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.

ANGOLA: New Media Law Threatens Free Speech

Human Rights Watch: President Should Return Measure to Parliament for Revision


BENIN: Four broadcast media closed arbitrarily in Benin

Reporters Without Borders


CONGO: UN rights expert criticizes clampdown on media in Congo

The Washington Post: A U.N. expert on freedom of expression on Thursday accused the Congolese government of violating international human rights law with moves like jamming radio broadcasts and arresting journalists.


EGYPT: In Egypt, journalism is a crime

Middle East Eye: Campaigners say ‘journalism is not a crime’ in Egypt, but the real crime is how state propaganda has become a stand-in for actual journalism.


EGYPT: ‘People talk as they please’ Sisi says in comments on Egypt’s press freedom record

Committee to Protect Journalists


ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia partially restores mobile internet after 2 month shutdown

Africa News: The blockage was connected with anti-government protests that broke out largely in the Amhara and Oromia regions.


MOROCCO: Morocco broadcaster apologises after advising women to hide bruises

BBC News: A Moroccan TV channel has apologised after broadcasting a show advising women how to hide signs of domestic violence using make-up.


NORTH SUDAN: Day 3 of Sudan Civil Disobedience – More Newspapers Seized

Via All Africa: The civil disobedience campaign in Khartoum entered its third day with four newspapers less in the kiosks.


RWANDA: Experts call for establishment of a media fund

The New Times: Media issues in Rwanda are no longer to do with “access to information” but rather “how to make money and build capacity of journalists.”

BANGLADESH: Using cartoons to help save lives

BBC Media Action: Harnessing the power of media to help people be better prepared.


INDIA: Instituting a Constitutional Press Council Will Help the Indian Media Do Its Job

The Wire: The media is meant to report the truth, but the structure and vested interests of the Indian press have stopped that from happening.


JAPAN: NHK is experimenting with one-minute documentaries for social media

Journalism.co.uk: To bring its documentaries to younger audiences, Japan’s national broadcaster is breaking away from its traditional formats.


MALAYSIA: Malaysiakini Under Fire

Media Power Monitor: Malaysia’s embattled government has already offed most of the critical journalistic outlets in Malaysia. Now, it has a new target.


PAKISTAN: Govt authoring legislation for safety and security of journalists’

The News: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb has said the present government has commenced the process for authoring legislation for safety and security of journalists.


TAIWAN: Taiwan bags 7 wins at 2016 Asian Television Awards

Focus Taiwan: Taiwanese contestants brought home seven trophies at the 2016 Asian Television Awards in Singapore Friday, six of which went to Public Television Service (PTS).


TAJIKISTAN: Tajikistan suspends accreditation of six radio journalists

Committee to Protects Journalists: Tajik authorities should immediately reinstate the accreditation of six radio journalists suspended following a broadcaster’s refusal to remove a story from its website.

AUSTRALIA: ABC asks for help to stamp out bias

The Australian: The ABC is seeking outside input on its news production to help them assess whether they are “elitist” and could do more to promote public service principles, as new managing director Michelle Guthrie continues to reshape the organisation.


AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND: News Corp buys Sky News in Australia and New Zealand from Seven and Nine

The Sydney Morning Herald: News Corporation has fully acquired Australian News Channel, which produces Sky News in Australia and New Zealand.


FIJI: Parliamentary justice committee in heated debate over news media decree

Pacific Media Centre: The committee was hearing submissions on the draft Information Bill from human rights advocate Peter Waqavonovono.


NEW ZEALAND: Editors seek rethink on media merger plan rejection over plurality

Pacific Media Centre: Thirty-three of New Zealand’s most senior editors have urged the Commerce Commission to rethink its plan to reject the proposed NZME-Fairfax merger.


NEW ZEALAND: Institutional investors now dominate media company ownership

Scoop Independent News


NEW ZEALAND: Political reporters in limbo

Radio New Zealand: Expensive new buildings for Parliament were unveiled this week, just after most of the nation’s political journalists walked out of their earthquake-prone offices. Is the fourth estate getting second class treatment?

FINLAND: Finnish PM Sipila caught up in press freedom row

BBC News: Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sipila has denied allegations that he tried to suppress coverage of allegations against him and his family.


GERMANY: German public broadcasters ARD & ZDF shut out of 2018-24 Olympics

Deutsche Welle: Germany’s public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will not provide live coverage of the Olympic Games for the first time in years. This came after talks with the primary rights holder broke down over the price it was demanding.


IRELAND: Online viewing licence fee loophole may be closed

The Irish Times: Law may be changed to future-proof public media funding beyond ‘traditional’ TV set.


ITALY: Italian TV licensing restructuring a “great success”

Advanced Television: Back on July 1st the Italian government revised its TV licensing system. It lowered the annual fee from €113 to €100 and legislated that the fee had to be collected through the electricity or gas utility bills.


ITALY: Rai, 2017 will be all about cuts: lower license fees and new rules for advertising (Italian)

Sicilia Informazioni


NORWAY: Shame: a Scandi TV sensation for the social media generation

The Guardian: The Norwegian teen drama is updated in real time on Instagram and has already gained a cult UK following.


ROMANIA: Romania’s Quiet, Sophisticated Media Crackdown

Forbes


SWEDEN: Sweden threatens action to stop Facebook ‘hate and lies’

The Local: Sweden could impose legal obligations on Facebook as a last resort if the social network does not crack down on hate speech and fake news, the culture and democracy minister has threatened.


