Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues and many countries enter a state of lockdown, the need for community solidarity and mutual support has never been greater. But this support requires quality, fact-checked and evidence based news and information.
With this in mind, the Public Media Alliance has compiled an extensive and growing resources featuring recommended tools, advice and sources for journalists and the public alike. The resources can be found via the link below or in the ‘Tools’ section of our website.
The resource will be frequently updated to reflect the changing needs and evolving situation. If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, public media are rapidly adapting to best cover the crisis on a local level while also providing for educational needs and vulnerable groups as isolation policies are introduced.
We want to hear from our members about what you are doing to best cover the crisis on a local level. Email us using the link below.
Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're listening to...
PBS CEO Paula Kerger On Maintaining Public Trust After 50 Years On Air
WABE: The Public Broadcasting Service will mark its 50th anniversary Sunday, and its most recognizable and seasoned stars of “Sesame Street” have stood the test of time.
What we're watching...
In Conversation With Catherine Tait And Barbara Williams
Content Canada: Canada’s public broadcaster is playing a pivotal role serving audiences and working with creators and producers in new ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this exclusive conversation, Catherine Tait and Barbara Williams open up about CBC/Radio-Canada’s response to the pandemic and other issues facing the Canadian industry, and how they are charting a path forward.
Evolving News Media Landscapes in India and Pakistan: Implications for regional peace and stability
Institute for South Asian Studies: India and Pakistan recognize the utility of the press in contemporary conflicts, and seek to deploy it as an offensive weapon in a larger information war. Both countries have utilized digital, print, and broadcast media to shape international perceptions and public opinion domestically. Our conversations centered on the news media’s role in diplomacy, examining the opportunities and challenges media narratives offer in shaping the national narratives.
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
ALGERIA: Algeria cracks down on press as protest movement persists
Al Monitor: Algeria’s massive protest movement, temporarily stifled by the pandemic, is also seeing many activists and journalists jailed as the government.
EGYPT & PHILIPPINES: Despite threats, Mada Masr’s Lina Attalah refuses to self-censor
Rappler: Attalah’s adherence to critical journalism, and the consequences of pursuing it in the face of censorship, draws striking parallels to Philippine media
GHANA & RWANDA: Rwanda High Commissioner to Ghana pays working visit to GBC
GBC: Rwanda’s first-ever high commissioner to Ghana, Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira has called on management of GBC as part of her visit to key institutions in the country to familiarise herself with their operations.
MOZAMBIQUE: Threats to Journalists Endanger Media Independence
Via All Africa: The General Secretary of Mozambique’s National Union of Journalists (SNJ), Eduardo Constantino, has warned that threats and physical assaults against journalists are a menace to the editorial independence of the country’s mass media.
NAMIBIA: Minister Mushelenga reiterates importance of public media reporting factually and objectively
NBC News: Information Communication Technology Minister Dr Peya Mushelenga has reiterated the importance of public-owned media to report factually and objectively. Mushelenga spoke to NBC producers, New Era, Namibia Press Agency reporters and MICT staff at Rundu.
NIGERIA: Nigeria Marks 60th Independence amidst Crushing Press Freedom Environment
MFWA
SOMALIA: CPJ, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International express concern over Somalia’s amended media law
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International today sent a joint letter to the president of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, expressing concern over a restrictive amended media law and asking the president to take concrete steps to safeguard press freedom and journalist safety during upcoming elections.
SOMALIA: Somali Journalists Say President’s Remarks Put Them at Risk
VOA News: Somali journalists and rights groups are criticizing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo for remarks Saturday condemning the country’s journalists. Farmaajo said Somali journalists lack training and experience and accused some of working with the militant group al-Shabab.
SOUTH AFRICA: South African govt mulls scrapping TV licence fees for some viewers (Paywall)
Telecompaper: South African Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams says that her department will consider waiving TV licence fees for some people as part of consultations on a new white paper, reports BusinessTech.
ZAMBIA: ZNBC Partners With Multichoice Africa
ZNBC: ZNBC has partnered with multichoice Africa to start broadcasting Radio One and Four on DSTV and GOTV audio channels.
