that public media can play in benchmarking Trust in the media.

Sally-Ann Wilson, CEO PMA


PSM Weekly | 25 April – 1 May

Click on the drop-down menus below to reveal the latest regional stories.

CAMEROON: Cameroon media operating in climate of fear and self-censorship

Africa News: Cameroon is not an ideal place for journalists to thrive in the line of duty due to laws that constantly threaten their freedom and independence, a recent report by a media rights group has said.


EGYPT: Rain of terror: Egypt to crack down on ‘fake’ weather reports

The Guardian: Meteorological association prepares draft law to ban unauthorised forecasts.


ERITREA: RSF unveils “shadow report” on press freedom in Eritrea

RSF: RSF’s shadow report, which was written by its Swedish section and was sent to the Commission, emphasizes the gulf between the situation described by the Eritrean authorities and the reality on the ground.


GHANA: In Beacon of Press Freedom, Dark Spots Persist

IPS News: Ghana is a living contradiction, at least in the arena of freedom of expression, free speech and press freedom.


KENYA: Agency Plans for 60% Local Programming on Radio, TV

The Daily Nation: The Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) hopes to achieve 60 per cent local content programming by 2022.


MALAWI: Free PSB MBC in 60 days from ‘DPP capture’, CSOs demand Malawi leader in petition

Nyasa Times: CSOs who conducted demonstration on Friday have included in the 10-point petition on the conduct of public broadcaster MBC and demands the Malawi President to let his government free MBC so that opposition parties and other stakeholders have access to the tax-funded station.


NAMIBIA: Govt to analyse drop in press freedom ranking

New Era: Government is to engage with all stakeholders to analyse what went so wrong for Namibia to drop in ranking as the African country with the freest press, information minister Stanley Simataa told New Era.


SENEGAL: Avid upgrades newsroom for public broadcaster RTS Senegal Africa

Broadcastprome: Senegalese national public broadcaster has modernised its newsrooms with a new infrastructure based on Avid’s MediaCentral platform in combination with Avid newsroom and graphics tools.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC condems robbery of journalists in North West

IOL: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) management on Thursday condemned an attack on its journalists.


TANZANIA: ‘Broadcast content control crucial to curb moral decay’

The Daily News: Formulation of regulations to control content which is broadcast by television and radio stations, as well as social media platforms was aimed at curtailing the alarming rate of moral decay and negative content which compromises Tanzanian values and traditions.


UGANDA: Media under pressure to silence critical and independent voices (Speech)

The Daily Monitor: It’s critical for all stakeholders to safeguard the watchdog role of independent journalism in exposing all forms of human rights abuses and inequalities, which undermine the sustainable development agenda, says Mogens Pedersen, the Ambassador of Denmark to Uganda.


GENERAL: Rise of drones: African journalists counter lies with tech

Deutsche Welle: Drones and satellites are helping African journalists to expose lies and shed light on underreported issues in regions that are largely inaccessible. But restrictive regulations threaten their reporting.


GENERAL: RSF Index 2018: The dangers of reporting in Africa

RSF: Sub-Saharan Africa has maintained its third place in the ranking by geographical region, with a slightly better overall indicator than in 2017. But there is a wide range of situations within the region, and journalists are often the victims of intimidation, physical violence, and arrest.

AFGHANISTAN: Eight journalists among dozens killed in Kabul blasts

RNZ: Two blasts hit the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday, killing at least 25 people, including at least eight journalists.


AFGHANISTAN: ‘No More Hope’: Kabul Carnage Lays Bare Plight Of Afghan Journalism

RFE/RL: Journalists, along with aid workers, have long been “soft targets” in the country for militant attackers from groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Islamic State.


AFGHANISTSAN: Afghanistan blasts are an attack on press freedom (Opinion)

DW: In a double suicide attack in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, one of the attackers mingled with reporters — and detonated the explosives. It was a calculated attack on press freedom, says DW’s Sandra Petersmann.


ARMENIA: Violence against reporters during 11 days of protests in Armenia

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) deplores the acts of violence against journalists during 11 days of anti-government protests in Yerevan, from 13 to 23 April, and calls on the Armenian authorities to ensure they do not go unpunished.


