Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
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What is...
Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
To finish off 2021, and our year-long series of PSM Explainers, we’ve been examining impartiality. Last week, we explored the concept of “impartial journalism”, what it is, and why it is so crucial for PSM. This week, we are exploring “due impartiality” – how impartial journalism is employed in practice – and next week, we’ll be looking at the onus on “impartial journalists”.
Week 48: What does DUE IMPARTIALITY look like?
Impartiality at its most basic – that which does not consider the type of views being espoused, or the nature of the topic – can be fundamentally dangerous and impair the public media mandate. For many public media organisations, who have to encompass diverse views and opinions, sensitive topics such as racism and prejudice, the climate crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, appear to provide challenges in terms of impartiality. But the presentation of inaccurate information or harmful views would go against journalistic ethics and act against the public’s best interest. To avoid this challenge, public media need to employ qualified impartiality known as “due impartiality” – that is, the application of impartiality that is appropriate and adequate for each particular situation or issue. In clear cut cases, due impartiality could be the no-platforming of climate change deniers or anti-vaxxers – people whose views are factually incorrect, and where the amplification of these views are dangerous to wider society. But in more nuanced examples, it can be difficult to find the right balance. The BBC, for instance, notes that “the demands of impartiality can vary” while the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) similarly says that impartiality is “an art rather than a science”. Due impartiality must still abide by important news principles, such as being editorially independent, accurate, reflective of pluralistic views across output, and representative of a diverse society. But by weighing different sides of the argument, public media organisations continue to receive accusations of bias, with political partisanship leading some to believe that the media cover their political views unfairly. Those who feel excluded as a result can feel a growing sense of persecution, fuelling their disillusionment with public media. These accusations of bias have even extended to journalists, leaving many organisations scrambling to remove perceptions of bias not just for the organisation itself but also for their staff.
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What we're watching...
Role of public media with NJ PBS VP/GM Joe Lee | Chat Box
NJ Spotlight News: David Cruz talks with Joe Lee, NJ PBS Vice President and General Manager about his vast career, the future of public media and shares upcoming projects that NJ PBS is working on.
What we're listening to...
Inside the No 10 Christmas party scoops
The Media Show, BBC: Was there a Christmas party in 10 Downing Street last year during lockdown? The Mirror received a tip-off from an anonymous source, alleging that a party took place. ITV News then secured footage of Downing Street aides joking about a party. How did the journalists involved get hold of these stories, and what did they do to “stand them up”? These two scoops dominated Prime Minister’s Questions and every news bulletin. So what is the relationship between the government and the Lobby?
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BENIN: In Benin, growing fears over law that can jail journalists for posting news online
CPJ
BENIN: MFWA denounces conviction of journalists Patrice Gbaguidi, Hervé Alladé
MFWA: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) welcomes the release of Beninese journalist Patrice Gbaguidi and Hervé Alladé, owner of the media outlet Le Soleil Bénin Info, who have been in pre-trial detention since 18 November 2021.
BURUNDI: Lobby pushes for media freedom in Burundi
The East African: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) remains sceptical on whether the latest policy shift by Washington on Burundi sanctions will guarantee freedom of the Press in a country where news media is crying foul over continuous harassment.
CAMEROON: Eutelsat holds onto Cameroon
Advanced Television: French satellite operator Eutelsat will continue to broadcast Cameroon’s public TV channel CRTV – one of the country’s most influential media outlets – and its other channels, until 2023, according to news that emerged from Africa Intelligence.
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia’s civil war dashes once-high hopes of press freedom
CPJ: In a Facebook post at the end of October, Awlo Media Center, an Ethiopian online news outlet critical of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration, announced that the government’s “pressure and obstruction” had forced it to shut down and lay off all of its employees.
GHANA: Media practitioners urged to increase reportage on disability (6 December)
NewsGhana: Ms Fatimatu Abubakar, the Deputy Information Minister, has urged journalists and media practitioners to increase their reportage on issues and conditions of Persons Living with Disability (PWDs).