ZIMBABWE: Commission raises alarm on Zimbabwe’s human rights situation
MISA: The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has raised alarm at the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe, particularly the arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists and women human rights defenders.
ZIMBABWE: Lack Of Access To Information, Its Implications On Vital Institutions In Zimbabwe
MISA: The right of access to information held by the state is a fundamental democratic right which is provided for in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Front Page Africa: On 28 September 2020, the world is celebrating the International Day of Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). This year, the conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrate in particular the need to ensure access to information.
GENERAL: Digital democracy is still a long way off in Africa: it takes more than technology
The Conversation: From the mid-2000s onwards, the digital revolution raised hopes of democratic transformation and strengthening in Africa. But it hasn’t quite turned out like that. Now, almost a decade after the “Arab Spring”, techno-optimism has given way to techno-pessimism.
AZERBAIJAN: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: IFJ/EFJ condemn attacks against journalists
IFJ: Three journalists from the Azerbaijan Public Television ITV who were reporting from the Azerbaijani-Armenian frontline have been fired upon by Armenian armed forces on 29 September. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) call on Armenian and Azeri authorities to secure journalists’ safety.
CHINA: Chinese citizen journalists remain under arrest despite the government’s Coronavrius success
Deutsche Welle: Several citizen journalists were detained in the early days of China’s coronavirus outbreak. Two of them are still under strict government surveillance.
HONG KONG: How Hong Kong’s student reporters fear being silenced under new police rules
Hong Kong Free Press: Since pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong last June, journalists have been on the front lines of civil unrest. Behind all the cameras and flash lights are not only the people from prominent news organisations, but also freelance and student journalists who insist on documenting the truth.
INDIA: As COVID-19 spreads, India tries to control the narrative by targeting journalists
Los Angeles Times: Amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis, Indian journalists reporting on government mismanagement of the pandemic are facing prosecution or intimidation from authorities while at the same time being hindered by restrictions on accessing information.
INDIA: Indian TV news channel silenced for covering alleged corruption
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Indian authorities to ensure that a TV news channel in the southwestern state of Karnataka is able to resume broadcasting at once, and to dismiss all the criminal charges brought against it for investigating alleged corruption involving the son of the state’s chief minister.
INDIA: Prasar Bharati announces launch of DD India HD
Indian Television: It is the third channel from the pubcaster to be launched in HD after DD News, and DD National.
INDONESIA: Over 240 Indonesian Journalists Test Positive for COVID
VOA: Abdi, a journalist at the privately owned radio station Suara Surabaya, never thought he would catch the coronavirus. But when dozens of other workers started coughing and feeling feverish in early September, he and his colleagues took a rapid test.
KASHMIR: Kashmir Media Bodies Slam Vilification Campaign
Kashmir Observer: Slamming continuous vilification of the individuals representing the institution of media, 8 Kashmiri journalist organisations on Friday said that the media in Kashmir has paid a heavy price to stay neutral to the politics and objective to the facts.
JAPAN: Group protests NHK over tweets considered prejudiced against Koreans
Kyodo News: A civic group on Monday submitted a protest to public broadcaster NHK’s Hiroshima station over a series of tweets criticized for fanning discrimination against Korean residents of Japan.
PAKISTAN: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention: Jang/Geo workers continue protest
The News International: Journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang Group on Saturday continued protesting against the arrest of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman for the last 204 days over a 35-year-old property exchange matter without giving any proof of charges or making any progress in investigations.
PHILIPPINES: In the Philippines, ABS-CBN network shut by Duterte faces uncertain future
SCMP: Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III’s September 24 resignation as chairman emeritus of ABS-CBN, with the Philippines’ biggest broadcast network now on the verge of collapse, is seen as a lesson in what happens to tycoons who cross paths with President Rodrigo Duterte.
SINGAPORE: Singaporean website prosecuted over election coverage
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Singaporean prime minister’s office to drop its absurd “illegal election activity” complaint against the New Naratif website over five Facebook posts in the run-up to last July’s elections, as a result of which the police have already interrogated the site’s managing director and searched his home.
