Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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Media Freedom Suffers Record Setbacks Globally in 2022
VOA News: The easing of restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic meant more journalists were out on assignment in 2022. But that, combined with an expansion of deadly conflicts, has triggered a spike in killings and jailings of journalists.
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ALGERIA: RSF refers Algerian journalist’s imprisonment to United Nations
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has referred Algeria’s persecution of Ihsane El Kadi, the director of Radio M and Maghreb Émergent, to the United Nations. Subjected to judicial harassment for the past three years, he was arrested on 24 December and transferred to prison five days later in a final attempt to silence Algeria’s last independent media outlets.
CAMEROON: Cameroonian journalist Amadou Vamoulké sentenced to 12 years and US$76,000 fine (21 December)
CPJ: In response to news reports that a special criminal court in Yaoundé Tuesday sentenced Amadou Vamoulké, the former managing director of the state-owned Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV) broadcaster, to 12 years in prison and 47 million FCFA (US$76,000) in fines, the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentence in this statement.
GHANA: 2022 In Review: Throwback to GBC’s Media Engagements (30 December)
GBC: A flashback into the past gives an opportunity to assess how far the journey of life has been. The year 2022, as eventful as it has been cannot pass without a throwback to some of the amazing things that happened at the State Broadcaster, GBC. This masterpiece walks you through some events that the GBC was actively involved in.
GHANA: Is 2023 finally going to be the year the broadcasting bill is passed? (19 December)
MFWA: The 2023 Budget and economic policy statement of the government of Ghana was almost all about the economy and this was understandable.
KENYA: Journalists arrested in Obongi released
Monitor: The Police in Obongi District have unconditionally released the four journalists who had earlier been detained for following up on Ex-MP Hassan Kaps Fungaroo arrest story.
NIGERIA: Radio Ijangbara: NBC spits fire, says it’ll not tolerate illegal broadcast facility
The Nation: The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC has warned that it will not tolerate the use of any illegal broadcast signal within or outside Nigeria to create disunity among Nigerians.
SENEGAL: 78 African journalists urge Senegal to free reporter, respect press freedom
RSF: At the request of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 78 African journalists have signed an appeal to Senegal to release Dakar Matin editor Pape Alé Niang and to respect the country‘s constitution, which enshrines press freedom.
SOUTH AFRICA: ANC favours scrapping TV licences
Eyewitness News: The ANC said it supports a decision to scrap television licence fees and introduce a household levy instead. ANC NEC member and Minister of Communications Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said TV licences are not a sustainable way of funding the SABC.
SOUTH SUDAN: Journalists held over film of president appearing to wet himself
BBC: Six journalists in South Sudan have been arrested over the circulation of footage appearing to show President Salva Kiir wetting himself, media rights groups say.
TANZANIA: Tanzanian media calls for more freedoms, review of draconian laws
The East African: Tanzanian media practitioners are still operating on the goodwill of the government, nearly two years since President Samia Suluhu came to power promising sweeping reforms.
UGANDA: Uganda’s claims of press freedom are nothing but a hoax
The Africa Report: It has been decades since Idi Amin Dada, a former president of Uganda, infamously said: “There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee your freedom of speech.” 19 years after Dada’s death, his terrifying threat still looms over Ugandans, particularly journalists and government opponents.
ZIMBABWE: ZBC speaks on Winky D’s controversial album
Bulawayo24: The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation has issued a statement in response to social media reports that the entity has banned the airplay of Winky D’s latest music which has been labelled by many as being controversial and anti-government.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban to charge Afghan media outlets operating from abroad
ANI News: Blaming the Afghan media organizations for spreading propaganda, the director of Taliban’s ministry of information and culture said that the Taliban courts would, in near future prosecute the media outlets operating from abroad, Khaama Press reported.
BANGLADESH: Environmental journalist Abu Azad severely beaten and abducted
IPI: IPI strongly condemns the attack last month on journalist Bangladeshi Abu Azad, an environmental journalist and correspondent for The Business Standard, who was beaten and robbed as he reported on a story about highly polluting brick kilns.
