Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world

As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, 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 list of 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.

If you have any recommendations, please let us know.

PSM Innovations


CBC Corner: a digital portal offering more content to Canadian libraries

CBC Corner is a new digital portal – home to a collection of CBC and Radio-Canada content and resources – accessible for library users across Canada.

CBC Corner is a digital space developed only for public libraries, that brings together the wide variety of CBC and Radio-Canada digital offers and resources into one, single experience (Photo credit: CBC/Radio-Canada)

Canada’s public service media, CBC/Radio-Canada, has launched a new digital tool as part of its ongoing partnership with libraries. CBC Corner launched in late September 2022 and is free to use in over 160 libraries across Canada. It can be accessed at the library or even at home – all it requires is for users to be registered with a local library 

Since 2021, CBC/Radio-Canada has been partnering with libraries to host activities and engage with audiences, particularly with underserved and underrepresented communities. Libraries were eager to do more to serve and meet the needs of their patrons and wanted to see if they could provide a “digital site where we can access Canadian content, like a Canadian Netflix,” said Partnerships Program Manager, Valérie Landry. They wanted to offer their patrons more online digital content and some of the patrons were also looking for a Canadian news platform published in foreign languages.  

CBC Corner became the vehicle to meet those needs. With CBC Corner, CBC/Radio-Canada is able to reach a wider and more diverse audience. For example, providing a toggle within the upper menu helps serve French linguistic minority communities across the country by providing them with options to go and access all the French content that Canada has. 

Read more about CBC/Radio-Canada’s innovative partnership


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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 watching...


Press freedom in the Sahel: RSF denounces immense dangers for journalists

France24: Will reporting in the Sahel soon be mission impossible? Reporters Without Borders fears so. In its report published this Monday, the NGO describes a deterioration in the working conditions of journalists. Local and international media are caught between jihadist threats and pressure from the authorities. On Saturday Le Monde and Libération’s correspondents were expelled from Burkina Faso. Last week it was France 24 that was suspended. FRANCE 24’s correspondent Sam Bradpiece reports.

What we're listening to...


Mattia Peretti, outgoing manager of JournalismAI, on responsible use of AI

Journalism.co.uk: In 2019, less than 40 per cent of news organisations said they had a dedicated artificial intelligence strategy, according to research by JournalismAI, a project of Polis at the London School of Economics.

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ALGERIA: Algeria moves to further curb press freedom with new law

Zawya: Algeria’s parliament on Monday moved closer to passing a law further restricting press freedom in the North African country by tightening media ownership rules and preventing journalists from protecting sources.


EGYPT: Press Syndicate elections provide a rare chance for Egypt’s journalists to celebrate

MEI: Since Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi took office nearly nine years ago, placing all forms of media under total state control has been a top priority.


ETHIOPIA: Analysts Say Ethiopia’s Media Need to Empower Female Journalists

VOA: In her 15 years of working in Ethiopian media, Melkamsew Solomon says she still doesn’t see enough women in senior roles.


GHANA: GBC Director General urges journalists to be inclusive in reportage, not marginalise minorities

Pulse: The Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation GBC, Prof Amin Alhassan has entreated media practitioners to be inclusive in their reportage and not discriminate against minority groups.


GHANA: MFWA petitions Ghana’s Attorney General over detained journalist Noah Dameh

MFWA: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has appealed to Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to intervene to end the persecution of journalist Noah Dame who has been remanded in custody.


KENYA: NAKHURENYA: Media freedom must not be under threat by state (Opinion)

The Star: During the Azimio protests, ugly scenes were witnessed whereby police officers were caught on camera harassing and attacking journalists.


MALAWI: Malawi determined to develop a viable broadcasting sector

MISA: MACRA Deputy Director of Legal – Consumer Affairs Kelious Mlenga, said the schedule of licensing framework and the Communications Act will be reviewed.


