BENIN: Holiday antenna 2023: training of 61 future journalists (French) 

ORTB: The Benin Radio and Television Office (ORTB) has opened its doors to young people wishing to pursue a career in the field of journalism. For 11 weeks, participants in the Antenne holiday programme immersed themselves within the teams of Radio Nationale, Radio Bénin Alafia and Atlantic FM. 

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CAMEROON: In Cameroon, journalist Bruno Bidjang faces justice (French) 

Jeune Afrique: The general director of the L’Anecdote group was arrested on the night of Tuesday February 6 in Bafoussam and taken to the State Secretariat for Defense (SED) in Yaoundé. The journalist appears this Thursday, February 8 at the Yaoundé military court.

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GUINEA: Towards a strike after the arrest of journalist and trade unionist Sékou Jamal Pendessa (French)

RFI: Gathered in a general assembly on Tuesday, Guinean unions announced the filing of a general strike notice. They are demanding the release of journalist and trade unionist Sékou Jamal Pendessa, in prison for 19 days for having called for demonstrations against the restrictions currently affecting the internet and the media in Guinea.

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MALAWI: Journalist threatened and harassed: Gregory Gondwe

Amnesty International: Journalist Gregory Gondwe has gone into hiding following his investigative report on the Malawi Defence Force’s dealings with a businessman who is under investigation for corruption. 

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NIGERIA: FRCN DG restate commitment to promoting food security (Press release) 

FRCN: The Director General of FRCN, Dr Mohammed Bulama, has restated his commitment to ensure that Radio Nigeria effectively mobilize Nigerians towards attaining food security and self sufficiency in the country.

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NIGERIA: How one Nigerian newspaper took on outrage fatigue (5 February) 

Columbia Journalism Review

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SENEGAL: CPJ welcomes West African lawsuit against Senegal internet shutdowns

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the recent lawsuit filed against Senegal at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice challenging Senegal’s internet shutdowns in 2023 and seeking to prevent further shutdowns in the country.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Actors and writers ready to drag SABC to court over plans to slash rebroadcast payments (Paywall)

News24

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SOUTH AFRICA: SABC COO Ian Plaatjes and TV boss Merlin Naicker suspended, ad boss Reginald Nxumalo resigns over undisclosed 7.5% profit-share deal with Discover Digital running SABC+.

TV with Thinus: The South African public broadcaster’s COO Ian Plaatjes and head of video entertainment Merlin Naicker have both been suspended, with the SABC’s ad sales boss Peginald Nxumalo resigned when he heard about his impending suspension, following their failure to disclose a 7.5% profit-share deal with Discover Digital that runs the broadcaster’s SABC+ video streaming service.

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SOUTH SUDAN: UNESCO and MiCT Extend Emergency Support to Sudanese Journalists

UNESCO: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023, journalists and media workers have faced severe threats, leading many to flee either into exile or become internally displaced. 

AFGHANISTAN: The positive stories Afghanistan needs (Opinion)

Al Jazeera: Amid the hard times my country is going through, I have left behind despair and embraced hope.

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AFGHANISTAN: Women journalists face growing challenges in media work in Afghanistan

Khaama Press: In the past two years, journalists – especially women journalists – have faced numerous challenges in various media outlets. Reduction and delayed payment of wages and benefits, internal and external censorship, imposition of work restrictions, and lack of personal and job security have been among the most significant challenges faced by journalists and media workers, particularly women.

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AZERBAIJAN & GEORGIA: For Azerbaijani Journalists Living In Georgia, Their Safe Haven Doesn’t Feel So Safe Anymore 

RFE/RL: For independent journalists and media, Azerbaijan is not a particularly welcoming place. The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media watchdog ranks Azerbaijan 151st of 180 countries in its latest World Press Freedom Index. 

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BANGLADESH: Bangladesh to formulate ad policy for online media: Arafat

New Age: State minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat on Tuesday said that an advertisement policy will be formulated for online media in Bangladesh.

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CHINA: China Targets US Hacking Ops in Media Offensive

Infosecurity Magazine: China has escalated its media campaign alleging US hacking operations, following condemnation from the US, UK and EU in July 2021 over Chinese cyber activities.

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CHINA: Chinese firm helps websites push pro-Beijing content: research

Radio Free Asia: A Chinese company in the southern city of Shenzhen has assisted at least 123 websites operating in China but posing as local media outlets in 30 countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America to disseminate disinformation, according to a recent study. 

