Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
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What we're listening to...
The Exchange: PBS CEO Paula Kerger
Reuters: Streaming is upending the media landscape, including public television. Its funding model, local structure and social mandate make broadcaster PBS unlike any other U.S outlet. Its longest-serving boss, Paula Kerger, discusses the challenges and possibilities of the new era.
What we're watching...
RISJ seminar with Dorothy Byrne: “If your newsroom is not diverse, you will get the news wrong”
RISJ: Dorothy Byrne on why a diverse newsroom is always better
When the world got its news from shortwave radio
Swiss Info: From the mid-1930s to 2004, Switzerland’s international service was Swiss Radio International (SRI). The first few decades of SRI’s existence were the heyday of shortwave – it was often the only way of getting news directly from other countries.
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Global Headlines
DRC: After journalist’s murder, protection urgently needed in DRC
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) joins Journalist in Danger (JED)… in calling for a thorough investigation to quickly identify the perpetrators and circumstances of last weekend’s murder of a community radio journalist in the northeastern province of Ituri.
EGYPT: Egypt expands its crackdown to target foreigners, journalists and even children
The Washington Post: The plainclothes security agent demanded to see Aaron Boehm’s cellphone. When the 22-year-old American student hesitated, he said, the Egyptian agent revealed a handgun beneath his shirt. Boehm unlocked his iPhone 6 and handed it over.
KENYA: KBC, KFC sign agreement of implementation of Studio Mashinani Project
KBC: The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) have signed an agreement on the implementation of the Studio Mashinani Project, which seeks to help the youth realize and exploit their talents.
NIGERIA: Nigeria Among Worst in Unsolved Murders of Journalists
All Africa: The Committee to Protect Journalists, a media watchdog group has said that the countries on its list were home to the majority of killings over the past 10 years.
NIGERIA: Police in Kwara State Must End Arbitrary Detention of Editor, Webmaster of NewsDigest – MFWA
MFWA: The arrest and detention NewsDigest’s Editor, Gidado Yushau, by Nigerian Police is an affront to press freedom. The MFWA urges the authorities in Nigeria to ensure the immediate release of the journalist, together with the webmaster of the said online newspaper.
SIERRA LEONE: AYV GOES BBC
Concord Times: The Africa Young Voices Media Empire (AYV) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) have begun an intensive media professional training programme in London for AYV journalists and executives.
Radio Dalsan: On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) expresses its deep concerns over the high levels of violence against journalists in Somalia
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC confirms payment plan to give local artists what is owed to them
Channel 24: Thousands of authors and composers whose music is broadcast on SABC TV and radio can now be assured of receiving their royalty fees as the SABC begins to clear a backlog of debt. The SABC had fallen behind in its payments amid its own financial challenges.
UGANDA: Uganda: Security Forces Attack Students, Journalists
HRW: Security forces in Kampala have fired teargas into student residences, raided dormitories, and beaten and arrested students, detaining dozens for days without charge. The police have also arrested journalists and prevented them from entering the university to cover the protests.
ZIMBABWE: ZBC must become a grant funded institution: Min. Mutsvangwa (Watch)
ZBC News: The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services has put forward a proposal for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, ZBC, to be a grant funded institution and for treasury to set aside a budgetary allocation for national events coverage.
Broadcast Media Africa: At the recently concluded Broadcasters Convention of Southern Africa 2019 that was convened by Broadcast Media Africa (BMA) and the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) [in Zambia] it was emphasised that now is the opportune time for Africa’s broadcasters to join forces and collaborate with each other in order to successfully connect the continent with vibrant converged media instead of so often relying on intervention and input from international sources.
REGIONAL: Malawi hosts media freedom conference organised by British Council
Nyasa Times: Media representatives from Malawi and neighbouring countries (Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania) will come together in Malawi’s Capital City, Lilongwe from 4th to 6th November 2019 to discuss the state of and strategies for fostering freedom expression in order strengthen democracy in the sub region.
MFWA: Over the past ten months, the MFWA has recorded about 70 violations against journalists and other media workers in West Africa. Physical attacks, arbitrary arrests and detentions are the most commonly perpetrated violations against journalists. Threats and the seizure of equipment of the victims are also being increasingly employed to intimidate journalists.
