Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.
Every week, PMA compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!
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What we're watching...
Nobel winner Maria Ressa on A.I dangers and defending truth
PBS NewsHour: Veteran journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa has a dire warning about the defense of truth in the digital age. She says we risk losing the information war to adversarial artificial intelligence and to authoritarian governments who can weaponize the tech.
What we're listening to...
What are the political parties’ plans for media?
RNZ: The media have been a political football this year – and now some politicians are complaining the media are against them in this election.
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BURKINA FASO: CPJ calls for Burkina Faso to reverse suspension of Jeune Afrique
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday called on Burkinabè authorities to lift their suspension of the French news magazine Jeune Afrique, reverse their suspension of other media outlets, and ensure journalists can work in the West African country without fear of reprisal.
CAMEROON: Cameroon governor bans The Post over military coup headline
CPJ: Cameroonian authorities should immediately lift an indefinite ban against The Post newspaper in the Southwest Region and stop any retaliatory action against the privately owned media outlet and its staff, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
ETHIOPIA: Three journalists detained in Ethiopia, transferred to military camp
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday called on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release three journalists detained in late August and early September, and expressed grave concern about a pattern of detaining journalists amid an ongoing state of emergency.
GHANA: Barbaric attack on UTV unfortunate – Publishers Association of Ghana
GhanaWeb: The attack launched on the United Television premises by some 16 alleged NPP persons is one that has sparked various conversations and condemnation from the citizenry.
IVORY COAST: HACA and its partners reflect on solutions against audiovisual content piracy (French)
Abidjan: The High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA), the regulator of audiovisual communication in Côte d’Ivoire, met on Wednesday October 4, 2023 in Abidjan, with the National Union of Telecommunications Companies (UNETEL), representatives of Canal+ and internet service providers with a view to considering solutions to combat piracy of audiovisual content.
LIBERIA: Press Union of Liberia Condemns Foya Election Violence
Front Page Africa: The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has released a statement demanding accountability for the violent incident that resulted in the tragic deaths of at least three individuals in Foya, Lofa County, on Friday, September 29, 2023.
NAMIBIA: NBC Plus App launches
NBC: The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (nbc) has unveiled its latest innovation, the nbc Plus App, which promises to revolutionise the way viewers and listeners access their favourite radio and television stations.
NIGERIA: FRCN’s Abba Zayyan to head Katsina State Television
FRCN: The Governor of Katsina State, Mal. Dikko Radda, has approved the appointment of four heads of parastatals that would assist him in implementing his agenda for the state.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC AND MULTICHOICE REACH SUB-LICENSING AGREEMENT FOR THE CRICKET WORLD CUP 2023 FOLLOWING FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS (Press release)
SABC: The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is pleased to announce that the Corporation will be broadcasting the Cricket World Cup 2023 following further negotiations with the rights holder, Multichoice (SuperSport) for the sub-licensing of the Cricket World Cup 2023 free-to-air broadcasting rights.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa’s surveillance law is changing but citizens’ privacy is still at risk
The Conversation: In a ringing judgment for the right to privacy, the South African Constitutional Court declared sections of the country’s main communication surveillance law unconstitutional in February 2021.
SOUTH AFRICA: This is the plan for TV Licences in South Africa
MyBroadband: Parliament has published the draft South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Bill of 2023, giving communications minister Mondli Gungubele three years from its commencement to develop a funding model.
SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Unmitigated disaster’ – experts slam SABC Bill as ‘bizarre’ (Paywall)
News24
SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudan Admits ‘Removing’ News Articles Deemed Hateful
VOA: South Sudan’s government on Friday admitted to having censored the media and removing articles it deemed to incite hatred after a U.N.-backed inquiry detailed “pervasive” restrictions on free press in the troubled country.
UGANDA: CPJ urges Uganda to investigate assaults on journalists covering opposition leader Bobi Wine
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an investigation into reports that Ugandan security personnel assaulted and detained multiple journalists covering the return home of opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine.
ZANZIBAR: Stakeholders to discuss media transformation in Zanzibar
The Citizen: Members of the Union of Broadcasting Organisations in Southern Africa (SABA) will meet in Zanzibar next week to discuss how they can continue sustaining themselves economically and remain relevant amid advancements in digital technologies.
ZIMBABWE: Rights Groups Critical of Zimbabwe Media Laws, Journalists’ Arrests (2 October)
VOA: Two rights groups – Amnesty International and the Media Institute of Southern Africa – have released reports saying Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to break with the past and isn’t keeping his promise to allow freedom of the press and access to information. The government has a different opinion.
AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN: Deportation deadline looms for Afghan refugees
IFJ: Pakistan’s government has declared that all unregistered Afghan refugees must leave the country by November 1 or face deportation, raising concerns for over 200 Afghan journalists in exile and amplifying the challenges they face in the wake of the Taliban’s crackdown on press freedom.
CHINA & US: RSF urged US senators to address press freedom during their visit to China
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the bipartisan United States Senate delegation to China to address the dire press freedom situation during their trip to the country, and called on the Congress to step up pressure on the Chinese authorities to obtain the release of jailed journalists, including Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan and Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai.
INDIA: Foreign aid and press freedom: A history of suspicions and silver linings
Newslaundry: NewsClick or its journalists are neither the first nor the last to be subjected to doubts surrounding alleged foreign aid.
INDIA: How a Radio Station Is Empowering Women in a Rural Heartland
The New York Times: With shows that encourage listener participation, a community radio station in the Indian state of Haryana is helping women overcome deeply patriarchal attitudes.
INDIA: Indian police raid journalists’ homes and offices over claims NewsClick received funds from China
ABC: Indian police have raided the offices of a news website that’s under investigation for allegedly receiving funds from China, as well as the homes of several of its journalists, in what critics have described as an attack on one of India’s few remaining independent news outlets.
INDIA: What the NewsClick Raid Says About Declining Press Freedom in India
Time: Journalists and media outlets across India are raising questions about press freedom and their ability to work without the “threat of reprisal” after police raided the offices and homes of journalists working for NewsClick, an independent digital news outlet in the Indian capital on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
INDONESIA: Tackling misinformation, disinformation and electoral intricacies through journalism
The Jakarta Post: The Jakarta Post joined a panel composed of some of Indonesia’s leading media players to map out the challenges in the run up to the 2024 election, spotlighting the important role of the media in shaping public perception and holding up the truth.
JAPAN: NHK’s “Citizen Lab” has been selected as a Good Design Award Gold Award and Grand Prize candidate! (Press release – Japanese)
NHK: “Citizen Lab” is a project that engages in “citizen science” in which citizens participate in solving difficult problems that cannot be solved by researchers alone.
MALAYSIA: RTM NEWS: BRIEF AND CONCISE STARTING IN OCTOBER (Press release – Malay – 29 Sep)
RTM: RTM News Channel (RTM News) came up with a fresh and compact update starting this October involving 2 main lines of news which are morning and evening broadcasts.
SOUTH KOREA: KBS ‘VVERTIGO’Garners Global Recognition (Press release)
KBS: KBS Broadcast Technology Research Institute unveiled ‘VVERTIGO’, an AI-powered multi-camera video production solution, at the International Broadcasting Convention 2023 (IBC 2023) from 15 to 19 September.
SRI LANKA: Controversial Online Safety Bill tabled
IFJ: New legislation presented to Sri Lanka’s Parliament on October 2 has been criticised as impacting freedom of expression and information in online spaces, with a new commission allowed to define, regulate, and prosecute the production or publication of ‘false statements’.
VIETNAM: RSF urges for release of journalist Pham Doan Trang on the third anniversary of her arrest
RSF: Detained for three years, prominent Vietnamese journalist and writer Pham Doan Trang is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence on trumped-up charges of “anti-state propaganda”. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the Vietnamese regime to release.
AUSTRALIA: Media education group, union protest over police demand for ABC ‘inside story’ climate footage
Asia Pacific Report: The Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA) says it is “deeply concerned” at reports that Western Australian police are demanding the ABC hand over footage about climate protesters filmed as part of a Four Corners investigation.
AUSTRALIA: SBS marks one year of ‘Mind Your Health’ this World Mental Health Day (Press Release)
SBS: SBS is providing more educational and uplifting stories through its Mind Your Health portal including a new season of the popular meditation podcast Great Minds, new health explainer videos and more.
AUSTRALIA: WA police condemned for ‘shocking’ demand for ABC to hand over footage of climate protesters
The Guardian: Civil society groups have accused Western Australia police of undermining press freedom by demanding the ABC hand over Four Corners footage of climate protesters, and urged the broadcaster to protect its journalists’ sources.
NEW ZEALAND: What are the political parties’ plans for media? (Listen)
RNZ: The media have been a political football this year – and now some politicians are complaining the media are against them in this election.
