AFGHANISTAN: Journalist sentenced on anti-regime charges

IFJ: Journalist Mahdi Ansary was sentenced to eighteen months in prison by a Kabul court on January 8 for allegedly collaborating with ‘anti-Taliban’ media and ‘spreading propaganda’ against the group.

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BANGLADESH: Media Reform Commission to submit recommendations to govt by 15 Feb: Commission chief

The Business Standard: The Media Reform Commission will submit its recommendations to the government by 15 February, the commission’s chief Kamal Ahmed said today (13 January).

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BHUTAN: TikTok officials visit Bhutan, exploring partnership

Kuensel: Two senior officials from TikTok’s South Asia office visited Bhutan from January 7 to 9, initiating discussions with various agencies to explore a potential partnership.

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CHINA: China discusses selling TikTok to Elon Musk

Australian Financial Review: Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok if the company fails to fend off a controversial ban on the short-video app, according to people familiar with the matter.

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CHINA & EUROPE: Bomb threats shadowed international reporters who covered Chinese celebrity dissident

NPR: Reporting on Wang Jingyu, a Chinese celebrity dissident, can be perplexing, stressful and scary. Ask Marije Vlaskamp, a correspondent with de Volkskrant, a leading Dutch daily newspaper.

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INDIA: A journalist’s murder highlights risks of reporting in small-town India

BBC News: The gruesome murder of Indian journalist Mukesh Chandrakar has shone a spotlight on the dangers of reporting from some of the country’s most volatile regions.

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INDIA: Why Facebook ending fact checking in US is a warning sign for India

Scroll.in: The company is willing to bend to power, raising concerns for India where critical voices on social media are being aggressively taken down, experts said.

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JAPAN: Bleeding Cash, NHK to Collect “Internet Only” License Fee

Unseen Japan: The station reported a loss for the third year running. To help plug the hole, it says it plans to collect fees from residents without TVs.

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MALAYSIA: Malaysia mulls whether LinkedIn needs social media licence to operate

The Edge: Malaysia is studying whether LinkedIn Corp will require a social media licence to continue operating in Malaysia as the government seeks to broaden internet controls.

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SINGAPORE: Singapore ministers urged by CPJ to withdraw threats against media over public interest reporting

The Online Citizen: Singapore ministers Tan See Leng and K Shanmugam face criticism from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for threatening legal action against media outlets over reports questioning transparency in property purchases. 

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS AI Technology VVertigo Shines at NHK Music Production (Press release)

KBS: KBS’ AI technology, VVertigo, was invited to participate in the production of Japan’s renowned music program , NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, on December 31, 2024. 

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SOUTH KOREA: KBS drama production under fire for damaging UNESCO heritage site

Korea Times: The production crew of KBS’ upcoming drama, “The First Night With the Duke” (working title), is facing condemnation after driving nails into the Mandaeru Pavilion at Byeongsan Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.

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SRI LANKA: IPI, partners urge new Sri Lankan president to protect press freedom

IPI: The International Press Institute today joined 24 civil society organizations in urging recently elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to respect freedom of the press and to take concrete steps to end impunity for crimes against journalists.

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THAILAND: Thai PBS organizes a grand event! Thai PBS Kids Day 2025, the wonders of Thai children (Press release)

Thai PBS: Thai PBS organized the grand “Thai PBS Kids Day 2025, Amazing Thai Children” event, filled with fun and creative activities that enhance children’s skills and imagination, and continued 17 years of being a public media that continuously promotes children’s learning and development.

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VIETNAM: Vietnam ensures it can track who says what on Facebook and TikTok

Nikkei Asia: Teens lose social media access; speech advocates fear dissident voices will go quiet.

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VIETNAM & JAPAN: NHK to introduce Vietnamese language service to audience

Vietnam+: Japan’s public media organisation, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), will host an event “Discover Japan with NHK World-Japan from January 17 to 23 at Aeon Mall Ha Dong in Hanoi to introduce its Vietnamese language and external information services to the general public in Vietnam.

AUSTRALIA: ABC Chair wants more younger audiences. Here’s the top shows they are already watching.

TV Tonight: The ABC shows which have the biggest 16-39 viewers are also, by definition, the ones with the biggest broad audiences.

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AUSTRALIA: Meta reversal on political news boosts case for payments

Australian Financial Review: Meta is facing fresh calls to reopen negotiations over payments to media outlets after company founder Mark Zuckerberg announced more political content would be displayed in users’ Facebook feeds as a part of a free speech overhaul.

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AUSTRALIA: The missing voices in Australian mainstream media (Video)

ABC: Journalists all have one thing in common — a reliable contact book. But if you’re from a diverse background, chances are there are barriers to getting on that call list.