AUSTRALIA: ABC muzzled? (Watch)
ABC Media Watch: Sky’s Chris Kenny mistakenly claims the ABC failed to cover criticism of Victoria’s omnibus COVID-19 bill.
AUSTRALIA: Insiders setting audience records (Press Release)
ABC: In 2020 Insiders has achieved its biggest ever audiences as public interest in the coronavirus pandemic and its ramifications drives an uplift across the news and current affairs category.
AUSTRALIA: News Corp backs push for ABC and SBS to receive payments from Google and Facebook
The Guardian: Greens and Labor have said they will not support proposed mandatory news code legislation unless public broadcasters are included.
AUSTRALIA: Scott Morrison says he is ‘surprised’ ABC staff voted against cutting their pay
The Guardian: Ballot came after 250 jobs axed at public broadcaster and amid public sector wage freeze.
AUSTRALIA: Statement in response to the 2020 Federal Budget (Statement)
SBS: SBS welcomes the 2020-21 operating budget outcome, and in particular, the additional funding to support language content.
AUSTRALIA & CHINA: Chinese journalist targeted in Australian raid calls investigation ‘baseless’
Reuters: An Australia-based Chinese journalist whose home was raided as part of an Australian foreign interference investigation in June said the action was unfounded and “baseless”, in an account released by Chinese media.
FIJI: FIJI TV Without A CEO
Fiji Sun: Mr Rathod said: “There is no acting CEO. It’s operating as usual.
NEW ZEALAND: Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air Co-fund Round Announcement (Opportunity)
NZ On Air: Te Māngai Pāho and Irirangi Te Motu/NZ On Air have announced a new co-fund to encourage high-quality, compelling Māori language content for distribution to a broad range of audiences.
BELARUS: Belarus authorities suspend popular news portal’s status of media outlet
Belsat: On September 29, Belarusian Information Minister Ihar Lutski ordered to suspend TUT.BY’s status of an online media outlet for the period of three months starting October, 1.
BELARUS: Belarus News Media Are Testing Decentralized Tech to Resist Censorship
Coindesk: Belarus is cracking down on reporters.
BELARUS: Belarus cancels all accreditation for foreign journalists
Deutsche Welle: Belarus has responded to new EU sanctions by canceling the accreditation of all foreign journalists and drawing up a travel blacklist forbidding entry. DW’s editor in chief called the revocations “absurd.”
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Belmin Karamehmedovic to head Bosnian pubcaster
Broadband TV News: Belmin Karamehmedovi? has been re-elected as DG of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Radio Television (BHRT) for another five years.
CZECH REPUBLIC: At secondary schools, the Czech Television’s ČT edu website will help with distance learning (Press Release – Czech)
Ceska Televiza: Czech Television offers teachers on the ČT edu website free use of thousands of short educational videos, which are divided according to grades and subjects. High school teachers will find audiovisual materials here, from biology to geography, which can be involved not only in full-time but also distance learning. This was also shown in the spring, when ČT edu was used for learning by over half a million users.
DENMARK: This is how DR covers the American election (Press Release – Danish)
DR: Until the election on 3 November, DR’s election coverage will focus on facts and relevance and on making the election present for readers, listeners and viewers, says foreign director Niels Kvale.
FINLAND: Digita criticises YLE call to switch off terrestrial antenna in favour of TV exclusively via broadband (Paywall)
Telecompaper: Finnish operator Digita has reacted to a report in newspaper Maaseudun Tulevaisuu regarding a letter from public broadcaster YLE’s letter to Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Haraka. It said the letter suggested the allocation of spectrum for 5G network use and for YLE to switch its television transmission exclusively to broadband networks in the future.
FRANCE: Delphine Ernotte Cunci, first woman elected as EBU presidency (Press Release – French)
France Télévisions: First woman to be elected head of the European Broadcasting Union: Delphine Ernotte Cunci, President of France Télévisions.
