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!
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What we're watching...
NPR CEO discusses suing Trump administration over order targeting funding
PBS: NPR and three Colorado public radio stations filed suit against the Trump administration in federal court over his executive order targeting funding for NPR, PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The lawsuit contends Trump’s order is a violation of the First Amendment. Geoff Bennett discussed more with NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher.
What we're listening to...
Press freedom in peril: navigating elections and political turmoil in Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia
MFRR: As politics in Eastern Europe becomes increasingly volatile during the super election year, press freedom is at grave risk.
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BOTSWANA: From Morocco to Botswana – Africans turn to trusted media and experts for climate change information
MyJoyOnline: As the effects of climate change become more visible across Africa, people are turning to trusted sources to understand what is happening and what they can do.
GHANA: MFWA condemns renewed threats against TV3 by political party executive
MFWA: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) strongly condemns the latest threat issued against the media outlet, TV3, by a senior official of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), and calls for immediate action by the authorities.
GHANA: National Media Commission members sworn-in
Modern Ghana: The NMC plays a critical role in promoting press freedom, regulating the media, and ensuring ethical standards across the industry.
GHANA: Sam George’s ministry presents a major threat to media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana
Global Voices: If Ghana’s democracy is to survive, it cannot afford to let its press be muzzled
GUINEA: Journalists in disarray, one year after the banning of several media outlets (French)
RFI: In Guinea, it has been a year since the Guinean authorities revoked the operating licenses of several private media outlets, citing ” non-compliance with the specifications .”
LIBERIA: Raid on “Smile FM” highlights growing political tensions in Liberia
IFEX: The violent attack on “Smile FM” staff, by armed men linked to local political figures, underscores the need for Liberian authorities to protect independent media.
NIGERIA: NBC, NIGCOMSAT Launch Satellite-Powered ‘Big Picture’ Vision to Drive Nigeria’s Digital Switchover
TechAfrica News: In a historic leap for Nigeria’s media landscape, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) have jointly unveiled “The Big Picture” – a sweeping reinvention of the nation’s Digital Switchover (DSO) project.
SIERRA LEONE: Police brutality against journalist in Sierra Leone condemned
IFEX: The violent assault on journalist Foday Fofanah underscores growing concerns about impunity, the erosion of press freedom, and the urgent need for institutional accountability in the country.
SOUTH AFRICA: AG flags SABC governance gaps despite progress claims
IOL: THE SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) remains trapped in a financial death spiral, with its leadership admitting it cannot survive without urgent government intervention, even as it struggles with systemic governance failures, declining audiences, and a staggering R6.2 billion in irregular expenditure.
SOUTH AFRICA: Hiking TV licence fees won’t solve the SABC’s funding crisis
Tech Central: The SABC has said it may seek an increase in television licence fees. But experts warn this is a “Band-Aid solution” to the deeper problems with its finances.
SOUTH AFRICA: The radio stations and TV channels bleeding the SABC dry
My Broadband: Two of the SABC’s three main free-to-air channels and eight radio stations are running at a loss, including once prominent platforms like 5FM, Radio 2000, and RSG.
SUDAN: The Hidden Toll of Reporting on the Sudanese Civil War
CJR: Local journalists say it often feels like belligerents are waging an undeclared war against the press.
UGANDA: Violence Against Journalists Rises As Uganda Heads Into General Elections
Global Press Journal: Violence against journalists, long a threat and often a reality, has worsened as Uganda heads toward general elections in January 2026.
ZIMBABWE: New Broadcast Media Law Now Requires Motorists To Obtain And Keep Radio License
Broadcast Media Africa: The law is designed to enhance compliance with radio license payments, which have been a significant revenue source for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
ZIMBABWE: The New Broadcasting Services Amendment Act – a Legal Analysis
New Zimbabwe: Promulgated as part of broader media law reforms, the amendment aims to align the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06] with constitutional principles, technological advancements, and regional best practices.
Broadcast Media Africa: As Africa’s media and broadcasting sector rapidly evolves with digitisation and emerging technologies, financing remains one of the industry’s most urgent and persistent challenges.
