BANGLADESH: Online Surveillance, Control

HRW: Netra News Latest to be Blocked in Free Speech Crackdown.

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BANGLADESH: Reporter beaten and left for dead in northern Bangladesh 

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to prosecute all those involved in the severe beating that Shelu Akand, a journalist based in the northern city of Jamalpur, received last month because he was going to testify against members of a local political clan responsible for an attack on another journalist.

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CHINA: While Shuttered at Home, China Exploits Social Media Abroad

VOA: China says its diplomats and government officials will fully exploit foreign social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter that are blocked off to its own citizens.

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INDIA: India’s tech industry up in arms over proposed data privacy law (Paywall)

Nikkei Asia Review: Proposed rules to regulate the way companies handle customers’ personal data has received a mixed response from India’s private sector, with some businesses praising it as necessary to protect privacy and others complaining that it will adversely impact their operations.

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INDIA: India’s top court orders review of Kashmir internet shutdown

Al Jazeera: The top court said the communications lockdown in Muslim-majority region violated the country’s telecoms rules.

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INDIA: Indian broadcasters will ask court to halt new tariff rules – sources

Reuters: Indian broadcasters will on Tuesday ask a court to suspend new government regulations on pay-TV charges they say would put some channels out of business and stifle consumer choice, two sources told Reuters.

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INDIA & BANGLADESH: India, Bangladesh sign MoU for content exchange programme between All India Radio and Bangladesh Betar

News on Air: India today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladesh for content exchange programme between All India Radio and Bangladesh Betar.

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INDONESIA: Indonesian army wields internet ‘news’ as a weapon in Papua

Reuters: As Indonesia celebrated its National Heroes’ Day last year, official military social media accounts lavished praise on Corporal Yunanto Nugroho for the “myriad awards he has won in the field of IT.”

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JAPAN: NHK simultaneous delivery, conditional approval to Takachi Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications express (Japanese)

The Asahi Shimbun: At a meeting after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Minister of Public Affairs Sanae Takaichi stated that NHK would conditionally approve the proposed standard for “always-once delivery,” which is set to begin this spring. It will require a mechanism to reduce costs and create a forum for discussions with private broadcasters, and it is expected to be approved later today.

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JAPAN: Retired NHK Chairman Ueda: “I have done as much as I could” (Japanese)

The Asahi Shimbun: The term expires on January 24, and the retired NHK Chairman Ryoichi Ueda held his last regular press conference on the 9th. 

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MALAYSIA: ‘More feel-good news reports please’, deputy minister urges media

Malaymail: The country’s media, including the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) are encouraged to continue reporting more news geared towards fostering unity.

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NEPAL: Journalists in Nepal fight new threat to press freedom

The Guardian: Bills introduced by ruling Communist party will bring in heavy fines and the threat of jail to stifle debate, say critics

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PHILIPPINES: NUJP urges Filipinos to uphold press freedom amid attacks vs ABS-CBN

Rappler: The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) called independent Filipino journalists and the public to defend press freedom amidst President Rodrigo Duterte’s attacks hurled against broadcast giant ABS-CBN.

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SINGAPORE: SDP appeals against correction notices by Manpower Ministry in first court challenge of fake news law

Straits Times: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has filed an appeal in the High Court against correction notices issued by the Manpower Ministry – the first court challenge of the fake news law.

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TAIWAN: Awash in Disinformation Before Vote, Taiwan Points Finger at China 

The New York Times: The self-governing island is on high alert for digital-age trickery and deception that Beijing might be using to try to swing a crucial election.

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TAIWAN: NHK coverage on the Taiwanese presidential election was intrrupted by Chinese government when reporting on President Tsai (Japanese)

NHK: The video and audio were interrupted and the screen went black when Tsai, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cast one vote, and then the broadcast returned to normal when Han from the largest opposition, the Kuomintang Party (KMT) voted.

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THAILAND: Thai Journalist Sentenced Over Tweet Warns Of Threat To Media Freedom

NDTV: A court convicted Thai journalist Suchanee Cloitre in December for a tweet referencing a dispute over working conditions at a chicken farm owned by the Thammakaset company.