CHINA: China media plays down COVID severity as WHO seeks detail on variants
Reuters: State media in China played down the severity of a surge of COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, while its scientists briefed the World Health Organization, which has been seeking detailed information about the evolution of the virus.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong Now a City of Red Lines for Media, Analysts Say
VOA News: With media outlets shuttered, eight journalists in jail, and the threat of a restrictive national security law looming large, reporters in Hong Kong need “to be careful and to be smart,” media experts say.
INDIA: Cabinet approves BIND scheme to further modernise Public Service Broadcasting
News On Air: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the Central Sector Scheme “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development” (BIND). The BIND scheme is aimed to bring modernisation to the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati i.e. All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).
INDIA: Govt warns TV channels against broadcasting disturbing footage, distressing images
The Economic Times: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on Monday cautioned all television channels against reporting incidents of accidents, deaths, and violence including violence against women, children and the elderly which ‘grossly’ compromise ‘good taste and decency’.
INDIA: India panel recommends digital competition act to rein in Big Tech
Reuters: An Indian parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended the government enact a digital competition act to regulate anti-competitive business practices by Big Tech companies on its platforms.
INDIA: Internet shutdowns in India 2022
SFLC: The previous decade has witnessed an exponential increase in internet shutdowns in India with a total count of 690, out of which 110 had been implemented in the year 2021. The year 2022 has seen 75 shutdowns till the publication of this report.
INDIA: Prasar Bharati evaluating possibility of coming up with OTT channel
The Economic Times: Prasar Bharati had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with YuppTV, an OTT platform, in March last year to make DD India available in various countries including the US, the UK, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, besides Europe and the Middle East.
KYRGYZSTAN: No good news for media freedom in Kyrgyzstan as government arrests journalists, activists, and bloggers
Global Voices: Sex tapes, surveillance, and blackmail in silencing journalists
MYANMAR: Despite Releases, 50 Other Journalists Still Jailed in Myanmar
VOA: At least nine journalists were among the more than 7,000 people freed from prisons across Myanmar on Wednesday.
The Kathmandu Post: The umbrella organisation of the Nepali journalists records 53 incidents of press freedom violation this year.
PAKISTAN: Press Freedom in Pakistan 2022: A flurry of cases, a high-profile murder and political rhetoric targeting the media (31 December)
Pakistan Press Foundation: In a country where the press routinely remains under threat and faces attacks from many fronts, the media in Pakistan operated on slippery grounds in 2022 with a flurry of cases against journalists, television channel closures, charged political rhetoric enabling attacks against the media, overreach by media regulatory bodies and the killing of two journalists, including he brutal murder of one journalist on foreign soil that shook the nation.
SOUTH KOREA: A New Year Message from KBS President and CEO;“KBS will Continue its Public Mission to Bring the Nation United through Trusted Services” (Press release)
KBS: KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-chul reaffirmed the KBS’ firm commitment to national unity and trust during his new year’s speech to KBS staff on 2 January, 2023.
THAILAND: New look of Thai PBS website Transform the creation from “TV First” to “Digital First” (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: In a digital society where consumer behavior changes rapidly and affecting the choice to watch program content through a variety of new online platforms. Of course, the spread of COVID-19 is one of the key catalysts for this change.
UZBEKISTAN: Bill Threatens Freedom of Expression, Media (23 December)
Human Rights Watch: Uzbekistan’s Information and Mass Communications Agency should withdraw a draft Information Code that, if adopted, would violate freedom of expression, including media freedom, Human Rights Watch said today.
REGIONAL: Trolling of Female Asian Journalists on Rise as Beijing Seeks to Discredit Media
VOA: Increased harassment over the past year directed at journalists and analysts who are women and of Asian descent is likely the result of an orchestrated campaign by the Chinese government, research by a think tank shows.
AUSTRALIA: ABC journalist Suzanne Dredge shares her story of overcoming adversity to become the first Head of Indigenous News (15 December)
ABC
AUSTRALIA: Four Corners’ Fox News documentary breached ABC editorial code but did not violate impartiality standards (21 December)
The Guardian: A Four Corners two-part documentary on Fox News and the 2020 US election breached the accuracy and fair dealing requirements of the ABC’s editorial code, but did not violate impartiality standards, the media watchdog has found.