KENYA: Journalists Build Solidarity Group as 2022 Election Fever Heats Up
Kenyans.co.ke: Kenyan Journalists have created a united front and are now jointly seeking protection ahead of the coming 2022 General Election.
NAMIBIA: About 11 NBC employees test positive for COVID-19 (Watch)
NBC: About 11 employees at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) have tested positive for COVID-19 over the last week.
NAMIBIA: Labour Dispute – Court Issues “Cease And Desist” Ruling Against NBC Management
BMA: A court in Namibia has reportedly ordered the management of the country’s public service broadcaster – the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) – to stop implementing its plans to reduce staff leave payouts from 90 to 45 days; as well as its plans to discontinue annual salary notch increments.
NIGERIA: At media dialogue, participants link robust economy to accountability journalism
The Guardian: Stakeholders in the media industry, at a recent dialogue organised by International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), in Abuja, said a robust economy is obtainable and realisable only in societies where accountability thrives with the help of sound investigative journalism.
Africa Check: Nigerian leaders have been holding up the country’s absence from an annual index that tracks violence against journalists as a major gain in governance.
RWANDA: Rwanda’s Assault on YouTubers Puts Journalists in Crosshairs
VOA: There is nothing glamorous about being a YouTuber in Rwanda, says John Williams Ntwali, whose channel Pax TV is a year old.
SOUTH AFRICA: Calls for SABC head of news Phatiswa Magopeni’s disciplinary hearing to be open to the media
News24: The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and the Campaign for Free Expression (CFE) want SABC head of news Phathiswa Magopeni’s disciplinary hearing to be open to the media.
SOUTH AFRICA: SA’s Constitution enables the SABC to fulfill its mandate as a public broadcaster: Sachs
SABC: Anti-apartheid activist and former Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs says the country’s Constitution has enabled the SABC to fulfill its mandate as a public broadcaster.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC journalists fear for their lives after receiving anonymous death threats in Bloemfontein
SABC: SABC News management says it is concerned about the safety of its Lesedi FM Current Affairs team in Bloemfontein, after they received anonymous threats of death, kidnapping and rape this week.
TANZANIA: Tanzania planning to lift media bans
BBC News: The authorities in Tanzania say they plan to lift bans and suspensions on media organisations which had been barred from operating.
TUNISIA: Journalists’ union to celebrate public interest journalism
IFJ: IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger will join the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) at an event to announce the winners of the Public Interest Journalism Award in Tunis on 10 December 2021.
UGANDA: Minister urges journalism graduates never to give up
Nile Post: UMCAT School of Journalism and Mass Communication held its 13th graduation ceremony during a function that also doubled as the institute’s 25th anniversary.
ZIMBABWE: State Media Reports Riles Civic Society Organisations
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REGIONAL: Girlz Off Mute Celebrates One Year of Stories Told By African Girl Reporters
AllAfrica: A mic, a camera, and a girl with a story to tell are main ingredients of GirlZ Off Mute. The DW Africa show, which focuses on the trials and triumphs of African girls, is marking its first anniversary.
REGIONAL: State of broadcasting digital migration in the region report now available!
MISA: This report has a focus on the progress made regarding the state of broadcasting and digital migration in Angola, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
AFGHANISTAN: ‘We’re not giving up’: A radio station for Afghanistan’s women
Al Jazeera: From Taliban-controlled Kabul, Radio Begum is broadcasting the voices of women that have been muted across Afghanistan.
AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN & INDIA: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India emerge dangerous for journalists in 2021
Radio Info Asia: Since January 1, 76 media workers have been killed in 28 countries around the world.
BANGLADESH: 65% of Bangladeshi journalists desire to change their career
Dhaka Tribune: In Bangladesh, 65% of journalists working in different media desire to switch to other professions due to the lack of a congenial atmosphere.
BANGLADESH: How Bangladesh’s Digital Security Act Is Creating a Culture of Fear
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Author and social activist Mushtaq Ahmed died in a Bangladeshi jail on February 25, 2021, after being detained and allegedly tortured for social media posts critical of the government.
