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...
Inside the MFRR Monitoring Report: Early Insights
MFRR: In this short interview, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) team previews its upcoming Monitoring Report, due in September. Elena Rodina (ECPMF) speaks with colleagues Cara Räker and Camille Magnissalis about how the report is prepared, key trends in press freedom across 36 European countries, and the worrying situation in Serbia, where journalists face growing pressure and smear campaigns.
What we're listening to...
The media neglect of the global South (German)
Deutschlandfunk: Ladislaus Ludescher says that issues of the Global South are neglected in the media. He discusses the causes and practical solutions with journalist Sham Jaff and DLF news director Marco Bertolaso.
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ANGOLA: Angolan Journalists’ Union concerned about coercion of strikers (Portuguese)
RTP: The Angolan Journalists’ Union (SJA) reported this Thursday that the boards of directors and coordinators of public media outlets are drawing up lists of workers who will join the strike, urging journalists to denounce acts that violate their rights.
ANGOLA: Angola resists Russia’s disinformation push
The Standard: The disinformation push launched by Russia soon after the killing of Wagnar Group leader Yevgeny Prigozin has encountered resistance in Angola with authorities arresting two Russian citizens working in the country.
CAMEROON: Cameroon asks media to suspend all political broadcasts during presidential campaign (French)
RFI: In Cameroon, after organizing an event to convey the message to the press last week in Douala, the National Communication Council sent a letter to leading media outlets.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian police detain 2 Sheger FM journalists, force station to delete report
CPJ: The Ethiopian Media Authority—the regulatory body responsible for sanctioning news outlets that violate press ethics, with the power to revoke their licenses—sent a letter accusing the station of “incitement to violence and bias” following the report and ordered the segment removed from Sheger’s social media platforms, colleagues told CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing safety concerns.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia tightens grip on media ahead of 2026 vote
DW: Ethiopia’s record of detaining journalists and attempts to control the media has caused concern as the country prepares for high-stakes election in 2026. Rights groups warn of a growing crackdown.
GHANA: GJA President appeals to President Mahama for Media Development Fund to strengthen journalism
Modern Ghana: The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has renewed calls for the creation of a Media Development Fund to build the capacity of journalists and provide much-needed support for the country’s media industry.
GHANA: Mahama Proposes Security-Media Platform to End Journalist Harassment
News Ghana: President John Dramani Mahama has called for the establishment of a formal engagement platform between security agencies and media practitioners to address the recurring harassment of journalists by state security personnel across Ghana.
KENYA: Why two Kenyan journalists launched a newsroom to change global health storytelling
Reuters Institute: “Too often, health is treated like politics, with shock, yet these are people’s lives,” says DeFrontera publisher Verah Okeyo.
MAURITANIA: Government spokesperson: “The delay in regularising the status of public media employees is due to minor details.” (French)
Cridem: The government spokesperson, Mauritanian Minister of Culture and Communication El Houssein Ould Medou, attributed the delay in implementing the decision to regularise the situation of public media employees to “minor details”.
MOROCCO: Morocco’s HACA Shares Expertise at UNESCO Conference in Praia
Morocco World News: The country’s called on African countries to adopt policies that combine independent regulation, support for professional journalism, protection of fundamental freedoms, media literacy, digital sovereignty consolidation, and international cooperation.
NIGERIA: Nigerian Journalist Urges UN to Protect Media Workers Globally
Voice of Nigeria: A Nigerian Journalist and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), North Central Nigeria, Abdullateef Lanre Ahmed, has called on the United Nations to strengthen global policies for the protection of journalists.
NIGERIA: Role of media towards attainment good governance in Nigeria (Opinion)
The Guardian Nigeria News: While institutions, laws, and leadership play central roles in governance, the media — both traditional and digital — stands as one of the most powerful catalysts for shaping democratic outcomes and ensuring governmental accountability.