GEORGIA: At least 5 journalists attacked, beaten in southern Georgia in run-up to parliamentary elections
CPJ: Georgian authorities should conduct a thorough investigation of assaults on five journalists who were covering a political clash ahead of the October 31 parliamentary elections, find the perpetrators, and ensure that journalists can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
GERMANY: SWR launches 5G Broadcast trial for in-car use in Germany
Broadband TV News: SWR, an affiliate of German public broadcaster ARD, and partners from the automotive and telecommunications industries have launched a 5G Broadcast trial for the distribution of audiovisual content to automobiles.
GERMANY: ZDF editor-in-chief Peter Frey: “We have to break clichés” (German)
Medium Magazin: Too few East Germans in the editorial offices – Frey made this diagnosis himself in 2019.
GERMANY & HUNGARY: German Companies in Hungary: Business or Freedom of the Press? (German)
Deutsche Welle: Regardless of the criticism from Brussels of the Orbán government’s policies, foreign corporations feel comfortable in Hungary. German companies are now being accused of undermining media diversity in the EU country.
HUNGARY: Hungary – how the government crippled the media (Opinion)
EU Observer: Last year, as I was laying the groundwork for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s return to Hungary after a 27-year hiatus from Hungarian language programming, a Hungarian-based expert I was talking to make a startling comment. “If you are a teenager living in Hungary today, you likely have never seen your political leaders questioned on camera by truly independent journalists.”
IRELAND: New commission to consider public service media role
RTÉ: The Taoiseach has said that independent journalism is essential to underpin democracy and is vulnerable to attack.
ITALY: Covid-19 intensifies challenges for freelance journalists in Italy
IPI: Pandemic creates a perfect storm for struggling independent reporters.
NETHERLANDS: Public broadcaster launches new audio platform NPO Listen (Press Release – Dutch)
NPO: The Dutch Public Broadcaster is launching the new audio platform NPO Listen for all podcast and radio enthusiasts. The public can now listen to all podcasts and radio stations of the NPO for free via one app.
POLAND: ‘Repolonization’: Poland again hints at limiting foreign media ownership
IPI: PiS threats to limit foreign ownership and break up big publishers follow corona-hit presidential elections
RUSSIA: Russian editor dies after setting herself on fire
BBC News: A Russian news editor has died after setting herself on fire in front of an interior ministry office in the city of Nizhniy Novgorod. Irina Slavina earlier wrote on Facebook: “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death.”
SLOVENIA: Police question 2 Slovenian journalists at public broadcaster RTV
CPJ
SLOVENIA: Slovenian investigative news outlet Necenzurirano hit with 39 SLAPP lawsuits (Statement)
EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined 11 European journalist and press freedom groups in condemning brazen defamation case. We, the undersigned organisations, today express our grave concern over the barrage of vexatious defamation lawsuits targeting journalists working for the investigative news website Necenzurirano in Slovenia over the last two months.
SPAIN: The 19 candidates to the board of RTVE ask that the corporation regain its independence (Spanish)
Teledetodos: The 19 candidates to the board of RTVE, of all political tendencies and selected by the Committee of Experts, have signed for the first time a joint document in which they ask that the corporation regain its independence. They do so in view of the need to unblock the situation and regain plurality in the Public Body.
SPAIN: The territorial news of TVE, live every day on the RTVE website (Spanish)
RTVE: RTVE takes another step in its commitment to the current situation. As of October 1, the RTVE website will offer live news from the 17 Autonomous Communities, from Monday to Friday between 1:55 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
SWEDEN: Swedish Radio’s CEO Cilla Benkö: Good that the question is raised (Blog – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: Today Dagens Nyheter publishes an article about a call where a number of Swedish Radio employees and former employees highlight experiences of racism and lack of representation in the workplace of Swedish Radio. A call that other media also reported on last week. As CEO of Swedish Radio, and ultimately responsible for the work environment, I want to be very clear and emphasize that I think it is good and important that their perspective on the work environment emerges.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss public broadcaster to tighten belt amid falling revenues
Swiss Info: The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) says further job cuts are inevitable as advertising and license fee revenues continue to fall. The public broadcaster has also fleshed out future strategy details to meet evolving media consumption demands.