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CHINA & CANADA: How the Globe kept eyes on China from Mao’s time to Xi’s

The Globe and Mail: For years, The Globe was the only Western paper with a presence in Beijing. Doing so wasn’t easy – but it chronicled a superpower’s ups and downs, from Mao’s time to Xi’s.

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CHINA & INDONESIA: China Expands Media Influence in Indonesia

VOA: From all-expenses paid trips to cover China’s Belt and Road summit to content-sharing agreements with major media outlets, Beijing is investing in ways to share its narrative with Indonesian audiences, analysts say.

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INDIA: Govt bringing laws, taking steps to make social media platforms accountable: IT minister

The Times of India: The government is bringing in laws and taking other steps to make social media platforms more accountable for any slanderous content posted on their platforms.

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INDIA: Walt Disney and Reliance Industries Nearing Mega Merger to Form India’s Largest Media Entity

Techstory: Walt Disney Co and Reliance Industries (RIL) are entering the final stages of negotiations for a significant stock-and-cash merger, set to create India’s largest media and entertainment business.

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INDONESIA: Indonesia elections: AI, social media and fake news

France 24: More than 200 million people are registered to vote in Indonesia’s polls next week. With a majority of eligible voters aged under 40, social media and AI are playing a huge role as candidates target the youth. 

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JAPAN: Gov’t appeals ruling against passport denial for Japanese journalist

Kyodo: The Japanese government on Wednesday appealed a district court ruling that found it illegal not to reissue a passport to journalist Jumpei Yasuda after he was held captive in Syria for more than three years amid the civil war there.

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KAZAKHSTAN: Rights Watchdog Urges Kazakh Authorities To Release Journalist, Drop Extremism Charges

RFE/RL: Human Rights Watch has urged Kazakh authorities to drop extremism charges and immediately release independent journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim, whose trial is scheduled to start on February 12.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Bishkek Court Shuts Down Leading Kyrgyz Independent Media Foundation 

RFE/RL: Amid an ongoing crackdown on civil society in Kyrgyzstan, the Oktyabr (October) district court in Bishkek on February 9 issued a ruling to liquidate the Kloop Media Public Foundation, the main owner of the Kloop news agency, one of the leading independent media outlets in the country.

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KYRGYZSTAN: Kyrgyz Journalists Under Pressure Amid Watchdog’s Concern Over ‘Unprecedented Crackdown’ 

RFE/RL: Amnesty International (AI) has sharply criticized Kyrgyz authorities over what it called “an unprecedented crackdown on civil society” that threatens human rights and the international standing of the Central Asian nation.

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MALAYSIA: UK journalist says Malaysia sentence is ‘political revenge’

BBC News: UK journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown has accused Malaysia of seeking “political revenge” for her reporting after a court jailed her in absentia.

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NEPAL: Civic freedoms at risk with Tiktok ban, social media directive and targeting of journalists and protesters

Civicus Monitor: The state of civic space in Nepal is rated as ‘obstructed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Documented violations of fundamental freedoms include arbitrary arrests and the use of excessive force with impunity during protests, as well as the ongoing targeting of journalists, including through harassment, attacks and criminalisation.

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PAKISTAN: CPJ condemns phone and internet disruptions, barring of journalists during Pakistan election

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the cell phone service suspension and widespread internet disruptions as Pakistan went to the polls on Thursday, with reports of journalists prevented from coverage in some areas.

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PAKISTAN: How Imran Khan used social media to rise again in Pakistan

The New York Times: Mr. Khan’s success was fueled by social media, which drove Pakistan’s young people to turn out to vote and rebuff the country’s powerful military.

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PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s Imran Khan uses AI to make victory speech from jail

Politico: Imprisoned and barred from running, Khan used artificial intelligence to create a stand-in-voice to spread his message.

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PHILIPPINES: ‘Media is a public good’: Closure of CNN Philippines draws concerns from UN expert

Philstar: The United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion said that the recent closure of CNN Philippines is a “worrying sign” for media freedom in the country.

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS strives to deliver the best values for the TV license fee (Press release)

KBS: KBS has an important public service mission to deliver the best value for the TV license fee. KBS is a national public service broadcaster primarily funded by the public’s TV license fee. 

