Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world.
As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues and many countries enter a state of lockdown, 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 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.
The resource will be frequently updated to reflect the changing needs and evolving situation. If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
We also want to hear about your local public media coverage! Email us!
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 listening to...
YouTube and the reinvention of television
The Media Show, BBC Radio 4: In this wide-ranging and exclusive interview, Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director of YouTube in the UK, reveals new trends seen during lockdown, how British creators became integral to their business, and why YouTube is heading for the living room.
What we're watching...
How have the media and authorities managed the corona? (Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: On October 7, Swedish Radio, Swedish Television, the University of Gothenburg and the SOM Institute arranged a joint seminar in the radio house in Stockholm. The seminar is now available online. The SOM Institute presented, among other things, completely fresh confidence figures for the media in Sweden. [You can accesses more details on the seminar, including key points in the broadcast, via this Sveriges Radio blog post]
#SSBD2020 virtual conference
Small Screen: Big Debate, Ofcom: Between 5-7 October, we held a virtual conference looking at the big questions facing public service broadcasting in the 2020s. Through a series of panel discussions and interviews with senior figures across the broadcasting world, we examined what PSB needs to do to connect with audiences today, the role it plays in supporting diversity on- and off-screen, the contribution it makes to the UK’s creative industries and how a public service system can continue to be funded. Over three days, producers, commissioners and commentators, alongside the leaders of the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITN, ITV, Ofcom and STV, told us what they thought the future held for public service broadcasting in the UK.
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
ANGOLA: Cyber-attacks against Angolan news site and reporter
RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the cyber-attacks to which an online newspaper and a reporter were subjected in Angola after reporting a case of alleged corruption involving the president’s chief of staff.
EGYPT: Reporter’s arrest, abrupt release chills journalists in Egypt
Al-Monitor: A journalist who had gone to Luxor to cover the recent unrest there was arrested on charges that included the spreading of fake news and belonging to a terrorist group.
KENYA: Kenya media terms Public Order Act retrogressive
KBC: The Kenya media has condemned the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) directive on coverage of political gatherings.
LESOTHO: Social-Media Users May Have to Get a Special License in Lesotho
Bloomberg: African country announces plans to regulate online behavior. Media organizations say proposal designed to curb free speech.
MALI: Military Coup, Transition and Media Freedom Crisis
MFWA: In the space of 19 days (September 10 – 29, 2020) five violations have been perpetrated against a number journalists and a media house in Mali as the country’s press freedom environment continues to deteriorate amidst the raging political crisis.
MOZAMBIQUE: A Million Mozambicans Already Have Digital Television
Via All Africa: At least a million viewers already benefit from a digital television signal in Mozambique, according to Victor Mbebe, chairperson of TMT, the publicly owned company that operates the digital TV network.
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Reels at Repeated Attacks on Journalists (Roundup)
All Africa: Barely a month after the independent weekly newspaper Canal de Moçambique was petrol bombed, Luciano da Conceicao, a correspondent for Deutsche Welle, was abducted at the entrance to his house by unidentified assailants, while on the same night, Leonardo Gimo, a reporter on the private television station TV Sucesso, was attacked in the street by unidentified men who seized his camera.
NAMIBIA: Journalists Urged to Action Against Brutality
The Namibian: The Editors’ Forum of Namibia has condemned the police’s use of force against journalists while they were reporting on a demonstration against sexual and gender-based violence in Windhoek on Saturday.
NAMIBIA: Namibia readies to celebrate press freedom
New Era Live: Namibia is preparing to host the 2021 World Press Freedom Day, which will mark exactly 30 years since the signing of the famous Windhoek Declaration on 3 May 1991 that paved the way for a free, independent and pluralistic press. The date of the declaration’s adoption, 3 May, has subsequently been declared as World Press Freedom Day.
NIGERIA: How Critical Online Journalism, Social Media Activism Became Crimes in Nigeria
MFWA
SOUTH AFRICA: Government wants to set new laws around TV licences in South Africa
Business Tech: The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has proposed a revamp of South Africa’s current Broadcasting Act in an effort to boost the powers of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
SOUTH AFRICA: New Laws Proposed To Strengthen The Public Broadcaster – SABC
Broadcast Media Africa: A new Broadcasting Act designed to enhance the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and revamp the dynamics of the “TV Licence”. The new Act is being proposed by the South Africa Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.