AUSTRALIA: Neilson has $72m more to spend on journalism, but not like before (Paywall)
The Australian Financial Review: Billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson says her journalism think tank directed funding towards mainstream media companies such as Nine and News Corp that could have been better used by smaller or grassroots publications.
FIJI: Fiji’s revised Media Act currently being drafted, confirms Rabuka
Asia Pacific Report: Fiji’s much-anticipated Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA) Act review is now being drafted and expected to be tabled at the next cabinet meeting on January 17.
FIJI: John Mitchell: Media freedom, public interest and The Fiji Times (Opinion)
Asia Pacific Report: In any true democracy, the role of journalists and the media outlets they represent is to inform the people so that they can make educated and well-informed choices.
NEW ZEALAND: It’s time to create a public broadcaster that meets Kiwis’ needs (Opinion – 24 December)
Stuff: Smoke signals from the Beehive just before Christmas suggest that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is now prepared to withdraw the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill 2022, and also to scrap the proposal for a merger of the market-driven TVNZ with the values-driven Radio New Zealand, a step supported in a recent survey by only 22% of the population.
New Zealand: Poll Shows Support For RNZ/TVNZ Merger
Scoop: Market research commissioned by Better Public Media Trust shows more New Zealanders support the merged RNZ/TVNZ merger than oppose it. The Research NZ poll found 60% support the ANZPM and 40% don’t support it, of those that had an opinion.
REGIONAL: Broadcaster Ma’a Brian Sagala ‘very humbled’ to accept Queen’s Service Medal (31 December)
Pacific Media Network: 531pi presenter says his main aim has always been to serve the Pacific community.
AUSTRIA: What comes after the GIS? Three scenarios for ORF funding with no exception for streaming (German)
Der Standard: The government is working on a successor to the GIS fees: household levy, budget financing or an extended GIS?
BELARUS: Journalism in Belarus ‘Dealt a Huge Blow’
VOA: Journalists and their audiences in Belarus remain at risk of arrest, media analysts say, as authorities continue to persecute opposition voices.
BELGIUM: VRT is first with zero emission reportage cars (Press release – Dutch)
VRT: Since December 2022, VRT NWS has been using an electric report truck, an office on wheels. Both the car and the technical power supply run entirely on battery power. This makes VRT the first broadcaster in our country to send out a reporting team with such an electric mobile office.
FRANCE: In 2023, France Télévisions is going on an all-out cultural offensive (French)
Le Monde: Pierre Lescure, Alexis Michalik, Louise Ekland or even Stéphane De Groodt will host new programs on cinema, theatre, art… The public service seeks to consolidate its claimed position as “the biggest stage and the biggest hall in France”.
GERMANY: For the eleventh time in a row: ZDF is also the most watched TV station in 2022 (Press release – German)
ZDF: Director Himmler: The audience appreciates our offer in all ways.
GREECE: MFRR alarmed by latest revelations of spying on journalists
IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) at raising alarm about the continued lack of transparency of the Greek authorities about the surveillance of journalists.
HUNGARY & POLAND: How the European Media Freedom Act could affect Hungary and Poland
IPI: Meanwhile, the EU has existing tools to defend media pluralism and freedom.
IRELAND: RTÉ advertises for next director general as Dee Forbes nears end of seven-year term
Irish Times: RTÉ has advertised for a director general to succeed Dee Forbes and “take the organisation forward in a rapidly evolving media landscape”. Ms Forbes’s seven-year term is due to come to an end this July and the appointment process is expected to take a number of months.
NETHERLANDS: Russia’s TV Rain receives Dutch licence after ban in Latvia
LRT: The Russian independent station TV Rain received a five-year broadcasting permit in the Netherlands. Prior to this, Latvia had revoked the channel’s license.
SLOVAKIA: EBU statement on financing of RTVS Slovakia (24 December)
EBU: The EBU urges proper public consultation and engagement with key stakeholders on the funding model of RTVS, Slovakia’s national public service media, and is concerned by the Slovakian government’s plan, announced this week, to suppress the licence fee that accounts for more than half of RTVS’s revenue, thereby jeopardising the proper functioning of RTVS.