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SRI LANKA: Media collective faults speaker

The Island: The Media Organisations Collective (MOC), comprising Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Tamil Media Alliance, Sri Lanka Young Journalists’ Association, and South Asian Free Media Association – Sri Lanka Chapter, yesterday said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s actions were “an obstruction to the right of journalists to report freely and also impinges on the right of the public to true and accurate information.”

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THAILAND: Thai journalists arrested for news coverage of anarchist graffiti on temple

Rappler: The two journalists were charged with being accomplices to damaging an historical site and public vandalism, says Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which is representing the two men.

AUSTRALIA: Opening statement by ABC Managing Director David Anderson to Senate Estimates (Speech) 

ABC: I welcome this opportunity today to share with the Committee some of the achievements and successes we have delivered for audiences over summer.

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AUSTRALIA: News Corp in ‘advanced negotiations’ with AI companies over access to content, CEO says

The Guardian: News Corporation is in advanced negotiations with artificial intelligence companies over their use of its content and will prioritise negotiation over litigation to finalise deals, according to the company’s global chief executive, Robert Thomson.

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AUSTRALIA: Seven West Media says it could further cut costs amid advertising slump and rise of streaming

The Guardian: Drop in spending by advertisers brought on by inflationary pressures comes as free-to-air TV grapples with streaming’s continued popularity.

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AUSTRALIA & PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ABC Radio Australia’s Nesia Daily launches afternoon edition (Press release)

ABC: Australian-Fijian journalist Melissa Maykin joins popular weekday program Nesia Daily from 20 February, launching a new-look afternoon edition focused on health and religion at 4:00pm PNG time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

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FIJI: Australian student journos explore Fiji media landscape with USP team

Asia Pacific Report: The University of the South Pacific journalism programme is hosting a cohort student journalists from Australia’s Queensland University of Technology this week.

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NEW ZEALAND: Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill hearing could change game (Opinion)

NZ Herald: This week will be a momentous one for the news media in New Zealand. That may seem an odd thing to say, given news is always dynamic and no week can ever be called “quiet”. But in this case, a three-hour hearing in one of Parliament’s meeting rooms has the potential to change the game for our news companies.

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NEW ZEALAND: Radio New Zealand to sell off Auckland land to pay for AM radio network

Stuff: Radio New Zealand (RNZ) is looking for a buyer for a block of land it owns in West Auckland to plug a financial hole and keep broadcast on the AM spectrum alive, at least for now.

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NEW ZEALAND: Waitangi tensions test politicians – and the media

RNZ: In past years some media outlets were ambivalent about Waitangi Day – some even hostile at times. But new moves by the new government and a strong pushback from Māori gave it an extra edge this year. Some even called it historic and a possible turning point. How did the media depict all that?

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Ex-PNG PM O’Neill ‘saddened and alarmed’ about proposed media law

RNZ: Former Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O’Neill says the government is planning laws to curb free speech and media freedom.

AUSTRIA: “Consequences” for violations of ORF rules for social media and part-time jobs (German)

Der Standard: “We need clear rules with clear consequences,” says Thomas Zach, spokesman for the ÖVP majority on the board of trustees. It’s about the “credibility and independence of the ORF”

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AUSTRIA: Media researcher: Government would have to resign after RH report on advertisements (German)

Der Standard: After the Court of Auditors, media researcher Andy Kaltenbrunner also picks apart the media work under former Chancellor Kurz. Some things are “laughably superficial”. 

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BELARUS: Belarusian journalists share their experiences coping with trauma

IJNet: Belarusian independent journalists have been through a lot since 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic, protests and political repression, and war in neighboring Ukraine. Many journalists have been forced into exile. Not to mention the general challenges they face working in the media industry.

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BELGIUM: First time voters in the spotlight at KIES24 on VRT (Press release – Dutch) 

VRT: At VRT we want to make an extra effort to inform first-time voters with an extensive offer.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Television launched a new version of the Teletext hybrid application built on Internet technology. iBroadcasting is on two other Smart TV platforms (Press release – Czech) 

Czech TV: Czech Television launched a completely new version of the hybrid Teletext application built on Internet technology and brings another dimension to this traditional service, focused mainly on news and sports information.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: We are here for each and every one of you. Czech Television is launching a new image campaign (Press release – Czech) 

Czech TV: “Czech Television did not have its own image campaign for many years, which is a shame, because it is good to be reminded from time to time what Czech Television does and for whom. We wanted to show the breadth of Czech Television’s offer through our viewers and in their own words”

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FRANCE: Bruno Le Maire “refuses to allow AI free access to journalists’ work”. 

