Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
Click on the drop-down menus below to reveal the latest regional stories.
Nigeria: Govt Will Not Regulate Social Media, Says Presidency
By AllAfrica: As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate the International Day to End Impunity, Crimes against Journalists, the presidency wednesday said the federal government would not regulate social media but would appeal to the conscience of Nigerians to remain ethical in the expression of free speech.
Rwanda: Rwanda hosts African Information Day
By The New Times: Rwanda marks the African Information Day in Kigali, today, with various activities and discussions on the agenda.
South Africa: SABC journalist in danger of suspension over social media post
By ENCA: An SABC journalist has reportedly been asked to defend himself from suspension on the basis of a social media post.
South Africa: ANC heavyweights to probe SABC
By IOL: The ANC has deployed some of its senior MPs to form part of an ad hoc committee that will investigate the SABC’s financial mess and the board’s fitness to hold office.
Zambia: For Zambia’s press, election year brings assaults and shut down orders
By CPJ: Zambia’s press has come under sustained assault in this election year, with station licenses suspended, journalists harassed or arrested for critical coverage, and one of the country’s largest privately owned papers, The Post, being provisionally liquidated in a move that its editors say is political motivated.
Zimbabwe: Educate Public On Climate Change, Scribes Told
By All Africa: Journalists should desist from attacking the country’s efforts to reduce the effects of climate change but rather explain to people the challenges brought by the phenomenon and how they can be resolved.
Burma: Media Conference Explores Continued Challenges to Burma’s Press Freedom
By Irrawaddy: At the fifth media development conference in Rangoon on Monday, experts criticized the National League for Democracy (NLD) government over restricted access to information for independent media houses and continued market domination of state-run publications—the main competitors for private newspapers.
China: President Xi Jinping urges China’s journalists to conform to the Communist Party
By Hong Kong Free Press: China’s president Xi Jinping has urged the country’s journalists to conform to the Communist Party
India: Indian Government halts ban on NDTV
By PMA: The Hindi news channel was supposed to be suspended for a day on Wednesday but the government put the ban on hold as it waits for the Supreme Court response.
Malaysia: Independent Malaysian news website faces threats, harassment
By CPJ: Malaysia’s government should cease harassing independent news site Malaysiakini, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today
Thailand: All broadcasts to resume on Jan 22
By Bangkok Post: TV and radio channels can resume normal programming from Jan 22, says the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), following the suspension of entertainment programmes after the passing of His Majesty the King on Oct 13.
Australia: Indigenous broadcasters from around world meet for talks
By SBS: Eight indigenous broadcasting operators from around the world are set to meet in Sydney next week to discuss and celebrate indigenous cultures around the world. NITV will host the biennial gathering of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network, currently in its eighth year.
Australia: Labor and Greens oppose scrapping two out of three rule
By The Sydney Morning Herald: The government’s media reforms still do not have Labor and Greens senators’ support, despite the industry completing a second round of consultation and inquiry.
Australia: Changes to regional AM/FM radio broadcasting contemplated by ACMA
By iTWire: A proposal to convert AM to FM for commercial radio broadcasting services in regional areas of Australia is under consideration by the communications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
FIJI: Fiji TV issues apology to FBC
By FBC: Fiji Television Ltd has issued an apology to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation for coverage of the Wasea Bhasha issue which misrepresented comments by FBC Chief.
Fiji: Complaints piling up at Fiji media regulator
By RNZ: Complaints are piling up at Fiji’s Media Industry Development Authority in the fallout from the Wasea Bhasha saga.
Philippines: Revised Sotto Law to protect sources of online and broadcast journalists
By CNN: Online and broadcast journalists will soon be covered by a law protecting journalists from revealing their sources.
Ireland: BAI launches consultation on the future of media
By Radio Today: The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is starting a consultation on the future of the broadcasting landscape in Ireland.
Ireland: BAI vows to help broadcasters stay in business
The Irish Times: The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has promised to step up its efforts to help Irish broadcasters stay in business, putting “sectoral sustainability” at the heart of its strategy statement for the first time.
Latvia: Latvian broadcasters worried about appeal of Russian media
By LSM: The representatives of the Latvian broadcasting organizations have expressed concerns about growing interest of the Latvian audience in the Russian-made media content, the LETA newswire reported November 7.