PACIFIC: Noumea’s ‘newspaper’ Les Nouvelles is back – free and online only
Asia Pacific Report: New Caledonia’s daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes is back six months after it closed — but with a big difference. It is online only and free, almost.
REGIONAL: Pacific broadcasters trained for pivotal regional events
ABU: 60 broadcasters from 13 stations across 10 Pacific nations have successfully completed Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited’s (PCBL) 2023 Pacific Regional Journalism Training Programme. This eight-week programme centred on regional issues and sports reporting, along with technical training
AUSTRIA: A total of 2.7 million saw health and care as a focus on ORF (Press Release – German)
ORF: As part of a multimedia program focus, the ORF dedicated itself to the topic of health and care from Monday, October 2nd to Sunday, October 8th, 2023. In total, the numerous TV programs of the focus week alone reached 2.739 million viewers, which corresponds to a wide audience of 36 percent of the domestic TV population aged twelve and over.
BELGIUM: RTBF files a complaint and warns of a new commercial scam (French)
RTBF: A Facebook post has been circulating featuring two RTBF journalists: François de Brigode and Laurick Ayoub. The post extolls the virtues of a downloadable game that makes it quick and easy to win lots of money. Anyone who falls for the scam risks being ripped off.
DENMARK: New chapter in an old case about the construction of DR Byen: DR’s chairmanship calls on the Lord Mayor for a reasonable solution (Press Release – Danish)
DR: An agreement from 2003 between DR and the Municipality of Copenhagen now also involves the Danish courts, after the municipality sued DR with a claim for a larger sum of billions.
GERMANY: Deutschlandradio Think Tank 2024 with a new topic/ “It could all be so beautiful if… – a journey into the future” (Press Release – German)
Deutschlandradio: People who initiate changes and projects that move us forward. In the coming year, the Deutschlandradio think tank will be looking at constructive approaches to tackling the challenges of the future.
GERMANY: From crackling to streaming / 100 years of Radio (Press Release – German)
Deutschlandradio: Radio in Germany is celebrating its 100th birthday. It is still one of the most popular media and has developed steadily in recent years.
GERMANY: “New8”: ZDF expands partnerships for series co-production (Press release – German)
ZDF: Starting signal for a series agreement between eight public service partners at the industry meeting point MIA in Rome: In addition to existing cooperations with the BBC, ORF and SRF or the European Alliance with France Télévisions and RAI, ZDF is starting a new cooperation in the fictional field.
GERMANY: News Media Scan by DW – Deutsche Welle and OONI launch new app (Press Release)
DW: The app by DW and OONI (Open Observatory of Network Interference) “News Media Scan by DW” makes an important contribution to the detection and documentation of Internet censorship. It can be used anywhere in the world.
IRELAND: RTÉ to close the Aertel service (Press Release – 2nd October)
RTÉ: In RTÉ’s Strategy 2024, published in 2019, RTÉ announced the closure of Aertel as part of its ongoing and necessary evolution into a public service media organisation, offering a blend of live and on-demand services and compelling and varied programming and content to audiences, when and where they want.
ITALY: Minority languages and Rai: a virtuous relationship (Press Release – Italian)
RAI: What is the relationship between Rai and minority languages? How has it evolved over time, and what are the future prospects?
ITALY: Rai: the decisions of the Board of Directors (Press Release – Italian)
RAI: During the session, the timing of the next election of the member of the Board of Directors expressed by the employees was approved, which became necessary following the premature death of director Riccardo Laganà.
NORWAY: NRK P3 turns 30 – an institution in the Norwegian entertainment industry (Press Release – Norwegian – 2nd October)
NRK: 30 years ago, NRK P3 went on the air for the very first time. – NRK P3 has become a premise provider and talent factory for the Norwegian entertainment industry, says acting editor, Ellen Ramstad.
POLAND: Media freedom at a crossroads – Journalism in Poland faces uncertain future ahead of election (REPORT)
IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins its partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in publishing a report examining the fragile state of press freedom in Poland ahead of the country’s general election on 15 October 2023.
SLOVAKIA: RTVS television news has long been the most objective in Slovakia (Press Release – Slovak)
RTVS: For the fifteenth time in a row, viewers have named RTVS television news as the most objective in Slovakia. In the current survey of the MEDIAN SK agency, focused on the second quarter of 2023, 24.4 % rated public television news as the most objective . Up to 4.9 percentage points separate RTVS from second place.
SLOVENIA: The managements of RTV Slovenia appointed candidates for the positions of directors (Press Release – Slovene)
RTVSLO: The Board of RTV Slovenia ask the council of RTV Slovenia to approve the appointment of directors.