CHINA & HONG KONG: Hong Kong press freedom is in ‘free fall’ as China’s journalism crackdown goes global, says Reporters Without Borders
HKFP: A prominent international media watchdog says press freedom in Hong Kong is in “free fall,” as it voices concern over the increasing sophistication with which the Chinese Communist Party carries out media censorship.
HKFP: The Committee to Protect Journalists lists eight Hongkongers among 50 journalists detained in China.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced over banned Tiananmen vigil
The Guardian: The Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and seven other pro-democracy activists have been sentenced to up to 14 months in prison for organising, taking part in and inciting participation in a banned vigil last year for victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
INDIA: The World’s Largest Democracy Is Failing
The Atlantic: What the attacks against the journalist Rana Ayyub reveal about the state of India’s democracy.
JAPAN: NHK airs Dutch curling event after ‘racy’ logo concealed
Japan Times: Japan’s public broadcaster finally started airing an Olympic curling qualification event in the Netherlands on Saturday, about a week after it began, after a Dutch sex toy firm sponsoring the competition agreed to conceal its logo on the ice.
MYANMAR: How Myanmar became the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists
CPJ: Myanmar has catapulted in the rankings of the Committee to Protect Journalists’ annual census of jailed journalists, the repressive upshot of a democracy-suspending February 1 coup that saw authorities suppress news coverage of their harsh clampdown on anti-military protesters.
PAKISTAN: Why do some Pakistani journalists say they’re being silenced? (Listen)
NPR: Reports from global media watchdogs suggest it is true: press freedoms in Pakistan are deteriorating. Why is Pakistan’s media under pressure, and where is that pressure coming from?
PHILIPPINES: ‘Hold the line’: Maria Ressa fights for press freedom under Philippines’ Duterte
France24: Veteran Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, who will accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Friday, has battled multiple legal cases and online abuse in her campaign for press freedom under President Rodrigo Duterte.
PHILIPPINES: Nobel Peace Prize: Maria Ressa attacks social media ‘toxic sludge’
BBC: One of the winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize has attacked US internet companies for what she called a “flood of toxic sludge” on social media.
SOUTH KOREA: New KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-cheol Declares Independence of KBS to Better Serve the Nation as the Primary Public Service Media (Press release)
KBS: Kim Eui-cheol, the 25th President and CEO of Korean Broadcasting System, took office and began his tenure on December 10, 2021. President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea approved and appointed him as head of the nation’s primary Public Service Media organization.
SRI LANKA: Batticaloa journalists call for protection of human rights and freedom of press
Tamil Guardian: Journalists in Batticaloa demanded that the Sri Lankan state protect human rights and ensure freedom of the press at event held in the city on Sunday evening.
UZBEKISTAN: HRW Urges Tashkent To Release Muslim Blogger Held On ‘Bogus’ Charges
RFE/RL: Human Rights Watch has called on Uzbek authorities to immediately release from custody Muslim blogger Fozilxoja Orifxojaev, who has been “in arbitrary detention for five months,” facing charges of threatening public security over a social-media post.
VIETNAM: PEN America denounces the upcoming trial and arbitrary detention of journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang (Press Release)
PEN America: The upcoming trial of journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang—set to take place on December 14 despite the strong urging from the United Nations and international organizations to drop all charges against her—highlights the persistence of free expression violations in Vietnam, PEN America said today.
REGIONAL: ABU Calls for Media Engagement in Climate Action to Save the Planet (Press release)
ABU: The ABU Media Summit on Climate Action and Disaster Prevention was held online for the first time on 9 December 2021.
AUSTRALIA: ABC commissions drive Australian storytelling and boost the economy (Press Release)
ABC: The ABC’s screen commissions contributed $744 million to the Australian economy and supported more than 8000 roles over three years, bringing financial, social and cultural benefits to all states and territories, according to a new report.
AUSTRALIA: Australian lawmakers blast Murdoch’s ‘troubling media monopoly’ in new report
CNN: An Australian Senate committee on Thursday issued a scathing indictment of media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, calling it the country’s “clearest example of a troubling media monopoly.”