CHINA: The Demise of Watchdog Journalism in China (Opinion)

The New York Times: More than five years into President Xi Jinping’s rule, the more insidious implications of his authoritarian revival are coming into focus. One casualty is investigative journalism. Having suffered a decline as rapid as their rise, muckraking journalists feel lost.


INDIA: 101 Reporters Connects Journalists Across India with Media Organizations

GIJN: In a building whose entrance isn’t more than three-feet wide, sharing neighborhood space with a busy public market, is the headquarters of 101 Reporters — Gangadhar Patil’s maverick venture, an online platform for journalists to pitch story ideas to be matched with publications.


INDIA: Explosion of digital media ensures that journalist is not the last word on news, says Smriti Irani

Scroll.in: Her statement comes days after her ministry withdrew guidelines aimed at punishing journalists for spreading fake news.


INDIA: Display ticker for DD’s telecast of games of ‘national importance’: I&B to Broadcasters

The Economic Times: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on April 25 issued a notice mandating all TV channels broadcasting live sports of “national importance” to display a ticker with immediate effect stating the match was also available on DD’s free-to-air platform irking sports broadcasters.


JAPAN: Japan’s press freedom ranking rises in 2018 — due in part to deteriorating conditions elsewhere

The Japan Times: The nation’s press freedom ranking in 2018 slightly increased from the previous year, primarily the result of worsening conditions in other democracies, Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday.


MALAYSIA: Malaysia issues first ‘fake news’ conviction

CPJ: In a verdict with grave implications for press freedom, a Malaysian court today handed down the nation’s first conviction under its recently enacted “fake news” law, according to press reports.


MYANMAR: NGOs Urge Myanmar to Free Reuters Reporters, Investigate Their Case

Radio Free Asia: More than 160 nongovernmental organizations on Thursday urged Myanmar’s government to immediately release two Reuters journalists and set up a committee to investigate their case, following claims that the pair had been set up by police.


MYANMAR: Undercover for RVision: Reporting Myanmar’s Rohingya story

AlJazeera: Rohingya VisionTV relies on undercover citizen journalists to tell Myanmar’s Rohingya story from the inside.


PAKISTAN: In Pakistan, the Press Remains in Chains While Pashtun Activists March On

The Wire: The army is unwilling to give any space to news reports or opinion pieces favourable to the Pashtuns and intends to continue ensuring a near-complete electronic media blackout of the movement.


PAKISTAN: Could Facebook Data Leaks Impact Pakistan’s Elections?

The Diplomat: In Pakistan the spread of misinformation is a much graver problem than the impact it might have on polling.


PAKISTAN: Pakistani media ‘most vibrant’ in Asia, threatened by powerful groups inside country: RSF

The Express Tribune: According to a country-specific analysis by the non-profit group which accompanied the publication of the annual listing, the journalistic community was openly targetted by both state and non-state actors within the country over the past few months, often without consequences.


PHILIPPINES: Philippines down 6 spots in 2018 World Press Freedom Index

Rappler: ‘The dynamism of the media [in the Philippines] has also been checked by the emergence of a leader who wants to show he is all powerful,’ says media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.


PHILIPPINES: Relentless Assault on the Philippine Press

Human Rights Watch: Legal Restrictions, Intimidation Seek to Suppress Criticism


SOUTH KOREA: South Korea court issues search warrant for TV Chosun newsroom

IPI: IPI highlights need to observe principle of proportionality in newsroom searches


TAIWAN: Public protest turns violent for media in Taiwan

IFJ: Following a decision by the Taiwanese government to look at reforms for the civil servant pension, protests broke out outside the Legislative Yuan in Teipei. On April 25, the third day of the protests at least 14 journalists were attacked, verbally assaulted and harassed by protesters.


TAIWAN: Taiwan shining: the island with global potential as a tech and free speech stronghold

Hong Kong Free Press: Taiwan found itself in the media spotlight in mid-April when The New York Times lauded it as Asia’s bastion of media freedom, replacing Hong Kong whose political and media climate continues to recede under Chinese influence. While Taiwan’s media industry has been more open and freewheeling than Hong Kong for many years, the disparity is especially stark now.


GENERAL: Where are all the Asian-led programs to support fellowships and grants for journalists in Asia?

Nieman Lab: Wealth from Asia isn’t being channeled into media development on anything like the scale seen in the U.S. and Europe: “It’s not just about the money. It’s about priorities.”