SLOVENIA: What is left on the radio anyway? Inspiration? (Press Release – Slovene)
RTVSLO: The festival is intended for professionals and the general public, as part of the event, the all-Slovenian project Radioplayer Slovenia will be officially presented.
SWITZERLAND: Newstest.ch – SRG launches digital self-test with partners to promote media literacy (Press Release – German)
SRG SSR: Disinformation is one of the biggest challenges of today. The SRG is therefore launching newstest.ch together with the Politools association, the media institute of the publishers’ association SCHWEIZER MEDIEN and the Mercator Switzerland Foundation.
UK: BBC Scotland marks 100 years of North East Broadcasting (Press Release)
BBC: Jane Franchi and Rebecca Curran unveil plaque to commemorate first Aberdeen studio
UK: Generative AI at the BBC (Blog)
BBC: Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBC’s Director of Nations, sets out the latest on our plans
UK: S4C and TV channel FR3 will work together on broadcasting renowned Cardiff club and music venue Clwb Ifor Bach’s gig in Nantes on Saturday night. (Press Release)
S4C: The gig marks Clwb Ifor Bach’s 40th birthday and will be held after the match between Wales and Georgia in the Rugby World Cup at Stade de la Beaujoire in the city.
ARGENTINA: Public Television presented new programming (Press release – Spanish)
Argentina.gob.ar: The president of Radio and Television Argentina, Rosario Lufrano , and the director of Public Television, Claudio Martínez , announced today the new programs that the Channel will present in the final part of the year and drew up a balance of what was performed in front of the state screen in the almost four years of his administration.
BRAZIL: Broadcasters from Alagoas formalize membership of the RNCP (Press release – Portuguese)
EBC: The CEO of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) , Hélio Doyle, the general director, Jean Lima, and the president of Instituto Zumbi dos Palmares (IZP), Robson Vasconcelos Calheiros, signed today (3) the adhesion of the media outlets organization of Alagoas to the National Public Communication Network (RNCP).
COLOMBIA: Frailejón Ernesto Pérez premieres video in Colombian sign language (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: So that deaf people in Colombia would not continue to be excluded in the conversation led by the environmental influencer of the Public Media System, a new version of his most popular video was made in Colombian sign language.
COLOMBIA: RTVC and the United Nations come together to promote respect and protection of human rights (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: RTVC Public Media System and the UN Office for Human Rights signed a letter of intent to initiate joint actions aimed at disseminating international human rights standards that contribute to the construction of peace.
LatAm Journalism Review: Mexican journalist Laura Sánchez Ley and Cuban journalist Abraham Jiménez Enoa received on Thursday, Oct. 5, the 2023 Journalist of the Year Award from the One Young World organization.
PARAGUAY: Journalists on alert in Paraguay (Watch – Spanish)
DW: Distributed Denial of Secrets published documents from the Money Laundering Prevention Secretariat (Seprelad), weeks after the Paraguayan prosecutor’s office requested the names of journalists who wrote about an alleged money laundering plot that would involve the companies of former president Horacio Cartes.
PERU: Army denies regulation to journalists and does not rule out taking legal action against a complaint
Gestión: Last weekend, the weekly Hildebrandt en sus Trece reported that the Army Intelligence Directorate had assigned a team of undercover agents to follow the movements of reporter Ricardo Velazco and the editor, Rebeca Diz , journalists from said media outlet.
REGIONAL: New site In.Visibles tells stories of victims of organized crime in Latin America
LatAm Journalism Review: Latin America is full of stories about organized crime. However, according to journalists who specialize in the subject, the vast majority of published stories focus on those at the top of the criminal pyramid and not on the people who suffer violence as collateral damage.
LatAm Journalism Review: During elections in Latin America, disinformation and the use of social media as a channel of political propaganda have become cause for concern not only for the media, but also for national voting authorities and civil society organizations that form collaborative initiatives for monitoring and fact checking the news.
REGIONAL: Women journalists will be the protagonists of the IAPA meeting in Mexico (Spanish)
Vanguardia: Women who practice journalism and executives of various media outlets will be the protagonists of the 79th General Assembly of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) to be held from November 9 to 12 in Mexico City.
