Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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PSM Innovations
Dutch public broadcaster app made more accessible for people with dyslexia
The public media organisation has applied a new font style in its digital app which will make it easier to read for those with dyslexia.
Around 1 in 20 people in the Netherlands have dyslexia. This amounts to about 900,000 individuals that find it difficult to distinguish between letters, words, and sentences when reading, which can also make it more challenging to write or spell.
Recognising the scale of this problem, NOS recently introduced a small change to its mobile and tablet app that it claims would make it more “readable” for people with dyslexia to use.
The app now offers a font for dyslexic users, which contains thicker letters that are shaped differently so they are separated more clearly. Capital letters and full stops are also thicker, which enables readers to better distinguish between new sentences. Users can access this by selecting the ‘Optimize for dyslexia’ button on either the ‘aA’ symbol at the top of the article, or in the settings menu at the bottom of the homepage.
While the offer has only been live for a few weeks, NOS’ Digital Media department has received some positive reviews from users. According to Mr. Kegel, while “there is no definitive scientific research that proves that this works… we’ve heard from numerous dyslexics who have experienced a huge improvement in readability.” He also noted that while some people with dyslexia have also reported that it has not made a difference for them, “the majority has been positive, it has been worth the effort.”
Read more about NOS’s app change for people with dyslexia
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What we're watching...
New GBC CEO James Neish says public broadcaster may cost a lot of money but is a fantastic privilege for Gibraltar
GBC: GBC’s new CEO James Neish says that while GBC costs a lot of money, the Public Broadcaster is also a fantastic privilege for Gibraltar. He says that broadcasting is an expensive industry, and that there are few places our size served by a Public Broadcaster, delivering a wealth of programming and services. James Neish was speaking on Monday night’s City Pulse at the end of his first day as the Corporation’s CEO.
What we're listening to...
Philippines press freedom back in spotlight after brutal murders
ABC Radio National: Residents of Manilla poured into the streets following the murder of veteran broadcaster Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, the second journalist killed in the Philippines in two months. Five months on since the change of President, has the views of the authorities changed towards press freedom?
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GUINEA BISSAU: 130 State, media actors in Guinea Bissau to benefit from media, freedom of expression training
MFWA: Starting October 9, 2022, 130 representatives from key state and media institutions in Guinea Bissau will benefit from a series of capacity-building sessions on Media, Freedom of Expression and Digital Rights.
KENYA: Former KBC staff stopped from auction in pay war
Business Daily Africa: Former employees of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) have been stopped from auctioning the broadcaster’s equipment to recover Sh46.7 million arising from salaries they ought to have been paid after their sacking in 2006.
LESOTHO: Editor’s Shooting Trial Postponed Again
Lesotho Times: THE trial of four soldiers accused of the attempted murder of former Lesotho Times and Sunday Express editor, Lloyd Mutungamiri, has again been postponed, this time to 16 November 2022.
LESOTHO: Elections working environment improves for Lesotho journalists
MISA: Journalists in Lesotho signed an election reporting pledge, which was their commitment to covering the elections in an ethical and professional manner.
MALI: French journalist held hostage longer than any other since 1980s
RSF: On 8 October, a reporter kidnapped in Mali on 8 April 2021 will have been held hostage longer than other French journalist since the Lebanon hostage crisis in the 1980s.
Sahara Reporters: NBC had refused to disclose details of payments of licence fees by broadcasting stations and platforms operating in Nigeria.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: With next year’s election approaching, global organisations stress the authorities should respect journalists’ ability to report as they see fit.
RWANDA: Rwanda acquits three journalists detained for four years
Monitor: A Rwandan court on Wednesday acquitted three journalists who had been detained for four years for allegedly spreading fake news, in a case rights groups derided as a sham.
Horn Observer: On Saturday 08 October, the Ministry of Information of the Federal Government of Somalia issued a directive which “prohibited dissemination of extremism ideology messages both from traditional media broadcasts and social media.
SOUTH AFRICA: 10 days to go before outgoing SABC board’s five-year term of office ends
SABC: The outgoing SABC board has exactly 10 days left before its five-year term of office ends. However, the public broadcaster will not have a new board after the 15th of this month.