NAMIBIA: NBC challenges ReconAfrica ruling

New Era Live: The Namibia Broadcasting Corporation is questioning the actions of media ombudsman, John Nakuta in handling a complaint against it, lodged by the Economic Social Justice Trust, where he is a trustee.


NIGERIA: SERAP, CJID Sue Buhari, Others Over N5m Fine On Channels TV

Channels TV: The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) have filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over the N5 million fine on Channels Television.


SOMALIA: In Somalia’s War With Al-Shabab, Media Access an Issue

VOA News: As Somalia gears up for the second phase of its war with al-Shabab militants, there is a tussle between the independent media and the government over how much access journalists should have to the front lines, liberated areas and combat operations.


SOMALIA: SJS: After threats and persecution of SJS SG Abdalle Mumin, it is vital to reinforce accountability to end human rights violations in Somalia

Horn Observer: Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) welcomes that the secretary general Abdalle Ahmed Mumin re-gained his freedom after 166 days of routine detentions, harassment, intimidation, persecution and other threats on his life due to his work as the leader of the journalists union and his role as a fearless human rights defender


SOUTH AFRICA: BEMAWU concerned about SABC’s lack of a board

SABC News: Labour Union, Broadcasting, Electronic, Media & Allied Workers Union (BEMAWU), has outlined the impact of the SABC not having a board of directors, saying employees have not been given salary increases.


SOUTH AFRICA: Ramaphosa ‘acted unlawfully’ in questioning list of SABC board members, Parliament hears

News 24: President Cyril Ramaphosa acted unlawfully when he asked Parliament to reconsider the list of names submitted to him for appointment to the SABC board. This was the legal opinion of Parliament’s legal advisor, Andile Tetyana, who assessed the letter which Ramaphosa wrote to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on 9 March.


SUDAN: Sudan state radio and TV workers call general strike

Dabanga: Workers at Sudan’s state radio and television corporations entered into an indefinite strike today, after their scheduled suspension of work for a period of two weeks, announced countrywide by the Committee for the Demands of Radio and Television Workers in Sudan, who demand that the state-controlled news organisations be brought under the control of National Radio and Television Corporation instead of being subject to state governments. 


ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe prioritises safety of journalists

WAN-IFRA: A week of training and multi-stakeholder conversations in Harare culminated in government commitments to ensure the safety of journalists and recommendations to strengthen dialogue ahead of the upcoming election period.


REGIONAL: How Africa’s Sahel Region Is Becoming a Media Desert

VOA: Last month, French journalist Olivier Dubois, who was held hostage in Mali for over a year, was finally released, but foreign and local journalists working in the Sahel tell VOA that press freedoms continue to be eroded in the region, making it more dangerous for those reporters who are still working.

AFGHANISTAN: 3 journalists arrested by Taliban forces

The Print: Three journalists have been arrested by the Taliban forces in the Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan, local sources said, Khaama Press reported.


AFGHANISTAN: Afghan women-run radio resumes broadcasts after Taliban shutdown – but with conditions

The Independent: Afghanistan’s only women-run radio station has resumed broadcasts after it was shut down by the Taliban for allegedly playing music during the holy month of Ramadan.


BANGLADESH: Bangladesh PM Declares National Daily “Enemy” Of The Country: Report

NDTV: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday slammed Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo and described it as “an enemy of the Awami League, democracy, and the people of Bangladesh,” reported bdnews24.com.


BANGLADESH: DSA one of the world’s most draconian laws for journalists: US

The Daily Star: The Digital Security Act is one of the world’s most draconian laws for journalists, the US Department of State said in a briefing in Washington yesterday.


CAMBODIA: Cambodian Youth Petition Government to Reinstate Broadcaster

VOA: With elections just a few months away, young Cambodians have a message for their government: “We are hungry for truthful and independent news.”


HONG KONG: IFJ report shines light on growing Hong Kong media diaspora

IFJ: A new report released today by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reveals the significant challenges faced by self-exiled Hong Kong journalists and calls for greater international support for diaspora media.