AUSTRALIA: Children’s television produced in Australia halved since Coalition scrapped quotas, report finds
The Guardian: Seven children’s shows were produced in last financial year – down from 14 – with six of those financed by the ABC.
AUSTRALIA: NITV asks audiences to ‘Reimagine Australia’ as it unveils new brand celebrating the diversity of First Nations stories and cultures (Press release)
SBS: National Indigenous Television (NITV) has revealed a new brand position encouraging all Australians to ‘Reimagine Australia’, alongside a new logo and television schedule, as it marks nine years of being available free-to-air as part of the SBS network on Sunday, 12 December 2021.
NEW ZEALAND: Hunt underway for next TVNZ chief executive (Paywall)
Newsroom: TVNZ has started a global search but, as Stephen Parker writes, finding a top candidate might be hard while the broadcaster’s future is still to be determined.
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand news industry battles for collective bargaining rights as Australian rivals benefit from big tech payouts
Press Gazette: A group of New Zealand news publishers has applied to the island country’s competition regulator for the power to engage in collective bargaining with Google and Facebook.
NEW ZEALAND: The Spinoff And Meta Reach Commercial Agreement (Press release)
Scoop: Meta is pleased to announce it has signed a commercial agreement with The Spinoff to invest in technology and product innovation.
NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ, RNZ demand right to be in on collective negotiations with Google, Facebook
Stuff: TVNZ and RNZ say they should be allowed to join other media businesses in being granted a right to collectively negotiate with Facebook and Google over payment for their content.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Alex Rheeney: Frontline media lessons of the past – from PNG logging to the elections, beware (Opinion)
Asia Pacific Report: It was probably one of those rare times when I “became the news” as a journalist.
BELARUS: EU Steps Up Support For Belarusian Civil Society
RFE/RL: The European Union is increasing its support for Belarusian civil society by 30 million euros ($34 million), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
CZECH REPUBLIC: There will be a lot of it. Czech Television is preparing a big show of news for the spring. It starts in the 1990s (Press release – Czech)
Česká televize: From the beginning of the year, Czech Television will gradually present six premiere series and miniseries, many new documentaries, children’s programs and the second series of the Whole Country. It will also offer viewers its first web series.
DENMARK: DR chief stops after violation of DR’s code of conduct (Press release – Danish)
DR: On Wednesday, DR initiated a personnel case against a boss who has violated DR’s code of good conduct. The boss now stops in DR.
FINLAND: Yle has been even more successful in its public service duties (Press release – Finnish)
Yle: The confidence of Finns is generally strong and at the same level as in previous years. Of the media, Yle is the most trusted.
FRANCE: Approval of the 2022 budget (Press release)
France Télévisions: The Board of Directors of France Télévisions, meeting this Tuesday, December 14, 2021, approved a 2022 budget balanced on its operations.
FRANCE: Presidential 2022: journalists’ companies and editorial directors call on candidates to respect press freedom (French)
Le Monde: Many media, including “Le Monde”, urge all declared presidential candidates to publicly commit to respecting the work of journalists.
GERMANY: More women in ZDF management positions than ever before (Press release – German)
ZDF: Thomas Bellut: “Equal cast is the goal”.
GERMANY: TV Council adopts ZDF budget for 2022 (Press release – German)
ZDF: The television council unanimously approved the balanced budget of the ZDF for the 2022 financial year. The financial plan closes with a total result of minus 105 million euros. This amount is covered as planned from the reserve set up for this purpose.
GERMANY: What is going at Deutsche Welle? (Blog – German)
DJV: The next Deutsche Welle cooperation partner in the Middle East is convicted of anti-Semitism. What’s going on at the station?
GEORGIA: What role can a public broadcaster play in Georgia’s polarised politics?
openDemocracy: Exclusive: George Gvimradze, head of news at the country’s public broadcaster, on a divided media, impartiality, and holding politicians to account.