Montenegro: Soft censorship as a threat to journalism in Montenegro
By SEENPM:Daliborka Uljarevic, Executive Director of Center for Civic Education (CGO), speaks for SEE Media Observatory about the media and soft censorship in Montenegro.
Regional: Commission Warns Balkan States on Freedom of Expression
By Balkan Insight: Brussels reports say six countries made ‘no progress’ last year in meeting freedom of expression criteria for EU membership – while Turkey was described as ‘backsliding’.
Romania: Romanian parliament votes to wipe out public broadcaster fees
By PMA: Last week the Romanian parliament voted to remove broadcasting fees in a move that could put the country’s public service media in danger.
Serbia: Serbia’s censorship debate
By Al-Jazeeera: Is the Serbian government using underhanded censorship methods to control the media narrative or are critics too harsh?
Ukraine: Vital Reform to End Oligarch-dictated Media in Ukraine in Danger
By The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group: Journalists and media specialists have accused the government of sabotaging public broadcasting in Ukraine, due to be launched on Jan 1, 2017.
By Knight Center Journalism in the Americas: Verónica González Bonet is the only television journalist in Argentina, and Latin America as a whole, whose visual impairment has not been an impediment to her professional development.
Brazil: Amid political turmoil, Brazilian fact-checking grows
By Poynter
By Knight Center Journalism in the Americas
Egypt: In Egypt, censorship, an arrest, and court hearings for journalists
By CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program: Restrictions against the press continue in Egypt, with ongoing trials of journalists, some of whom have been in detention for more than three years, allegations that a TV station was ordered to drop a planned broadcast of an interview with a former official, and a reporter detained while trying to cover a sensitive story.
Israel: Stormy debate on public broadcasting is off the air for now
By The Jerusalem Post: Cabinet vote on reversing plans for IBA delayed by at least three weeks.
Israel: Supporting a Truly Free Public Broadcasting Service
By ACRI
Jordan: ARIJ to hold 9th Arab investigative journalism forum in Jordan in December
By The Jordan Times: The ninth annual forum for Arab Investigative journalists is scheduled to be held at Dead Sea next month, the organisers said on Wednesday.
Syria: Citizen journalism is playing a crucial role in Syria – but it comes at a cost
By Wired: Citizen journalists are risking their lives to report on the brutal conflict in Syria – and keeping the information flowing is an uphill struggle.
Turkey: Turkey’s crackdown on Cumhuriyet shows true extent of Erdoğan’s wrath
By The Guardian: Arrests at secular and independent newspaper signify dark day for press freedom.
Turkey: Social media interrupted in Turkey after crackdown
By Yahoo: Internet users in Turkey were on Friday experiencing severe difficulties accessing social media after the country was plunged into new turbulence by the detention of its main pro-Kurdish leaders, correspondents and a watchdog said.
Turkey: Reporters Without Borders labels Erdogan as ‘enemy of press freedom’
By Deutsche Welle: The Turkish regime has arrested at least 200 journalists and closed over 120 media outlets since the coup attempt, Reporters Without Borders said. Berlin described the media situation in Turkey as “extremely alarming.”
By WOUB: WOUB Public Media is collaborating with Ohio’s 12 public television stations in developing and introducing a secure, alternative delivery system to provide the public with emergency information
US: The problem for sports broadcasters’ declining viewing figures goes beyond just live streaming
By TheDrum: The widespread decline in viewing figures for sports is more than a shift in viewing habits, according to a new study which shows millennials’ interest in sport is actually waning due to online streaming services like Netflix and Amazon.
US: The forces that drove this election’s media failure are likely to get worse
BY NiemanLab: Segregated social universes, an industry moving from red states to the coasts, and mass media’s revenue decline: The disconnect between two realities shows no sign of abating.
General: Profiles in mobile journalism: Bringing #mojo into the newsroom
By Ijnet: Mobiles have proved to be useful tools for reporters for years, but some media executives have trouble seeing all the opportunities they offer.
General: What we do and do not know about the impact of public service media
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) has published a new report commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Culture.
PSM Weekly is available via email. You can subscribe by signing up to our mailing list at the bottom of the page or email editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
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.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Related Posts