SOUTH AFRICA: MPs blame SSA for delay in naming new SABC board (Paywall)
Times Live: Parliament has blamed the State Security Agency (SSA) for the delay in appointing a new SABC board to replace the outgoing directors whose terms end in less than a week.
SUDAN: IFJ welcomes restoration of rights of Sudanese Journalists’ Union
IFJ: The Sudanese Journalists’ Union (SJU) officially resumed its activity on October 11, three years after the decision of the military authorities to ban it.
TANZANIA: Minister tasks TBC new board to draft law
Daily News: MINISTER for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Nape Nnauye on Thursday, directed the new board members of Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) to work on a process of crafting a new law specifically for the corporation.
TUNISIA: Tunisian journalists fear erosion of press freedom
Reuters: Since taking a lead role in criticizing Tunisia’s increasingly powerful president, prominent journalist Mohamed Boughalleb has been out of work, part of what he and press rights activists believe is a quiet policy to chill dissent.
UGANDA: Uganda named worst digital rights violator
Observer: At last week’s Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2022, in Lusaka, Zambia, Uganda drew unwelcome criticism. Speaker after speaker described the east African country as the worst global example of a digital rights violator.
VOA: Zimbabwean journalist Godwin Mangudya was yesterday allegedly assaulted by members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and ruling Zanu PF activists in the Harare’s Kuwadzana suburb, while covering the party’s Central Committee elections.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean authorities charge journalist Hope Chizuzu under cybercrime law
CPJ: Zimbabwean authorities should immediately drop charges against sports freelancer journalist Hope Chizuzu, return his electronic devices, and allow him to carry out his work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
BMA: Organisers of the 6th Broadcast And Digital Media Convention – Africa, which will take place on the 25th – 27th of October 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda, have announced that regional regulators and policymakers will examine strategies, ways and means to: “Enhance Regulatory Capabilities In The Age Of Ubiquitous Digital Media Content.”
IFEX: September 2022 in Africa: A free expression roundup produced by IFEX’s regional editor Reyhana Masters, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban shuts down two news websites in Afghanistan
CPJ: Taliban authorities must stop censoring news coverage in Afghanistan and allow Hasht-e Subh Daily and Zawia News to operate under their internet domain names, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
CHINA: China gains when democracies target press freedoms (Opinion)
Al Jazeera: A free press helps a country’s resilience to foreign influence campaigns, but democracies are weakening their defences.
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges Hong Kong authorities to release radio host and political commentator Edmund Wan Yiu-sing, who was sentenced on 7th October 2022 to two years and eight months in prison under a rarely-used colonial-era sedition law.
INDIA: Silencing dissent in Modi’s India (Opinion)
Global Village Space: Silencing dissent, censorship, geo-blocking social media accounts and freedom of speech have become some of the pressing issues of apparently democratic India.
JAPAN: Japan plans cut in satellite TV licence fee
Advanced Television: NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, has revealed it will lower its reception fee for its satellite viewers who watch satellite and terrestrial TV.
KAZAKHSTAN: Beeline Kazakhstan will not stop broadcasting Russian channels (Russian)
Vlast: The company changed its plans after consulting with the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation.
MALAYSIA: Puzzled by defamation action against editor (Opinion)
Free Malaysia Today: It’s difficult for me as a journalist to comprehend the decision by government prosecutors to press criminal defamation charges against a former chief editor and a contributing editor of The Edge for two articles published by it.
MYANMAR: EU Lawmakers Condemn Myanmar’s Crackdown on Media Freedom
VOA News: EU lawmakers on Thursday condemned the crackdown on media freedom in military-ruled Myanmar and called for the release of “every unfairly detained journalist.”
PHILIPPINES: Court of Appeals denies Maria Ressa’s appeal in cyber libel case
Rappler: ‘The ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation against me and Rappler continues, and the Philippines legal system is not doing enough to stop it,’ Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa says.
PHILIPPINES: Outrage after Philippine journalist Percival Mabasa shot dead in Manila
The Guardian: A prominent Philippine journalist has been shot dead while driving in the country’s capital, Manila, according to police, prompting condemnation from media groups and activists, who described his assassination as a blow to press freedom.