Mind Media: The Minister for the Economy wants to create a European marketplace for data and protect content producers from unpaid exploitation by generative AIs. 

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FRANCE: Irène Omélianenko, a life as a radio documentarian (French – Listen) 

RFI: For almost 40 years, Irène Omélianenko has made sound documentaries for France Culture, the French public service radio station. Speaking to L’atelier des médias, she talks about her career and shares her approach to using sound to tell the real story.

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FRANCE & RUSSIA: France Accuses Russia Of Disinformation Campaign Ahead Of Ukraine Invasion Anniversary 

RFE/RL: French government officials on February 12 accused Russia of operating a long-running online manipulation campaign against Ukraine’s Western backers in the lead-up to the second anniversary of Moscow’s military invasion of its neighbor.

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GREECE: Greece Rejects EU Media Freedom Resolution 

Barron’s: Greece on Thursday dismissed as “mudslinging” and “slander” a European Parliament resolution decrying a hostile media environment in the country which the body said poses a “very serious” threat to EU values. 

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GREECE: The EFJ calls on the EU to take attacks on rule of law in Greece seriously 

EFJ: The organisations, including EFJ, note serious violations of Greece’s rule of law obligations under European Union (EU) treaties including a major ongoing surveillance scandal, government interference in media, abusive lawsuits against journalists and activists, and an overall unsafe working environment for journalists, including two unresolved murders of journalists 

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HUNGARY: What The Fall Of Hungary’s President Says About Orban’s Grip On The Country 

RFE/RL: The dramatic impact of the events suggests that even with the barest of institutional support, Hungarian journalism is punching above its weight.

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IRELAND: Sinn Féin to propose exchequer funding to replace TV licence

RTÉ: Sinn Féin will table a Private Members’ motion in the Dáil which seeks to replace the TV licence with immediate effect and introduce an amnesty from prosecution for those who have not paid the charge.

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IRELAND: Statement from the RTÉ Board (Press release) 

RTÉ: In compiling, preparing and producing its independent Report on Toy Show The Musical, Grant Thornton, in applying its methodology under its Terms of Reference to prepare the Report, made the decision to anonymise individuals’ names. 

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THE NETHERLANDS: De Correspondent Sues Prosecutor for Illegally Wire-Tapping its Journalists (Update)

The Coalition for Women in Journalism: The incident underscores the importance of continuous vigilance to protect press freedom, even in countries renowned for their commitment to journalistic principles

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POLAND: Komunikat Telewizja Polska SA in liquidation (Press release – Polish) 

TVP: Due to emerging questions about the reason for disclosing the remuneration of some employees and at the same time keeping the remuneration of other employees secret, we would like to inform you that Telewizja Polska SA in liquidation is obliged to disclose the remuneration conditions only of persons performing public functions

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POLAND: Polish state TV host decries past anti-LGBT output

BBC: A journalist for the Polish state broadcaster has apologised for his channel’s “shameful” role in spreading anti-LGBT sentiment.

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PORTUGAL: How a digital news startup tackled Lisbon’s local news deserts with constructive storytelling 

Journalism.co.uk: Marginalised communities are often the hardiest news avoiders. A team of Portuguese local journalists set out to break down the walls with a groundbreaking collaborative journalism project

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RUSSIA: Russia To Create Blacklist Of YouTube Vloggers Who Refuse To Join Kremlin-Backed Platform 

RFE/RL: Russia plans to create a blacklist of YouTube vloggers who refuse to join a Kremlin-backed alternative to the U.S. video platform as it seeks to tighten its grip on information.

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RUSSIA: Russian Media Holding’s Executive Gets More Than Seven Years In Prison On Extortion Charge 

RFE/RL: Sukhanov’s co-defendants, journalists Arian Romanovsky and Tamerlan Bigayev, received seven years in prison, each on the same charge. 

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SERBIA: As Serbian Journalist’s Murder Goes Unpunished, Verdict Comes Under Scrutiny (Analysis) 

Balkan Insight: BIRN’s analysis of the controversial acquittal verdict in the trial of four Serbian State Security operatives for the assassination of opposition journalist Slavko Curuvija shows how troublesome issues with evidence and witness testimony led the court to clear the defendants.