UK: BBC and ITV drop hostilities to fight common enemy (Paywall)
The Telegraph: Traditional rivalries put on hold as the streamers come to prominence.
UK: BBC boss ‘prepared to fire stars who break rules’
BBC News: BBC director general Tim Davie has said he would be prepared to sack presenters who make major breaches of impartiality guidelines on social media. Mr Davie, who became DG earlier this month, said new social media rules would be announced in the coming weeks, and would apply to all staff.
UK: BBC strengthens guidelines on racist language
BBC News: The BBC has issued staff new guidance on the use of racist language in the wake of the controversy provoked by the use of a racial slur in a news report.
UK: Charles Moore rules himself out of running to be BBC chairman
The Guardian: The former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore has ruled himself out of contention for the role of BBC chairman. Moore, whose writings on race and Islam have come under renewed scrutiny since he was publicly associated with the role, is understood to have backed away amid family health problems despite claims he was Downing Street’s top choice for the position.
UK: Decriminalising TV licence fee evasion will cut BBC funding without helping the poorest (Comment)
LSE: As outgoing BBC chairman Sir David Clementi prepares for his departure in February and the identity of his successor remains unclear, the BBC faces various challenges, including questions concerning its future funding.
UK: Google and Facebook could wipe out local journalism unless the Government acts, editors warn
i News: Google and Facebook took 80 per cent of the £14bn spent on digital advertising in the UK in 2019, while national and local news -which produce the content that the platforms feed off without paying for it – took just four per cent.
REGIONAL: COVID-19: What financial support has the media and journalists received in Europe?
EFJ: Six months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has published a database mapping the financial support media outlets and journalists received in Europe.
GENERAL: Delphine Ernotte and Petr Dvořák elected as President and Vice-President of the EBU (Press Release)
EBU: France Télévisions Chief Executive Officer Delphine Ernotte Cunci has been elected as the new President of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Czech Television’s Director General Petr Dvořák will serve as Vice-President.
ARGENTINA: Report: Adepa stressed that freedom of the press requires institutional strength (Spanish)
La Nacion: In the framework of the 58th Assembly of the Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities (Adepa) held in virtual format, the Press Freedom Commission released its biannual report on freedom of expression in Argentina this Friday .
BRAZIL: FENAJ proposes taxation of digital platforms and creation of a fund to promote Journalism (Portuguese)
FENAJ: The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) will propose to Brazilian society a concrete measure of valorization of Journalism as an essential activity for democracy and the category of journalists, responsible for producing news.
ECUADOR: Lenín Moreno decrees the creation of the Public Company Public Media of Ecuador (Spanish)
El Comercio: President Lenín Moreno, through executive decree 1160, creates the Public Media Public Company of Ecuador, as a body of public law , legal personality and its own assets, endowed with budgetary autonomy… According to the decree, this arose once it was decided to split (divide) the Empresa Pública Medios Públicos de Comunicación del Ecuador.
ECUADOR: Report on the Accountability of Public Media of Ecuador was presented to the public (Spanish)
El Telegrafo: The general manager of the Public Public Media Company of Ecuador, Édison Toro Calderón, presented to the public, this Monday, October 5, the Accountability report for the year 2019.
EL SALVADOR: Without offering proof, Salvadoran President Bukele alleges money laundering investigation into El Faro news website
CPJ: Salvadoran authorities should make public any details about an alleged money laundering investigation into the El Faro news website, and cease harassing independent media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said…
HONDURAS: Female journalist threatened with death on her Twitter account (Spanish)
C-Libre: Journalist Thelma Mejía received threats this Sunday, September 27, after posting a message of solidarity to her colleague Anastasia Mejía, who is facing a criminalization process in Guatemala.
MEXICO: IMER invites the first international public media meeting (Spanish)
Excelsior:Throughout the month of October, the First International Meeting of Public Media will be held with the theme The Challenges of Public Service Media and the Guarantee of the Right to Information. The event seeks to reflect on the bases of public service broadcasting, aimed at strengthening and democratizing the function of public media , considering the necessary social participation, which makes them a true option for the exercise of freedom of expression and Right to information.