INDIA: Amazon Signs Creative Economy Pact With Indian Government

Deadline: Amazon India has signed a Letter of Engagement (LoE) with the country’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) in a bid to boost the creative economy.


INDIA: Indian journalists warn of new government assault on press freedom

CNN News: India’s government is planning to create a state fact-checking unit with the power to order social media platforms to take down content about its activities that it deems “fake or misleading.”


INDIA: Supreme Court Cancels News Channel Ban, Blasts Centre Over “Sealed Cover”

NDTV: A media outlet cannot be muzzled just because it criticises the government, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday, as it lifted curbs on a Malayalam news channel, ordered by the centre on “national security” grounds.


JAPAN: Expanding distribution of “local news” on NHK Plus -All evening news programs for regions will be distributed (Press release – Japanese) 

NHK: NHK will expand the regional news programs available on NHK Plus. 29 programs from Kyushu/Okinawa, Chugoku, Shikoku, Tokai/Hokuriku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido that are broadcast at 6:00 p.m.


NEPAL: Review of the Public Service Broadcasting Bill (Opinion – Nepali) 

INS: It is necessary to establish public service broadcasting in Nepal to make broadcasting accessible to all citizens in order to bring into practice norms that ensure citizens’ freedom of thought and expression and the right to information. 


NORTH KOREA: N. Korea holds conference of journalists’ union for 1st time in 22 years

The Korea Herald: North Korea held a conference of its journalists’ union earlier this week for the first time in 22 years and urged its members to become “devoted spokespeople” of the ruling Workers’ Party, state media reported Wednesday.


PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN: ‘Living in fear’: Exiled Afghan journalists face arrest, hunger in Pakistan

CPJ: Stuck with no income for more than a year after fleeing Afghanistan for Pakistan, Samiullah Jahesh was ready to sell his kidney to put food on the table for his family. 


THAILAND: Thai media’s hopes for positive change after general election

Thai PBS World: With the May 14th general election around the corner, many Thai journalists are hoping for more press freedom in reporting political issues while demanding that authorities remain transparent with the election process, which will affect the direction of Thailand’s future.


REGIONAL: Poynter and Meta partner to provide Fact-Checking Fundamentals for Asia-Pacific journalists

Poynter: The International Fact-Checking Network at the nonprofit Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalistic excellence, has partnered with Meta to create a free introductory fact-checking course serving journalists in the Asia-Pacific region.

AUSTRALIA: ABC International spreads its wings

ABC Alumni: Under the leadership of Claire Gorman, ABC International has wasted no time in utilising additional funding from the Labor government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy to extend its operations and influence across Asia and the Pacific.


AUSTRALIA: ABC launches new TV show, The Pacific, putting Pacific people at the centre of the storytelling

ABC Backstory: When Tahlea Aualiitia talks about hosting the ABC’s new Pacific-focused news and current affairs TV program, The Pacific, her voice breaks and she becomes emotional. It’s a career milestone, but also much more than that.


AUSTRALIA: Media companies slam proposed reforms to Australian privacy laws

The Guardian: Media companies have rejected a proposal to reform Australian privacy law, warning that the changes – including a right to sue outlets for serious invasions of privacy – are not in the public interest and would harm press freedom.


AUSTRALIA & CHINA: Canberra Presses China Over Australian Journalist Detained Since 2020

VOA News: One year after Beijing put an Australian journalist on trial in a closed-door hearing, China has still not revealed the verdict in the case. The Australian government has expressed “deep concerns” over the delay in announcing the outcome of the national security trial of Cheng Lei.


FIJI: ‘A great day to be a journalist in Fiji’ as Parliament repeals ‘draconian’ media law

Global Voices: On April 6, the Parliament of Fiji voted to repeal the Media Industry Development Act (MIDA) which was enacted in 2010 by the government that assumed power through a coup in 2006.