REGIONAL: Clash with Meta illustrates Africa’s struggle for digital sovereignty
IFEX: The standoff between the Nigerian government and Meta, is emblematic of a broader movement reflecting the growing continental push to reclaim regulatory authority over global tech giants.
REGIONAL: From Lagos to Nairobi: The Battle for Africa’s Media Narrative
Modern Ghana: While Africa has long battled external misrepresentations in global media, a new front has opened within the continent itself from Lago to Nairobi, Accra to Johannesburg where African voices are struggling to reclaim and reshape the continent’s image in the digital and broadcast arenas.
BANGLADESH: Ethical journalism faces growing challenges amid rise of digital media: BPC Chairman
BSS News: Bangladesh Press Council (BPC) Chairman Justice A K M Abdul Hakim today said with the rapid spread of information and the growth of electronic, online, and social media, it has become harder to ensure ethical journalism, stop misinformation, and protect the rights of journalists.
BANGLADESH & INDIA: Bangladesh’s interim chief claims Indian press broadcasting ‘disinformation’
Mena FN: Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has criticized Indian media for allegedly spreading false information about a supposed conflict between his administration and the country’s military.
ICIJ: Xinjiang police records detail a yearslong Chinese government push to silence the news outlet, which the Trump administration has dismantled.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s independent media sector is being penalised with unreasonable backdated tax demands
Global Voices: Hong Kong’s independent media sector has been penalised by the city’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) with tax audits and backdated tax reviews, according to the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), a journalist union and free press watchdog.
INDIA: Prasar Bharati and Doordarshan offer free content for creators amid copyright row
Media Brief: In a move aimed at supporting content creators, several government media agencies—including Prasar Bharati, Akashvani (All India Radio), Doordarshan National, and the Press Information Bureau (PIB)—have announced that their content is now available for public use across digital and social media platforms, including YouTube.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: “A month’s worth of misinformation bombarded social media within a few hours,” says fact-checker Uzair Rizvi. Many falsehoods were reported on TV as well.
JAPAN: Developing a large-scale language model using broadcast station data (PDF – Press Release – Japanese)
NHK: NHK Science and Technology Research Laboratories (STR) is currently developing a large-scale language model to improve the efficiency of various tasks in the program production process.
PAKISTAN: Is Pakistan’s cybercrime law silencing dissent?
DW: Pakistan’s crackdown on online disinformation has drawn criticism from rights groups, who say the law is being used to silence critical voices — especially journalists.
PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN: CPJ, partners urge Pakistan to halt arbitrary deportations of Afghan journalists
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists, alongside PEN International and 13 partner organizations, has issued a joint statement urging Pakistan’s government to immediately halt the arbitrary mass deportation of Afghan journalists and other nationals at risk of Taliban persecution.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS Election Counting Broadcast Introduces ‘AI’ for the First Time Ever… “Prediction Accuracy 100%” (Korean)
KBS: KBS will be reaching out to viewers tomorrow (the 3rd) with an accurate and three-dimensional presidential election vote counting broadcast.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS Gives ‘Poor’ Personnel Evaluation to Reporter Representative Who Criticized Company Report (Korean)
Journalists Association of Korea: Was it uncomfortable to express critical opinions at the editorial meeting? KBS’s stance on “assessing work capabilities” is met with greater backlash. KBS’s press association says, “It means to keep silent from now on”.
SRI LANKA: Four post-election months as Chairman SLBC and D-G Broadcasting (Opinion)
Island: I was Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Director-General of Broadcasting only for a period of a little over four months, before I was reassigned…
TAIWAN: 50 Taiwan broadcast licenses to expire in second half of 2025
Taiwan News: The National Communications Commission said Wednesday that 50 broadcasting licenses are due to expire in the second half of 2025, as the agency continues to operate without a full commission.
THAILAND: “Wanchai”, the new director of Thai PBS, continues his mission as a public media organization. (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: On May 29, the Policy Committee of the Public Broadcasting Service of Thailand (Thai PBS) organized the selection process for the new Director of NBTC…
REGIONAL: Innovative broadcasting companies spotlighted at Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2025
Asian Business Review: Exceptional industry players took centre stage, highlighting their incredible advancements in broadcasting.