SENEGAL: Financial crisis in privately owned media puts Senegal’s press freedom at risk
RFI: Senegal’s press is facing a worsening financial crisis, impacted by cuts to public subsidies and the collapse of advertising revenue. At its centre is the restructuring of Youssou N’Dour’s Futurs Médias group, but other privately owned companies are now facing similar challenges and asking for government support.
SENEGAL: RTS: Pape Alé Niang reorganizes the internal architecture after the dissolution of three cells (French)
Sene News: The decision of the Director General of Senegalese Radio and Television (RTS), Pape Alé Niang, to dissolve three internal units has sparked heated debate. On August 29, he terminated the activities of the Management Control Unit, the Internal Audit Unit, and the Procurement Unit.
SEYCHELLES: SBC’s Annual Report (Report)
SBC: The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has published its annual report for the year 2024. The 2024 Annual Report highlights the SBC’s commitment to delivering credible and engaging local content and outlines key achievements, most notably the successful launch of its Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming service, SBC+, and continued growth in audience engagement across diverse platforms.
SEYCHELLES: TVU and SBC Overcome Africa’s Connectivity Challenges with Cost-Effective, High-Quality Live Productions (Press release)
TVU Networks: TVU Networks partnered with Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) to deliver cloud-driven remote production for the Indian Ocean Youth Games, demonstrating how African broadcasters can achieve cost-effective, broadcast-quality coverage without traditional constraints.
SOUTH AFRICA: Johannesburg Declaration unapologetic in addressing threats to journalism
BizCommunity: Following the inaugural M20 Summit, the Johannesburg Declaration has been formulated with the aim of prioritising information integrity for the public good in the wake of the alarming threats to independent journalism, media viability, and the avalanche of physical and online harms and the upholding of the rights of women and children.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC on the brink of collapse, warns Khusela Sangoni-Diko
EWN: She said the public broadcaster is teetering on collapse because of outdated infrastructure, legislation as well as an inadequate funding model.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC Proposes New Funding Model To Defeat Seemingly Persistent Financing Issues
Broadcast Media Africa: Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has announced that his department has received three proposals for a tender to create a funding model for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
SUDAN: Sudanese journalist returns to newsrooms decimated by war
The Straits Times: When journalist Shamael Elnoor left Sudan at the outbreak of war in 2023, Sudanese newspapers were already suffering under an economic crisis and the worldwide shift to digital news.
TANZANIA: Tanzania charts new path for journalist safety ahead of elections
Daily News: In a hall filled with anticipation at UNESCO’s UN House, Tanzania took a bold step towards strengthening democracy by bringing together journalists, police, human rights defenders and development partners to openly confront one of the nation’s most pressing issues: The safety and security of journalists.
UGANDA: Ugandan Editors Tackle AI Regulation, Ethics, and Journalism Integrity at WAN-IFRA Workshop
iAfrica: Artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, ethics, and newsroom integration took center stage at a workshop held on Aug. 20, 2025, organized by the Uganda Editors Guild in collaboration with the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
REGIONAL: BBC has a long history in Africa. New book offers a critical take on the broadcaster
The Conversation: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) established its first radio transmitter sites in Africa in the 1930s, to reach the British colonies and beyond. It became a model for radio in Africa and later a model for TV news.
AZERBAIJAN: Azerbaijan brings new charges against Meydan TV, arrests another journalist
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Azerbaijani authorities’ addition of seven new charges against 10 incarcerated journalists in relation to a currency smuggling case against the independent outlet Meydan TV, as well as the arrest of photojournalist Ahmad Mukhtar.
CHINA & RUSSIA: Reuters withdraws Xi, Putin longevity video after China state TV pulls legal permission to use it
Reuters: Reuters News on Friday withdrew a four-minute video containing an exchange between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing the possibility that humans can live to 150 years old, after China state TV demanded its removal and withdrew the legal permission to use it.
INDONESIA: Indonesian journalists attacked while covering nationwide protests
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports of journalists being assaulted, harassed, and threatened while covering recent nationwide protests in Indonesia, and calls on authorities to swiftly investigate the incidents and hold those responsible to account.