TANZANIA: Tanzania: Laws weaponized to undermine political and civil freedoms ahead of elections
Amnesty International: Tanzanian President John Magufuli’s government has built up a formidable arsenal of laws to stifle all forms of dissent and effectively clamp down on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly ahead of elections on 28 October, Amnesty International said as they launched the report Lawfare – Repression by Law Ahead of Tanzania’s General Elections today.
ZAMBIA: GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXPEDITE ENACTMENT OF ATI LAW
MISA: MISA Zambia has called on the government to expedite the enactment of the Access to Information (ATI) Bill into law.
GENERAL: More African governments are quietly tightening rules and laws on social media
Quartz: Lesotho has become the latest African country to issue regulations on how ordinary citizens use social media.
GENERAL: Tanzania clamps down, Sudan backs down, and Cameroon uses COVID-19 to crush dissent
IFEX: September in Africa: A free expression roundup produced by IFEX’s Regional Editor Reyhana Masters, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.
BANGLADESH: Escalating attacks on the media must stop
Amnesty International: The Bangladeshi authorities have intensified their assault on independent media and journalists in 2020, with an escalation in the use of the draconian Digital Security Act 2018 (DSA) during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Amnesty International on the second anniversary of the law’s inception.
CAMBODIA: Cambodia’s Sentencing of Journalist Over COVID-19 Comment a Threat to Freedoms, Media Groups Say
VOA: The conviction of a journalist who reported on comments that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen made publicly about COVID-19 is a threat to all reporters covering the pandemic, local media groups say.
HKFP: The chairwoman of the RTHK Programme Staff Union Gladys Chiu has slammed the public broadcaster’s decision to re-open an investigation into journalist Nabela Qoser, calling the decision “extremely unfair.”
HONG KONG: Security law: Hong Kong clamps down on free press as police deploy their own faux reporters
HKFP: Not content with new orders limiting the number of legitimate journalists who can cover police operations, the Hong Kong Police Force recently went a step further, deploying public-relations officers as faux reporters to live-stream from popular protest sites.
RSF
JAPAN: After Abe, Will Press Freedom Improve in Japan?
The Diplomat: New Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is widely seen as a continuity choice. Will he change course on media freedoms?
JAPAN: NHK Project Wins Prix Italia (Press Release)`
NHK: The NHK project Experience Tokyo Megaquake has won a Prix Italia in the Web Interactive category.
KYRGYZSTAN: Journalists attacked, obstructed during and after parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan
CPJ: Kyrgyz authorities should create safe conditions for members of the press covering post-election unrest in Kyrgyzstan, and stop attacking journalists who are doing their job, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan Bans TikTok, Citing Morals. Others Cite Politics (Paywall)
The New York Times: Conservatives have raised questions about public decency on the Chinese-owned service, but opposition groups see an effort to stop criticism of the country’s leadership.
PAKISTAN: Protest for Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s release continues
The News International: The protest of journalists, civil society members, office-bearers of media unions and trade union of Jang Group against the arrest of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman continued on Saturday for 189th consecutive day.
PAKISTAN: SC seeks record of case against Jang owner
Dawn: The Supreme Court hearing a post-arrest bail plea of Chief Executive of the Jang Group of Newspapers Mir Shakeelur Rehman on Thursday summoned the NAB prosecutor general and asked the trial court to furnish complete update of the case.
AUSTRALIA: ABC blames bushfires, coronavirus as it cancels 2021 cadet intake
The Sydney Morning Herald: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has cancelled its 2021 cadetship intake, citing disruption from bushfires and the coronavirus as major contributors to the decision.
AUSTRALIA: ABC Radio Australia launches Pacific sports show (Press release)
ABC: A new weekly radio show focusing on sports in the Pacific region launches on ABC Radio Australia this week.
AUSTRALIA: ABC strengthens cultural ties in Western Sydney (Press release)
ABC: The ABC has partnered with Australia’s first multimedia public space storytelling project, Storybox Parramatta, as the national broadcaster looks to strengthen its presence in Western Sydney.