FIJI: ‘One for the ages’: Historical day for Fijian journalism as ‘draconian’ media law scrapped

RNZ News: The Fijian Parliament has voted to kill a draconian media law in Suva on Thursday, sending newsrooms across the country into celebrations.


NEW ZEALAND: Big budget boost for RNZ after failed public media plan

RNZ: The government has boosted the annual budget of RNZ by more than 50 percent for the next four years after the recent collapse of the plan for a new public media entity. The broadcasting minister also says TVNZ’s public role is being reconsidered.


NEW ZEALAND: Rise in disinformation, conspiracy theories prompts calls for election protections

RNZ: Unprecedented levels of disinformation will only get worse this election, but systems set up to deal with it during the pandemic have all been shut down, Disinformation Project researcher Sanjana Hattotuwa has warned.


PAPUA NEW GUINEA: The beginning of the end for PNG press freedom?

East Asia Forum: Fiji’s new government is tabling a bill to repeal the Media Industry Development Act. But the punitive legislation — which had been in place for more than a decade — has left its imprint on the region.

ARMENIA: INTERVIEW WITH HOVHANNES MOVSISYAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ARMENIA PUBLIC TV (21 March) 

EBU: Armenia Public TV’s Director General Hovhannes Movsisyan talks to our Head of Member Relations for Central and Eastern Europe Radka Betcheva. 


AUSTRIA: Austrian media investigated in bribes-for-favourable-coverage case

Euractiv: Austria’s special corruption prosecutor has launched investigations into ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz allegedly bribing various media to get favourable coverage in exchange for amending laws.


AUSTRIA: Kronehit boss threatens EU complaints against new ORF law (German) 

Der Standard: The coalition negotiations on a new ORF law continued over Easter – the planned household fee, regardless of reception, must be settled by the end of 2023 when the previous GIS regulation expires.


AUSTRIA: Less text on ORF.at is discussed, in Switzerland already limited to 1000 characters (German) 

Der Standard: The negotiations on a new ORF law are heading towards a finale. The ÖVP and the Greens have agreed on a household levy that is independent of reception, but noticeably cheaper per household.


DENMARK: Meet DR correspondents from all over the world at home in the living room (Danish – Press release)

DR: On 19 April, everyone can participate online, when the libraries and DR jointly organize an online meeting with four of DR’s correspondents. It is happening as part of the ‘Dans in the World’ theme right now.


ESTONIA: Estonia to block Russian TV channels

Broadband TV News: Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Agency (TTJA) informed ISPs about 53 domain names through which it is possible to watch TV channels sanctioned in the European Union.


FINLAND: Yle answers: Yle’s mission is based on the needs of citizens and society (Press release – Finnish)

Yle: We publish articles, answers and corrections sent to newspapers from Yle. This answer has been sent to the Finnish Press on April 5, 2023.


FINLAND: Yles Sampo Mäkelä: “The other companies’ podcasts inspire to try something new” (Swedish)

Nordvision: With the podcast market continuing to grow, Nordic Public Service is constantly honing its range. Sampo Mäkelä is the responsible producer for the audio development at Finnish Yle. 


FRANCE: Radio France: banning the incestuous link between journalism and communication (French)

Observatoire du journalisme: Recently singled out for combining consulting activities with their jobs as journalists, five employees of France Info are the subject of a new summons from their management, which wishes to shed full light on the compatibility of this dual activity.


GERMANY: Coalition agreement in Berlin: What should change at RBB? (Listen – German)

Deutschlandfunk: The Schlesinger crisis is also reflected in the new Berlin coalition agreement. CDU and SPD want to change the State Treaty on Broadcasting Berlin-Brandenburg. It is also about salaries and the program mandate.


HUNGARY: One year after election, media freedom in Hungary remains suffocated (Analysis) 

IPI: Lack of overt intervention in media market reflects Fidesz’s comfortable grip over media landscape.