MEXICO: Mexican President’s Rhetoric Endangering Journalists
OCCRP: The president of Mexico’s tempestuous relationship with the country’s press is putting journalists at risk of serious harm, with death threats being made against individual reporters and publications alike, according to an international press-freedom advocacy group.
MEXICO: Strengthening public media, Government commitment: Jesús Ramírez (Spanish)
La Journada: The Mexican government is committed to strengthening public media, and to guaranteeing the cultural, political and social plurality that distinguishes them, by strengthening their capacity for insertion and coverage at the national level, said the general coordinator of Social Communication and spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic, Jesús Ramírez Cuevas.
NICARAGUA: Nicaraguan Congress proposes cybercrime legislation criminalizing false news
CPJ: The Nicaraguan Congress should drop proposed cybercrime legislation that would risk imprisoning journalists for their work, and ensure that laws do not restrict the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
VENEZUELA: Mapping Venezuela’s Shrinking Radio Landscape
Havana Times: According to data compiled by Venezuelan press freedom group Espacio Público and shared with CPJ, 180 radio stations that provided news and information went off the air between 2009 and 2020.
IFEX: September in the Americas: A free expression round up produced by IFEX’s Regional Editor Paula Martins, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.
IRAQ: Press freedom in Iraq: Why some journalists are receiving death threats (Watch)
France 24: This week marks one year since hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Iraq to call for the removal of the country’s ruling elite….
ISRAEL: How Hezbollah bullied a Lebanese journalist after Israeli media carried her tweet
Arab News: Lebanese journalist Luna Safwan is the latest victim of an online abuse campaign after her tweet criticizing Hezbollah was carried by an Israeli news channel and she was accused of cooperating with Israel.
SAUDI ARABIA: RSF launches ‘50-day clock’ and petition calling for press freedom improvements ahead of G20 Riyadh summit
RSF: On the second anniversary of the assassination of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi, and with 50 days left until the November 2020 G20 summit in Riyadh, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a ‘50-day clock’ and petition urging G20 capitals to obtain concrete press freedom improvements in Saudi Arabia – starting with the release of the country’s 34 jailed journalists.
TURKEY: Turkey prepares indictment against six Saudis in Khashoggi murder case
Middle East Monitor: Turkish prosecutors are preparing a second indictment against six Saudi officials alleged to be involved in the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul almost two years ago, local media have reported.
TURKEY: User safety or censorship? Turkey targets social media platforms
Deutsche Welle: Critics are decrying the new rules targeting Facebook and Twitter as censorship. But the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) says it’s trying to prevent online abuse — and cites Germany as an example.
GENERAL: 2 Years After Khashoggi Murder, Advocates Still Calling for Justice (Watch)
VOA: Two years after the brutal murder and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, rights advocates and U.S. lawmakers say the fight for justice is not over.
REGIONAL: Vengeful crackdowns and MENA’s battle for access to information
IFEX: September in Middle East and North Africa: A free expression roundup produced by IFEX’s Regional Editor Naseem Tarawnah, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.
CANADA: Canada’s broadcasters and industry leaders stand together in unprecedented collaboration to take meaningful action against systemic racism in screen-based industries with launch of HireBIPOC initiative (Press Release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: The Online Roster Launches Today (5 Oct) With 500+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour Creatives and Crew.
CANADA: COVID-19: covering a pandemic, behind the scenes of a journalistic and human challenge (French)
ICI Radio-Canada: Going through a global pandemic as an individual, then having to talk about it as an information maker. With the testimonies of Céline Galipeau, Patrice Roy or Davide Gentile, we discover, in the documentary COVID-19: covering a pandemic , the backstage of unparalleled media coverage.
CANADA: No penalty after CRTC ruled CBC violated broadcasting licence
Toronto Sun: Canada’s broadcasting regulator won’t punish the CBC for cancelling local evening newscasts, despite ruling the move violated the public broadcaster’s licence.