AUSTRALIA: Australians sign Kevin Rudd’s call for inquiry into Murdoch influence
BBC: More than 100,000 people have signed a petition by former Australian PM Kevin Rudd calling for an inquiry into Rupert Murdoch’s media dominance in Australia.
AUSTRALIA: There will be no royal commission, but we need to question News Corp’s role in Australia (Opinion)
The Guardian: Kevin Rudd’s petition is unlikely to find support with a government that benefits from News Corp’s favourable coverage
NEW ZEALAND: Election 2020: Media policy slips down the queue
RNZ: Vote-chasing political parties push policies on big ticket issues like tax, health and education in the run-up to an election, and plans for broadcasting and media are often left to the last minute – or overlooked entirely. Mediawatch looks at what’s in parties’ manifestos for media in 2020.
REGIONAL: Pacific television training initiative boosts region’s broadcasters
Pacific Media Centre: Television New Zealand and Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) have launched a new training programme to help broadcasters across the region deliver a premium news product to their audiences.
BELARUS: Belarus: at least 40 journalists detained on Sunday
EFJ: Belarusian riot police detained dozens of protesters in several cities on Sunday as thousands rallied for the ninth consecutive Sunday rally against the fraudulent election of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
BELGIUM: RTBF puts the turbo on Auvio (French)
L’Echo: In the streaming war, the public service is enriching the content of its video platform through new partnerships. A paying cultural offer is under study.
BULGARIA: Jourova promises action plan to protect independent journalism
EURACTIV: The European Commission (EC) will present by the end of the year an action plan to protect independent journalism, Commission Vice President Věra Jourová announced on Monday (12 October) during the conference “Media Freedom in Bulgaria”, organised by EURACTIV Bulgaria.
BULGARIA: New report shows bleak picture of state of media in Bulgaria
The Sofia Globe: Stagnation is a fitting description of the current state of play of the media environment in Bulgaria in 2020, the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria said on October 9 as it released its fifth consecutive study on media freedom in the country.
CZECH REPUBLIC: The relevance of understanding and measuring your value (Blog – Interview)
EBU: When I joined Czech Television, one of the first things I introduced was the measurement of our public value.
DENMARK: New dr.dk front page does away with the ‘the faster and the more’ mindset (Press Release – Danish)
DR: In future, dr.dk will be published as five editions during the day. It should provide users with a more accurate picture of today’s most important stories.
FRANCE: United States – Presidential Election 2020 : France Télévisions is mobilized (Press Release – French)
France Télévisions: To ensure the coverage of the American presidential election, France Télévisions mobilizes its antennas from the month of October, with an imperative of pedagogy, decryption and fight against infox.
GERMANY: ARD / ZDF online study 2020: number of internet users grows by 3.5 million (Press Release – German)
ARD & ZDF: In 2020, 1,504 representative German-speaking people aged 14 and over were interviewed between March 9 and April 27 by telephone interview (dual-frame sample). After the merger with the data from the ARD / ZDF long-term study on mass communication within the framework of the “Study series media and their audience”, the analyzes are based on a total of 3,003 cases.
GERMANY: WDR study on corona reporting: More people consider media in Germany to be credible (Press Release – German)
ARD: WDR study: More people consider media in Germany to be credible – good values for corona reporting by daily newspapers and public broadcasters.
GERMANY: RBB will 2021 rund 30 Millionen Euro sparen (German)
Süddeutsche Zeitung: Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) wants to save around 30 million euros in the coming year.
HUNGARY: Going Silent? Independent Hungarian Radio Station Faces Loss Of License
RFE/RL: Observers and government critics say Hungarian media outlets have been muzzled under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Now, they are warning that the country could lose one of its last independent voices.
MONTENEGRO: Montenegrin Broadcaster Torn by Accusations of Sabotage and Political Interference
Balkan Insight: The management of Montenegro’s public broadcaster – long seen as a mouthpiece for the former ruling party – has lashed out at members of the managing council and certain editors, accusing them of working for the new majority in parliament.
POLAND: New docu channel for TVP
Broadband TV News: The Polish public broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) will launch a documentary channel on November 19.
POLAND: The Hungarian model – Poland’s ruling party may clobber independent media (Paywall)
The Economist: Ever since Poland’s Law and Justice party returned to power in 2015 it has chipped away at the independence of the media.