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FIJI: Fiji awaits draft of social media restrictions

ABC: Fiji is looking to draft its own legislation to regulate social media platforms amid widespread concern over increasing cyberbullying in the country.

AUSTRIA: Cuts are looming: How the workforce should stand up for the ORF (German) 

Der Standard: The ORF General Directorate sends information to employees about the ORF contribution and the offers. Under the blue-black coalition, there could be massive cuts in the program

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AUSTRIA: FPÖ and ÖVP are pretty much best friends when it comes to ORF and ORF contributions (German) 

Der Standard: The ÖVP has already proposed abolishing FM4 and freezing the ORF contribution. The FPÖ has promised to abolish the ORF contribution altogether

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AUSTRIA: ORF Director General Weißmann invited leaders of churches and religious communities to exchange ideas (Press release – German) 

ORF: Religious reporting on TV, radio and online is of great importance to ORF, because the diverse voices of the churches, faith and religious communities in Austria are not only of central importance in the face of social and societal challenges, their diversity reflects Austrian society and makes a significant contribution to the peaceful coexistence of all people in Austria.

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BELGIUM: 140 Flemish personalities demand more political diversity in the new VRT board (French) 

RTBF: More than a hundred personalities from the Flemish media, political and academic worlds expressed their dismay in an open letter on Tuesday about the composition of the future board of directors of the VRT.

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CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Television will manage 7.5 billion this year. The budget is in crisis, they report (Czech) 

iDNES.cz: The Czech Television Board has approved the budget of Czech Television for 2025. It will manage 7.5 billion crowns, which is about 460 million less than in the previous year.

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FINLAND: Yle Kioski answers: Why does Yle do entertainment? (Watch – Finnish) 

Yle: Why is tax money used to produce entertainment? Yle Kiosk’s executive producer Ville Seuri answers questions from Kiosk followers. 

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FRANCE: DTT numbering: a historic development for France Télévisions channels (Press release – French) 

France Télévisions: France Télévisions welcomes Arcom’s decision to make a historic change to the numbering of DTT to improve its accessibility. 

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FRANCE: RSF and 110 organisations call on the French government to guarantee the protection of journalists’ sources

RSF: The letter, signed by 106 other organisations, included five recommendations to guarantee the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.

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FRANCE: “The Charlie Hebdo attacks are also radical censorship, with serious consequences for culture” (French) 

Le Monde: The trauma of January 7, 2015 has created a climate of fear in the cultural field which has led to an erosion of freedom of expression, particularly when it comes to discussing religions, observes Michel Guerrin, editor-in-chief of “Le Monde” in his column.

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GEORGIA: Public Broadcaster expresses concern over systematic attacks and attempts to interfere with editorial independence (Press release – Georgian) 

1TV: The Public Broadcaster expresses concern over the systematic attacks on Channel One by various parties, interference in editorial independence, and attempts to hinder independent journalistic activities, amid the tense situation in the country.

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GERMANY: Bavaria: Council of Ministers approves extensive reform of public broadcasting (Germany) 

tvo: ARD, ZDF and Co. are to become more modern, leaner and more digital. 

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IRELAND: Jennifer Horgan: RTÉ Radio needs some fine tuning when it comes to regional reporting (Opinion)

Irish Examiner: Must non-Dublin locations make do with less prominent broadcasting?

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ITALY: Rai license fee, the tax has returned to 90 euros: here’s who has to pay (Italian) 

Il Giornale: For the year 2025 the amount is again 90 euros, and can be paid in several solutions

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KOSOVO: Open letter to Mr. Albin Kurti, President of Vetevendosje Movement and Prime Minister of Kosovo (Letter) 

ECPMF

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LATVIA: New Chair of Management Board appointed for Latvian public service media

EBU: Latvian Radio and Latvian Television have been merged to form a single entity – Latvian Public Service media.

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LATVIA: The merged Latvian Public Media has started operating. (Latvian)

Sabiedrisko elektronisko plašsaziņas līdzekļu padome: On October 23, 2024, the Public Electronic Mass Media Council (hereinafter – SEPLP), acting as the meeting of shareholders of VSIA “Latvijas Radio” (hereinafter – LR) and VSIA “Latvijas Televīzija” (hereinafter – LTV), coordinated and instructed the boards to sign the draft reorganization agreement and submit it to the Register of Enterprises (hereinafter – UR) for the initiation of the legal reorganization process.

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POLAND: Poland’s ruling party to lift media curbs in parliament (Paywall) 

Euractiv: Poland’s ruling conservatives announced plans on Monday (9 January) to reinstate full media access to parliament in a bid to defuse a political standoff, but the main opposition party said it was not yet ready to end its blockade of the legislature.