IRELAND: RTÉ announces a wide range of upcoming history programming dedicated to the Decade of Centenaries (Press release) 

RTÉ: RTÉ has today announced a diverse array of special programming about the Irish Civil War and the revolutionary period in Ireland that will be available across television, radio and online. 


ITALY: Rai For Sustainability – ESG at the Festival dei Due Mondi (Press release – Italian) 

Rai: The 66th edition of the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto (from 23 June to 9 July) was presented today in Rome at the Ministry of Culture.


ITALY: Thorough investigation required after arson attack on car of journalist Rossella Puccio 

IPI: Solidarity with freelance journalist Rossella Puccio following targeted intimidation.


POLAND: TVP programs available in the Baltic countries and Ukraine (Press release – Polish) 

TVP: TVP Polonia, TVP INFO and TVP World have been offered by Volia – one of the largest providers of cable and internet television in Ukraine.


SERBIA: UN expert calls for political will to translate laws into concrete action to protect freedom of expression (Press release)

OHCHR: Serbia must ensure that legal reforms are accompanied by effective implementation of laws and political will to combat dangerous rhetoric against minorities, journalists and activists, said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.


SLOVENIA: “The political takeover proves that the basic levers of the rule of law do not work in our country” (Slovenian)

RTV SLO: The journalist unions of RTV Slovenia intensified their strike activities on Tuesday with a work stoppage. At the meeting, the employees warned that there is no progress in the negotiations with the management, while pressure on journalistic autonomy and violation of standards continues.


SLOVENIA: The popularity of Wave 202 continues to increase markedly (Press release – Slovenian)

RTV SLO: In March 2023, Val 202 achieved its highest average daily reach in 22 years, reaching as many as 457,000 different listeners on a weekly basis.


SLOVENIA: The program board of RTV quickly interrupted the meeting, where they were supposed to talk about the decisions of the courts (Slovenian) 

RTV SLO: RTV’s program board met in an extraordinary session to discuss the responsibility of the acting general director in relation to court rulings, the lack of action due to the decline in viewership and alleged violations of labor legislation, but the session was soon adjourned. 


SWITZERLAND: SRG Hackdays 2023: These are the winning projects (German) 

SRG SSR: How can SRG immerse itself in the needs of users, generate creative ideas with added value in the shortest possible time and develop concrete solutions – and do it collaboratively, including different perspectives and expertise from inside and outside the company? 


UK: Channel 4 and Vinted sign trailblazing multi-platform partnership (Press release) 

Channel 4: Channel 4 and pre-loved fashion platform Vinted have joined forces on the broadcaster’s biggest cross-platform branded partnership to date.


UK: Does the UK Media Bill mark a comeback for PSBs? (Opinion)

Digital TV Europe: British public service broadcasters (PSBs) may finally be able to recover some ground in their unequal battle for visibility with global streamers such as Netflix. The UK government this week published the draft Media Bill, which is intended to even the playing field between traditional broadcasters and streamers.


UK: Making Sense of Media Annual Plan (Press release) 

Ofcom: From engaging with those currently delivering interventions, to driving new programmes for underserved users, we’ve continually aimed to promote people’s ability to participate effectively and safely  and support them to flourish online. 


REGIONAL: EBU Member broadcasters continue to mobilize wide range of support for Ukraine (Press release)

EBU: European Broadcasting Union President Delphine Ernotte Cunci and Director General Noel Curran were in Ukraine this week to show their support to the EBU’s Ukrainian Member UA:PBC.


REGIONAL: Politicians and Public Targeted in Online Intimidation Cases

Balkan Insight: BIRN’s latest three-month monitoring review of digital violations, covering the period from January to March, highlights how online targeting of politicians and government critics, as well as other forms of digital intimidation, have become significant issues of concern in the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe.

ARGENTINA: For more citizen participation in communication (Spanish)

Página 12: For more than a decade now, Alejandro Linares has rigorously investigated -without romanticism or naivety, but neither nihilism or defeatism- about state broadcasters and their chances of playing a central role in a media system and a society that need to hear more voices. 