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SERBIA: #IFJBlog- Serbia: Darkness and despair, return of the deep state (Blog) 

IFJ: No way out and no hope. The vicious hand of the 1990’s deep state continues to hold us in their grip. This is the situation in which the Serbian journalistic community finds itself after the publication on Friday 2 February of the Belgrade Court of Appeal’ final verdict acquitting the suspected murderers of Slavko Ćuruvija, journalist and publisher of Dnevni Telegraf and Evropljanin, who was killed in 1999.

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SPAIN: MediaWise’s Teen Fact-Checking Network launches in Spain 

Poynter: The social-first digital media literacy program MediaWise at the nonprofit Poynter Institute continues the international growth of its Teen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN) with the launch of a second newsroom in Europe.

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SWEDEN: SVT has a significant positive economic impact on the Swedish economy and Swedish creative sectors (Press release – Swedish) 

SVT: SVT functions as an engine for the entire Swedish cultural and creative industry within television and film. This is shown in a new report from KPMG which highlights how ” SVT plays an important role in supporting economic activity in the Swedish film, television, music and broadcasting sector.”

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SWEDEN: The future of radio in the car (Press release – Swedish) 

Swedish Radio: Radio across Europe is joining forces to fight for its rightful place in the car, and Sweden’s Radio is leading the effort. 

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SWITZERLAND: How we work: quality (Press release) 

SwissInfo.ch: How do we ensure that our content is correct? Is there censorship at SWI swissinfo.ch? Our editor-in-chief Mark Livingston answers your questions.

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UK: Local news in the UK is in deep trouble. But this band of radicals could change everything (Opinion) 

The Guardian: On tiny budgets, indie publishers from Manchester to Glasgow are doing amazing things. The government must unlock their potential

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UK: Local news media need your support (Letter) 

The Guardian: Thousands of journalists are still holding power to account in communities across the country, writes Owen Meredith of the News Media Association

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UK: Plans announced for new, distinctive digital music stations as extensions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 (Press release) 

BBC: The new extensions look to delve deeper into specific genres and periods of music with context, curation and storytelling done in a way only the BBC can do

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UKRAINE: In Kiev, an investigation by spied-on journalists incriminates the Ukrainian security service (French) 

Le Monde: The “Bihus.info” website’s investigation traced the trail of those who had placed cameras in a hotel to spy on and compromise its reporters. It led to the SBU, whose head condemned the “unacceptable” actions of his department.

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UKRAINE & RUSSIA: More than 100 journalists victims of Russian crimes during two years of covering war in Ukraine 

RSF: Thousands of Ukrainian and accredited international journalists have continued to cover the war since February 2022 despite a degraded security

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UKRAINE: This nonprofit is using virtual reality to train Ukrainian journalists to cover the war safely 

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: “In a virtual situation, you can imagine the decisions you will make,” says Katerina Sergatskova, who set up the VR programme

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UKRAINE: Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev after his torturer’s conviction: “His trial is the greatest success of my life”. 

RSF: The director of a secret prison in Russian-occupied Donetsk has just been sentenced by the Ukrainian courts to 15 years’ imprisonment for “cruel treatment”.

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REGIONAL: “Europe, what are you up to? A Polish journalist’s edifying account of press freedom (Listen – French) 

RTBF: Dorota Bawolek is a well-known figure among Polish television viewers and in the European Commission press room. She was the Brussels correspondent for the commercial television channel Polsat. 

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REGIONAL: Generative AI: Spiil wants “fairer” competition in the media sector (French) 

Mind Media: The Syndicat de la presse en ligne indépendante (independent online press association) is criticising a number of European guidelines relating to artificial intelligence, which could hinder competition. 

IRAN: Meta Bans Accounts Of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Likely For Pro-Hamas Posts

RFE/RL: Meta has removed accounts run by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Instagram and Facebook for posts in support of the Palestinian group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

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ISRAEL & GAZA: Al Jazeera journalist is also a Hamas commander, IDF says

The Times of Israel: A Palestinian journalist working for Al Jazeera appears to also be a commander in Hamas’s military wing, according to images and documents recovered by the IDF in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war against the terror Palestinian terror group.