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GENERAL: Whistleblower warns of Cambridge Analytica’s Asia reach (Paywall)

Nikkei Asia Review: As Asia prepares for four national elections this year, a former executive at controversial political consultancy Cambridge Analytica warned of the company’s persistent reach despite closing its doors in 2018.

AUSTRALIA: ABC Shines During Bushfires (Watch)

ABC Friends: ABC Friends Victoria has produced a short web and social media video pointing out just how important the ABC is during times of crisis in Australia and calling for more funds to defend it.

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AUSTRALIA: Employee brands News Corp coverage ‘irresponsible’

BBC News: An employee of Australian media organisation News Corp has lashed out at the company for “irresponsible” coverage of the current bushfires engulfing parts of the country.

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AUSTRALIA: Fires misinformation being spread through social media

ABC News: Australia’s bushfire emergency is being exploited on social media, as misinformation is spread through cyberspace via hundreds of thousands of posts.

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AUSTRALIA: ‘Life and death’: ABC battles to restore damaged networks during bushfires

The Sydney Morning Herald: The ABC’s radio and TV networks have sustained heavy damage from the bushfire crisis across NSW and Victoria, forcing the national broadcaster to call on the military, commercial media rivals and members of the public to maintain emergency broadcasting.

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NEW ZEALAND: A New Zealand media health check 

Spinoff: In the wake of the shocking revelations about Three, Duncan Greive assesses the health of New Zealand’s six big media companies.

ALBANIA: Albanian President Blocks PM’s Anti-Defamation Laws

Balkan Insight: President Ilir Meta on Sunday vetoed controversial new laws on defamation, citing concerns about violating the constitution and potentially chilling freedom of the media. 

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BELGIUM: VRT partners find broadcasting too commercial (Dutch)

De Morgen: Where should the public broadcaster go? Almost one hundred and fifty VRT partners were allowed to answer that question in recent months. The result? A very comprehensive to-do list and the observation that almost no one is awake about the Flemish identity.

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ESTONIA: Does crisis at leading daily mean end to investigative journalism in Estonia?

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is extremely concerned for the future of independent journalism in Estonia, where almost all of the investigative reporters and editorial writers have left Postimees, the country’s leading daily newspaper, in the past few weeks, saying they no longer trust its management.

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FINLAND: Sami Koivisto: Come to Radio Finland’s Ask the Night evening. What would you like to ask about the 2020s? (Event – Finnish)

Yle: Let’s take Yle together for the 2020s. What would you like to ask about the role of public service media in the new decade? In the studio, your questions will be answered, for example, by YLE CEO Merja Ylä-Anttila and communications researcher Kari Karppinen.

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FRANCE: Ernotte: direct relationship with viewers an ‘existential issue’ for pubcaster

Digital TV Europe: France’s new audiovisual law does not go far enough to enable public service media to withstand the onslaught of competition from global tech and media giants, and the need for a direct relationship with viewers is an “existential issue” for France Télévisions, according to the pubcaster’s director-general, Delphine Ernotte.

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FRANCE: France 4 and France O to cease on August 9

Broadband TV News: French terrestrial networks France 4 and France O will shut down on August 9, it has been confirmed.

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FRANCE: Police brutality against French journalists: a worrying situation

Mapping Media Freedom: For more than one year now, French journalists covering social demonstrations  have been facing increasing levels of police violence. It comes as the ECPMF and partners prepare to launch their Press Freedom Police Codex in France.

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GEORGIA: Georgia’s Polarised Media Landscape

Institute for War and Peace Reporting: Analysts warn that the Georgian media scene risks increasing polarisation in the wake of the government’s shutdown of one of the country’s most popular TV stations. With media ownership and content production seen as a highly politicised issue in Georgia, last year’s closure of Rustavi 2, known for its harsh criticism of the government, was widely viewed as a freedom of speech issue.

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GERMANY: “Clearcut” in DW’s German online offering? (German)

DWDL: From February onwards, Deutsche Welle will redirect its German-language online offer. While the broadcaster speaks of a profile sharpening, the freelancers fear in an open letter a “clear cut”.