GREECE: New Greek criminal code amendment threatens journalists with jail for spreading ‘false’ information
CPJ: Greek lawmakers should revoke an amendment to the country’s criminal code that threatens journalists with prison sentences for spreading what the prosecution deems “false” information, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
HUNGARY: Commission Plans New Media Rules in EU, Hungarian Media Landscape May Be a Reason
Hungary Today: The European Commission plans to introduce rules next year to prevent a few large media groups from acquiring smaller rivals and to thwart government interference, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Monday.
Hungary Today: A recent report of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has established that the Hungarian state media has the lowest trust index in Europe and is a “textbook example of state control.”
IRELAND: RTE turns to gardai as harassment of staff increases during pandemic (Paywall)
The Times: The RTE board has been told that broadcasters had faced more harassment from the public since the beginning of the pandemic, and at times needed help from the gardai.
LATVIA: Survey: Most Latvian teenagers are not taught media literacy at school
LSM: Most students say schools do not teach how to verify information on the Internet, a recent survey by the Latvian Safer Internet Center shows.
LATVIA & POLAND: TVP expands to Latvia
Broadband TV News: Viewers in Latvia will now be able to watch five channels from the Polish public broadcaster TVP.
NORTH MACEDONIA: North Macedonia: Parliament urged to make protection of journalists a priority
EFJ: The Trade Union of Macedonian Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) just launched a campaign to call for the urgent adoption of the amendments to the Criminal Code to better protect journalists.
EJO
SLOVAKIA: Slovakia’s RTVS opts for M7 Group
Broadband TV News: Canal+-owned M7 Group has signed a long-term agreement with the Slovak public broadcaster RTVS for the Astra 23.5 satellite distribution of its channel.
SLOVENIA: Previous chief supervisor reinstated at public broadcaster
STA: The supervisory board of RTV Slovenija, the Slovenian public broadcaster, revoked September’s decision to appoint Janez Čadež as its chairman and reinstated Danilo Tomšič in the post.
SLOVENIA: Response to insulting records and attacks on employees and employees of RTV Slovenia (Press release – Slovenian)
RTV SLO: RTV Slovenia condemns verbal attacks on our journalists, other employees and colleagues, especially if they are offensive and ad personam, and calls for a respectful dialogue.
SLOVENIA: “The last step in the takeover of RTV Slovenia has taken place” (Slovenian)
Delo: The Mandate-Election Commission on Program Councilors and Supervisors of RTV Slovenia, the opposition warns of the illegality of the decision.
SPAIN: RTVE’s multipolar crisis (Spanish – Paywall)
El País: The collapse of the audience, the decrease in economic resources and the change in consumption habits weigh down the future of public television.
SPAIN: RTVE and the ICO sign an agreement to promote the Spanish audiovisual sector (Press release – Spanish)
RTVE: The president of RTVE, José Manuel Pérez Tornero, and the president of the Official Credit Institute (ICO), José Carlos García de Quevedo Ruiz, have signed an agreement today to promote the Spanish audiovisual sector.
SWEDEN: Eight prizes for Swedish Radio at the Guldörat gala (Press release – Swedish)
Sveriges Radio: Six winners and two honorary awards went to Swedish Radio when the Radio Academy awarded prizes to this year’s best radio and podcast productions and personalities tonight.
SWEDEN: SVT Play turns 15 years old (Press release – Swedish)
SVT: SVT Play has gone from a buffered small window on the computer with a sluggish modem to today’s seamless displays on the big screen.
UK: BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Audio partner to create a Network Radio Hub (Press release)
BBC Media Centre: BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Audio have today announced a new partnership which will bring together their network radio teams in Wales and Bristol in a single unit, led from Cardiff, working across both sites.
UK: Broadcasters to avoid using term BAME as it ‘homogenises culturally distinct’ groups
Press Gazette: The UK’s main broadcasters have committed to avoid using the acronym BAME, short for “black, Asian, and minority ethnic”, after a report raised concerns it “homogenises culturally distinct social groups”.