PHILIPPINES: Press freedom under Bongbong is fake news (Opinion)
East Asia Forum: Upon assuming the Philippines presidency on 30 June 2022, Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr — the only son and namesake of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos — delivered an inaugural address that did not mention press freedom.
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s online safety bill may be a double-edged sword, analysts say
SCMP: Singapore’s proposed new law to tackle harmful web content may persuade social media titans like Facebook and Twitter to step up internal efforts to deal with the problem, but extensive government regulation in the online world may prove to be a double-edged sword, observers say.
SOUTH KOREA: Clear violation of press freedom in Korea over Yoon hot-mic dispute: IFJ
The Korea Herald: The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the ruling People Power Party in Korea over its criticism and filing of a defamation suit against public broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. which reported on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s alleged use of foul language in New York last month.
SRI LANKA & CHINA: Pushing Their Narrative: China’s Efforts to Influence Sri Lankan Media
Groundviews: News of Beijing’s efforts to influence local media has been making the rounds over the past few years. The phrase “China’s red carpet trap” would sound familiar to those closely following Sino-Sri Lanka relations.
TAIWAN: Taiwan’s “blue” and “green” media wars encourage misinformation
IJNet: A young democracy developing under the threat of its powerful neighbor, Taiwan ranks 38th in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. Among democracies, it also has among the lowest levels of trust in the media.
TAIWAN & CHINA: RTI Chair: Chinese-language media’s biggest challenge is China’s influence
RTI: The biggest challenge for global Chinese-language media is China’s influence. That was the word from Radio Taiwan International Chairperson Cheryl Lai.
OSCE: The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, raised several media freedom issues during her official visit to Tajikistan between 3 and 7 October 2022.
THAILAND: In Thailand, New Media Balance Journalism With Activism
VOA News: Citizen journalists find new platforms to allow opposition voices a space.
THAILAND: TCSC, Generation 2, held a public seminar “Quality content with the opportunity to grow in the rating battlefield” (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: Today (8 October) at 9:00 a.m. at the Public Broadcasting Organization of Thailand (Thai PBS), Senior Mass Communication Strategic Executive Program in the Broadcasting Business and Television Business (TCB), Class 2, in collaboration with Isara Institute Organized a public seminar on “Quality Content and Opportunity to Grow in the Rating Battlefield” in the changing era of digital technology.
AUSTRALIA: ABC News editorial director Craig McMurtrie quits
TV Tonight: “It’s time to dial down the work hours and step away.” Craig McMurtrie to depart ABC after more than 3 decades.
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s surveillance laws endanger press freedom
Mirage News: A Deakin University study involving investigative journalists and media lawyers has renewed fears for press freedom in Australia in the wake of tough new surveillance laws.
AUSTRALIA: Free TV networks score major win against Netflix, Disney
Financial Review: Australia’s free TV networks look to have secured a major win against giants Netflix and Disney with the federal government committed to introducing new laws to give them prime real estate on smart TVs, in a bid to protect local content.
AUSTRALIA: Ita Buttrose has revealed she doesn’t understand the ABC’s biggest problem (Opinion)
Sydney Morning Herald: With a simple statement on Friday morning, Buttrose showed how little she understands about the broadcaster’s programming slate, its trajectory and its growing disconnect from younger Australians.
The Guardian: Journalists working for foreign-owned outlets could face jail under Australia’s foreign interference laws for exposing defence force war crimes or misuse of surveillance powers, a new paper has warned.
NEW ZEALAND: Gavin Ellis: NZ government media teams that breach the law (Commentary)
Asia Pacific Report: New Zealand’s Ombudsman, Peter Boshier, has given government agency media teams a well-deserved kick up the fundamental over some of their dealings with journalists.
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ says new public media entity gives ministers Muldoon-like control
NZ Herald: Media companies have warned MPs that the Government’s plan to merge TVNZ and RNZ into a single public media entity could result in less journalism being done overall.
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ’s media marriage at first sight (Listen)
RNZ: Media execs and concerned citizens alike aired their fears about the government’s public media plan – and the commercial clout TVNZ will bring to the new entity – in parliamentary hearings this week.