AFGHANISTAN: Media summit spotlights impact of worsening violence against reporters in Afghanistan
Relief Web: For the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the United Nations and the Afghan Journalist Safety Committee (AJSC) convened a Media Summit in Kabul to spotlight the impact of worsening violence against reporters in Afghanistan.
BANGLADESH: Why do crimes against journalists go unpunished in Bangladesh
Dhaka Tribune: ‘At least 10 journalists were killed in connection to their work from 2000 to 2005’.
CAMBODIA: Journalists must be part of Cambodia’s Press Law reform
IFJ: Journalists have called on the Cambodian government to ensure government officials respect journalists’ right to gather information and do their jobs safely.
CHINA: China wants state media to peddle its “soft power” in Africa, but tech platforms are a better bet
Quartz: China’s increasing state-backed media presence in Africa has stoked fears among Western observers. But current evidence shows the plan to increase Chinese soft power through official outlets who portray the Asian giant in a positive light has had limited impact.
CHINA & HONG KONG: China urges ‘tougher line’ in Hong Kong after attack on Xinhua
Al Jazeera: State-backed China Daily newspaper criticised ‘wanton’ attacks by ‘naive’ demonstrators as city braces for more protest.
HONG KONG: A reporter was hit by tear gas in Argyle Street and there was a tear gas bomb falling outside the snack shop (Chinese)
RTHK: In the early morning, the police applied a number of tear gas bombs at Argyle Street in Mong Kok. Some reporters were injured by tear gas.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong to guard and cherish media freedom, official says
Reuters: Hong Kong’s administration will cherish and safeguard freedom of the press, its acting chief executive, Matthew Cheung, said on Tuesday, as protests that have roiled the Chinese-ruled city for more than five months show no sign of letting up.
INDIA: Prasar Bharati amends policy guidelines for allotment of DD Free Dish slots
Television Post: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has amended its policy guidelines for allotment of slots of its free direct to home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish.
INDIA: The government has made journalism impossible in Kashmir (Opinion)
The Telegraph (India): Fearing reprisals from government agencies, the local press toes the government line.
INDIA: Radio Kashmir renamed All India Radio
Economic Times
INDIA: Why India wants to track WhatsApp messages
BBC News: India’s plan to mandate the monitoring, interception and tracing of messages on social media has alarmed users and privacy activists – as well as the companies running the platforms.
INDONESIA: Moale James: Citizen journalism countering ‘deliberate’ media silence on West Papua (Opinion)
Asia Pacific Report: What should we expect for the future of media freedom in the Pacific?
INDONESIA: We are proud to reach our listeners with new apps: Andi Permadi RRI #RadioAsia2019
Asia Radio Today: Be Young is one of Radio Republik Indonesia’s most successful apps. It is targeted at young listeners and plays unsigned artists and bands. The app was one of several examples examined in a workshop at Radio Asia, teaching participants about the way apps can extend the reach of radio channels.
JAPAN: TV Still Well Ahead of the Internet in Japanese Media Popularity
Nippon: Real-time television viewing is still by far the most popular media in Japan according to a fiscal 2018 survey.
MALAYSIA: Questions raised on media ownership after mass layoffs announced
IFJ: Media Prima Berhard, the owner of various media including New Strait Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro as well as four television channels, is reporting a cut of more than 1,000 media workers.
PAKISTAN: ‘Extreme fear and self-censorship’: media freedom under threat in Pakistan
The Guardian: Journalists face blanked-out articles, pulled funding and channel shutdown if they dare to criticise the state
PAKISTAN: IHC issues contempt notice to Pemra chairman
DAWN: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued a contempt of court notice to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman Saleem Baig for using the court’s name to issue strict guidelines to media houses and anchorpersons.
PHILIPPINES: Journalist murders unpunished in the Philippines
The Asean Post: As media practitioners across the world gather tomorrow [2 Nov] to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, reporters in the Philippines have little to celebrate.
PHILIPPINES: ‘Press freedom is dead’ if Ampatuans not convicted for massacre – lawyer
Rappler: After 10 years, a local court is expected to hand down its verdict on the world’s deadliest attack on journalists that occurred in Maguindanao on November 23, 2009. And for the lawyer of the victims, no conviction would mean that press freedom in the Philippines is dead.
SOUTH KOREA: Don’t hurt press freedom (Opinion)
Korea Times: The Ministry of Justice has triggered a controversy by revising its public affairs guidelines to prohibit the disclosure of information related to criminal cases including charges filed against suspects and investigation proceedings. The new guidelines, if implemented, risk infringing on the freedom of the press and compromising the people’s right to know.