UKRAINE: Technology in Ukraine: Playing Catch-Up
CMDS: As Ukraine updates its communication policies, the country’s tech sector remains plagued by a delayed introduction of new technologies, a gaping urban-rural digital divide, skepticism towards the state and the problem of disinformation.
REGIONAL: NEW CONTENT-SHARING INITIATIVE STRIKES CHORD WITH AUDIENCES ACROSS EUROPE
EBU: A groundbreaking European news service supported by 11 national broadcasters has garnered more than 23.5 million views in just five months.
REGIONAL: Takeaways from webinar on safety of journalists
EFJ: The Center for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) organised a webinar with the School for Journalists and Media Practitioners on the safety of journalists on 6 December 2021.
ARGENTINA: Radio Nacional will arrive for the first time in the Falklands, islands of the South Atlantic and Antarctica (Spanish)
Ámbito: In the framework of the National Sovereignty Day, national and local authorities put into operation this Saturday a new and powerful transmitter that will allow LRA 24 Radio Nacional Río Grande, to have a coverage of more than 600 kilometers around that Fuegian city and be heard in the Falklands, other islands of the South Atlantic and Antarctica.
ARGENTINA: The first Code of Ethics for Public Television was presented today (Spanish)
Argentina.gob.ar: The First Code of Ethics of Public Television was presented today , during a ceremony headed by the president of Radio y Televisión Argentina (RTA), Rosario Lufrano.
BRAZIL: Agência Brasil expands content offer in English and Spanish (Portuguese)
Agência Brasil: The Agency Brazil enhanced the foreign language service in order to offer more content to readers. Since November 26th, the news agency of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação ( EBC ) has expanded the offer of reports in English and Spanish by hiring the Google Neural Machine Translation tool.
BRAZIL: EBC strike is longest in days since 2013 (Portuguese)
Poder360: Employees of EBC (Empresa Brasil de Comunicação) – including broadcasters, journalists and translators – complete 19 days of strike this Tuesday.
LatAm Journalism Review: Ten years after the enactment of the Access to Information Law (LAI, for its acronym in Portuguese), an analysis by the organization Transparência Brasil says the quality of the federal government’s response to requests for information made between 2019 and 2021 has gotten worse.
COLOMBIA: Colombian legislature passes anti-corruption bill that threatens press freedom
CPJ: Colombian President Iván Duque should veto a portion of the anti-corruption bill recently passed by the country’s legislature that threatens press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
MEXICO: The State apologizes for the case of a missing journalist (Spanish)
IFJ: On the eve of International Human Rights Day, the Mexican authorities acknowledged their responsibility for the disappearance and lack of justice of journalist Alfredo Jiménez Mota, whose whereabouts are unknown since April 2, 2005.
NICARAGUA: 128 attacks against journalists and the media are reported in Nicaragua in November
100noticias: The report of violation of Freedom of the Press by the newspaper La Prensa has documented 128, with a further increase of 21 attacks against journalists and independent media by the dictatorship and fans of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who continue to harass communicators critical of the government.
LatAm Journalism Review: Recently, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo met with a group of journalists from the Huánuco region at the Government Palace, in Lima.
URUGUAY: New audiovisual media law (Opinion – Spanish)
La Diaria: Parliament is studying a new law on audiovisual communication services. It would be advisable for all citizens to be informed about an issue that is very important.
VENEZUELA: Disinformation, censorship and persecution among the patterns of rights violations in Venezuela (Spanish)
Diario Los Andes: This Monday a virtual forum was held with the presence of representatives of Public Space, the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy, and Smart Venezuela, in which the current situation of the rights of information, expression, activism was discussed.
VENEZUELA: The NGO Súmate denounced the campaign of Nicolás Maduro in a public medium in favor of Jorge Arreaza
Infobae: The Venezuelan NGO Súmate denounced this Wednesday that the dictator Nicolás Maduro makes electoral propaganda in state media in favor of Jorge Arreaza, official candidate for the regional elections on January 9 in Barinas – Hugo Chávez’s region.