SWITZERLAND: swissinfo.ch spared additional budget cuts

SwissInfo.ch: Parliament has rejected additional cuts in the budget of the international offer of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), including the multilingual platform swissinfo.ch.


UK: BBC looks to license technology behind myBBC

Broadcast: The BBC is looking to recover some of the £75m it has spent developing its personalisation platform myBBC, by selling it to other broadcasters.


UK: Who on Earth would want to be BBC chair now?

The Guardian: The mighty new corporation board needs a big player to run it. But who will take such a high-stress job on Mrs May’s austerity wages?


UKRAINE: Ukraine is on the brink of media freedom, but oligarchs are set to put a stop to it

The Independent: TV is the main source of information for 84 per cent of Ukrainians. But according to a Council of Europe poll, 90 per cent of Ukrainians don’t know what a public broadcaster is. Among oligarch-dominated media, an independent broadcaster could be a breakthrough for transparency and trust in politics.


WESTERN BALKANS: Unchecked Attacks on Media

Human Rights Watch: Journalists across the Western Balkans face a hostile environment that impedes their ability to do critical reporting.


GENERAL: 2016 News Xchange Concludes With Call For More Constructive Journalism

EBU: Constructive journalism is the answer to regain audience trust in the mainstream media, news professionals were told on the second and final day of News Xchange in Copenhagen.


GENERAL: 25 years of the EU’s MEDIA programme

European Commission: Questions & Answers.


GENERAL: Digital single market proposals for broadcasters’ online programmes fully respect contractual freedom and territoriality

EBU: Public service media (PSM) organizations need copyright licensing systems which allow them to respond to citizens’ expectations in the EU Digital Single Market.


GENERAL: Public service broadcasting: when the status quo won’t do

LSE Media Policy Project: Public service media across Europe are facing new commercial and political challenges, writes Des Freedman.

BRAZIL: Brazilian journalists mourn the deaths of 20 colleagues who died in plane crash on way to cover soccer match

Knight Center: Journalism in the Americas


BRAZIL: Brazilian judge revokes authorization to access journalist’s telephone records

Knight Center: Journalism in the Americas: A Såo Paulo court recently ruled that investigators could access Matais’ telephone records. The decision was related to a series of reports written by the journalist in Folha de S. Paulo newspaper in 2012.


HONDURAS: Journalism in Honduras Trapped in Violence

Inter Press Service: It was in the wee hours of the morning on October 19 when journalist Ricardo Matute, from Corporación Televicentro’s morning newscast, was out on the beat in San Pedro Sula, one of the most violent cities in Honduras.


JAMAICA: Journalists Take Part in Workshop on Climate Change

Jamaica Information Service: Journalists and communication specialists from across the region participated in a media workshop on climate change at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters at Mona, on November 29.


PARAGUAY: Controversial new Paraguay DTH service licensed

Advanced Television

BAHRAIN: Sports journalist jailed for three months in Bahrain over a tweet

The Guardian: He is alleged to have defamed Islam, but did his arrest have more to do with an open letter on Facebook urging an end to restrictions on freedom?


ISRAEL: Gaza media official: Israeli violations against journalists should be exposed

Middle East Monitor: The head of the media office in the Gaza Strip, Salameh Maarouf, has called for Israel’s crimes and aggressions against journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories to be internationalised.


QATAR: Blocking of Doha News website ‘an outright attack’ on media freedom

Amnesty International


SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia bans journalist from writing, media appearances after Trump remarks

Middle East Eye


TURKEY: Turkish Justice Ministry ‘cannot determine’ number of arrested journalists

Hurriyet Daily News: It is not possible to determine the number of journalists currently under arrest in Turkey, Turkey’s Justice Ministry has stated in response to a lawmaker’s written questionnaire.

CANADA: CBC right to ask for $400M in additional funding, executive Heather Conway says on Metro Morning

CBC News: Critics have blasted plan, saying CBC should be dismantled rather than invested in.


CANADA: CBC/Radio Canada asks for $400M in increased government funding to go ad-free

CBC News: Public broadcaster wants to move to a funding model similar to U.K.’s BBC.


USA: Journalism and diversity under the Trump presidency

Current: When Reveal interviews a neo-Nazi like “alt-right” founding father Richard Spencer, is public media giving a platform to hate? Or is it shining a disinfecting light on a movement that has multiplied in the shadows?


USA: Knight Foundation provides $455,000 for nonprofit news

Current


USA: NPR Has Not Changed Its Policy on Live Interviews

NPR: There have been some questions and misunderstandings about when NPR News conducts interviews live and when we tape them.

Fake news: an insidious trend that’s fast becoming a global problem

The Guardian: With fake online news dominating discussions after the US election, Guardian correspondents explain how it is distorting politics around the world.


Journalists Hang Tough in Face of Backlash Against Panama Papers Reporting

ICIJ: Reporters have faced consequences both in nations where media crackdowns are common and also in nations with reputations for high levels of press freedom.


Privacy, free expression and transparency: UNESCO launches the seventh title in its Internet Freedom Series

UNESCO: This publication examines the crucial challenges of balancing the fundamental rights of privacy and freedom of expression, and the related value of transparency, in an online context.

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All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.

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.


Header image: On The Air. Credits: Alan Levine/Creative Commons