SWITZERLAND: Switzerland prepares to cut FM
Redtech: After multiple postponements, Switzerland’s FM switch off is planned for Dec. 31, 2024. The main reasons for the digital migration are to minimize operational costs and increase diversity through a more extensive frequency offer.
UK: Channel 4 to remain publicly owned with reforms to boost its sustainability and commercial freedom (Press release)
Gov.uk: DCMS Secretary of State Michelle Donelan has concluded her business case review and announced that Channel 4 will not be sold.
UK: The laughable plan to sell off Channel 4 is over – now it’s time for big ideas (Opinion)
The Guardian: Now that ministers have abandoned privatisation, what next? How about reforms that allow the channel to grow, compete and flourish.
UK: Tony Hall: poorer people should pay less for licence fee (Paywall)
Broadcast: Former director general calls for reform of BBC funding model.
UKRAINE: Zelensky signs media law criticized by journalist groups as authoritarian (30 December)
The Kyiv Independent: President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 29 signed into law a controversial bill on the media.
REGIONAL: Adam Bodnar: “The EU can do more to protect independent media” (Opinion)
Liberal Debatt: The situation for independent media outlets in Europe is worrisome. Not just in Poland and Hungary, but in other EU member states too.
REGIONAL: Can the Digital Services Package live up to its promises to the media?
EBU: On 6-7 December, representatives from public service media throughout Europe met to analyze the Digital Services Package and see the impact it will have on the media.
ARGENTINA: IAPA: New attack against media in Argentina could be an indication of greater evils
Via IFEX: For the second time in less than a month, unknown assailants fired several shots at the facade of Grupo Televisión Litoral, despite the police protection posted there since the first attack on December 12.
BRAZIL: Lula determines the withdrawal of 8 state-owned companies from the privatization program (Portuguese)
Agencia Brasil: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva determined the withdrawal of 8 public companies from the federal government’s privatisation and concessions program. The dispatch was signed by the president on the day of his inauguration , and published in the Official Gazette (DOU) this Monday (2).
BRAZIL: Protect democracy and carry out a thorough investigation now
ARTICLE 19: Over the last four years, journalists have been subjected to violent attacks and threats, a direct reflection of the former president’s attitudes to journalists, media outlets and people on social media that reported or commented on him and his supporters in a negative light.
COSTA RICA: Amid rising digital repression, Costa Rica serves as a model
Freedom House: Since adopting a new constitution in 1949, Costa Rica has been a beacon of democratic stability and inclusivity among its Central American neighbours – and the government has carried these convictions into our increasingly digital age.
HAITI: Director-General condemns killing of broadcaster Francklin Tamar in Haiti
UNESCO: UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has called for an investigation into the killing of radio journalist Francklin Tamar in the capital Port-au-Prince on 18 December.
NICARAGUA: In Nicaragua, Many Concerned over Press Freedoms
VOA: Reporters and observers say recent years under Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have severely damaged press freedoms in the country.
VENEZUELA: Censorship on Rise in Venezuela, Analysts Warn (Watch)
VOA: With more than 100 radio stations closed in the past 12 months and proposals to regulate social media, Venezuela’s journalists brace for a tough time. Alvaro Algarra has this report for VOA from Caracas, narrated by Veronica Villafane.
REGIONAL: CBU Board Director Among Honourees in King’s New Year’s Honours
CBU: ABS TV/Radio General Manager Erna Mae Brathwaite is one of four outstanding Antiguans and Barbudans to be awarded in the King’s New Year’s Honours for 2023.
IRAN: With Mass Arrests, Now is ‘Worst Time’ to Be Journalist in Iran (28 December)
VOA: Three months into Iran’s crackdown on coverage of widespread protests, media analysts remain troubled by the dozens of journalist arrests and reports of abuse in detention centers.
ISRAEL: INDEPENDENCE OF ISRAELI PUBLIC BROADCASTER UNDER THREAT, SAYS EBU DIRECTOR GENERAL
EBU: The EBU’s Director General, Noel Curran, has expressed his concern about threats to the integrity and independence of Israeli national public broadcaster, KAN, in a letter to incoming Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
ISRAEL: New communications minister says ‘no place’ for public broadcasting in Israel
Times of Israel: Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Monday there was no reason to support state public broadcasting in Israel and indicated he intends to shut down the Kan broadcaster along with additional transmission regulating bodies.