AUSTRALIA: Australia could tax Google, Facebook and other tech giants with a digital services tax – but don’t hold your breath (Analysis)
The Conversation: Tech giants like Google, Facebook and Netflix make billions of dollars from Australian users every year. But most of those profits are not taxed here.
AUSTRALIA: SBS celebrates 50 years of reflecting a diverse and contemporary Australia (Press release)
SBS: Marking 50 years of broadcasting on 9 June 2025, SBS reflects contemporary Australia like no other media network.
The Guardian: The technology trial for Australia’s social media ban is “broadly on track”, the government says, despite a month-long delay of a key report on the best ways to keep under-16s off the platforms.
NEW ZEALAND: Climate change coverage in a changed media climate
RNZ: Climate change has dropped down the news agenda, and Gibson is now the only dedicated climate reporter at a mainstream news media outlet.
NEW ZEALAND: Education Ministry asks RNZ to help investigation into leaks – we declined
RNZ: The Education Ministry has started an external investigation into leaks – and asked RNZ to help. The ministry shared with RNZ on Wednesday an email to staff expressing deep concern about recent unauthorised disclosures and announcing the investigation by Michael Heron KC.
NEW ZEALAND: How many public sector jobs have really been axed?
RNZ: Earlier this month TVNZ’s Q + A host Jack Tame put RNZ’s count – around 9500 – to Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche.
NEW ZEALAND & SĀMOA: Tamaiti Satalo: New animation series launches for Sāmoan Language Week
PMN: This beautiful Sāmoan-language reimagining of the wildly popular Māori animation Tākaro Tribe promises to be a powerful educational and cultural tool for Pacific children across Aotearoa and beyond.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: NBC to re-introduce shortwave radio by 2030 (22 May)
NBC: The National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] of Papua New Guinea is aiming to achieve the government’s Medium Term Development Plan IV goal of 100 percent broadcast coverage by 2030.
SAMOA: Media groups call for repeal of Samoa’s defamation law
Global voices: The defamation law is being used to silence journalists and media groups
REGIONAL: Study finds Māori, Pacific communities can reshape media narratives
RNZ: A new study shows Māori and Pasifika community initiatives can use media stereotypes to create their own narrative.
AUSTRIA: After withdrawal due to incompatibility, government sends new ORF Audience Councillor (Paywall – German)
Der Standard: Manuela Malecek from the trade union youth group moves up
AUSTRIA: DialogForum Under Attack! (Discussion event – German) (3 June 2025)
ORF Public Value: In the US, but also in large parts of Europe, populists are turning against democracy and the media. They spread false information, thwart reporting, or intimidate journalism with lawsuits
BELGIUM: Annual report 2025 (Report – French)
RTBF: In a world turned upside down by technological developments and attacks on our European democratic model, RTBF’s universal remit takes on its full meaning.
This report invites you to better understand the meaning and functioning of your public media.
BELGIUM: French Community of Belgium to reduce number of public media channels to eight
The Brussels Times: The Federation Wallonia-Brussels (FWB), also known as the French Community of Belgium, plans to reduce its local media outlets from twelve to eight by January 203
ESTONIA: Media lesson. Freedom of the press and political advertising (Listen – Estonian)
ERR: Estonia’s press freedom continues to be at a high level, but freedom of expression has been challenged in many Western democracies. What has happened to some of our former role models and how might this affect Estonia?
FINLAND: Yle’s preparedness exercise brought together actors from the Ostrobothnia region
Yle: For the first time, Yle opened its own exercise to other participants. The exercise tested new operating methods and technology. Cooperation is needed in a rapidly changing, turbulent situation.
FINLAND: Yle’s second change negotiations concluded: up to 14 will be dismissed (Finnish)
Yle: After the negotiations, the number of personnel will be reduced by almost forty.
FRANCE: Farewell to the airwaves for audiovisual: how viewers and listeners took power (Paywall)
Le Monde: A century after the arrival of television on TSF (wireless telegraphy), the transformation of audiovisual media is accelerating, switching from terrestrial broadcasting to all-digital broadcasting on wired networks. The public now creates its own programming, at the risk of getting lost in it.