SOUTH KOREA: Justice Ministry admits failing to consult media on ‘false story ban’
Korea Herald: The Ministry of Justice admitted Friday that it had not properly consulted media and other relevant bodies before announcing its recent directive restricting media access and imposing sanctions on journalists for “false reporting.”
THAILAND: Thailand unveils ‘anti-fake news’ center to police the internet
Reuters: Thailand unveiled an “anti-fake news” center on Friday, the Southeast Asian country’s latest effort to exert government control over a sweeping range of online content.
REGIONAL: South East Asia: Too many journalists targeted for simply doing their job
IFJ: Journalists directly targeted for attack by public or private individuals is the primary threat for media workers in South East Asia with far too many facing arrest or detainment for simply for doing their jobs.
AUSTRALIA: ABC iview goes global for international audiences (Press Release)
ABC: The ABC has launched the free international streaming service ABC Australia iview, opening up more of its outstanding content to audiences around the world.
AUSTRALIA: ABC on top as biggest backer of Australian content (Press Release)
ABC: The ABC is the nation’s biggest backer of Australian content and creativity, providing more support for homegrown stories than any other broadcaster.
AUSTRALIA: ‘No role’ for implied freedom of political communication in ABC raid decision: AFP
Sydney Morning Herald: The ABC had “no basis” for claiming the implied freedom of political communication acted as a handbrake on a court’s power to issue a warrant to the Australian Federal Police to raid its Sydney headquarters, lawyers for the police have told the Federal Court. The national broadcaster is challenging the legal validity of the search warrant authorising the June 5 raid on its offices in Ultimo and is seeking the return of documents seized at the time.
AUSTRALIA: Press freedom must be enshrined in a charter of rights (Opinion)
Sydney Morning Herald: Meaningful progress towards a more open society in which the public’s right to know is respected will not eventuate until and unless the nation enacts a charter of rights that enshrines in statute basic freedoms that are taken for granted in comparable Western democracies.
AUSTRALIA: Right to Know: media freedom and Australian democracy are on the line (Opinion)
The Canberra Times: Last week the front pages of Australia’s major newspapers, including Australian Community Media mastheads The Canberra Times, Newcastle Herald, Illawarra Mercury and many others, were blacked out in a protest against the culture of government secrecy that’s stifling public debate and the public interest.
AUSTRALIA: Women in Leadership Keynote Address (Speech)
ABC: By ABC Chairperson, Ita Buttrose, to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.
KIRIBATI: Australian news crew detained in Kiribati for providing ‘false information’
Asia Pacific Report: A five-member film crew from 60 Minutes Australia has been in detained in Kiribati for what government sources claimed was false declaration by the team on arrival, reports PACNEWS.
NEW ZEALAND: NZ On Air says Haere Ra to its long-serving Chief Executive
NZ On Air: The board and staff of NZ On Air acknowledge with regret the resignation of chief executive Jane Wrightson and congratulate her on her new position as the Retirement Commissioner.
NEW ZEALAND: Pacific reporting among first casualties of struggling NZ media, says academic
Asia Pacific Report: International and Pacific reporting are among the first casualties of struggling New Zealand newsrooms as they try to cut costs to make up for decreasing advertising revenue. This was the bleak message from Dr Mel Bunce, a media academic speaking at Auckland University of Technology earlier this week.
NEW ZEALAND: RNZ Pacific’s CYCLONE WATCH service now in operation
RNZ: The 2019-2020 Pacific Cyclone season has started, and officially runs from November 1, 2019 to the end of the cyclone season in 2020. If Cyclone Alerts are issued for South Pacific countries, RNZ Pacific will broadcast hourly updates of these bulletins if necessary, and whenever the situation changes. These will be heard either just before the top of each hour or following news bulletins at the top of each hour.
SAMOA: TV operators in Samoa voice concern over monthly tariff
RNZ: Free-to-air television broadcasters in Samoa may be forced to close down because of a controversial monthly tariff to access a recently launched digital platform. The chief executive of TV1, Galumalemana Faiesea Matafeo, has told the Samoa Observer the $US8,354 tariff would force them to shut down.
REGIONAL: Pacific reporting among first casualties of struggling NZ media, says academic
Asia Pacific Report: International and Pacific reporting are among the first casualties of struggling New Zealand newsrooms as they try to cut costs to make up for decreasing advertising revenue.