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GERMANY: Deutsche Welle staff speak out about alleged racism and bullying

The Guardian: Sexual harassment, racism, antisemitism and severe bullying have been taking place at the state-funded German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, staff members have told the Guardian.

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GERMANY: No resignation, no rapprochement (German)

MDR360: “Showdown in the WDR”: WDR staff met director Tom Buhrow to talk about environmental issues and debate climate issues. Officially, discussions were “open, critical and constructive”. Unofficially only critical.

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HUNGARY: A Decade Of Closing Space In Hungary: Joint Report Highlights A Captured Media Environment (Report)

CIMA: Thousands took to the streets of Budapest in the close of 2019, protesting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s most recent step in his march against free expression in Hungary. But the restriction was a decade in the making. Since Orbán’s government came to power in 2010, the state of free speech in Hungary has plummeted. 

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ITALY: Rai: this is who the directors proposed by the CEO are (Italian)

ANSA: Long-term internal managers already responsible for crucial areas of the company regardless of the areas or political labels.

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MALTA: Maltese journalists told MEPs they fear for their safety

Shift News: Maltese journalists from six independent media houses told a delegation of MEPs from the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs that they feared for their safety and operated in a culture of intimidation and threats.

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SPAIN: A demonstration defends the public service of Telemadrid on the street (Spanish)

Info Libre: Hundreds of people, called by the unions with representation in Telemadrid , have traveled on the morning of this Saturday the distance between the Madrid squares of Benavente and Sol to claim the public service provided by this television and denounce the economic harassment suffered by this public medium by the PP and the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. 

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SWEDEN: All of Sweden will be heard on Sweden’s Radio! (Press Release – Swedish)

Sveriges Radio: Swedish Radio is investing heavily in local journalism in the coming years. In 2020, about 20 new employees will be hired at our local P4 channels and several new efforts will be made to ensure that we are regularly present in all Sweden’s 290 municipalities. 

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UK: BBC plans to move two-thirds of jobs outside London

Financial Times: Director-general launches staunch defence of public service broadcaster’s role.

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UK: BBC unveils $1.3m indie development fund

TBI: UK public broadcaster the BBC has unveiled a new package of support for small and emerging indies, including the ring fencing of £1m (US$1.3m) of development spend for prodcos with turnovers of less than £10m per year.

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UK: Samira Ahmed wins BBC equal pay tribunal

BBC News: Presenter Samira Ahmed has won the employment tribunal she brought against the BBC in a dispute over equal pay.

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UK: The BBC’s formula for success relies on the funding model (Opinion)

Financial Times: Britain has a priceless asset. It is a brand recognised and respected all over the world; a leading competitor in a global media market; one of the most trusted news providers; and a coveted tool of global influence. All this in one institution that projects the UK’s voice worldwide — reaching 430m people each week.

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UKRAINE: Ukraine’s Only English-Language TV Channel Shuts Down

RFE/RL: Ukraine’s only English-language television channel, UATV, has stopped broadcasting.

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GENERAL: Brussels named broadcasters’ top option post-Brexit

Broadcast: Brussels is the most attractive city for UK broadcasters to relocate to in the post-Brexit era, according to a new report. The document from Analysys Mason compared the Belgian capital with Amsterdam, Dublin and Paris on a range of metrics and found it to be preferable in terms of the simplicity of its regime, the fact that it has no licencing fees and the length of its licencing duration.

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GENERAL: More speakers announced for Radiodays Europe 2020 (Event)

Asia Radio Today: Radiodays Europe 2020 has announced more additions to its line-up of speakers. The 11th edition of Radiodays Europe will take place from March 29 to 31, 2020, in Lisbon. 

BRAZIL: Media crisis and lack of career opportunities lead journalists to work for those they used to monitor, says Brazilian research (Q&A)

Knight Centre for Journalism in the Americas: As a correspondent for newspaper Valor Econômico in northeastern Brazil, reporter Murillo Camarotto became an avid consumer of the local press in the main states of the region. In the five years, he was there, he noted a sharp decline in journalistic production, whose peak coincided with the boom of the Brazilian economy in the first decade of the 21st century. 