VENEZUELA: Public Space denounces “escalation of violence” against journalists and media in Venezuela
El Pitazo (via EFE): According to the organization, the most frequent were intimidation, censorship, and administrative restrictions, “actions that seek to reduce the citizen’s ability to seek, receive, and disseminate information.”
REGIONAL: How new Latin American voices are breaking the media mold – Part 1: Sustainability
IPI: Stories from Argentina, Mexico, and Paraguay show how a digital media ecosystem is emerging in Latin America.
REGIONAL: A press freedom crisis unfolds in Latin America
CPJ: As the number of journalists imprisoned globally for their work climbs to record highs, cases of those behind bars in Latin America remained relatively low.
LatAm Journalism Review: Ángel Gahona was broadcasting a confrontation between riot police and demonstrators via Facebook Live in Bluefields, Nicaragua when he was shot and killed.
IRAN: To mark Human Rights Day, the BBC calls on Iran to end harassment of BBC News Persian staff (Statement)
BBC Media Centre: The BBC has today (10 December) marked International Human Rights Day by calling upon Iran to end the escalating cross-border harassment and threats towards BBC News Persian journalists and staff.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE: RSF and Euro-Med condemn Israeli travel bans on Palestinian journalists (Statement)
RSF: The travel ban placed on Majdoleen Hassona two years ago by the Israeli authorities, who control the external borders of the Palestinian territories, have prevented her from returning from the West Bank to her base in Istanbul, where she works for the Turkish public broadcaster TRT.
SAUDI ARABIA: Jamal Khashoggi: France releases Saudi man held over journalist’s murder
BBC: French prosecutors have released a Saudi man held in connection with Jamal Khashoggi’s murder after concluding he was a victim of mistaken identity.
TURKEY: Censorship can’t bend the truth: IPI Turkey ad campaign
IPI: IPI marks Human Rights Day with nationwide ad campaign in independent newspapers in Turkey.
TURKEY: Situation of media freedom not improved in Turkey despite release of 20 imprisoned journalists: CPJ
SCF: Turkey, once the world’s worst jailer of journalists, is now ranked sixth in the Committee to Protect Journalists 2021 prison census after releasing 20 jailed journalists in the last year, but this doesn’t mean media freedom has improved in the country, according to a report published by the press freedom watchdog today.
TURKEY: Turkey’s Erdogan says social media a ‘threat to democracy’
Al Jazeera: Erdogan’s government plans to pursue legislation to criminalise spreading fake news and disinformation online, but critics say the proposed changes would tighten restrictions on free speech.
TURKEY: Turkish Media Overseer Penalising Independent Media With Fines – Report
Balkan Insight: The Turkish state agency that monitors and sanctions radio and television broadcasts deliberately singles out independent media for fines and other penalties, a new report suggests.
YEMEN: Yemen’s non-state judicial systems spell death, torture for journalists
CPJ: On December 1, four journalists were on death row in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, for the crime of spreading false news.
REGIONAL: Exploring the power of AI
Broadcast Pro ME: AI experts across MENA broadcast gathered to look at the impact of this evolving technology on various aspects of newsgathering, production, contribution and distribution. Nicolas Hans, Partner at Broadcast Solutions Middle East and Africa, and the moderator of this panel sums up the discussion for us.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada launches its 2022–2025 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, Progress in Progress (Press release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: The new three-year plan, Progress in Progress, builds on the national public broadcaster’s 2018–2021 plan and its June 2021 update on targets set in 2020.
CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada’s 2020–2021 annual report now available online (Press Release)
CBC/Radio-Canada: We provided vital information about the ongoing pandemic, reported on national and international stories, including domestic and foreign elections, and brought breaking news to our audiences, always from a uniquely Canadian perspective.
CANADA: China distorting news and influencing media in Canada, spy agency warns (Watch)
CBC News: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says China’s attempts to distort and influence media in Canada ‘have become normalized’ and ‘more sophisticated, frequent, and insidious.’