AUSTRIA: Austria revamps public media funding
Euractiv: The public funding of media will be updated to foster more diversity and transparency, the Austrian government announced on Wednesday, in a move that comes after years of criticism over the allocation of public money to media.
AUSTRIA: Presidential candidate Wallentin calls for GIS abolition (German)
Der Standard: Presidential candidate Tassilo Wallentin draws the GIS map with an attention-grabbing topic just days before the election. Wallentin calls for the ORF fees to be abolished and strongly criticizes Austria’s public broadcasting service.
BELGIUM: “Too much and too negative”: more and more Flemish people are avoiding the news, how can newsmakers do it better? (Dutch)
VRT: There is too much influx of messages and there is almost only bad news: 1 in 10 Flemish people choose to actively avoid the news.
BELGIUM: VRT must not pay Bart De Pauw compensation: judge sweeps millions of claim from TV maker off the table (Dutch)
VRT: The claim for damages demanded by TV maker Bart De Pauw from the VRT has been rejected across the board by the Brussels civil court.
BULGARIA: Far-right party leader insults and tries to exclude journalists from press conference
IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) and its global network today condemn the attempt by the leader of the far-right Bulgarian party Vazrazhdane, Kostadin Kostadinov, to eject journalists from four professional media outlets from a post-election press conference.
DENMARK: DR’s election coverage must hold the Danes in the hand and the politicians in the ears (Press release – Danish)
DR: DR must equip the Danes to get involved in the public debate and the democratic process, so that they can make informed, independent choices. Editor-in-chief Thomas Falbe talks here about the ambitions for DR’s comprehensive coverage of the general election.
FRANCE: An investigation opened for “attempted intentional homicide” after the discovery of an impact on the France Télévisions building (French)
France Info: In a message addressed to employees, the president of the public audiovisual group Delphine Ernotte announces that she has strengthened security around the building.
FRANCE: The audiovisual sector is torn apart again on the media timeline (Paywall – French)
Le Monde: TF1, M6 and France Télévisions denounce the blackmailing of video-on-demand platforms, which hope to reform the rules for the broadcast of films.
GERMANY: ARD/ZDF mass communication trends 2022 (Press release – German)
ZDF: Television remains stable, radio goes back to pre-corona level; trend towards non-linear use continues; adapted methodology better maps media use
GIBRALTAR: New GBC CEO James Neish says public broadcaster may cost a lot of money but is a fantastic privilege for Gibraltar (4 October)
GBC: GBC’s new CEO James Neish says that while GBC costs a lot of money, the Public Broadcaster is also a fantastic privilege for Gibraltar.
GREECE: Full scale of surveillance on journalists must be unearthed
IPI: Media freedom groups back testing of journalists’ phones for traces of spyware.
GREECE: RSF on mission to Greece amid press freedom ‘terrible setbacks’
Euractiv: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will visit Greece between 9-11 October to discuss the critical situation of press freedom, which has put the conservative New Democracy (EPP) government to the test.
ITALY: Rai expands international offer
Advanced Television: Italian public broadcaster Rai is boosting its international presence by launching a new streaming platform.
ITALY: Rai, Meloni will not touch Fuortes and Laura Chimenti will return to host Tg1 at 20 (Italian)
Il Giornale D’Italia: Rai, as already anticipated exclusively in recent weeks, the number one Fuortes can sleep peacefully: Giorgia Meloni has no intention of removing him.
MALTA: Malta must not row back on media freedom, says Strasbourg human rights body
Euractiv: Malta’s government is continuing to stifle independent journalism and must take steps to protect media freedom and step up investigative efforts into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017, the Council of Europe stated on Thursday (6 October).
SLOVAKIA: Deputy PM’s attacks undermined government’s broader efforts to strengthen press freedom
IPI: The undersigned international media freedom and journalists organisations today express dismay over the recent attempts by deputy Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovič to denigrate the country’s media and warn they were undermining wider efforts by the government to improve the landscape for media freedom.
SLOVENIA: Several employees at RTV received a warning about the possibility of terminating their employment contract (Slovenian)
RTV SLO MMC: More than a month after entering the studio during the live broadcast of the program, 38 employees of RTV Slovenia received a warning about the possibility of terminating their employment contract.