GENERAL: Mediawatch Midweek: Facebook news; social media ads, and; warship “spotted” in Wellington (Listen)
Media Watch: Mediawatch’s weekly catch-up with Lately. This week Jeremy Rose talks to Karyn Hay about Facebook’s latest foray into news; Indonesia’s use of Twitter to spread fake news about West Papua; and a Chinese war ship “spotted” in Wellington Harbour.
AUSTRIA: In Austria, far-right deploys online disinformation against critical press
IPI: “If you want to get rid of independent and public media, the first thing you have to do is convince the people that it is not needed”, Nina Horaczek, chief reporter for the Viennese weekly Falter, told the International Press Institute (IPI) in a recent interview.
BOSNIA: Bosnian investigative journalist Avdo Avdić receives death threats
CPJ: On October 22, Avdo Avdić, a reporter for the investigative outlet Žurnal, was forwarded a threatening video via messaging app, saying that an unnamed journalist would be “will be searched for in the canals.” Alleged cartel associate Mirza Gacanin messaged Avdić directly, confirming that he was the unnamed journalist.
CROATIA & ITALY: Croatia and Italy, the chilling effect of strategic lawsuits
SEENPM: Forced to waste time, energy, and money to defend themselves against lawsuits that are unfounded in almost 90% of cases, journalists in Italy and Croatia are well aware of the SLAPP phenomenon (strategic lawsuit against public participation).
ESTONIA: ERR news chief: No issue with Estonian media content, but funding a worry
ERR: While Estonian media content is in good order, funding remains an issue, said ERR’s head of News and Sport Anvar Samost on Wednesday.
FRANCE: France Télévisions, Radio France, TF1 … The media want to restore public confidence (French)
20minutes: Public confidence in the media is at an all-time low, and in an attempt to restore it, several newspapers and audio-visual groups have teamed up with Bluenove to identify public expectations and debate with Internet users starting Monday.
FRANCE: French film and TV industry to debate controversial audiovisual law reforms in Dijon
Screen Daily: French industry body L’ARP’s annual meeting in November promises to be lively amid tension over changes to France’s audiovisual legislation.
FRANCE: Relocation Mayotte 1st, Radio opens the way
France Info: It is the Radio that transmits first from the new station of Mayotte the 1st, in Kawéni. The historical media opens the relocation of public broadcasting in Grande-Terre, Kawéni from Wednesday, November 6.
GERMANY: 89’ and the Media (German – Watch)
MDR360G: The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 meant freedom for all, including the media. How did eyewitnesses experience the media change? What trust did media enjoy at that time and what are the reservations today?
GERMANY: Broadcasting fee does not apply to second home for partners (German)
Zeit Online: So far, partners had to pay for their second home, the broadcasting fee, even if the other already paid for the main apartment. That changes immediately.
GERMANY: Format lab and quota charms (German)
Deutschlandfunk: An attractive public alternative for a younger audience should be ZDFneo. Ten years after its founding, the station is doing well. But the departure of Jan Böhmermann shows once again that meeting one’s own demands remains a challenge.
ITALY: Revamp for RaiPlay
Broadband TV News: The Italian public broadcaster Rai has upgraded its catchup TV and multimedia portal with a new look and feel, and added functionality.
ITALY: Italian Radio Industry Joins The Radioplayer Platform
Radio World: Last July, many Italian radio broadcasters teamed together to foster their digital presence through any available device. They launched Player Editori Radio (PER). On Oct. 21, PER signed an agreement with Radioplayer, the international industry-backed radio platform, to launch Radioplayer Italia for the benefit of 44 million Italian radio listeners.
NETHERLANDS: CPJ calls for modification of Dutch terrorism bill to protect press freedom
CPJ: Dutch lawmakers should amend a bill that could expose journalists to jail time for reporting from terrorist-controlled areas without government permission, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
POLAND: Undercover reporter reveals life in a Polish troll farm
The Guardian: The undercover reporter, Katarzyna Pruszkiewicz, spent six months this year working at Cat@Net, which describes itself as an “ePR agency comprising specialists who build a positive image of companies, private individuals and public institutions – mostly in social media.”.
RUSSIA: New Law Expands Government Control Online
HRW: The Russian government will gain even greater control over freedom of speech and information online when the country’s “sovereign internet” law goes into effect on November 1, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today.