AUSTRALIA: ABC News overhaul of newsrooms, focus on digital, could see 20 jobs axed

ABC: Twenty journalists in state and territory newsrooms could lose their jobs under changes announced by ABC News.


AUSTRALIA: Australian media unite to fight laws to jail journalists

RNZ: Australia’s biggest news media companies have united to fight new national security laws that could criminalise reporters and their sources. Peter Greste – who knows all about being jailed for journalism – tells Mediawatch New Zealand should take notice too.


NEW ZEALAND: Media freedom under the microscope

RNZ: New Zealand is back in the top ten in the annual rankings of global media freedom. That’s not bad considering we plummeted down the ladder last year. But does that mean everything’s rosy?


PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Press freedom group says PNG media subject to violence

RNZ: Papua New Guinea journalists are still subject to violence but the country’s media is diverse and dynamic, enjoying a relatively free environment, the media freedom group Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) says.


PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Sylvester Gawi: PNG journalism and the challenge of the ‘kaikai man’ (Opinion)

Asia Pacific Report: The greatest challenge facing journalism in Papua New Guinea today is that there is no freedom of the press. Journalists need courage to speak and write the truth, and use the right medium to express their views.


TOKELAU: Tokelau’s first newspaper aims keep islanders informed about climate change

ABC: The Te Uluga Talafau monthly newspaper would provide up-to-date information on council decisions, village matters, as well as inspirational stories from Tokelauans living overseas.


TONGA: Tonga drops in press freedom rankings

RNZ: Tonga has dropped two places in this year’s international press freedom rankings from Reporters Sans Frontiers.


GENERAL: China’s media control threatens Asia-Pacific democracies, says RSF

Asia Pacific Report: The Chinese model of state-controlled news and information is being copied in other Asian countries, especially Vietnam and Cambodia, says the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders watchdog in its latest World Press Freedom Index. North Asia’s democracies are struggling to establish themselves as alternative models.

BELGIUM: RTBF Makes La Première’s Studio Self Op

Radio World: The Belgian public broadcaster has revamped its news channel at its Brussels headquarters


ESTONIA: Estonia’s ETV+ to expand reach

Broadband TV News: In a statement, Levira says the channel, which is operated by the Estonian public broadcaster ERR, is currently distributed on Multiplex 6. It will be switched to Multiplex 1, which carries ERR’s two other channels ETV and ETV2 and covers 100% of the country.


FINLAND: Yle pulls kid’s show segment after complaints of “racist” Native American costume

Yle: A music group that was regularly featured in the public broadcaster’s daytime children’s programme has been removed from the show following complaints from several viewers concerning a band member’s “racist” costume.


FRANCE: France Télévisions forges programming alliance with ZDF

Digital TV Europe: France Télévisions and Rai are to forge an alliance with ZDF that will encompass co-production, with the first projects to be unveiled at the Series Mania event in Lille on Thursday.


GERMANY: ZDF launches new channels on Amazon Channels

Broadband TV News: German public broadcaster ZDF has expanded its offer on OTT platform Amazon Channels by two new channels.


GREECE: Do working conditions of journalists in Greece affect press freedom?

Political Critique: “How can you report a story when you are constantly wondering if you might lose your job?”


GREECE: Greek HbbTV: an update

Broadband TV News: Speaking at TV CON 2018, Yiannis Vougiouklakis, new media general director ERT, said it is the first such service launched by a public broadcaster in the Balkan region. Offering seven free apps, it is currently used by between 5,000-6,000 customers each day.


ISLE OF MAN: ‘Value is key in Public Service Broadcasting debate’

Manx Radio: The Island’s public service broadcaster should ensure it delivers value for money says the Chief Minister.


MACEDONIA: State Department reports on subordinate media, attacks on journalists, public distrust

SEENPM: The Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2017 for Macedonia, prepared by the US State Department, itemizes numerous instances of threats and attacks to journalists, media subordinated to the politics and the economic interests, but also public distrust of the media.


MONTENEGRO: Journalists Trained for Environmental Investigations in Montenegro

BIRN: BIRN, CIN Montenegro and Monitor magazine held a training course in Podgorica from April 26-28 for journalists, teaching the investigative skills needed to produce stories covering environmental issues.