SPAIN: Ensuring justice for women journalists targeted by online harassment
IPI: Brief sets out recommendations and best practices for tackling online harassment.
SPAIN: RTVE, Fundación Blanca and Renfe prepare a documentary on mental health in sport (Spanish)
RTVE: Coinciding with the celebration of World Mental Health Day on October 10, RTVE , the Fundación Blanca de Apoyo al Deportista and Renfe have announced the production of a documentary that will soon premiere on the Teledeporte channel on the importance of mental health care of the athletes.
SPAIN: The Government wants to increase the item for RTVE by 10.5% to 490 million euros after the drop in 2022 (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: The Government foresees a transfer for RTVE of 490 million euros in 2023, which would mean a rise of 10.5 percent compared to the previous year, when it budgeted 443 million euros.
SPAIN: The News Councils of RTVE show rejection of the change of statutes that gives executive powers to Elena Sánchez (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: The News Councils of TVE, RNE and rtve.es have shown their rejection of the agreement approved last Tuesday by the Council of Ministers by which the bylaws of RTVE are modified to provide the interim president of the Board of Directors of the corporation, Elena Sánchez, of executive powers.
SWEDEN: New planning managers for Sweden’s Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Radio Choir in Berwaldhallen (Swedish)
Cision: Helene Stureborg will become the new head of planning for the Radiokören at the turn of the year and Matthieu Lescure has recently taken over as the new head of planning for the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
UK: BBC convenes broadcast media industry at Climate Creatives 2022 sustainability event
BBC: The BBC-hosted event will once again bring together top industry professionals, including screenwriter Russell T Davies, to take a fresh look at how creatives can respond and engage with one of the biggest issues of our time: climate change.
UK: Channel 4 to measure viewers’ journey to purchase
Broadband TV News: Channel 4 is launching a new service for advertisers that will measure the effectiveness of TV campaigns and understand how their TV spend leads to sales, footfall, app downloads and account openings.
UK: Drop legal threats against media outlets reporting in public interest
Article 19: The urgent need to introduce anti-SLAPP measures, proposed by the UK government in July, has been underscored by the recent announcement that a UK-registered company and a Kazakhstan endowment fund have issued legal proceedings against a number of UK media outlets.
REGIONAL: Nominations open for IJ4EU Impact Award 2022 (Opportunity)
ECPMF: The IJ4EU fund has opened nominations for its annual award celebrating the best of European cross-border investigative journalism, with three cash prizes of €5,000 available for teams that collaborate on transnational issues in the public interest.
REGIONAL: Work gets underway on expanded media sector transformation
Euractiv: Work is set to begin on 14 new projects tackling business and newsroom transformation after the winners of the Stars4Media programme were announced.
ARGENTINA: Rosario Lufrano: “At Radio Nacional we make federalism a reality” (Press release – Spanish)
RTA: The president of Radio and Television Argentina, Rosario Lufrano, announced today that the public media company is working on a works plan for 2023 and assured in this sense that “paying attention to each Radio Nacional station as a unit and identity of each place, return the accents, our history and idiosyncrasy make federalism a reality today”.
BRAZIL: Why disinformation could prove decisive in Brazil’s election (Opinion)
Open Democracy: Online disinformation is casting a shadow over Brazil’s presidential election. Jair Bolsonaro, the country’s incumbent right-wing president, and his allies have proven adept at flooding social media and messaging services with lies and conspiracy theories about his challenger, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula.
CHILE: Judge requires TVN to inform sources used in reporting on “Pacogate”: state signal will respond ex officio protected by the Press Law (Spanish)
ADN: Judge Geni Morales also asked the public channel to “inform the dates on which the interviews took place” included in the “Special Report” program.
COLOMBIA: MinTic will use the public media system to bring the internet to the most remote regions (Spanish)
Blu Radio: The Ministry will put Internet networks in public television spectrum that are not being used.
COLOMBIA: Teacher in your house celebrates 500 chapters: educational and avant-garde public television (Press release – Spanish)
RTVC: On October 12, Señal Colombia and Canal Institucional will broadcast, at 10:00 am, a special episode of this edu-entertainment program that was born in the midst of a pandemic and, over three seasons, has become a pedagogical support for students, teachers and caregivers.