ARGENTINA: They denounce an opposition campaign against public media (Spanish)

Télam: The Coalition for a Democratic Communication argues that the objective of these maneuvers, which have the complicity of the hegemonic media, is the closure or privatization of “state-owned companies, which were created to favor information pluralism.”  


BRAZIL: Grupo Globo ends week with at least 40 journalists fired (Portuguese)

Poder360: From April 3 to 6, 2023, at least 40 employees were fired from Grupo Globo’s Journalism Department. Cuts were made at g1 , GloboNews , TV Globo and affiliates. 


BRAZIL: Journalist’s Day: How to stop the escalation of violence against the profession (Portuguese)

Agência Brasil: Shouting, pushing, punching. Lies, threats and intimidation. Journalists began to suffer, in full working hours or even outside of it, violence of different types that tried to silence those who work with the word and with the image.


BRAZIL: Ministry of Communications launches digital TV evolution project (Brazilian) 

TV Brasil: To mark the first 100 days of government, the Ministry of Communications announced the expansion of community radio stations and the development of the TV 3.0 project. A balance of support for the digitization of TV companies’ channels was also presented, before the switch-off of analogue TV at the end of the year.


COLOMBIA: Hollman Morris would be the new manager of RTVC, the Colombian Public Media System (Spanish)

Infobae: Despite the questioning of a group of feminists to the ex-candidate for the Bogotá Mayor’s Office, the former manager of Canal Capital could become the manager of the company that produces national public television in the coming days. 


COLOMBIA: RTVC: the abandonment of Gustavo Petro to the Colombian public media system

El Pais: The president has not appointed, in eight months of government, a manager to give a direction to the great public television and radio company.


GUYANA: Government and the media (Editorial) 

Stabroek News: The fact that political control of the state-owned media in Guyana has, over time, ceased to be a matter of any meaningful national debate is a reflection of the extent to which we have come to accept the reality that control of both the administrative and operational levers of those media houses that are funded by our ‘tax dollars’ has become a fait accompli.


JAMAICA: Big money for the media

Jamaica Observer: THE Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) shelled out just over $2.4 million to eight media houses for the live broadcast of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s contribution to the 2023/24 Budget Debate on Thursday, March 16.


MEXICO: Women reporters from northern Mexico share experiences on how to do investigative journalism amidst violence and job insecurity

LatAm Journalism Review: Melva Frutos was one of the first journalists to cover one of the bloodiest episodes recorded in northern Mexico, specifically in the border state of Coahuila.


PERU: Peru’s Media Faces a Crisis Within a Crisis

Nacla: With Peru’s mainstream media concentrated in a few hands, citizens turn to the internet to challenge hegemonic narratives. The results are not always utopian.


URUGUAY: The Astesiano case: How the press covered one of the most talked-about criminal cases of recent times in Uruguayan politics

LatAm Journalism Review: Alejandro Astesiano was arrested by the police at the end of September 2022. The then-chief of security of the current President Luis Lacalle Pou, falsified documents to obtain passports for Russian citizens who had no links with Uruguay.


REGIONAL: Bills menace press freedom in Peru, worrying findings in Mexico, and TikTok ban raises questions

IFEX: March 2023 in the Americas: A free expression round up produced by IFEX’s Regional Editor Laura Vidal, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.


REGIONAL: Despite Western bans, Putin’s propaganda flourishes in Spanish on TV and social media

RISJ: With almost 500 million speakers and a global reach, Spanish has always been one of the key languages for Kremlin’s propaganda.


REGIONAL: Moving forward without fear and without a roof: the character that drives media leaders in Latin America

LatAm Journalism Review: Media directors and founders in several countries in the region reflect on how the path they travelled can pave with lessons and challenges that of others who come after them, who will soon be in charge.