JAPAN: Chinese ex-staffer ordered to pay NHK ¥11 million over unscripted radio remarks
The Japan Times: Tokyo District Court on Monday ordered a man who previously worked for Japan’s national broadcaster NHK to pay the public entity ¥11 million in compensation for making unscripted remarks during its Chinese-language radio news program.
MALDIVES: “Throw it out”: journalists deliver unified rejection of media regulation bill
Maldives Independent: “Throw it out” was the overwhelming message from journalists representing 22 media outlets who faced a parliamentary committee on Monday. During the four-hour meeting, all but one called for the complete withdrawal of controversial media regulation legislation they’ve dubbed the “media control bill.”
NEPAL: Nepal Bans 26 Social Media Platforms, Including Facebook and YouTube (Paywall)
The New York Times: Critics worry a new law could curb freedom of expression, affect tourism and cut communication with the many Nepalis who work abroad.
NEPAL: Nepal’s ban on major social media sites lifted after protesters killed
Japan Times: Nepal rolled back its social media ban on Tuesday, a day after at least 19 people were killed in protests demanding that the government lift its restrictions and tackle corruption.
PAKISTAN: Journalists, rights activists decry curbs on press freedom
DAWN: Journalists and rights activists have expressed deep concerns over the growing restrictions on press freedom in the country, with some comparing the current situation to the media censorship witnessed during General Ziaul Haq’s military rule.
PHILIPPINES: Richard Gomez apologizes after posting personal info of journalists online
Rappler: Leyte 4th District Representative Richard Gomez said sorry to the media after violating the data privacy of journalists and posting screenshots of their messages online.
SOUTH KOREA: Broadcasting Act: No way out now?
The Chosun Daily: Revised law grants KBS employees board seats, sidelining public amid conflict-of-interest concerns.
SOUTH KOREA: Ruling party’s broadcast committee bill sparks opposition ‘Lee Jin-sook expulsion’ claims
The Chosun Daily: Democratic Party pushes to dissolve Korea Communications Commission, replace with new committee amid chairperson conflict.
TAIWAN: CNA to debut AI chatbot to combat fake news and disinformation
Rti: Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) announced that an AI chatbot using public media news materials as its primary knowledge source will officially launch by the end of 2026. The project aims to help rebuild social trust amid fake news and disinformation campaigns.
TAIWAN: Rti and European think tank to jointly launch podcast program
Rti: Radio Taiwan International (RTI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the European Values Center for Security Policy (EVC) Taiwan Office on Monday to jointly produce a podcast program called Tropic of Answer. The program will feature dialogue and exchanges between Taiwan, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
AUSTRALIA: Antoinette Lattouf’s lawyers push for $350k penalty over ABC’s contraventions of Fair Work Act
ABC: Journalist Antoinette Lattouf says she is yet to receive a personal apology from the ABC after a judge found she was unlawfully sacked for reasons including her political opinions.
AUSTRALIA: Commercial television networks lobby for government support (Listen)
ABC: Dozens of small screen personalities and media executives are in Canberra today lobbying for more support for free-to-air television from the Albanese government.
AUSTRALIA: Record number of brands driving investment in NITV and First Nations media (Press release)
SBS: Beyond 3% continues to support the growth of National Indigenous Television (NITV), which is celebrating a record commercial investment by major brands in First Nations Media.
AUSTRALIA: SBS continues to lead Australian media in sustainability with launch of SBS Brief Green (Press release)
SBS: SBS Brief Green is designed to help brands with a toolkit of sustainability resources, including the decarbonisation of media allowing brands to reduce advertising emissions without disrupting media outcomes. The national broadcaster also launches its first-ever SBS Sustainability Report.
AUSTRALIA: SBS unifies data offering with launch of SBS Data Lab (Press release)
SBS: National broadcaster SBS has used its 2026 Upfront to unveil Data Lab a new unified data offering which capitalises on its various partnerships by bringing them into one offering.