CUBA: Wave of journalist resignations in Cuba due to State Security harassment (26 September)
LatAm Journalism Review: In the last two months, at least 12 Cuban journalists have decided to quit their jobs or leave the profession publicly as a result of the harassment they have suffered at the hands of Cuban State Security.
ECUADOR: IAPA condemns attack and threats against two Ecuadorian media outlets (Spanish)
IAPA: The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) condemned the attack against a television channel and threats against a newspaper, in Ecuador, that “seek to intimidate the activity of journalism.”
HAITI: “Haitian journalists are only contacted by international agencies or media in times of crisis” (French)
IJNet
HONDURAS: Journalist killed in Honduras, fifth so far this year
The Tico Times: A journalist was killed Monday in the capital of Honduras, a country that has registered five murders of journalists so far this year, a freedom of expression organization denounced.
JAMAICA: RJRGLEANER expects to bounce back after first-quarter loss
Jamaica Gleaner: The management of Radio Jamaica Limited, which trades as the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, is looking past a first-quarter loss of $40 million that was ascribed to seasonal and logistical factors, saying business is already on the upturn.
MEXICO: New cases of Pegasus surveillance detected
IPI: The IPI global network is alarmed by new revelations that journalists and activists in Mexico have been targeted by Pegasus, spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group.
NICARAGUA: UN experts concerned about attacks and unlawful interference with freedom of media
DevDiscourse: The experts stressed that the restrictions on fundamental freedoms not only amount to human rights violations but also have a humanitarian impact.
VENEZUELA: September: a black month for radio in Venezuela (Spanish)
El Nacional: The document, prepared by the union entity’s Observatory for Monitoring Attacks on Journalists and the Media, records 38 cases that violate freedom of expression and information: Coverage impediment 4; Closure of radio stations 20; Bullying 12; Harassment 2.
REGIONAL: Open call for proposals to strengthen investigative journalism in Latin America, amid challenges (Opportunity)
LatAm Journalism Review: […] The Consortium to Support Independent Journalism in the Region (CAPIR, by its Spanish acronym) has opened a call for proposals to fund national and cross-border investigative journalism in several Latin American countries.
IRAN: Protests in Iran: How we bypass internet censorship (German)
Deutschlandfunk: People continue to demonstrate in Iran following the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in police custody. The protest does not only take place on the streets. Many network online – but the Iranian regime rigorously blocks content on the Internet.
IRAN: The battle of narratives on Iran is being fought on social media
CNN: As anti-government protests enter their third week in Iran, the Islamic Republic has imposed a near total blackout of independent information coming out of the country.
SYRIA: Fighting for truth against Syria’s disinformation regime
The New Arab: The Assad regime and its allies have relied on a well-orchestrated online disinformation campaign to obfuscate the truth, justify war crimes, and avoid accountability.
TURKEY: Journalists, Opposition Slam Turkey’s Proposed ‘Censorship Law’
Balkan Insight: The ruling parties are pressing ahead with bringing a so-called ‘disinformation’ law to parliament, which critics say will increase censorship in traditional and social media.
TURKEY: RTÜK fines 3 TV stations for airing debates on crime boss’s corruption claims
SCF: Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog has imposed a fine on three TV stations for airing debate programs during which the inner workings of an alleged corruption network involving state officials and pro-government figures are discussed, Turkish Minute reported, citing a member of the watchdog.
TURKEY: Turkish courts handed down 27 years in total to 60 journalists last month: report
SCF: Turkish courts handed down a total of 27 years in prison to 60 journalists last month, according to the 2022 September Press Freedom Report.
CANADA: A significantly increased audience for election night at Radio-Canada (French – 4 October)
Radio Canada
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada’s 2021–2022 annual report now available online (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada underscored its standing as a source of trusted news through its coverage of a range of global, domestic and local issues.
CANADA: Connected TV ownership has doubled in two years (Paywall)
Media in Canada: The fall Study of Canadian Consumer also finds digital audio and news content continue to trend upwards.
CANADA: Online TV viewing is now greater than linear TV (Paywall)
Media in Canada: The latest MTM report finds that this is despite the fact that 69% of Anglophone households still have a pay TV service.