IRAN: Narges Mohammadi: Iranian woman jailed for rights work wins Nobel Peace prize
BBC: Imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. Announcing the decision, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said Ms Mohammadi, 51, was honoured for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: 3 Palestinian journalists killed, 1 injured, 2 missing, in Gaza-Israel conflict
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday that it was deeply disturbed by reports that at least six journalists were among the civilians who were killed, injured or missing in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Misinformation Spreading Online As War Erupts In The Middle East
Forbes: Across social media, some of the top trending discussions are now centered on the situation in the Middle East after Israel’s Ministry of Defense ordered a complete siege of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food, fuel.
IPI: Turkey’s press freedom crisis has deepened further in the last year. Journalists face steep harassment and intimidation for their work, including arbitrary imprisonment and prosecution. Those responsible for attacks and threats against the press enjoy alarming levels of impunity.
CANADA: Online News Act Regulations Submission
CAJ: On October 2, 2023, the CAJ submitted the following to the federal government in relation to submission requests on the draft regulations for the Online News Act.
Poynter: SPJ leaders say risks to the organization are overblown as the foundation has millions of dollars in reserves.
US: New Hampshire Public Radio union ratifies first contract
Current: New Hampshire Public Radio’s Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union voted to ratify its first contract Monday.
US: New York Public Radio lays off 6% of staff
Current: New York Public Radio cut 20 positions, CEO LaFontaine Oliver told staff Thursday.
US: NPR’s College Podcast Challenge Is Back! (Press release)
NPR: NPR’s third annual College Podcast Challenge is back and open for submissions between October 6th and January 5th. As in years past, the challenge is the same: produce a podcast between three and eight minutes on a topic, issue or story of your choosing.
CNN: Marty Baron, the renowned executive editor of The Washington Post who led the newspaper during eight tumultuous years in American politics and media, published his anticipated memoir this week, offering readers “an urgent exploration of the nature of power in the 21st century.”
CNN: A group of major media organizations on Thursday asked the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s federal election subversion case for permission to broadcast his trial, arguing the historic nature of the case warrants an exception to a strict rule prohibiting cameras in courtrooms.
US: Police cannot search slain journalist’s electronic devices, Nevada Supreme Court rules
Poynter: Justices declare that shield law protection carries on beyond a journalist’s death
US: Politicians say this Florida news site lets them buy coverage. Is your state next?
NPR: Political strategist Eunic Epstein-Ortiz arrived in Florida from New York in 2017 to help a major labor union turn out voters for the following year. She recalls being pleasantly surprised by the positive coverage the campaign received from Florida Politics.
US: The Remaking of The Wall Street Journal (Paywall)
The New York Times: Last month, Emma Tucker, the new editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, gathered the newsroom to share a blunt message: The media industry had morphed “beyond recognition” and The Journal needed to adapt, or be left behind.
US & RUSSIA: Court rejects complaint by US reporter Gershkovich against pre-trial detention in Russia
Reuters: A Russian court on Tuesday dismissed a complaint by U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich against the extension of his pre-trial detention, more than six months after his arrest on spying charges which he denies.
AI Accelerates Internet Freedom Decline, Report Finds
VOA: Artificial intelligence is contributing to the decline of global internet freedom, but more traditional means of repression are to blame as well, according to Freedom House’s annual Freedom on the Net report, which found that global internet freedom has declined for the 13th year in a row.
As cheap and dubious content spreads online, print finds a new value (opinion)
Poynter: As the internet becomes flooded with cheap content, discerning truth from falsehood will turn into a Herculean task. A deluge of untrustworthy content threatens to drown out the voices of credibility. It’s under these circumstances we can imagine a revival in the value of print.
How to avoid misinformation about the war in Gaza
Poynter: The war between Israel and Hamas has created the perfect circumstances for misinformation to accelerate online.
If Google suddenly had real competition in search, how would news publishers’ world change?
NiemanLab: The tech giant’s ongoing antitrust trial raises the possibility of the federal government, Apple, or both giving Google its first meaningful search competition in decades.
Journalists rush into danger to cover the Israel-Hamas war (Opinion)
Poynter: Courageous journalists from around the globe have jumped into war to share powerful reports of what is happening.
Amnesty: Amnesty has uncovered a highly-invasive spyware being used to gain access to people’s phones through links on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
What Political Reporters Can Learn from War Correspondents
Columbia Journalism Review: Throughout her long career with National Public Radio, Anne Garrels travelled to conflict zones, including Russia and Iraq.
When it comes to “green” finance, journalists must be willing to dig behind the jargon
Reuters: To beat greenwashing, go back to journalistic basics, argues Alexandre Karghoo at Le journal des Archipels in Mauritius.
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Header image: A row of people on the mobile phones. Credit: camilo jimenez / Unsplash.com