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SPAIN:  FORTA and RTVE sign an agreement to promote the implementation of digital radio in Spain (Press release – Spanish) 

RTVE; The agreement is signed within the framework of the ‘Compostela Agreement’ for the innovation, stability and future of public media

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SWITZERLAND: Media: When predatory capitalism threatens democracy (Opinion – French) 

Le Temps: No, direct public support for the media does not threaten their independence, writes former Geneva mayor Sami Kanaan, responding to a column by National Councillor Cyril Aellen

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UK: As tech barons dial up the spreading of lies, why is the BBC dialling down the reporting of truth? (Opinion) 

The Guardian: A damning report shows how local news cuts stymied coverage of the riots in Plymouth. What fills the vacuum? Misinformation

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UK: BBC encourages aspiring creatives from ethnic minority backgrounds to take their first step into the creative industry (Press release) 

BBC: BBC in-house creative agency, BBC Creative asks “can you write a song to serenade your favourite takeaway?” If so, they want to hear from you, as applications for their 12 week advertising masterclass for those from ethnic minority backgrounds are now open.

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UK: The licence fee’s clock is ticking: Lisa Nandy’s BBC reform plan (Paywall) 

The Sunday Times: Culture secretary Lisa Nandy wants to abolish the licence fee and has considered funding the BBC through general taxation.

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REGIONAL: Faced with the toxic drift of online platforms, Europe must support journalism and journalists

EFJ: While the measure seems to be sparing Europe, for the time being at least, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is calling on Europe’s political decision-makers to take all necessary measures to support journalism and journalists, against a backdrop of increasing proliferation of disinformation and propaganda on online platforms.

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REGIONAL: Grounding Media Freedom in the EU: The Legal Basis of the EMFA (Blog) 

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom: This blog post discusses the legal basis chosen for the European Media Freedom Act and its implications for EU media regulation. It investigates the challenges associated with Article 114 TFEU, including concerns about expanding EU competencies in media policy.

GAZA: “Journalism Is Not a Crime”: Gaza Reporter Slams International Press as Journalist Death Toll Rises

Democracy Now!: As negotiators from Israel and Hamas continue discussions in Qatar about a possible Gaza ceasefire, we speak with Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed, who spoke at a press conference of Gaza media workers last week urging the international press to speak up for their Palestinian colleagues. 

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IRAN: Iran releases jailed Italian journalist Cecilia Sala

Politico: Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist who was locked up in Iran last month, has been freed and is on a plane that departed from Tehran on Wednesday.

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IRAN: VOA Persian: Iran is ‘a repressor of press freedom,’ leader of journalists’ federation tells VOA

VOA: Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, told VOA that Iran is “a repressor of press freedom,” and he urged foreign journalists to be ” as cautious as possible” when traveling to countries such as Iran. 

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PALESTINE: Uphold media freedom and protect journalists in the West Bank

Article19: ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned about the recent developments in the West Bank, in particular the increasing restrictions on media freedom and freedom of expression following operations in Jenin, and the death of Palestinian journalism student Shatha Al Sabbagh.

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SUDAN: Sudanese journalists urge union to quit political coalition

Sudan Tribune: Dozens of Sudanese journalists have urged their elected union withdraw from a civilian political coalition and steer clear of political entanglements, according to a memorandum seen by Sudan Tribune

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SYRIA: What could Assad’s downfall mean for freedom of expression in Syria?

Index on Censorship: For more than five decades, Syria has lived under a repressive regime that has made freedom of expression a distant dream. Under Bashar al-Assad, expression was curtailed by repressive laws and strict censorship, while the security services were used as a tool to silence dissenting voices. With the Syrian revolution in 2011, a new age of free expression seemed to be emerging, but it quickly collided with security, political, and social challenges. Now that the Assad regime has been overthrown, what does this mean for the future of free expression in the country?

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YEMEN: UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of journalist Mohammed Qaed Al-Maqri in Yemen (Statement)

UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has condemned the killing of journalist Mohammed Qaed Al-Maqri in Yemen on 28 December 2024.

CANADA: Canadian Journalism Is Dying, But Poilievre May Kill It (Opinion) 

The Maple: Trudeau has helped keep news outlets afloat during his reign, but these programs may be slashed if the Conservatives are elected.

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CANADA: From January 20, ICI RDI adapts its programming to the political and economic context (Press release – French)

Radio-Canada: The news of 2025 will be marked by major events that will have repercussions on the future of the country. ICI RDI is adapting its programming for the coming months to better inform Canadians about the unprecedented political and economic context. 