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BRAZIL: Police beat, detain journalists covering protests in São Paulo

CPJ: Brazilian authorities must promptly investigate alleged police harassment and attacks against journalists covering protests in São Paulo, and ensure that reporters can safely cover demonstrations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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COLOMBIA: Colombian magazine Semana alleges military spied on its journalists

CPJ: Colombian authorities must undertake an in-depth and transparent investigation into allegations that the military illegally spied on journalists, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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CUBA: Independent Cuban journalists resist despite increased arbitrary detentions on the island and restrictions from traveling abroad

Knight Centre for Journalism in the Americas: During 2019, there were more than three thousand arbitrary detentions in Cuba, several of these affecting dozens of independent journalists, activists and political opponents, according to a recent report by the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH).

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HAITI: Social Media And Its Role Connecting Earthquake Survivors With The Diaspora

The Haitian Times: The 2010 earthquake severed many traditional lines of communication in Haiti. It toppled cell phone towers, damaged a major fiber-optic cable, knocked television and radio stations off the air and made telephone communication via landlines nearly impossible. 

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MEXICO: AMLO keeps setting the agenda in Mexico. When will journalists push back? (Paywall – Opinion) 

Washington Post: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador started the year as one of Latin America’s best-liked presidents, with a 72 percent approval rating, a notable exception in a year of turmoil and discontent in the region. This is also remarkable because of the entirely unremarkable year his administration had in 2019.

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MEXICO: Mexico: first journalist found dead in 2020 after high number of 2019 killings

The Guardian: It has taken just over a week for Mexico – one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists – to record its first murder of a reporter in 2020.

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NICARAGUA: More than 200 journalists in the world denounced violations of freedom of expression in Nicaragua and demanded the release of reporters jailed by the regime (Spanish)

Infobae: “We ask that you respect the international guarantees of freedom of expression and stop harassing the independent press. A free and independent press is essential for the functioning of a healthy democratic society, in Nicaragua and throughout the Americas.” , 245 journalists claim  in a letter addressed to Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo.

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TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Sedition Act struck down: Sat vindicated: Duke’s case halted

The Daily Express: The Court has ruled that Sections 3 and 4 of the Sedition Act are unconstitutional, as they impose disproportionate and unjustified restrictions on a citizen’s free speech, expression and thought.

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VENEZUELA: Opposition attacks on journalists denounced in Venezuela

Prensa Latina: The National Constituent Assembly (ANC) on Friday denounced aggressions and attacks by opposition lawmakers against journalists.

IRAN: Journalists demand end to censorship of Iranian media on Instagram

IFJ: Following the assassination of a high-ranking officer of the Islamic Republic of Iran, posts by Iranian media on Instagram related to his killing, have been deleted by the company. The deleted content includes posts by Iranian media and individual users.

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IRAN: Journalists quit Iranian state broadcaster over crash cover-up

The Guardian: At least two presenters working for the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB have announced they have quit their jobs, with a third saying she quit some time ago after having told lies on behalf of the state for 13 years.

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IRAQ: Iraq: investigate the killings of journalists

Free Press Unlimited: Free Press Unlimited and international press freedom organisations call upon the prime minister of Iraq, Mr. Adil Abdul-Mahdi, and the Council of Representatives to secure the investigation of the killings of Iraqi journalists Ahmed Abdul Samad and Safaa Ghali in Basra. 

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IRAQ: Iraqi journalists fear for lives after Basra reporters killed

Al Jazeera: Dozens of journalists in Iraq’s southern city of Basra have launched a campaign to highlight the dangers they face following the murder of two reporters amid continuing anti-government protests. 

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PALESTINE: PJS records 760 violations against Palestinian journalists in 2019 (Report)

IFJ: More than 750 violations against media workers were recorded in 2019, according to an annual report published by the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS). While the number of violations decreased slightly compared to last year (909), the International Federation of Journalists remains deeply concerned about the “unacceptable level of attacks ” on Palestinian journalists and its impact on press freedom.