NETHERLANDS: NPO licenses first programmes to VoD platforms

Telecompaper: Dutch public broadcaster NPO has signed framework agreements with streaming VoD services such as Netflix, Videoland and KPN, said Michael Spendel, MD for rights management and exploitation.


POLAND: Poland ties all-time low ranking in Press Freedom Index

The Krakow Post: Poland continues its decline in the World Press Freedom Index, coming in at #58 out of 180 countries in the new 2018 listing by Reporters Without Borders.


POLAND: TVP launches subscription VOD service

Digital TV Europe: Polish public broadcaster TVP has launched its own subscription video-on-demand service, Strefa Abo, providing about 150 movies and series for a monthly fee.


RUSSIA: Telegram block leads to widespread assault on freedom of expression online

RSF: The Russian authorities’ latest move against Telegram demonstrates the serious implications for people’s freedom of expression and right to privacy online in Russia and worldwide.


SERBIA: Serbia Considered Major State Intervention in Media Market

SEENPM: The Serbian government’s discarded media strategy draft, which has been obtained by BIRN, planned to bring the state back into the media market through public-private partnerships.


SLOVAKIA: RTVS management started laying off external reporters

The Slovak Spectator: Reporters of the public broadcaster’s news team recently wrote an open letter describing their distrust for the new RTVS management.


SLOVAKIA: Two months after journalist murder, Slovakia still waits for real change

IPI: Aktuality.sk editor: Ján Kuciak ‘a victim of the war on corruption’


SPAIN: Denunciations against the block to the RTVE reform, caused by the PP, multiply (Spanish)

InfoLibre: Political leaders, such as Aitor Esteban (PNV), and trade unions, such as Unai Sordo (CCOO), criticize the parliamentary performance of the party in the Government. Professional organizations, such as Reporters Without Borders, describe the blockade of the RTVE reform as “disastrous”


SPAIN: FAPE calls for an end to the “intimidation campaign” against journalists in Catalonia (Spanish)

La Vanguardia: The Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (FAPE) has warned of the deterioration of press freedom in Spain, with a particular impact in Catalonia, and has asked those responsible for the “harassment” of journalists and media in Catalonia “to stop their irresponsible campaign of intimidation”.


SPAIN: New Valencian pubcaster secures funding

Broadband TV News: The Valencian regional government in Spain has approved a minimum of €55 million in funding for the new public broadcaster’s TV channel À Punt.


SPAIN: RTVE workers launch # AsíSeManipula to report bad practices in the public broadcaster (Spanish)

El País: Dozens of journalists from the corporation begin a campaign on social networks to tell first-hand how information is controlled in order to favor the Government


SPAIN: The PP paralyzes the renewal of RTVE (Spanish)

El País: The Congress and the Senate are demanding new legal reports and delaying the deadlines for the public contest.


SWEDEN: A new fact-checking project borrows a familiar strategy from Norway

Poynter: Based on Faktisk, a Norwegian fact-checking site launched over the summer, Faktiskt launched on Wednesday in partnership with five major Swedish media outlets. They include: DN, Sveriges Radio, Sveriges Television, Svenska Dagbladet and KIT.se.


UK: Adults’ media use and attitudes (Report)

Ofcom: A quarter of 25-34s say they find new shows or films to watch via streaming or on-demand based on social media mentions, compared to 14% overall.


UK: BBC showcases week-long solutions journalism project in its latest global series ‘Crossing Divides’

Journalism.co.uk: The broadcaster has been uncovering stories of individuals and communities tackling divisions in society


UK: Chatbots and charlatans: how the BBC is cracking down on fake news

The Drum: The BBC is “really worried” by a new tactic by fake news propagandists and fraudsters who are exploiting the rise of chat apps to spread false content carrying the broadcaster’s trusted branding.


UK: Broadcasters begin moving licences away from the UK

TVB Europe: A number of broadcasters have already made the move in anticipation of Brexit


UK: RSF Index 2018: UK remains one of the worst-ranked Western European countries

RSF: A continued heavy-handed approach towards the press – often in the name of national security – and a climate of hostility towards the media resulted in the UK keeping its status as one of the worst-ranked Western European countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2018 World Press Freedom Index.