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CANADA: Is Canada Ready for Life Without the CBC? Pierre Poilievre Thinks So

The Walrus: “End the madness. Recall the committee. Defund the CBC.” Credit where it’s due to Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives for writing for radio, as I was taught at a CBC skills course many years ago: short and sharp, three beats, implied subject-verb-object.

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CANADA: What newcomers think about Canada’s immigration challenge (Editor’s Blog)

CBC: As we begin a new year and the run-up to a federal election, we know there will be much debate over how Canada should best deal with pressing matters like affordability, housing, health care and the threat of U.S. tariffs.

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US: American Public Media Group shuffles leadership 

Current: Chandra Kavati is now SVP of business development and president of American Public Media.

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US: CNN defamation trial comes at a rough time for legacy media — and for the struggling network

Associated Press: At a particularly inopportune time for legacy media and CNN, the news outlet is on trial in Florida this week, accused of defaming a Navy veteran involved in rescuing endangered Afghans from that country when the U.S. ended its involvement there in 2021.

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US: Connecticut Public Receives Grant from Knight Foundation to Expand Reporting Between Connecticut and Puerto Rico (Press release) 

Connecticut Public: Connecticut Public is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a substantial grant from John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support the addition of two new reporters as part of its ongoing commitment to elevate and connect Latino communities. 

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US: CPB Statement Regarding Public Media’s Response to the Southern California Wildfires (Press release) 

CPB: Under the most challenging circumstances, local public media stations in the area are providing critical, accurate, and lifesaving alerts and local news and information, on air and online, to more than 18 million people.

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US: TikTok challenges its U.S ban at the Supreme Court. Here’s what to know

North Country Public Radio: For the past four years, TikTok has been facing an existential crisis: It’s under threat of being banned in the United States.

Attacks by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg: “We must stop exploiting freedom of expression” (Opinion) 

Le Monde: Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, reacts, in an interview with “Le Monde”, to the criticisms of the owner of X and the founder of Meta against EU laws, accused of “censoring” social networks.

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Conflicts, violence contribute to deadly environment for media in 2024 (Watch) 

VOA: The killing of journalists in Gaza and Haiti in recent weeks underscore the dangers media confront. Analysts say war, instability and lack of accountability contributed to a deadly year for the media, with more than 100 journalists killed in 2024.

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Fighting for fairness: How OMI is defending journalism against Big Tech

Editor & Publisher: It’s no secret that the decades-long deterioration of the local journalism business model is tightly knitted to the burgeoning evolution of Big Tech search and social media platforms.

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Generative Artificial Intelligence: “Not acting means risking letting large foreign platforms shape our information landscape” (Column – French) 

Le Monde: AI must be used to combat disinformation by structuring a sovereign and ethical framework, argues in a column in “Le Monde” a collective of players in the sector brought together by a European and democratic “data space” project.

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Geolocation made easy with new DW tool SPOT (Press release) 

DW: The new tool makes it easier than ever to find out exactly where an image was made or video was recorded. The beta version is already available for anyone to try out.

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“Hello quit X”: a new movement proposes to leave the social network X on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration (French)

RTBF: “Hello quit X” is the name given to this new action that calls for ” taking back  control by leaving X collectively, for alternatives that respect freedom of expression “. 

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It is time to double down on what we do best – reliable, fact-based, great journalism. 

WAN-IFRA: A statement from WAN-IFRA in response to the announcement made on 7th January, 2025 by Meta that it will end fact-checking on its US platforms and revise prohibited content restrictions.

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Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2025

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: News organisations are braced for multiple challenges in 2025 that will likely include further attacks from hostile politicians, continued economic headwinds, and battles to protect intellectual property in the face of rapacious AI-driven platforms.

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‘Just the start’: X’s new AI software driving online racist abuse, experts warn

The Guardian: Amid reports of creation of fake racist images, Signify warns problem will get ‘so much worse’ over the next year.

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Let’s fact-check Mark Zuckerberg’s fact-checking announcement

Nieman Lab: Zuckerberg didn’t mention that a big chunk of the content fact-checkers have been flagging is not political speech, but the low-quality spammy clickbait that Meta platforms have commodified.

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Meta’s ten-year war of attrition against journalism

RSF: Mark Zuckerberg’s recent statements, in which he openly brands journalism and fact-checkers as “biased,” are just the culmination of a long war of attrition against journalism on Facebook.

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War journalism: precarious work, threats and disregard for mental health

Equal Times: The uprising in Libya in 2011 was the first testing ground for a generation of freelance journalists that landed in the country with no idea of the protective measures needed to work in war zones.