SLOVENIA: Chris Dziadul Reports: Focus on Slovenia
Broadband TV News: Major and in some instances controversial developments are currently taking place in Slovenia’s broadcast industry.
SPAIN: Management and urgent reform of RTVE. Public debate (Event – Spanish)
Teledetodos: Next Wednesday, October 14, Teledetodos invites you to participate electronically in a public act in defense of the Competition for the election of the Board of Directors and the Presidency of RTVE.
SPAIN: ‘Science and the future’ RTVE Digital is committed to scientific dissemination with the new portal ‘Science and the future’ (Press Release – Spanish)
RTVE: RTVE Digital launches ‘Science and the future’, a new portal dedicated exclusively to the dissemination and dissemination of scientific content. On the website, users will find all the outstanding scientific topics of the TVE, RNE and RTVE Digital programs, as well as the latest informative hour related to science in all its fields.
SWEDEN: Confidence in Swedish Radio increased during the corona pandemic (Press Release – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: The SOM Institute today presents a survey on media confidence development during the corona pandemic *. Sveriges Radio’s confidence increases, especially among the groups that consume a lot of news, where 87 percent have high or very high confidence in Sveriges Radio.
SWEDEN: Historically high confidence in SVT’s content (Press Release – Swedish)
SVT: In the SOM Institute’s special survey for the spring corona crisis, 81 percent expressed very high or fairly high confidence in SVT’s content. This is the highest rating a media company has received for its content in a SOM survey.
UK: David Dimbleby considering bid to become next BBC chair
The Guardian: Broadcaster ‘horrified’ after reports on Charles Moore being considered and says his decision would hinge on other candidates
UK: How ‘hyperlocal’ journalism can restore trust in the media
The Conversation: It is a critical time for public interest journalism. Trust in the mainstream media is a major problem as fake news spreads unabated on social networks.
UK: Ofcom consults on boundary between BBC Studios, BBC public service (Paywall)
Telecompaper: UK regulator Ofcom is seeking evidence for its review of the boundary between BBC Studios and BBC licence fee-funded public broadcasting services.
UK: YouTube more representative of Britain than television, says UK boss
The Guardian: Site offers diverse material that traditional media do not, says Ben McOwen Wilson.
REGIONAL: COVID-19, disinformation and the media – how can we raise the bar? (Blog)
EBU: Almost seven months since Europe first went into lockdown, trustworthy information about the COVID-19 pandemic remains as essential as ever.
FOPEA: Cruz has been forced to carry out preventive isolation. At all times, the journalist kept his distance and respected health protocols, but the Police compulsively ordered isolation on the grounds of having had contact with people outside the Department.
ARGENTINA: The Senate approved a bill that establishes gender equality in public media (Spanish)
Perfil: The initiative was turned over to the Chamber of Deputies unanimously. It will reach Radio y Televisión Argentina S.E., Contenidos Públicos S.E. and Télam S.E.
COLOMBIA: Colombia confirms blocking visas for foreign journalists
Colombia Reports: Colombia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed claims made by Colombia Reports last week that freelance journalists have been stripped of the possibility to apply for a migrant visa.
CPJ: Cuban authorities must immediately cease harassing and threatening journalist Abraham Jiménez Enoa, and allow him and all journalists in the country to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said…
EL SALVADOR: In El Salvador, a beacon of truth under threat (Opinion)
CJR: “…But what is happening in El Salvador is profoundly relevant to understanding ways in which the attacks on our global information systems contribute to the erosion of democracy around the world…”
EL SALVADOR: Noticiero El Salvador: Pre-election journalism? (Spanish)
Deutsche Welle: Since 1964, El Salvador has had a state television channel that offers a range of information to the television audience. Why, then, is the relaunch of a newscast making so much noise?
MEXICO: Federal government guarantees plurality in public communication media (Spanish)
Vertigo Politico: The Mexican government is committed to strengthening the public media , and to guaranteeing the cultural , political and social plurality that distinguishes them, by strengthening their capacity for insertion and coverage at the national level , said the coordinator General of Social Communication and spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic , Jesús Ramírez Cuevas.