FRANCE: The galaxy of ultraconservative media is expanding in France (Analysis – paywall – French)
Le Monde: “The Rise of Reactionary Media in Europe.” Less than two years after adding “Le Journal du Dimanche” and Europe 1 to its portfolio of mainstream media outlets, which already included CNews, the Bolloré group has established itself as the flagship of a myriad of hard-right and far-right media outlets. A multitude of editorial ties unite them.
GEORGIA: Georgia media face fewer ‘ways to survive’ amid foreign funding crackdown
CPJ: A punishing spate of laws targeting foreign-funded media will dramatically curb Georgia’s independent voices and force many news outlets to shutter or shift their business operations, say Georgian journalists and press freedom advocates.
GERMANY: ARD and ZDF flooded with complaints (German)
Frankfurter Allgemeine: ARD and ZDF have been dealing with a flood of programming complaints for several months. The broadcasters confirmed information from the media portal Correctiv.
GERMANY: Making news instead of just liking: Learn to understand, shape and examine media at the ARD News Day on 5 June (Event – German)
ARD: Providing comprehensive and impartial information to the people of Germany has been a core task of the ARD since its founding in 1950. Therefore, all ARD media houses are holding a nationwide news day on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with more than forty programs for all interested parties.
HUNGARY: A Year From Hungary’s Next Election, the Reintroduction of Censorship Is Officially Announced (Analysis)
Balkan Insight: Fearing he could lose the 2026 general election, the Hungarian PM is deploying ever harsher means to stay in power. A proposed bill foresees open censorship disguised as a ‘fight against foreign agents’. And there is still time to raise the stakes further.
Telex: The Hungarian Parliament’s Justice Committee held an in-depth debate on the so-called transparency bill on Tuesday morning.
ITALY: Costante: «It is good to allocate the web tax to support publishing. We need to protect the work of journalists» (Italian)
FNSI: “The Italian National Press Federation agrees that the web tax should be partly allocated to publishing: the traffic and profits of the web giants are made thanks to the journalistic content plundered by the platforms to the detriment of the turnover of traditional publishers and the professionalism of thousands of journalists”.
ITALY: Freedom of information, EU parliamentarians on mission to Rome on Paragon case (Italian)
FNSI: The delegation listened at the Fnsi headquarters to Francesco Cancellato and Ciro Pellegrino, director and editor of Fanpage, who reported having been spied on through spyware, before meeting the heads of the union and the Order of Journalists for a wide-ranging discussion on the issues of protecting journalism in Italy.
NORWAY: Will not limit NRK: – Extremely unwise (Norwegian)
M24: While the Swedish government wants to limit SVT’s text-based news online, politicians in Norway are more skeptical about doing the same with NRK.
POLAND: Fear in TVP. “They will go big now” (Polish)
Rozrywka do Rzeczy:“After Nawrocki’s victory, TVP is amazed and very concerned,” says a journalist from the station.
POLAND: What did Tusk’s government achieve? Television Theatre (Paywall – Polish)
Gazeta Wyborcza: For me, the first answer is: Television Theater. Yes, TVP as a whole is currently losing in the field of information to TV Republika (although “information” is understood in this very specifically, rather in terms of “information services”).
SPAIN: RTVE obtains the AENOR Corporate Carbon Footprint seal (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: This certification recognizes the Corporation’s commitment to sustainability and the fight against climate change.
UK: BBC Statement on outcome of Gerry Adams’ legal proceedings against the BBC (Press release)
BBC: “We are disappointed by this verdict. We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial process and journalistic diligence applied to this programme and accompanying online article. Moreover, it was accepted by the court, and conceded by Gerry Adams’ legal team, that the Spotlight broadcast and publication were of the highest public interest.”
UK: The BBC World Service is a vital beacon of truth in the fight against fake news (Letter)
The Guardian: The BBC World Service must be properly funded if it is to remain a vital source of truth amid growing global disinformation, writes Diana Hirst. Andrew Campbell fears that cuts will harm Britain’s reputation and economy.
REGIONAL: Digital Rights Review: Governments and Big Tech ‘Enabling’ Online Violations
Balkan Insight: Across Southeast Europe, governments and tech platforms are allowing digital rights violations – whether by censoring dissent, neglecting data protection or allowing harmful content to go unchecked, BIRN’s digital rights monitors observed last month.