REGIONAL: SIP will discuss freedom of the press, AI and media sustainability (Spanish)

PR Noticias: In the midst of a critical moment for press freedom in Latin America, this will be one of the issues that the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) will address at its biannual meeting, which will be held online from April 25 to 27.

IRAQ: 20 Years After Deadly Attack, Free Press Still Threatened in Iraq

Human Rights Watch: Detention, Harassment, Killings Continue.


LEBANON: In Lebanon, journalists come under legal intimidation as press freedom declines

Al-Monitor: Two editors-in-chief of independent Lebanese news outlets have been summoned by security services, reigniting freedom of the press issues in Lebanon.


PALESTINE: MADA: An increase in the number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine during March

MADA Center: During March, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” has documented a total of 53 violations against media freedoms committed by the Israeli occupation and other Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where the Israeli occupation committed a total of 40 violations, while various Palestinian parties committed 12 violations, and ” Facebook” Platform committed one violation.


TURKEY: Turkey’s media watchdog imposes fresh fines on 3 TV stations for gov’t criticism

Turkish Minute: Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), has imposed new fines on three TV stations due to programs during which government policies were criticized, a RTÜK member has announced.


TURKEY: Turkish Opposition Slates New Social Media Regulation Ahead of Elections

Balkan Insight: New regulation obliging social media platforms to hand over users’ personal information if the authorities ask for it – adopted just ahead of critical elections, has been condemned by the opposition Good Party leader.


REGIONAL: Damian Radcliffe Co-authors New Report on Trends in Social Media in the Middle East

MJRC: In a new report for the University of Oregon-UNESCO Crossings Institute for Conflict-Sensitive Reporting and Intercultural Dialogue, Damian Radcliffe along with Hadil Abuhmaid (Media Studies Doctoral Candidate at the University of Oregon) and Nii Mahliaire (Ph.D. Candidate in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Oregon) analyzed social media trends in the Middle East in 2022 by focusing on the most popular social media platforms and the ways in which they are used by the general public. 

CANADA: Pedalling stories: Radio journalists use e-bikes to power their reporting

CBC/Radio-Canada: Some Radio-Canada radio journalists are putting a new spin on news gathering as part of a pilot project to use electric bikes for reporting.


CANADA: Press freedom advocates slam media restrictions in Vancouver tent removal

Global News: Press freedom advocates are condemning the restrictions imposed on journalists covering the eviction of unhoused people from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on Wednesday.


US: Judge rejects motion to dismiss lawsuit alleging PBS violated digital subscribers’ privacy (Paywall)

Current: The class-action case examines PBS’ role in sharing digital subscribers’ personal data with Facebook.


US: NOVA, Public Media Stations Collaborate to Examine Local Effects of a Changing Climate (Press release) 

CPB: In documenting the collapse of the snow crab population in Alaska to erosion on the Gulf Coast of Florida, public media stations across the country are partnering with television’s most acclaimed science documentary series, NOVA, to explore how changes in climate affect local communities. 


US: Radio Community Service Grant Application for FY 2024 – For New Applicants (Opportunity) 

CPB: CPB is accepting applications from noncommercial educational radio stations to enter the Radio Community Service Grant (CSG) Program.


US: Turn newsletter subscribers into donors, like WJCT Public Media did 

Better News: Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: You have a large list of engaged subscribers for your flagship newsletter. Reader revenue is the next challenge. Here’s an example of how a focused, personalized case for support can drive results.


US: Twitter Labeling NPR as “State-Affiliated Media” Goes Against its Own Definition of State Media

Vanity Fair: Elon Musk’s Twitter puts NPR under the same category as Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhau, as the company inconsistently rolls out changes to its verification system.


US: US journalists’ beats vary by gender, employment status, race and ethnicity

Pew Research Center: The beats American journalists cover vary widely by gender and other factors, according to a new analysis of a Pew Research Center survey of nearly 12,000 working U.S.-based journalists conducted in 2022. 