AUSTRALIA: Technology platforms ‘weapons of mass destruction to democracy’, Nobel prize winner says (Watch)
The Guardian: Maria Ressa told the National Press Club in Canberra that the greatest threat the world faces today is not governments or their leaders, but technology. ‘It’s the technology that’s amplifying authoritarian tactics worldwide, enabled by democratic governments that abdicated their responsibility to protect the public,’ the Nobel peace prize winner said.
AUSTRALIA & TAIWAN: ‘We’re one family’: Māori and Indigenous Taiwan peoples reflect on special connection as storytellers meet
NITV: Representatives from all around the globe gathered in Taipei for the conference, including NITV from Australia, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) from Canada, and NRK Sápmi from Norway.
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand government ditches NZFC and NZ On Air merger plans
C21 Media: The New Zealand government has shelved proposed plans to merge the screen industry’s two biggest funding bodies, the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and NZ On Air, following months of consultation.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ helping New Zealanders get prepared for an emergency (Press release)
RNZ: Public media organisation RNZ, has created a series of informative guides, designed to help New Zealanders prepare and respond to emergencies such as severe weather or earthquakes.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ plans to ditch youth brand and weekend roles (Paywall)
New Zealand Herald: RNZ is planning to ditch its youth brand Tahi, part of broader proposed changes to its coverage of music, arts and culture in light of Government budget cuts. One source says Tahi’s social media growth has been “abysmal”.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ’s Paul Thompson on that bombshell radio report (Listen)
The Spinoff: The longest-tenured leader in New Zealand media joins Duncan Greive on The Fold for a frank discussion about the state of RNZ.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Prime Minister Welcomes Pacific Media to Honiara
SBC: Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele (MP) has officially welcomed Pacific media representatives to Honiara at the opening of the Regional Media Workshop, convened by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in partnership with the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI).
AUSTRIA: “Market for Austrian media threatens to collapse,” warns ProSieben manager (German)
Der Standard: ProSiebenSat1Puls4 Managing Director Bernhard Albrecht sees opportunities in the takeover by Berlusconi’s holding company MFE. He demands: “Cooperation must become ORF’s mandate.”
AUSTRIA: Mega-renovation! New ORF “nerve center” on Küniglberg (German)
Heute: The public broadcaster has put its new Content Management Center (CMC) into operation at Küniglberg. In the future, all the threads for TV, radio, and online broadcasts will converge in this “central nervous system.”
AZORES: Public radio in the Azores: by air and over the sea (Listen – Portuguese)
Antena1: Linda Luz explores the history of Antena 1 in the Azores as a vehicle for promoting culture and information.
BELGIUM: VRT unions plan to protest against management’s austerity plans starting Tuesday: ‘Lack of respect’ (Dutch)
De Morgen: The VRT unions plan to take action starting Tuesday because they disagree with management’s austerity plans.
BULGARIA: Bulgarian National Radio and the University of Veliko Tarnovo signed a cooperation agreement (Press release – Bulgarian)
BNR: The Bulgarian National Radio and the Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and Methodius” will partner to implement and promote joint projects and initiatives in support of Bulgarian education and science.
CZECH REPUBLIC: ANO wants to merge public media. It only said so fully a month before the elections (Czech)
Hlídacípes: The ANO movement wants to merge Czech Television and Czech Radio. The considerations that were released in recent months as balloons testing public and expert reactions have become an official part of the election program, which Andrej Babiš’s movement presented today.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Fourteen thematic debates, duels between candidates for prime minister and Superdebate. Czech Television starts its pre-election broadcast (Press release – Czech)
Ceska Televize: Czech Television is launching an extensive pre-election service today on the ČT24 news program. In the run-up to the October elections to the Chamber of Deputies, it will offer fourteen thematic debates, four duels between candidates for prime minister and the final Superdebate.