REGIONAL: EU must make media reforms a reality in European Democracy Shield (Statement)
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the European Commission to call on member states to provide both financing and political will to defend media freedom as it moves forward with its European Democracy Shield initiative.
REGIONAL: Why Europe must support independent journalism in (and about) Ukraine, Belarus and Russia
VoxEurop: Dekoder and RAAM, two specialised publications on Eastern Europe, have appealed to the European Union, urging it to provide effective support for threatened media outlets in those countries, particularly in light of the US’s decision to cut off foreign aid.
ARGENTINA: Government adds libertarian cartoon to public children’s network
Buenos Aires Herald: State-run channel Paka Paka will start airing ‘Tuttle Twins,’ a US show that educates children about economic libertarianism and conservative social views
ARGENTINA: The Civic Coalition repudiated the “ideological” content of the new libertarian Paka Paka (Spanish)
La Verdad: Civic Coalition National Representative Marcela Campagnoli today presented a draft declaration to condemn the “ideological” content of the Paka Paka channel, which was recently reopened by the national government.
BRAZIL: EBC installs Social Participation Committee on June 11th (Portuguese)
Agência Brasil: On June 11th, at 10 am, Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) will hold the first regular meeting of the Social Participation, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (CPADI).
BRAZIL: National Press Day: advances and challenges of journalistic freedom in Brazil (Portuguese)
Jornal Panorama: This week, two dates reinforce the importance of journalism for Brazilian society: June 1, National Press Day, and June 7, National Press Freedom Day.
COLOMBIA: The Petro administration’s decision to pay official advertising to alternative media could be in jeopardy: the Council of State admitted a lawsuit against it. (Spanish)
Infoabe: The Council of State has admitted a lawsuit against Presidential Directive 11 of 2024, which establishes that more than 30 percent of government advertising must be allocated to alternative, community, and digital media in Colombia.
EL SALVADOR: Stifling NGOs and media: How Bukele’s new “foreign agents” law threatens to silence critical voices (Spanish)
El Diario: The recent arrest of a prominent activist and the approval of new legislation consolidate Bukele’s escalating repression and put Salvadoran NGOs and media on alert, which fear more arrests.
GUATEMALA & EU: The European Union accused the Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office of intimidating and silencing “defenders of democracy.” (Spanish)
Infobae: The bloc’s mission to the country denounced that the agency headed by Consuelo Porras maintains an active strategy against judges, lawyers, journalists and other opposition officials.
GUYANA: Caribbean media summit grappled with profession at crossroads, artificial intelligence (25 May)
Starbroek News: The Caribbean Media Summit 2025 opened on Friday at the University of Guyana with concerns that the profession was at the crossroads and that artificial intelligence could be a great tool but also posed jeopardies.
MEXICO: Journalism in danger: Mexico, a complicated place for communicators (Spanish)
Diario de Yucatán: As Diario de Yucatán celebrates its centennial , founded on May 31, 1925, with a commitment to free, independent, and critical journalism, the current outlook for the press in Mexico is not encouraging.
MEXICO: The Mexican Network proposes a new Telecommunications Law to strengthen public media. (Spanish)
RTv Noticias: Within the framework of the XXXIX National Assembly of the Network of Educational and Cultural Radio and Television Broadcasters of Mexico, the president of the Network Mexico, Azucena Pimentel, stressed the urgency of having the new Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law consider the voices, needs, and challenges of the country’s public media.
MEXICO: What are the risks and advances in the new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law? (Spanish)
Des Informémonos: It was indeed necessary to modify the federal law that regulates telecommunications and broadcasting in Mexico, but more time was needed to analyze the disappearance of the autonomous organizations linked to it.
NICARAGUA: “The price of not leaving”: The invisible struggle of women journalists in Nicaragua (Spanish)
Onda Local: he report “Voices of Nicaraguan Women Journalists in Exile” resonates deeply in a country suffering from repression against freedom of expression and the press, a repression that has escalated dramatically since April 2018.