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ISRAEL & GAZA: The journalists killed in Gaza — and what they tried to show the world

The Washington Post: Journalists in Gaza have been killed covering the war and sheltering from it. Some have died with their colleagues; others, with their families.

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ISRAEL, GAZA & UK: Protect journalists and press freedom in the Israel-Gaza conflict (Letter)

Article 19: ARTICLE 19 and eight partner freedom of expression and human rights organisations have written to the United Kingdom’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, urging the government to take urgent action to protect journalists, promote the conditions for safe and unrestricted reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict, and to prevent the UK from potentially being associated with the commission of war crimes.

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ISRAEL & QATAR: Knesset advances bill to allow ban of Al Jazeera, would also require political will

The Times of Israel: A temporary measure allowing the government to censor foreign media passes its first reading in the Knesset in a 25-4 vote.

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SAUDI ARABIA: Historic Appointment: Surge of Women on Saudi Journalists Association’s Board

About Her: The recent elections for the Saudi Journalists Association witnessed a historic moment as nearly half of the newly elected board members were women, marking a significant milestone for the 21-year-old organization dedicated to media professionals.

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SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia-Based Thmanyah’s New Focus On Content Creators Strengthens Its Mission To Reimagine Arabic Media

Entrepreneur: Over the past few years, the advent of new knowledge-sharing avenues such as podcasts has imbued a palpable change within the fabric of traditional journalism outlets. 

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TURKEY: Anti-Terror Police Detain Kibriye Evren 

The Coalition for Women in Journalism: Reporter has faced repeated legal harassment from the state

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TURKEY: Press Freedom in Turkey: 2023 in Review

SCF: The Turkish government continued to enjoy almost full control over the traditional media in 2023, with most mainstream outlets run by people and businesses close to the ruling party and alternative outlets operating under threat of legal harassment, censorship and arbitrary sanctions.

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UAE & IRAN: Iranian Hackers Interrupt UAE Broadcasts With Deepfake News

VOA: Iranian state-backed hackers interrupted TV streaming services in the United Arab Emirates in December to broadcast a deepfake report on the Israel-Hamas war, Microsoft said this week.

CANADA: ACA takes next step in cross-media measurement solution 

Media in Canada: The Association of Canadian Advertisers hopes to have collaboration and input in the development of an RFI from across the industry.

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CANADA: Call for applications: CBC New Indigenous Voices 2024 (Press release – Opportunity) 

CBC: CBC New Indigenous Voices is a 14-week, full-time, immersive training program for Indigenous creators aged 18 and over to learn from industry experts and gain hands-on experience in the essential elements of film and television.

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CANADA: Canada media group ends several TV newscasts after announcing 4,800 layoffs 

AP: Canada’s largest media and telecom company said Thursday it is ending multiple television newscasts and making other programming cuts after its parent company announced 4,800 layoffs and the sale of 45 of its 103 regional radio stations.

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CANADA: CBC ANNOUNCES SECOND ROUND OF ACCESSCBC PROGRAM FOR CREATORS WITH A DISABILITY, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DISABILITY SCREEN OFFICE (Press release – Opportunity) 

CBC: National program offers pre-development training, mentorship and financing support to Deaf and disabled creators, with submissions for scripted and kids projects open now through Friday, March 15

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CANADA: Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom demanding police drop charges against Brandi Morin 

Pressenza: Brandi Morin was specifically targeted by the police, who did not want her to document their actions during a tense encounter at the encampment. Regrettably, Morin is not the first journalist to face such harassment. 

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CANADA: Trudeau says firing hundreds of journalists harms Canadian democracy 

La Prensa Latina: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Friday that the decision by Bell Canada, the country’s largest telecommunications company, to eliminate thousands of jobs, including hundreds of journalists, harms Canadian democracy.

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US: Better relationships with cops won’t help journalists cover crime (Opinion) 

Poynter: Police coverage is broken. Old ideas aren’t the answer. Newsrooms that take a change-management approach see reforms that stick

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US: How a Mississippi news site declared the national local 

Nieman Lab: “Frankly, the nation’s media may well be talking and thinking too much about the need for someone to ‘save journalism’ when all of us should be laser-focused on doing the work that may well save democracy.”

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US: How the media is covering Donald Trump’s Supreme Court case (Opinion) 

Poynter

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US: Journalism as a Front of War: On American Media and the Ideology of the Status Quo (Essay)

Literary Hub

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US: Lawmakers are pushing an online safety bill for kids. Critics have free-speech concerns.