SPAIN: RTVE to roll out LatAm OTT player next year
Telecompaper: Spanish state broadcaster RTVE will finally launch its ‘RTVE Play’ OTT platform in Latin America, the US and Canada next year, over a year after it was due to debut on the continent, reports ABC.
SPAIN: The CRTVG will have a budget of 111.2 million in 2020, of which 7.2 will come from advertising revenue (Spanish)
La Vanguardia: The opposition denounces the “breach” of the public media law and accuses the management of placing the entity in “minimum services”.
UK: BBC asks private sector to subsidise local reporters scheme
The Guardian: Broadcaster wants local democracy reporters to be paid for by charity that can seek own funding
UK: BBC News coverage of the 2019 General Election (Blog)
BBC: On 12 December UK voters will go to the polls to choose who runs the country. It is a democratic event of huge significance.
UK: Future News Fund launches £2m pot for public service journalism following Cairncross Review
Journalism.co.uk: The Government-funded initiative enables local and regional media to prototype and accelerate new approaches to audience engagement and sustainable business models.
UK: PSBs and Sky come together on disability
Broadcast Now: Broadcasters to share experiences and progress at day-long event next month
REGIONAL: European Parliament must push for safeguards for journalists in ‘e-evidence’ proposal
CPJ: Under the “e-evidence” proposal prosecutors from one EU member state could order internet service providers in another EU state to store or produce data without oversight from a judge in the target country, and a short timeframe for compliance.
REGIONAL: Secretary General : “Fighting impunity is at the heart of what the Council of Europe stands for”
COE: On the occasion of the upcoming International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the Council of Europe Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, issued the following statement…
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas
BOLIVIA: IAPA condemns the constant aggressions against the press in Bolivia
Inter American Press Association: The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) strongly condemned the proliferation of attacks and restrictions against journalists and the media in Bolivia and demanded the government of President Evo Morales who, despite the climate of political polarization, guarantee the right to information.
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro threatened not to renew TV Globo’s broadcasting license after the broadcaster aired a report about the mention of the president’s name in the investigation into the murder of Marielle Franco, a city councilwoman executed in Rio de Janeiro on March 14, 2018.
CHILE: Chile’s protests and the media (Watch)
Al Jazeera: A movement has emerged that wants to address inequality and an unrepresentative political class, news outlets included.
COLOMBIA: Alert for press obstructions on local election day 2019 (Spanish)
FLIP: The Press Freedom Foundation (FLIP) expresses its concern about the cases of obstruction to the journalistic coverage that it has registered during the local elections that have been held since 8:00 am today. FLIP has learned of nine cases in which the press has been prevented from accessing polling stations.
CUBA: Cuban government prevents travel to independent journalist (Spanish)
Ciber Cuba: The independent journalist Camila Acosta has denounced the treatment of the Cuban government preventing her from leaving the island. The journalist was stopped from boarding a plane on the way to an event in Argentina.
GUYANA: Govt’s press freedom assault on SN continuing
Stabroek News: The press freedom attack by the government on Stabroek News via the Department of Public Information (DPI) will enter its fourth month today with the newspaper not having received a single advertisement from the agency in October.
HAITI: The Working Conditions Of Journalists Are Deteriorating In Haiti (French)
Netalkole: Threats, insults, insulting remarks, attempts to destroy equipment, beatings, voluntary and targeted gassings, the working conditions of journalists are deteriorating in Haiti. Nearly 44 Haitian journalists have been victims of police violence, assassination and death threats since the beginning of the vague protest movements to demand the departure of President Jovenel Moïse.
HONDURAS: Journalist killed in Puerto Lempira (Spanish)
C-Libre: Journalist Buenaventura Calderón is the fifth Honduran media worker to be killed in 2019. Calderón, 73, was attacked with his wife, Professor Maribel Bolian, by strangers aboard a motorcycle.
MEXICO: Defending Press Freedom | IAPA: Libel Ruling Against Mexican Columnist Excessive
The Gleaner: A Mexico court ruling that a columnist Sergio Aguayo must pay US$522,000 for libelling former former governor of Coahuila, Humberto Moreira, is excessive and could inhibit journalistic work in that country, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has stated. IAPA President Christopher Barnes said the amount of the damages “is excessive and sets a negative precedent for the press as it could encourage self-censorship and inhibit opinion journalism”.