NICARAGUA & COSTA RICA: Exiled Nicaraguan journalists call on states for urgent international protection (Spanish)
EFE: At least 20 Nicaraguan journalists living in exile in Costa Rica, most of whom have expired or are about to expire passports or have been barred from entering Nicaragua, requested this Wednesday from democratic countries, including Spain, “protective measures,” such as granting them nationality, because they consider themselves “de facto stateless.”
PERU: Free advertising in Peruvian media: a social obligation or state interference? (Spanish)
News Digitales: A new law requires Peruvian media outlets to provide space for public campaigns against gender-based violence.
PERU: How many indigenous languages are spoken in Peru today, and what does the IRTP do to protect them? (Press release – Spanish)
IRTP: On Indigenous Languages Day in Peru, learn about the role of the IRTP in protecting and disseminating these languages against the risk of extinction.
TURKS & CAICOS: Minister E. Jay Saunders unveils vision for a digitally transformed TCI, prioritizing 24/7government, reduced energy costs
The Sun: … Radio Turks & Caicos (RTC) is also set for a major transformation, expanding its content to include video and daily news broadcasts, aiming to keep citizens informed. …
URUGUAY: Channel 5 will have “a valuable information and journalistic proposal that is connected to the public agenda,” said its director. (24 May – Spanish)
Administrador: The channel will have content “for all age groups, all social classes, all departments,” the new director of the public channel stated.
GAZA: ‘Murder weapon’: Hunger ravages Gaza journalists under Israeli siege
CPJ: After 19 months of war and Israel’s 11-week total blockade on food, water, fuel, cooking gas, medical supplies, and emergency aid into Gaza, hunger and famine threaten not just lives, but the media’s very ability to bear witness, six journalists told CPJ this month.
IRAN: Iran’s Use of Psychological Warfare Against Its Adversaries and Strategies for Deterrence
Middle East Forum: The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)—Iran’s state-controlled media corporation—holds a monopoly over the country’s domestic radio and television services.
The Guardian: After four years reporting from Israel and Palestine, our correspondent is returning to the UK. She reveals the grief, horror and hope that defined her time there
ISRAEL: ‘The World Is Against Us’: How Israel’s Media Is Censoring the Horrors of Gaza (Opinion)
Haaretz: Most Israelis are not aware of what is going on in Gaza, and what is being done in their name. And one of the key culprits in this cover-up, which has such dire implications, is the mainstream media in Israel
ISRAEL & GAZA: RSF asks International Criminal Court to allow Gazan journalists to participate in its ongoing proceedings
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has submitted multiple formal requests to the International Criminal Court (ICC) asking that the Palestinian journalists who are victims of Israeli war crimes in Gaza be allowed to participate as such in international judicial proceedings.
TURKEY: Turkey’s watchdog suspends TV channel over protest coverage
Medya News: Turkey’s broadcast regulator ordered opposition-leaning Sözcü TV to go off-air for ten days over its coverage of anti-government protests. Critics say the move aims to silence dissent ahead of local political tensions and potential legal escalations.
UAE: UAE announces new media law in 40 years with MAJOR changes for digital content sector
Arabian Business: The UAE Media Regulation Law and its Executive Regulation mark a shift towards regulating emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), gaming, and on-demand broadcasting platforms
REGIONAL: Arab Media Forum 2025: Ministers urge bold reforms, AI investment, and regional unity
Government of Dubai Media Office: Arab media is at a defining crossroads, as ministers from across the region gathered at the Arab Media Forum, held as part of the ongoing Arab Media Summit 2025, to call for urgent reforms, greater unity, and bold investment in artificial intelligence.
CANADA: A near-doubling of employees who self-identify as disabled among the highlights of CBC/Radio-Canada’s latest accessibility progress report (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada today released a progress report detailing accessibility improvements over the past fiscal year. The report highlights our work toward the goals outlined in our 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan, Breaking Barriers.
CANADA: Canada’s audiovisual industry should better reflect the country’s diversity (15 May)
The Conversation: The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has recently undertaken a consultation on defining Canadian programming in the film and television industry.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada Stands Firm on IP and Canadian Control at CRTC CanCon Hearing
Black Screen Office: As the CRTC continues its high-stakes consultation on defining Canadian content, CBC/Radio-Canada has taken a clear stand: Canadian programs must remain in Canadian hands.