FINLAND: Yle’s Northern Sámi news articles can now also be listened to (Finnish)
Yle: The feature for listening to Yle news articles on yle.fi and the Yle app is expanding to two new languages.
FRANCE: French press take on digital databases to defend journalist copyright against AI
RFI: French newspapers and magazines are launching an offensive against public online databases used to train generative artificial intelligence applications that they say use content without compensating the authors, putting the France’s professional journalism sector’s economic model at risk.
FRANCE: RADIO FRANCE / “Mon Petit France Inter”, the new public service channel for children (Press release – French)
Radio France: As the new school year begins, Radio France announces the launch of “Mon Petit France Inter”, a new public service radio station designed for children. This digital radio station will be available on the Radio France app from October for the autumn half-term holidays, and will become a fully-fledged radio station in a few months’ time via DAB+ broadcasting.
FRANCE: The new updates to policies protecting journalists during protests are unacceptable
RSF: The calls for protests in France are mounting as political instability persists, yet in the quiet of the summer, the Ministry of the Interior and the national police force on a document that undermines the progress made in protecting journalists covering demonstrations.
FRANCE: The UDR calls for the creation of a commission of inquiry into the neutrality of public broadcasting. (French)
Europe1: Following the controversy surrounding journalists Thomas Legrand and Patrick Cohen, a columnist and editorial writer at France Inter, the UDR group called for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the neutrality of public broadcasting.
FRANCE: Thomas Legrand and Patrick Cohen accused of colluding with the Socialist Party against Rachida Dati: ‘This meeting was not a friendly coffee date.’ (French – Paywall)
Le Monde: The broadcast on Friday 5 September by the far-right magazine L’Incorrect of a video showing two France Inter editorialists talking to two socialist executives has been stirring up passions for the past 48 hours. Marine Le Pen took advantage of this to call for the privatisation of Radio France and France Télévisions.
GERMANY: ARD and ZDF receive a warning from the very top (German)
T-Online: Minister of State for the Media Wolfram Weimer is calling on public broadcasters to cooperate more closely with private media companies and publishers.
GERMANY: Crisis of public broadcasting: Its information performance is still appreciated (Paywall – German)
Tagesspiel: Public broadcasting in Germany has, with great luck, survived almost 80 years. In his book “Sendestörung” (Transmission Disturbances), Bochum-based historian Karsten Rudolph explores the ongoing crisis of a system.
GERMANY: Deutschlandradio Broadcasting Council visits ZDF to discuss perspectives on quality public service journalism (Press release – German)
Deutschlandradio: At the invitation of the Deutschlandradio Broadcasting Council, ZDF Editor-in-Chief Bettina Schausten spoke in Mainz about the demands placed on quality public service journalism under the current political climate.
GERMANY: ZDF will end SD broadcasting via satellite on November 18, 2025 (Press release – German)
ZDF: ZDF, ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat and KiKA will now be broadcast exclusively in HD quality
IRELAND: RTÉ on course to shed more than 100 jobs this year, says Kevin Bakhurst
The Irish Times: RTÉ remained on course to cut more than 100 jobs this year, its director general said in an email to staff.
ITALY: Rai Calabria launches radio and TV programs in the Arbëreshe language (Press release – Italian)
Rai: Radio and television programming entirely in the Arbëreshë language will be available for the Calabria region.
POLAND: Polish state energy firm Orlen preparing to sell media group purchased under former government
Notes from Poland: Poland’s state assets minister has confirmed that state energy firm Orlen is preparing to sell off Polska Press, the media group that it controversially purchased under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government.
POLAND: They were harassing a TVP journalist. Will the prosecutor investigate them? (Paywall – Polish)
Gazeta Wyborcza
ROMANIA: DW and RFI România launch joint pilot project in Moldova (Press release) (28 August)
DW: DW, together with RFI România and local media outlets in the Republic of Moldova, is launching a joint information initiative to strengthen independent journalism and counter disinformation in the region.