MEXICO: Public media, with an important role in the development of programs for distance education (Watch – Spanish)
Aristegui Noticias: The public media have played a very important role in the development of programs for distance education; Channel 11 has been a pillar, for example, in the preparation of basic education classes, while secondary and high school are being produced in the General Directorate of Educational Television with the support of the Public Broadcasting System, said Jimena Saldaña Gutiérrez, coordinator of Interinstitutional Relations of the SEP, in the 2020 program.
MEXICO: They strengthen public media with an increase of 376 percent in budget for 2021 (Spanish)
Heraldo Mexico: By 2021, the State’s public media will have an increase of 376 percent in their budget, additional resources that will invest in infrastructure that allows them to expand their transmission coverage from 61.2 to 72.63 percent of the national territory , reaching 81.5 million people.
PANAMA: Court rejects ex-first lady’s media muzzle attempt
MENAFN: Former first lady Marta Linares de Martinelli failed in her attempts to censor the newspaper La Prensa and failed to get the courts to prohibit the publication of criminal investigations and images of her family, including in particular her sons Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares.
VENEZUELA: 796 Attacks Against the Press So Far in the Year
Caracas Chronicles: The report, with data from the RSF, the IPYS and other organizations, registers an alarming deterioration in freedom of speech in Venezuela. Several media outlets were attacked during the weekend while impunity reigns.
IRAQ: Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Media Offices Shut Down
HRW: Kurdish authorities have unlawfully closed two offices of a private media outlet, NRT, for over a month, apparently for covering protests and for broadcasts critical of the ruling party, Human Rights Watch said today.
ISRAEL: Israeli security forces arrest Palestinian journalist Tareq Abu Zeid in Nablus
CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern about the recent arrest of Palestinian freelance journalist Tareq Abu Zeid by Israeli security forces. On October 1, Israeli security forces raided Abu Zeid’s home in the northern West Bank city of Nablus and arrested him.
SAUDI ARABIA: RSF launches ‘50-day clock’ and petition calling for press freedom improvements ahead of G20 Riyadh summit
RSF: On the second anniversary of the assassination of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi, and with 50 days left until the November 2020 G20 summit in Riyadh, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a ‘50-day clock’ and petition urging G20 capitals to obtain concrete press freedom improvements in Saudi Arabia – starting with the release of the country’s 34 jailed journalists.
TURKEY: 4 journalists arrested for reporting on Kurdish villagers thrown from military helicopter
SCF: Four journalists who reported on two Kurdish villagers who had allegedly been thrown out of a military helicopter were arrested on Friday, Turkish media reported. Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur from the Mesopotamia News Agency and Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala from Jinnews were arrested in the eastern city of Van. They were accused of membership in a terrorist organization.
TURKEY: ‘Domestic and national’ journalism by force of prison, censorship, seizure!
Bianet: The 3rd Quarterly BİA Media Monitoring Report shows that Turkey has become a country where journalists are detained for criticizing an Ottoman Sultan, TV channels are silenced for the same reason and violence against journalists ends in impunity.
TURKEY: Turkish government orders seizure of exiled journalist’s property
Middle East Eye: A Turkish court has ordered the seizure of the property of opposition journalist Can Dundar, who is currently living in exile in Germany to escape a jail sentence.
CANADA: CBC announces it’s cutting about 130 jobs across Canada over next 3 months
CBC News: Job losses will be spread across 5 locations, but most will be in Toronto.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada launches Local News Matters, a national directory to support local journalism
CBC/Radio-Canada: At a time when news organizations are facing unprecedented challenges – compounded this year by COVID-19 – CBC/Radio-Canada is launching Local News Matters, a nationwide directory to help Canadians find and support local media serving their communities. Available on the public broadcaster’s corporate website, the directory, the first of its kind in Canada, links to over 1000 media outlets from coast to coast to coast.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada strengthens its connection with Canadians
CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada’s 2019–2020 Annual Report highlights our accomplishments and our ongoing commitment to Canadians. Guided by our strategy, Your Stories, Taken to Heart, we worked hard to strengthen Canadians’ connection to their national public broadcaster – from providing local and national coverage of the federal election, to promoting diversity and inclusion in our workforce and content, to celebrating the success of our programming, both at home and abroad.