CANADA & FRANCE: A renewed partnership between Radio-Canada and France Télévisions (Press release – French)
Radio-Canada: Wishing to increase the reach of remarkable francophone productions, Radio-Canada and France Télévisions renew the partnership under which, from December, several series from here will be offered on the France Télévisions digital platform, while ICI TOU .TV EXTRA will be enriched by numerous French series.
US: How a public broadcasting system ‘asleep at the transmitter’ has overlooked Latino listeners (Paywall)
Current: What is the place of Latino listeners in public radio? In a new book, Christopher Chávez argues that by catering to white listeners, NPR has pushed Latinos to the periphery of its audience.
US: NewsHour Productions takes over management of ‘Washington Week’
Current: NewsHour Productions has taken over operations of Washington Week, a move that further consolidates PBS’ national news programs under one roof.
US: NPR sues the Pentagon for info on possible civilian deaths during the Baghdadi raid
NPR: NPR has sued the U.S. Defense Department to make it release documents regarding possible civilian casualties during the October 2019 military raid in Syria that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
US: PBS Announces Results of December Board Elections (Press Release)
PBS: PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger announced the results of the PBS Board elections, in which six individuals were elected to serve as General Directors on the PBS Board.
US: Trust Us (Editorial – 24 Nov)
PBS: Anti-vaccine preachers are dangerous and ubiquitous. PBS needs to make sure it doesn’t give broadcast space to ministers of misinformation.
US & LEBANON: US journalist held in Lebanon freed after call by rights groups
Al Jazeera: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International had said journalist Nada Homsi was being detained arbitrarily.
21 findings from the Reuters Institute’s research in 2021 still relevant in 2022
RISJ: From reader revenue to trust in news and newsroom diversity, our researchers have covered key issues in the past 12 months.
Digital Radio Tackles Green Challenge
RadioWorld: New German study shows DAB+ is “green radio” with energy savings of up to 90% possible
End persecution of media as journalists collect ‘momentous’ Nobel Peace Prize
Amnesty International
Human Rights Day: 45 Journalists killed in 2021 and 365 still in prison
IFJ: To mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has published the lists of imprisoned and killed journalists in 2021.
In the battle between truth and lies, we must protect the world’s journalists (Opinion)
The Guardian: The first Nobel peace prize for journalists since 1935 shouldn’t obscure the fact that record numbers are in prison, facing intimidation or murder.
Independent Journalism Is at Risk. Here’s How to Save It. (Opinion)
The New York Times: At a ceremony in Oslo on Friday, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded not to a politician, diplomat or campaigner, as it has been in recent years, but to two journalists, one of them a co-author of this essay.
International: Regulating content moderation. Who watches the watchmen?
Article 19: ARTICLE 19’s latest policy outlines how to regulate the content moderation of social media platforms in a way that protects the right to freedom of expression and information.
Jack Thorne: let disabled people tell disabled stories (Paywall)
Broadcast Now
Number of journalists behind bars reaches global high
CPJ: The number of journalists jailed around the world set another record in 2021. Invoking new tech and security laws, repressive regimes from Asia to Europe to Africa cracked down harshly on the independent press. A CPJ special report by Editorial Director Arlene Getz.
Predictions for Journalism 2022
Nieman Lab: Each year, we ask some of the smartest people in journalism and media what they think is coming in the next 12 months. At the end of a trying 2021, here’s what they had to say.
The local rise of Public Media Centers
Nieman Lab: In 2022, we will confront a stark choice: Either we build non-market systemic support for local journalism, or we condemn entire communities to a future of news deserts.
Tip: Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa’s four steps to solidarity in journalism
Journalism.co.uk: The press freedom champion shares insights on holding power to account amid relentless harassment and misinformation on social media.
Tricked and Deceived: How Teenagers Take False News at Face Value and What Can Be Done About It
CMDS: Despite growing up in the digital world, today’s teenagers are easy prey to disinformation, especially on their favorite social media platforms.
Why climate change must stay on the news agenda beyond global summits
The Conversation: During last month’s COP26 summit, climate change was a ubiquitous story.
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