SERBIA: MFRR partners warn against attempt to seize political control of last remaining independent TV stations N1 and Nova (Statement)
ECPMF: The partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) express serious concern over the threat of political interference in the operations of the United Group’s media outlets in Serbia, which owns the major independent television news channels that are active in Serbia, N1 and Nova TV.
SERBIA: Report Raises Fears for Serbia’s Last Dissenting Media Voices
Balkan Insight: A leaked recording has triggered alarm over the fate of a group of media outlets in Serbia that represent some of the last voices of dissent, just as President Aleksandar Vucic is mulling elections.
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), strongly condemns the conduct of law enforcement officers of Serbia’s Ministry of Interior (MUP), who, during last night’s student protest in Novi Sad, used excessive force against students and citizens and obstructed journalists in the performance of their work.
SLOVENIA: New media law: Controversy among experts and politicians. Is taxpayer money going to media moguls? (Slovenian)
Najdi Novice: After several months of delay, a new media law was passed in the third reading in the National Assembly, causing outrage among both the opposition and experts. This law, which promises additional financial support for media owners such as Stojan Petrič and Martin Odlazek, has been met with widespread criticism.
SLOVENIA: Towards the adoption of the Media Act (Slovenian – Opinion)
Dvevnik: The media do not represent a normal business activity, as they can influence public opinion, politics, government, security… Therefore, they cannot be left to the market and the whims and calculations of their owners, they must ensure the public interest: fair and verifiable information, and always at least two opposing opinions.
SWEDEN & UKRAINE: In the midst of war, they build media for the future – Ukrainian editors visit Sweden (Paywall – Swedish)
Dagens Media: How do you build sustainable media when everyday life is marked by war? That’s the question Ukrainian editors are taking to Sweden, where they will meet Swedish media houses for a week to discuss business models and the role of journalism in democracy.
SWITZERLAND: Nathalie Wappler to leave SRF management (French)
RTS: German-speaking radio and television station SRF has announced the departure of its director, Nathalie Wappler, effective at the end of April 2026. The 57-year-old has been leading the company since 2019 and is looking to embark on a new professional challenge.
SWITZERLAND: RTS listens to the public and adapts to its expectations (Press release – French)
RTS: In this response to a reader’s letter, RTS spokesperson Christophe Minder explains how RTS takes note of its audience’s opinions.
UK: Channel 4 Sales expands advertising emissions measurement offering with linear solution (Press release)
Channel4: Channel 4 Sales has today announced the launch of a new tool that allows advertisers to measure the emissions of their campaigns running on linear TV, building upon its existing emissions measurement offering.
UK: Ofcom to authorise satphone connectivity
Advanced Television: UK comms regulator Ofcom has confirmed that it will move ahead with plans to make the UK the first country in Europe to enable standard smartphones to connect to satellites using mobile spectrum bands.
UKRAINE & RUSSIA: IPI condemns lengthy prison sentences targeting journalists in Russian captivity
IPI: The IPI global network today condemns verdicts handed down by Russian authorities to Ukrainian journalists Heorhiy Levchenko and Vladyslav Hershon, who were sentenced to 16 and 15 years in prison respectively.
REGIONAL: Building a collaborative cloud future for European public service media (Press release)
EBU: Bringing together expertise and shared experiences, the group aims to support European public service media (PSM) organizations in driving innovation and establishing sovereign infrastructures while addressing the rapidly evolving media landscape.
REGIONAL: Can the EU implement its new press freedom law?
Euronews: Press freedom is a fundamental pillar of democracy, but it has been declining in several EU member states. Since August, governments have to fully implement the Media Freedom Act, but some are resisting the first-ever EU regulation related to the press.
REGIONAL: Launch of the European Anti-SLAPP Monitor
ECPMF: The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) are proud to announce the launch of the European Anti-SLAPP Monitor, a new online platform designed to track the transposition and implementation of European standards on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) at the national level.