US: CPB analysis shows overall growth in station revenue despite drop for radio
Current
US: CPB’s Merritt: ‘Let’s stay in this fight together, and let’s prevail’
Current: CPB COO Kathy Merritt encouraged attendees at the Public Media Business Association Conference Thursday to remain focused on community service amid the intensifying threats to federal funding.
US: In the United States, the legal battle intensifies against the dismantling of public broadcasting (Analysis – Paywall – French)
Le Monde: Proceedings are multiplying to challenge the Trump administration’s desire to freeze funding for public media broadcasting internationally, but they failed to prevent the dismissal of 500 Voice of America contractors on Friday.
US: Lessons (and an apology) from the Sun-Times CEO on that AI-generated book list
Chicago Sun-Times: The summer section was intended to be a supplemental value to our subscribers alongside our own journalism. Instead, it detracted and distracted from our work.
US: Meet the last surviving US atomic veterans: Only public broadcasting can tell such stories (Opinion)
The Hill: Michas Ohnstad was one of the first Americans to enter Hiroshima in September 1945, just weeks after the dropping of the atomic bomb.
US: PBS suing Trump administration over defunding, three days after NPR filed similar case
PBS: PBS filed suit Friday against President Donald Trump and other administration officials to block his order stripping federal funding from the 330-station public television system, three days after NPR did the same for its radio network.
US: Termination notices expected to go out to all remaining Voice of America employees this week
Politico: The move would add to the grueling battle between the network and Trump administration.
US: Trump targeted public media. Now NPR is taking him to court (Opinion)
Poynter: A coalition of public radio stations says the president’s order to cut funding is unconstitutional retaliation and a threat to press freedom
US: Why public broadcasters must act now to engage with public safety leaders
Current: Public broadcasters who are not yet at the table with state and local public safety communications leaders are missing an important opportunity.
US: Why public broadcasting needs a win in the court of public opinion, too
Current: With the newly filed federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, the battle for the future of public broadcasting funding has moved to the courts at last. While litigation plays out, however, the battle for public opinion remains equally important — perhaps even more so.
Bluesky has caught on with many news influencers, but X remains popular (Research report)
Pew Research Center: Bluesky is an emerging social media site with similar features to X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). It has become a destination for many news influencers, especially those who lean to the political left, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.
From despair to purpose: Six climate reporters on how to protect their mental health
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Journalists from Brazil, Burkina Faso, Denmark, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago and the UK reflect on how they cope with the anxieties of global warming
Journalists are using AI. They should be talking to their audience about it.
Poynter: A new toolkit from Poynter’s MediaWise, in collaboration with AP, aims to make that easier, reduce consumer anxiety through AI literacy
Kiley Bense on Climate Journalism in a New Information Environment (Q&A)
CJR: “Every story I write has an addendum that is Trump-related.”
Mediapart aimed at investigative reporters. USAID took the hit. (Opinion)
The Investigative Mind: The leading French news outlet Mediapart’s “revelations” concerning the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project’s “hidden” links to the U.S. government were published after eight years of stories that made similar allegations in Russian state-linked media about the OCCRP.
These pioneers are working to keep their countries’ languages alive in the age of AI news
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Experts from India, Belarus, Nigeria, Mali, Paraguay and the Philippines explain how they are building tools to bridge gaps between newsrooms and audiences
United States, Poland, France: Public media in danger (Listen – French)
RFI: Today we are discussing political threats to public broadcasters in light of different situations in three different countries: the United States, Poland, and France.
Willingness to pay for news media – Meta-study: The market implications of the interaction between national public service news media and private media (Research – Danish)
Zenodo: Danish data from 2024 shows that 17% of the population pays for news, with the 35-54 age group paying the least. In contrast, 18-24 year olds have become more willing to pay.
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Header image: The studio and newsroom in Maison de Radio-Canada, the HQ of Radio-Canada in Montreal. Credit: Radio-Canada
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PSM Weekly | 30 April – 6 May 2025
Our weekly round-up of public service…