Columbia Journalism Review: Last week, executives from some of the world’s largest social platforms—Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok, Snap, Discord, and X, formerly known as Twitter—testified at a Senate hearing about children’s safety online. 

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US: PBS KIDS Launches Civics Content Initiative in 2024 (Press release) 

PBS: Beginning this year, PBS KIDS is rolling out a full slate of civics-themed content. The effort will span across a range of both new and existing series aimed at encouraging viewers to get involved in their communities and learn more about what’s happening around them.

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US: PBS President/CEO Paula Kerger Gives Public Broadcasting Budget Update and Explains Its Unique Streaming Setup

Variety: It’s a semi-annual tradition during the PBS executive session at the Television Critics Assn.: Asking president/CEO Paula Kerger about the state of funding for the public broadcaster.

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US: The Messenger and bad media owners (Opinion) 

Washington Post: Jimmy Finkelstein was chief executive and founder of the Messenger, a much-hyped general news site that recently collapsed, leaving about 250 journalists looking for work. 

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US: They gave local news away for free. Virtually nobody wanted it.  

Columbia Journalism Review: When 2,529 people were offered a free subscription to their local newspapers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Philadelphia Inquirer, less than 2 percent accepted, according to an academic study set to be published this year in the American Journal of Political Science. 

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US: To Save Local Journalism, Update the Public Broadcasting Act 

AEI: During his time as the U.S. ambassador to France, Thomas Jefferson wrote that if he faced a choice between “a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

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US & RUSSIA: The Tucker-Russia relationship draws intense media scrutiny (Opinion) 

Poynter: Critics called Carlson a ‘useful idiot,’ ‘a vessel for foreign poison’ and ‘a propagandist, with a history of helping autocrats conceal corruption.’

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US & RUSSIA: Tucker Carlson Urges Putin to Release American Journalist 

The New York Times: The Russian president was noncommittal after Mr. Carlson asked about Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been held in a Moscow prison for nearly a year.

2023 round tables on AI and the global news industry

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: What will be the impact of generative AI on journalism? Here are the conclusions from three conversations hosted by the Institute in 2023

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4 AI tools to help newsrooms avoid spreading harmful content 

IJNet: There is no shortage of false, harmful information online today. From conspiracies and hate speech to AI-generated disinformation, this content takes on many different forms. 

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Artificial Intelligence in the News: How AI Retools, Rationalizes, and Reshapes Journalism and the Public Arena (Report)

Columbia Journalism Review: Despite growing interest, the effects of AI on the news industry and our information environment — the public arena — remain poorly understood.

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Documentary filmmaking and human rights: a delicate balance of exposure and protection 

Modern Time Review: Documentaries, potent tools for amplifying human rights defenders’ voices, inherently increase their visibility and, consequently, their vulnerability.

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Google Joins Effort to Help Spot Content Made With A.I.

The New York Times: Google, whose work in artificial intelligence helped make A.I.-generated content far easier to create and spread, now wants to ensure that such content is traceable as well.

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Is the Media Prepared for an Extinction-Level Event? (Essay) 

The New Yorker: Ads are scarce, search and social traffic is dying, and readers are burned out. The future will require fundamentally rethinking the press’s relationship to its audience.

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New IPI report reveals safety crisis faced by climate and environmental journalists (Report) 

IPI: Findings underscore need for urgent action to promote journalist safety and protect independent coverage of environmental stories

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Patterns in philanthropy leave small newsrooms behind. Can that change? 

Nieman Lab: In the world of nonprofit news, it’s common knowledge that securing the funding to survive is an uphill battle.

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Ring Publishing research shows how AI is transforming journalism 

INMA: For INMA board members, AI isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a “top top priority,” a “revolution of how we are working,” and a “game changer,” according to a presentation by INMA Executive Director Earl Wilkinson during Media Innovation Week in September.

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Streaming giants just reinvented cable. It’s a big deal for cable-cutters 

Poynter: Disney, Fox Corp., and Warner Bros. Discovery’s joint streaming platform will air a significant amount of sports content with just one subscription

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This year of elections paired with AI creates an opportunity, responsibility for media 

INMA: This will be a significant year for both democracy and disruptive technology, meaning it will inevitably be yet another decisive year for news outlets, too.