REGIONAL: Open Letter to President von der Leyen on defending digital sovereignty
ECPMF: ECPMF joined more than 40 leading European and international civil society organisations, media freedom groups, and democracy advocates, as well as academics, journalists, and public figures from across the continent penned a letter to the President of the European Commission to resist US coercion and to defend Europe’s sovereign right to regulate technology in the public interest.
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the court injunction banning the press from broadcasting leaked audio recordings attributed to Karina Milei, Secretary General of the Presidency and sister of President Javier Milei.
BRAZIL: EBC workers release open letter to President Lula calling for the promotion of public communication and a fair job and pay plan (Portuguese)
FENAJ: The document’s objective is to draw the president’s attention to the employees’ struggle to rebuild the public company and to the appreciation of its employees, who have been fighting for over 10 years for the implementation of a position and compensation plan that can correct serious career distortions currently present at the company.
CHILE: Nearly half of Chile’s communes are news deserts, but news ‘forests’ still bloom
LatAm Journalism Review: A new study shows 47% of Chile’s towns lack sufficient local journalism. But in the south, online outlets are informing communities with local news and investigations.
COLOMBIA: The IAPA welcomes the historic ruling by the Colombian Supreme Court against impunity in crimes against journalists (Spanish)
IAPA: The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) welcomed the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) of Colombia in the case of the murder of journalist Luis Antonio Peralta Cuéllar , establishing for the first time that crimes against journalists must be investigated, prosecuted, and punished with a differential approach.
ECUADOR: August: A violent and worrying month for press freedom in Ecuador (Spanish)
Periodistas Sin Cadenas: From January to August, the FPSC has recorded a total of 168 attacks against media outlets and journalists in Ecuador.
RSF: Journalists in the Amazon recounted to RSF the severe challenges they face on a daily basis, undermining society’s right to information on crucial issues in an area at the epicentre of the global climate debate.
IRAN: Iran is ‘one of most dangerous’ places for journalists, rights group says
Iran International: The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said on Wednesday that Iran remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for independent reporters, detailing a pattern of threats, surveillance, arbitrary arrests and prosecutions targeting media workers this year.
IRAN: Iranian city authorities evict journalists’ association from its offices
CPJ: In a statement, the city administration said the association’s two-year occupancy agreement had expired and the property was repossessed on August 20. The city said the property was part of a street expansion project and that the eviction was done in compliance with judicial orders.
IRAN: ‘They see us as targets’: Iran’s Brutal Repression of Journalistic Freedom
Iran Human Rights: The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to be one of the most dangerous places in the world for independent journalists to work. Journalists who stray from the official state line in their reporting are subjected to threats, surveillance, office closures, arbitrary arrests, and legal prosecution.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Journalists, As Such
CJR: What’s to be done about Israel’s killing of media workers—and other civilians—in Gaza?
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: What is Israel trying to hide by imposing a media blackout on Gaza? (Editorial)
Le Monde: By banning the press from accessing the Palestinian territory and waging the deadliest war against journalists in the history of armed conflicts, Israel is destroying press freedom, with little reaction from the United States or the European Union.
PALESTINE & FRANCE: 400 French-speaking journalists call on Emmanuel Macron: ‘Mr. President, let us welcome our Palestinian colleagues’
Le Monde: Several hundred media professionals are urging Emmanuel Macron to resume evacuating and receiving journalists from Gaza who wish to leave the enclave and to grant the international press immediate access to the area.
SYRIA & FRANCE: Assad arrest warrant marks end of ‘vile impunity’, says wounded journalist
RFI: French journalist Edith Bouvier has welcomed arrest warrants issued by Paris for Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad and six of his senior officials, more than a decade after a bombing in Homs killed two of her colleagues and left her badly injured.
TURKEY: EFJ and MFRR partners condemn Turkey’s broadcast regulator’s decision to silence TELE1
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in condemning the five-day broadcast blackout imposed on TELE1 since September 1, and the escalating use of censorship sanctions by RTÜK, Turkey’s broadcast regulator, against independent critical media outlets.