CANADA: What a pandemic has taught CBC/Radio-Canada about serving Canadians (Opinion)
CARTT: “At CBC/Radio-Canada, Covid-19 has redoubled our attention on what is most important about serving Canadians: trusted news, serving local communities, and supporting Canadian creators who depend on us.”
US: Congress Approves a Continuing Resolution
Protect My Public Media: Today, Congress approved a Continuing Resolution (CR), a short-term funding measure that keeps the government and its programs, including support for public media, funded at roughly last year’s spending levels through December 11, 2020. The President is expected to sign the CR into law.
US: FRONTLINE Selects 2020-2021 Local Journalism Partners
PBS: FRONTLINE, PBS’s flagship investigative documentary series, announced today the selection of the newest class of partners for its Local Journalism Initiative.
US: How NPR can take cues from other broadcasters in its quest to broaden audience (Paywall – Comment)
Current: “Can NPR Serve All of America?” That’s the question John Mark Dempsey, an associate professor of radio-television at Texas A&M University-Commerce, considers in “A More Inclusive Public Service,” an essay included in a new book from Rutgers University Press.
US: In 50 years of PBS programming, content for Americans of all classes and political views (Paywall – Opinion)
The Washington Post: The Public Broadcasting Service celebrates its 50th birthday this month. Although the coronavirus pandemic has canceled in-person celebrations, and a racial reckoning and bitter presidential election make for a somber national mood, something feels proper about PBS reaching this milestone at this moment.
US: PBS CEO Paula Kerger On Maintaining Public Trust After 50 Years On Air (Listen)
WABE: The Public Broadcasting Service will mark its 50th anniversary Sunday, and its most recognizable and seasoned stars of “Sesame Street” have stood the test of time.
US: PBS Foundation Board of Directors Elects Afsaneh Beschloss as Chair
PBS: PBS recently announced the election of Afsaneh Beschloss to serve as Chairman of the Board for the PBS Foundation, the national fundraising arm of PBS.
US: Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Longstanding FCC Case On Relaxing Media Ownership Rules
Deadline: The U.S. Supreme Court Friday said it has agreed to hear a longstanding case dealing with the FCC’s attempt to relax restrictions on local media ownership.
US: USAGM Officials Breached Firewall, Committee Chair Says
VOA News: The acting director of Voice of America should ignore any attempt by the U.S. Agency for Global Media to “improperly interfere” with its work, the chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs said Monday.
FORECAST 2020 TO EXPLORE HOW PSM CAN PROSPER IN THE OTT WORLD
EBU: The EBU FORECAST conference returns in November to scan the media distribution horizon and identify which developments will matter most for the media industry and especially for public service media. Free for EBU Members and with a nominal fee for non-members, FORECAST is a must-attend event for anybody concerned with broadcast and online distribution of content.
Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2020: Join us and register your events
UNESCO: As we approach the 9th Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, UNESCO, the Republic of Korea and partners are calling on all stakeholders to join the celebrations by organizing online and offline events or initiatives in their communities, cities, and regions.
Josh Hinkle of KXAN on translating solutions journalism to local TV news
Journalism.co.uk: The director of investigations and innovation at a US-based TV station talks about using the traditionally long-form style of reporting in short and sweet TV news bulletins that investigate education inequality during the pandemic.
Journalism is still the answer to populist governments that mark media as the enemy
IPI: India and the US have game-changing political leaders. The challenges are many, but Steve Coll and Siddharth Varadarajan see good journalism as the key to holding them to account.
Media Freedom Across Globe Stifled During Pandemic, Report Says
Vice News: The non-profit Freedom House says democracy and human rights have suffered amid the fight against COVID.
Women Journalists Are Focus Of Monthly “10 Most Urgent” List Of Press Freedom Cases
Deutsche Welle: Every month, the One Free Press Coalition draws attention to unresolved cases of crimes against journalists. This month, the list focuses on gender-based violence and harassment both online and offline.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the EBU GA (Speech)
EBU: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the EBU’s General Assembly on the role of media and the shared values of both organizations
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.
Header Image: Empty television studio with camera. Credit: Grafissimo/iStock
Related Posts