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TURKEY: IPI marks Turkey’s “Working Journalists Day” 2020

IPI: On January 10, journalists across Turkey will mark “Working Journalists Day” to recall the struggle for the rights of journalists and their crucial democratic role in informing the public.

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TURKEY: Tough times for journalism in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey

Deutsche Welle: In January 1961, a law came into effect defining the rights of journalists in Turkey. Though President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the media are on the right track in Turkey, his government has clamped down on reporters.

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YEMEN: Union reports 134 rights violations in 2019 (Report)

IFJ: In an annual report published by the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), the union reports 134 violations of media and journalists’ rights in 2019. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined the Syndicate in condemning those attacks and repeated its call for the release of imprisoned journalists.

CANADA: CBC / Radio-Canada President Says Local Journalism is the Way of the Future (French)

Radio-Canada: While in Winnipeg, the President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, Catherine Tait, emphasizes that local journalism is now the priority of the public broadcaster compete digital giants.

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CANADA: From one parent to another (Blog)

CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC Kids nurtures child development through its programming and platforms, and through the spaces for families to enjoy together. CBC Parents is one of them.

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CANADA: ICYMI: CBC/Radio-Canada seeking to broadcast more mandated programming on digital services

CBC News: CBC/Radio-Canada is asking Canada’s telecommunications regulator to allow the network to decrease the number of hours certain programming must be broadcast on television, and permit more of that content to be shown on digital services.

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US: NPR and Edison Research Report: 60M U.S. Adults 18+ Own a Smart Speaker (Research)

NPR: The Smart Audio Report Winter 2019 Finds More Than Half of U.S. Adults Use Voice Assistants

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US: NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge Returns, Now Open For Classroom Entries

NPR: After an inaugural Student Podcast Challenge that saw roughly 25,000 students participate from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, NPR is encouraging even more teachers, middle- and high-schoolers across the country to turn their classrooms into production studios, their assignments into scripts, and their ideas into sound.

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US: PBS Chief on Election Coverage, Continuing Mister Rogers’ Legacy

Variety: PBS boss Paula Kerger admitted that the upcoming presidential election will likely be one of the most hostile in history. However, she said PBS intends to remain focused on the facts and the biggest issues facing Americans in its coverage.

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US: PBS extends thematic programming strategy with summer focus on pioneering women (Paywall)

Current: PBS revealed Friday a theme for its summer programming and the rationale for selecting the topics that are part of its new Quarterly Program Initiative to focus shows on shared subjects.

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US: PBS Kicks Off 50th Anniversary (Press Release)

PBS: When PBS first went on the air nearly 50 years ago, it was born out of a groundbreaking idea: that Americans deserve a non-commercial television service whose sole mission is to educate and inspire. Guided by that bold mission, public television has transformed communities and strengthened lives.

Half of publishers bet on reader revenue as their main income stream in 2020

Journalism.co.uk: The latest RISJ report found that the media industry is turning towards more sustainable business models while podcasting revenue is projected to grow by 30 per cent a year.

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Media Giants Team Up On Pioneering Tool To Tackle Climate Crisis

Forbes: Some of the world’s largest media companies have teamed up with computer scientists at the University of Bristol to tackle their carbon footprint. In a 12-month collaboration, academics will work with the BBC, Dentsu Aegis Network, Informa, ITV, Pearson, RELX, Schibsted, Sky and TalkTalk to explore the carbon impacts of digital content.

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“Rated false”: Here’s the most interesting new research on fake news and fact-checking

Nieman Lab: Journalist’s Resource sifts through the academic journals so you don’t have to. Here they collect the best of 2019, including research into the effectiveness of fact-checking, why people are susceptible to fake news, and the changing volume of misinformation on social media.

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What are deepfakes – and how can you spot them?

The Guardian: AI-generated fake videos are becoming more common (and convincing). Here’s why we should be worried

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‘When money is offered, we listen’: foundation funding and nonprofit journalism

CJR: The economic outlook for journalism remains dark. The news industry’s once-dependable revenue model, based on selling advertising and subscriptions, increasingly seems like an artifact from a different era.