Stockholm Center for Freedom: Turkey’s media watchdog has given pro-opposition outlet BirGün TV 72 hours to apply for a license or face an access ban, a move opposition members say shows how licensing rules are being used to pressure critical media, the BirGün daily reported.
REGIONAL: UMS Welcomes UAE Media Delegation to Boost Regional Cooperation and Support Bridge Summit
Egypt Today: The meeting featured constructive discussions on advancing media partnerships, particularly in the face of rapid transformations driven by artificial intelligence and information technology that continue to reshape regional and global media landscapes.
CANADA: CBC Announces Participants of Third Year of AccessCBC Program for Creators with a Disability (Press release) (27 August)
CBC Media Centre: CBC today announced the participants of the third year of AccessCBC: A CBC Initiative for Creators with a Disability, a national program that provides pre-development training, mentorship and financing support for Deaf and disabled creators.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada’s first 2025–2026 quarterly report now available online (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: Government funding recognized in income increased by 4.3%. This seasonal increase was consistent with our expected needs for operating funding in the quarter and due to higher expenses compared to the same period last year.
US: Don’t Walk Away From Public Media Funding (Opinion)
Radio World: Getting out of the “rescue business” means losing more than radio, writes Sue Zizza.
US: How classical stations are pushing boundaries to deepen community connections
Current: KMFA in Austin and Louisville Public Media host “indie classical” performances, while North Carolina’s WDAV profiles artists from underrepresented communities and hosts concerts at a brewery.
US: Kentucky Educational Television eliminates 36 positions
Current: KET, like other public media organizations, is absorbing the loss of federal funding to CPB.
US: Local news needs a weather beat before the next disaster hits
Poynter: From flood control to insurance costs, a weather beat reporter can connect the dots between daily forecasts and local accountability.
US: PBS cuts 15% of jobs in wake of federal funding cut
NPR: PBS’s chief executive told public television officials Thursday that it was cutting about 15% of its jobs due to the move by Republicans in Congress to eliminate all federal funding for public broadcasting starting on Oct. 1.
US: Proposed journalist visa restrictions would have catastrophic consequences for press freedom
RSF: The Trump administration is proposing new, severe restrictions on how long foreign journalists would be permitted to live and work in the United States.
WYPR: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will close its doors by the end of this month, leaving some big financial holes in the budgets of public radio and television stations across the country, including WYPR and WTMD, the two stations that comprise Baltimore Public Media.
Nieman Lab: To expand regional coverage while keeping costs down, HPPR aims to build out a “contributors network” of part-time and volunteer community members coordinated by a lean central editorial team.
A Digital Tax to Support Quality Journalism (Policy brief)
Information Democracy: Calls for digital taxes earmarked to support quality journalism have intensified over the last five years as part of a broader conversation about media sustainability and fair compensation. This report, published by the Forum for Information and Democracy, is the first report providing a comprehensive overview of some of the policy options and the pros and cons of each as well as a close look at how such a tax could be implemented.
Guidance for investigating climate change in an age of denialism
IJNet
How to Survive the (Media) Apocalypse
CJR: The ongoing deterioration of press freedom and independence in the United States is deeply concerning to many journalists who don’t know where their country is heading.
Nieman Lab: Le Monde agreed to give journalists 25% of revenue from licensing deals with OpenAI and Perplexity. Now, other French publishers are following suit.
RSF: “A Digital Tax to Support Quality Journalism”, the new policy brief by The Forum on Information and Democracy, an organisation co‑created by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), details how democracies should tax digital information platforms to support trustworthy journalism.
The 11 types of relationships that journalists have with audiences
Nieman Lab: The rise of the internet, then social media, then the ubiquity of smartphones each successively raised questions about how journalists think about and interact with the people on the receiving end of their work.
Times Change, and So Can Ethics
CJR: Journalism needs new guidelines to face new challenges.
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