UK: With an interactive game, the BBC is helping young people better understand the disinformation ecosystem

Journalism.co.uk: BBC iReporter was designed to teach young people about the benefits and pitfalls of using social media to gather information


GENERAL: Communication – Tackling online disinformation: a European Approach

European Commission: The Communication “Tackling online disinformation: a European approach” sets out the views of the Commission on the challenges associated with disinformation online.


GENERAL: EU bodies agree 30% European quota on Netflix-type services

Digital TV Europe: The European Parliament, European Council and the European Commission have struck a preliminary deal on revisions to the audiovisual media services directive that will see new quotas imposed on subscription video-on-demand services.


GENERAL: Freedom of expression deteriorates in EU candidate countries, shows EU progress reports

EFJ: The European Commission published on 17 April 2018 its annual Enlargement Package, including the country reports (formerly known as “progress reports”), assessing the implementation of the European Union’s enlargement policy regarding the accession process of the Western Balkans and Turkey. These country reports shows alarmingly precarious working conditions of journalists as the level of press freedom deteriorates further.


GENERAL: Study: How local news organisations are managing digital change

Journalism.co.uk: A new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism outlines the different approaches to digital transformation at European regional news organisations


GENERAL: The EU just took its first major action against fake news. Here’s what it does — and doesn’t — include

Poynter: Thursday the European Union published the culmination of months of work to come up with solutions to misinformation. And, while limited, experts say it’s a good start.


REGIONAL: Autocrats’ stranglehold on the media (Opinion)

Deutsche Welle: Freedom of the press is seriously under threat in Eastern Europe. Europeans like to see themselves as torchbearers of democratic values, but DW’s Volker Wagener says the reality tells a different story.


REGIONAL: New issue of Media Trends in the Nordic Countries

Nordicom: Newspaper trends in the Nordic countries, increasing digital media use, and a number of media policy initatives – these are some of the issues covered in the new issue of Nordicom’s newsletter, all with a focus on the Nordic countries.

BRAZIL: As election looms, Brazil braces for fake news

CJR: In hopes of counteracting misinformation, newspapers have grown and independent watchdog agencies sprung up.


BRAZIL: #LetHerWork campaign grows and raises awareness of harassment of women sports reporters in Brazil

Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Brazilian women sports reporters launched the online #DeixaElaTrabalhar (#LetHerWork) campaign after journalist Bruna Dealtry was kissed and harassed on live television. Dealtry’s incident helped incite the movement in late March after she covered a live soccer game at the São Januário Stadium earlier the same month in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


CHILE: Chilean network Mi Voz proposes ’21st century agora’ with citizen journalism and regional coverage

Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Today, with 15 digital media outlets distributed in 14 Chilean regions, Mi Voz is based on voluntary collaboration from “citizen correspondents,” who write about the issues that affect the communities where they live. The network also has a staff of about 30 journalists and editors that produces regional and national content and coordinates the material sent by correspondents in the territories.


GUATEMALA: A window to another world: A mobile radio studio in Guatemala City

Deutsche Welle: Radio Sónica’s mobile radio studio visits schools in Guatemala. Using this creative idea, the station reaches people who are otherwise ignored in the mass media: young people from the poor districts of the capital.


JAMAICA: Jamaica ranked high among countries on press freedom

Jamaica Observer: Jamaica has been ranked high among global countries with regards to press freedom, according to the latest report released by the media watchdog group, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)


MEXICO: Canal 44 renews its programming (Spanish)

Informador: The company extends its television offer with four original contents and five international productions.


NICARAGUA: Nicaragua is burning: Journalist among those killed following repression of protests

Ifex: Nicaragua is burning. In the past few days, an attempt to reform the social security system imposed by the government of Daniel Ortega unleashed a series of mass demonstrations. The protests were repressed by police, resulting in over 30 deaths and several injuries.


VENEZUELA: A collaborative project in Venezuela used social videos to document the death of six teenagers

IJNet: Six teenagers were killed during massive protests in Venezuela between April and July 2017. The stories were reported by news organizations, but La Vida de Nos (LVN) — a site dedicated to narrowing the gap between journalism and literature — investigated the stories and shed more light on the topic.


GENERAL: Latin America and the Caribbean: 16 journalists killed so far in 2018

IFEX: IFEX-ALC network raises voice about worrying trend of free expression violations in the region.