US: Black Public Media creates shorts series on gender affirmation (Paywall)
Current: Black Public Media is funding a series of short films that celebrate diversity and gender identity.
US: How to fix the unconscious biases in your newsroom’s pitch process (Paywall)
Current: One universal and early step in the process of reporting a story is when someone gets an idea. Less universal is what happens after that…
US: Listen up! The iconic animated series Arthur is now a PBS KIDS podcast
WSIU: PBS KIDS, GBH Kids and production partner Gen-Z Media and distribution partner PRX, today announced ARTHUR, the iconic Peabody and Emmy Award-winning® series based on the bestselling books by Marc Brown, will launch The Arthur Podcast.
US: PBS America launches first catch up service
Broadband TV News: On demand content from PBS America will be made available on the Freeview Play platform after the broadcaster debuted its first catch-up player.
US: The Chicago Sun-Times, fitting its new public-media ownership, is dropping its paywall
Nieman Lab: “It’s a bold move: Reporting the news is expensive…But we know it’s the right thing to do.”
11 countries undertake to back Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI)
RSF: At the International Summit for Information and Democracy, that was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on 22 September, the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) reached another major milestone when it won the support of 11 of the 47 signatory states of the Partnership for Information and Democracy.
A better way to teach writing? Try journalism
Nieman Storyboard: A PhD in literature argues that journalism, not “comp,” is the most effective way to help college student learn to write.
A year later, 2021 the Nobel Prize more is more relevant than ever
IJNet: This Friday at 11 am sharp in Oslo, the Chair of the Nobel Committee will open the doors of the Norwegian Nobel Institute to announce the laureate of this year’s peace prize in front of eager journalists from international media houses.
Disinformation in Spanish is prolific on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube despite vows to act
The Guardian: Social media platforms’ failure to eradicate the false information amounts to aiding and abetting disenfranchisement, advocates say.
Journalism and Big Tech continue to build on a bed of sand (Opinion)
Poynter: While large publishers can better roll with the changes, there are ways for local organizations to find an advantage.
Journalism and the Threat of Neo-Populism
Geopolitical Monitor: The emergence of populist politics is yet another momentous challenge, manifested in some cases by players openly hostile to journalists and even to the idea of press freedom in general.
How social media ‘censorship’ became a front line in the culture war
The Washington Post: Early last year, amid mounting criticism that social media was spreading disinformation about covid-19, Facebook expanded an unprecedented campaign to police falsehoods by banning what it called “debunked claims” about the virus.
How ‘solutions journalism’ aims to give audiences hope for the future amid a world of turmoil
iNews: After Covid-19, the climate emergency and threats of nuclear war, the media’s role is not to shock bored readers into choking on their cornflakes. The world is in peril and the time for solutions journalism has come.
How to Support Journalists Experiencing Online Harassment
Nieman Reports: The International Women’s Media Foundation released a new guide designed help newsrooms navigate the abuse.
Lessons for Journalists from Virtual Worlds
CJR
The news industry has made progress in prioritizing mental health. It’s not enough. (Opinion)
Poynter: This World Mental Health Day, and beyond, we need to make health and well-being for all in journalism an industry priority.
UN: New strong resolution on the safety of journalists
Article 19: ARTICLE 19 expresses strong support for a new resolution on the safety of journalists adopted by consensus at the UN Human Rights Council on 6 October 2022. The resolution was led by Austria together with a core group: Brazil, France, Greece, Morocco, Qatar, and Tunisia. It has also been co-sponsored by 69 countries from all world regions, signalling strong international commitment to ensure the safety of journalists worldwide.
What reporters should know about monkeypox (Watch)
IJNet: When outbreaks of Monkeypox emerged this summer in Europe and North America, concerns emerged of another pandemic similar to COVID-19. Following the World Health Organization’s declaration of the monkeypox outbreak as “a public health emergency of international concern” in July, misinformation on the virus continued to grow.
World Day for Decent Work: Time for wage justice in journalism
IFJ: To mark World Day for Decent Work (WDDW) on 7 October the International Federation of journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest organisation of journalists, is joining the International Trade Union Confederation’s call for wage justice.
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