TURKEY: President Erdoğan says Turkish media freer today than in previous decades
SCF: Turkish media is freer today than in the ’70s, ’80s or ’90s, Turkish president and head of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday, according to Turkish media.
CPJ: Turkish authorities should ensure that journalists are not included on the country’s lists of wanted terrorists, and should stop harassing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
CANADA: CAJ releases second annual national Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey results
CAJ: “Canadian media is becoming very slightly more diverse as newsrooms hire more Black, Middle Eastern and Mixed Race journalists,” said CAJ national chair and survey lead Zane Schwartz. “However, those journalists are largely getting internships and part-time jobs. The more senior and stable positions continue to be dominated by white journalists.”
CANADA: How do Indigenous people in Canada consume media?
Media in Canada: MTM research finds that a younger population relies more heavily on digital platforms than other Canadians.
CANADA: Will Canada make web giants pay for news? (Listen)
CBC Radio: Today on Front Burner, a conversation with University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist about why he believes this bill could harm both the internet and the media for Canadians.
US: As kids move on, PBS and stations revamp afternoon schedules to attract adults (Paywall)
Current: An overhaul of PBS’ weekday schedule opens a window for older viewers to spend a lot more time with public TV.
US: CPB Statement on Congress’ Approval of Funding for Public Media
CPB: Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), made the following statement today following the House and Senate passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which includes funding for public media.
US: In 2022, 15 journalists arrested; more face charges
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
US: ‘Murder the media’: What the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol meant for US journalists
CPJ: On the second anniversary of the riot, CPJ U.S. and Canada Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen notes that the level of vitriol directed toward lawmakers, law enforcement, and journalists was unprecedented in the United States. “‘Murder the media’ was scrawled on the Capitol doors,” she recalls.
US: Public Radio Reporter Says She Was Fired For Investigating Abuse At State Facilities.
Inside Radio: Reporter Amelia Ferrell Knisely claims she was fired from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which owns and operates news/talk WVPB (88.5) and WVPB-TV Charleston, after investigating the alleged abuse of disabled patients at state-run facilities.
US: Spending Package Includes Media Support but Drops Shield Law
VOA News: From support for journalists at risk to sanctions against hostile countries seeking to silence critics, the $1.7 trillion U.S. spending bill for 2023 includes several measures to champion media at home and abroad.
US: Study finds greater racial diversity in public TV documentaries, both on screen and behind the scenes (Paywall)
Current: Commercial media outlets are “much more likely” than their public media counterparts to distribute documentaries directed by men and white filmmakers, according to a study by the Center for Media & Social Impact at American University’s School of Communication.
1,668 journalists killed in past 20 years (2003-2022), average of 80 per year (30 December)
RSF: At the end of a year in which the number of journalists killed in connection with their work rose again, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has compiled and analysed the figures for journalists killed during the past 20 years – two especially deadly decades for those in the service of the right to inform.
DG8 mobilized to guarantee access to free and verified information on all continents
CBC/Radio-Canada: The DG8 leaders held their annual summit on December 15 and 16, 2022 in Paris, under the presidency of France Médias Monde. Organized in a hybrid format, the summit allowed the majority of members to meet in person after two years of pandemic-related restrictions.
Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2023
RISJ: This will be a year of heightened concerns about the sustainability of some news media against a backdrop of rampant inflation, and a deep squeeze on household spending.
Media Freedom Suffers Record Setbacks Globally in 2022 (Watch)
VOA: The easing of restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic meant more journalists were out on assignment in 2022. But that, combined with an expansion of deadly conflicts, has triggered a spike in killings and jailings of journalists.
Third of all SVOD operators are US owned
Broadband TV News: A new report on the European audiovisual sector says US groups control around one in five private TV channels and over one-third of all SVOD (38%) and TVOD (34%) services.
Virtual studios score World Cup broadcasts
Broadcast Now: The work behind several virtual studios in use by broadcasters for the World Cup has been revealed.
Why Climate Change Stories Need More Context
Nieman Reports: Reporters covering climate change should combine traditional and solutions journalism approaches to provide more depth.
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