MEXICO: International mission arrives in Mexico to address impunity for crimes against the press
IFEX: A coalition consisting of 17 international organizations dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of expression and information (ISCO SOJ Coalition) will arrive in Mexico to address the situation of impunity in crimes against journalists, within the framework of the International Day to end the impunity of crimes against journalists (IDEI), which is commemorated every November 2 since 2013.
MEXICO: Mexico and Brazil among countries with highest rates of impunity for crimes against journalists: CPJ
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Mexico and Brazil are the only two Latin American nations among a ranking of the 13 countries globally where the killers of journalists most frequently are unpunished, according to the 2019 Global Impunity Index published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Lack of access to public information, requests for interviews denied by public officials, control of printing materials, harassment, repression and violence are part of daily life for journalists in Nicaragua.
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: This October, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas asked the journalism community to share some words about women journalists working in Latin America whom they admire. It was part of the third year of the #JournoHeroes campaign led by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF).
REGIONAL: IAPA criticizes Trump and Bolsonaro for cancelling newspaper subscriptions
Inter American Press Association: The Inter American Press Association described as discriminatory and contrary to the principles of press freedom, the executive orders issued by Presidents Donald Trump of the United States and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, in which they asked government agencies to cancel subscriptions to newspapers that are critical of their governments’ efforts.
ISRAEL: Israeli Politicians Inappropriately Involved in Media, Special Report Finds
Haaretz: Report examining political influence on the Israel’s media finds ‘failure’ to create an independent communications authority, warns of damage to freedom of expression.
PALESTINE: Palestinian journalist Bassam Moheisen detained by Hamas forces in Gaza since October 23
CPJ: On October 23, Mohammed Moheisen, a reporter for the Palestinian National Authority-affiliated Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation in Gaza was arrested. The journalist’s family has not been able to visit him in detention, and authorities have not announced any charges or reason for the arrest.
SAUDI ARABIA The High Cost of Change: Repression Under Saudi Crown Prince Tarnishes Reform
HRW: Detaining citizens for peaceful criticism of the government’s policies or human rights advocacy is not a new phenomenon in Saudi Arabia, but what has made the post-2017 arrest waves notable and different, however, is the sheer number and range of individuals targeted over a short period of time as well as the introduction of new repressive practices not seen under previous Saudi leadership.
TURKEY: For Turkey, Al Jazeera English has become an irritant to its Qatar partnership
Middle East Eye: Rare public ill-feeling has flared between the two allies as Turkish media laments the Doha outlet’s coverage of the Syria offensive
TURKEY: IPI urges UN leader to raise press freedom during Turkey visit
IPI: Letter urges Secretary General Guterres to call for end to persecution of journalists
TURKEY: Joint call for Turkish novelist Ahmet Altan, Nazlı Ilıcak and other journalists to be released
ECPMF: Free speech and human rights organisations call for Turkish novelist Ahmet Altan, Nazlı Ilıcak and other journalists to be released.
REGIONAL: Autumn of Discontent: A season of protests, violent suppression, and Internet censorship
IFEX: October in Middle East and North Africa: A roundup of key free expression news, based on IFEX member reports.
CANADA: Confidence in Quebec media still strong (French)
Le Soleil: Confidence in journalists and the media in Quebec is still very strong, concludes a study conducted by researchers from Laval University and the University of Montreal.
CANADA: MAJ: News for young people with a light touch
CBC/Radio-Canada: Radio-Canada’s news and youth programming departments have teamed up to create MAJ, a news platform for kids aged 13 and under, online since October. The new MAJ team includes five young contributors from across the country.
CANADA: Radio-Canada offers content partner to Groupe Capitales Médias (French)
Radio Canada: Radio-Canada offers its cooperation to workers’ cooperatives who wish to acquire the six dailies of Groupe Capitales Médias, threatened with bankruptcy.
CANADA: Watch what you tweet: New election law ‘chills speech,’ say critics
CBC News: Free speech advocates target ‘draconian’ new Section 91 of Canada Elections Act.
US: A Current Battleground: US Media in the Age of Trump (Watch)
Al Jazeera: A veteran Washington journalist gives an insider’s look at the challenges and threats facing media under Trump.
US: A Facebook fact-checker will propose a possible solution to the company’s false ad debacle
CNN Business: One of the companies that Facebook hired to fact-check posts on its platform will propose a change to Facebook’s policy allowing politicians to run ads containing falsehoods, CNN Business has learned.