CANADA: CBC/Radio Canada’s trifecta – trust, reach and brand safety
Media In Canada: If there’s one thing that Canadians have discovered over the last several months, it is that trust is of paramount importance when it comes to news and information.
CANADA: P.E.I. senator wants CRTC to ensure Compass remains on air
CBC News: P.E.I. Sen. Percy Downe says CBC News: Compass should not have been suspended during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and wants the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to ensure it won’t happen again. Downe said CBC is a critical source of news on the Island where there is poor rural internet service and a high proportion of seniors who rely on the broadcaster for information during the pandemic.
US: Collaboration explores diversity of young Latino electorate (Paywall)
Current: Roughly every 30 seconds in the U.S., a young Latino person turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote. With the aptly named Every 30 Seconds project, PRX’s The World and seven stations are collaborating on a yearlong effort to track the young Latino electorate ahead of the presidential election.
US: CPB and PBS Awarded Ready To Learn Grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Press Release)
PBS: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS have received a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The grant will provide $24,322,018 in year one of a five-year cycle* to fund CPB and PBS’s comprehensive multimedia learning and station engagement initiative, which will connect children’s media and learning environments to build key skills for success.
US: How COVID-19 exposes a disability reporting gap
Poynter Institute: The disability community is disproportionately affected by issues like police violence and climate change. But media rarely includes disabled voices.
US: Lawsuit Calls for Immediate Relief from USAGM CEO’s Actions
VOA News: From the start of his tenure as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media in June, Michael Pack and his team of political appointees aggressively sought “to fundamentally remake USAGM into state sponsored media,” according to a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Washington on Thursday.
CPB: Patricia de Stacy Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), was awarded the Italian honor of “Cavaliere” of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the highest-ranking honor of the Italian Republic. Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy to the United States, presented the honor to Harrison October 7 at Villa Firenze, the Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C.
US: PBS Showed TV the Future. But What Does Its Own Look Like? (Paywall)
The New York Times: It created the blueprint for what TV has become. And, while networks and streaming services reap the benefits of PBS’s successes, it is still struggling to survive.
US: Trump’s continuing vandalism of the Voice of America (Opinion)
Washington Post: President Trump’s reelection campaign may be foundering, but his vandalism of key U.S. government institutions is gaining momentum.
CPJ Insider: Press freedom accountability project, journalists freed, and more
CPJ
Detention, injury, even death: the price of a free press (Opinion)
MinnPost: Journalists risk their lives to tell us what we must know to preserve democracy and to stand up when our rights are threatened.
CJR: In 2020, journalists across the world found themselves in a professional paradox: The coronavirus highlighted the importance of a vibrant press; reporters felt a renewed zeal for their work as news consumers relied on them to stay alive. At the same time, however, the crisis introduced new levels of instability and viral disinformation, which piled on to the stresses of an industry already overloaded with plenty.
Investment in journalism or calculated PR campaign? (German)
Deutschlandfunk: Google plans to pay around 855 million euros to media companies worldwide over the next three years. The tech group wants to offer their content in its “News Showcase”. The background to this is a dispute with several publishers that has been simmering for years. In Germany, the new initiative does not convince everyone.
Journalism faces a crisis in trust. Journalists fall into two very different camps for how to fix it (Opinion)
Nieman Lab: Journalism faces a well-documented crisis of trust. This long-running decline in public confidence in the press is part of a broader skepticism that has developed about the trustworthiness of institutions more generally — leading to an overall trust recession that worries observers who speculate about the endgame of this downward spiral. But might we see these issues of news and trust in a new light if we reconsidered our assumptions about what actually leads people to develop trust in journalism?
Routes to Content: how people decide what TV to watch (Research)
Huddersfield University: The contemporary media landscape has altered the discoverability of television content. More than half of UK households have a TV set connected to the internet and subscribe to at least one subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, multiplying the routes that people can take to find the television programmes that they want to watch.
Safety and Independence of Journalism: Media freedom webinar (Oct. 20, Zoom) (Event)
IPI: A webinar to address physical and digital attacks on journalists and media professionals as well as the deteriorating environment for independent journalism.
Valuing journalism in a world of near-infinite content (Opinion)
RISJ: Rasmus Nielsen considers the profound challenges around audience expectations, trust and revenue generation facing the news media.
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