US: Why KPBS developed guidelines for public safety coverage — and why your news organization should, too (Paywall)

Current: Reporting on public safety without thoughtful consideration can lead to diminished accuracy and lack of depth that may leave audiences with a biased perception of which issues are truly important to communities.


US & RUSSIA: Free Evan, prosecute the hostage takers

CJR: The charges of espionage against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich are false and fabricated. But there is evidence of a crime in his case. In fact, according to several experts, there’s an argument for the Justice Department to open an investigation to determine if those involved in Gershkovich’s arrest violated US law against hostage taking. 

ChatGPT is making up fake Guardian articles. Here’s how we’re responding

The Guardian: Last month one of our journalists received an interesting email. A researcher had come across mention of a Guardian article, written by the journalist on a specific subject from a few years before. 


Death of the podcast

Dirt: Terry Nguyen investigates the decline of podcast hype. 


Investigating Digital Threats: Disinformation

GIJN: This post is the first in a series of chapters taken from GIJN’s upcoming Reporter’s Guide to Investigating Digital Threats. The guide will be released in full this September at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference.


Local journalism as a revenue driver: the case of Corriere della Sera

LP: Local journalism is not only an indispensable service for society, but it can also be a lever to obtain income in the case of non-local newspapers. Proof of this is the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which has managed to increase its revenue by focusing on local news , training journalists and improving the user experience in its nine local editions.


Local newsrooms want to stop sensationalizing crime, but it’s hard

Poynter: Across the United States local journalists are attempting to reform their approach to covering crime, moving away from “If it bleeds, it leads” and toward explanatory and accountability reporting.


More states using ‘brutal tactics’ to silence dissent abroad, finds report

Euronews: More states are silencing dissent beyond their borders, according to a new report. Freedom House, a US-based NGO, found authoritarian governments are increasingly “turning to violence and other brutal tactics” to repress their citizens overseas, including assassinations, abductions, assaults, detentions and unlawful deportations.


My kids spent two weeks only watching free-to-air TV. Here’s what happened

ABC: Streaming services have completely changed how kids watch TV. My children have grown up immersed in on-demand content where they can skip, pause and repeat shows and movies with ease.


Open, responsible and transparent – The dpa’s guidelines for artificial intelligence (German)

DPA: The dpa is committed to the facts. And one fact is that AI has come to stay. Our conviction at dpa is that we can only meet the risks and challenges of artificial intelligence if we take advantage of the many opportunities arising from the use of these innovative tools. 


Reporting isn’t espionage — but throughout history, journalists have been accused of being spies

Nieman Lab: The detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on espionage charges marks an unusual throwback to the old Soviet tactics for handling foreign correspondents.


R.I.P. Fuego, 2011–2023: You were a good bot

Nieman Lab: Back in 2018, the far-right influencer Steve Bannon shared his theory of American politics. “The Democrats don’t matter,” he told journalist Michael Lewis. “The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.”


Twitter appears highly bothered by Substack’s existence

Nieman Lab: In the first episode of Season 4 of Succession, Kendall Roy describes his would-be media venture, The Hundred, as “Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker.”


Twitter Criticized Over ‘Government Funded Media’ Label on Broadcasters

VOA: Media outlets and analysts have condemned a decision by Twitter to label the BBC, VOA and NPR as “government-funded media,” saying the policy’s application has been inconsistent and risks reducing trust in the independent media outlets.


Why Retired Journalists Are Jumping Back into the Profession

Nieman Reports: They’re founding startups, coaching young reporters, and serving on boards to bridge the gap left by the industry’s contraction.


Will AI-generated images create a new crisis for fact-checkers? Experts are not so sure

RISJ: Over the past few weeks, a number of improbable images went viral: former US President Donald Trump getting arrested; Pope Francis wearing a stylish white puffer coat; Elon Musk walking hand in hand with General Motors CEO Mary Barra.


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