US: Americans Trust Local News. That Belief Is Being Exploited (Paywall)
The New York Times: The nature of the news misinformation problem may be changing. As consumers become more skeptical about the national news they encounter online, impostor local sites that promote ideological agendas are becoming more common. These sites exploit the relatively high trust Americans express in local news outlets — a potential vulnerability in Americans’ defenses against untrustworthy information.
US: As other local news outlets struggle, NPR affiliates are growing — and quickly
Poynter: In my first interview with Nancy Barnes after she took over as NPR’s senior vice president for news, I thought she misspoke. “I think we can add 1,000 local news jobs in the next few years, maybe 2,000,” she said in August.
US: New tools power collaborative data journalism with a local emphasis
Center for Cooperative Media: Last month, ProPublica released Collaborate, a free open-source tool for journalists, data editors, and collaboration managers based on the database tools ProPublica constructed for Documenting Hate and Electionland, and has been packaged into a single resource available for anyone to use in collaborative projects.
US: PBS KIDS Announces Educators Selected for 2019 Early Learning Champions Program
PBS: PBS KIDS has named 10 educators as the 2019 PBS KIDS Early Learning Champions.
U.S: NewsMatch Launches 2019 Campaign As Nonprofit Newsrooms Thrive
MediaPost: NewsMatch, the matching-gift campaign aimed at supporting nonprofit local newsrooms, launched its annual drive on November 1. It’s estimated that nearly 200 nonprofit newsrooms will benefit from this year’s drive. The drive runs from November 1 through December 31.
U.S: NPR Illinois clashes with university licensee over coverage of harassment on campus (Paywall)
Current: Journalists at NPR Illinois are pushing back against a University of Illinois policy that they say is hampering their reporting on cases of sexual harassment at the university, which is also the station’s licensee.
U.S.: PBS begins rollout of electric-blue brand refresh (Paywall)
Current: PBS introduced a new logo Monday that’s been redesigned to look good on screens of all sizes.
U.S: The roots of Public Media: How the Works Progress Administration played a critical role in WNYC’s history (Paywall)
Current: During the Great Depression, the federal government and its alphabet recovery agencies played a significant role in the survival and revitalization of WNYC in New York City. They underwrote the production of thousands of hours of music, drama and public affairs broadcasts. The federal government even commissioned and installed major artworks at the station.
Breaking the silence: Women journalists fight harassment in the workplace
IMS: From pay gaps to physical abuse and online trolling. Women journalists across the world continue to face inequality and harassment in the workplace with little or no consequence for the perpetrators.
End Impunity, Free Expression! (Opinion)
IFEX: “Imagine a world without impunity, where everyone is free to exercise their right to freedom of expression and information and able to access, generate and share ideas and information in any way they choose, without fear. We do.” – Annie Game, Executive Director of IFEX.
How to make journalists’ unions more diverse and inclusive?
EFJ: The first step for reaching a broader and diverse group of people is improving diversity and inclusiveness within the union itself.
IFJ & battleface launch new insurance for journalists
NUJ: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest organization of journalists, has announced it is partnering with battleface – a provider of specialist insurance benefits and services for travelers visiting or working internationally – to offer an all-inclusive travel insurance to journalists.
One Free Press Coalition Releases Latest “10 Most Urgent” List Of Press Freedom Cases
Forbes
Should the media find solutions? (French – Watch)
RTBF: More and more editors are adopting a constructive approach to journalism in some of their reports. But is it the role of journalism to find solutions? Should the media speak of anything other than disasters?
These three Global South newsrooms have lessons for audience engagement, research shows
IJNet: Despite their initial promise, online platforms have not provided newsrooms the sustainable connection to their audiences many were hoping for. At the same time, technology continues to rapidly evolve and political pressures on the news industry have increased worldwide.
IBC365: As the broadcast and media industry evolves digitally and technically, so too does radio. Explore how in technical papers from IRT, Jutel Oy, Rai Italy, VRT and the BBC.
What will radio be like in 2040? #RadioAsia2019
Asia Radio Today: In a plenary session on the future of radio at the Radio Asia conference in Bangladesh this week, Steve Ahern took a glimpse forward 20 years in a live audio simulation of the changes ahead.
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Header Image: Microphone in radio studio stock photo. Credit: avdyachenko/iStock
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