TURKEY: Cumhuriyet journalists sentenced to prison

IPI: Defendants received prison terms ranging from two to eight years, expected to be shortened due to time served.


TURKEY: Report: Turkish people prefer closed messaging services for sharing news

Stockholm Center for Freedom: Underlining that in the wake of a failed coup and subsequent referendum giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sweeping new powers, online websites, blogs, and social media have emerged as a centre of opposition, the report said that Turkish mainstream media remain largely controlled by the government.


YEMEN: Being A War Correspondent In “Happy Yemen”

EJO: Many journalists have refused to give up their work, which they perceive as their duty to society, even amidst the growing number of attacks and restrictions against them.


GENERAL: Middle East most dangerous region for journalism

Middle East Monitor: The Middle East is considered to be the most dangerous and difficult region for journalism according to a Reporters Without Borders announcement, Wednesday.

CANADA: Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation launches journalism pilot project with CBC

CBC: High school students at Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation are being given the opportunity to become community reporters. It’s part of a pilot project created by CBC Edmonton in collaboration with community leaders to give the teens the tools they need to create their own stories.


CANADA: Canadian Journalism Foundation launches inaugural World News Day event on May 3

Toronto Star: The Canadian Journalism Foundation is launching an initiative to mark the United Nation’s World Press Freedom Day on Thursday. CJF is calling it “World News Day” and will celebrate the work reporters in newsrooms across Canada do to support freedom and democracy.


CANADA: CBC New Brunswick a big winner at Atlantic Journalism Awards

CBC: CBC New Brunswick wins in six categories at annual awards gala


CANADA: Radio silence: Ulukhaktok goes 2 winters without sound on the airwaves

CBC: ‘It seems like nobody wants to get it up and going,’ says Donald Inuktalik


US: America’s role in a ‘climate of hatred’ for journalists

CJR: A growing “climate of hatred” permeates the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, in which the United States dropped two places.


US: CPB names Jan Schaffer as ombudsman

Current: CPB announced Thursday that it has hired Jan Schaffer, a journalism teacher and founder of the J-Lab journalism institute, as its new ombudsman.


US: KCET Rejoins Public Broadcasting Fold With PBS SoCal Merger

The Hollywood Reporter: The station dropped its PBS status in 2010 when affiliate renegotiations stalled.


US: PBS chief discusses distrust of media

WDay: Paula Kerger, president and CEO of Public Broadcasting Service, has helped lead the system from being the 15th most watched to the sixth in the nation. She spoke about PBS going forward during a visit to Granite Falls where she helped welcome Pioneer Public Television to its new studio and headquarters on Saturday, April 28.


US: PBS, T-Mobile collaborate to save TV translators

Current: Wireless carrier T-Mobile and a team from PBS are working under tight deadlines to find new homes for public TV translators that are being displaced by the FCC’s repack of TV channels.

9 ways you can help fact-checkers during a crisis

Poynter: It’s exceedingly difficult to verify information in a breaking news situation. With that in mind, here’s a list of things that citizens can do in breaking news situations to make it easier for journalists to verify their posts.


Could you be more empathetic in your reporting? The answer is probably yes, and here are some concrete tips for how to do it

NiemanLab: There’s a lot of differences between medicine and journalism — you don’t need a license to practice, journalism, for one — but one underlying similarity is the importance of empathy.


Global crackdown on fake news raises censorship concerns

The Guardian: Hastily drawn-up measures outlawing false or misleading information may prove counterproductive, campaigners say.


Internet shutdowns are a global problem

Global Voices via Ifex: In recent years, internet shutdowns have become all too familiar for users in a number of countries, and for digital rights groups documenting them.


Is audience engagement a mushy construct based on anecdata — or something audiences actually want?

NiemanLab: “You know what? There doesn’t need to be data. We all know this to be true.”


Knight Prototype Fund winners outline tools to fight disinformation

IJNet: Winner’s of Knight Foundation’s Prototype Fund Challenge shared their tools and initiatives to fight disinformation at the International Symposium on Online Journalism. Here are some of the winning projects.


The Digital Transition of Local News (Report)

RISJ: Local news organisations are investing in a digital future, restructuring newsrooms and diversifying business models, a new Reuters Institute report finds.

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Header image: World Press Freedom Day 2018 Credits: UNESCO