Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world

Public media is in peril and facing many challenges. Social media platforms are presenting an existential crisis to public service media. Governments are trying to extend their control and influence on the editorial output of the broadcasters. Funding systems for many are up in the air. Journalists are facing threats, attacks and harassment, both online and in-person. But it’s also an exciting time for public service media – digital platforms provide new opportunities to reach audiences, technology means public broadcasters can be innovative in how they provide a public service.

Every week, PMA compiles all the latest news from the public media and media freedom industry. Have a story to feature? Get in touch!

PSM Innovations


Blocked or not blocked? The new News Media Scan by DW

An app to understand which news media is blocked and where has been developed by DW.

Header of News Media Scan App by Deutsche Welle

Enhancing internet freedom is the mission behind the development of a new app by the German international public media, Deutsche Welle (DW). In October, together with the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), Deutsche Welle launched the brand-new app that reveals which news media website is censored in the country where the user is.

The aim of this new app is to collect data about the blockage of news media in the world and map out the different regions where censorship take place but also determine what techniques are used to block news websites.

Learn more about the latest innovation from DW


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.


Public media research

Our PSM Research and Resources page brings together all the latest academic studies looking into the world of public media.

What we're watching...


Mexico Journalists Warn Violence Can ‘Curtail Freedom of Expression

VOA: With data showing Mexico as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists outside a war zone, and with the country’s long record of impunity for perpetrators, the country’s media look to one another for safety. VOA’s Jessica Jerreat has the story. VOA footage by Vicente Calderon, Nelson Vignolles. Cristina Caicedo Smit contributed.

What we're listening to...


Full story: why we shouldn’t switch off the news

Guardian Australia: At a time when the news is incredibly grim it can be easy to switch off – but should we? Jane Lee speaks to editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and national news editor Patrick Keneally about how they tackle news fatigue. 

 

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BENIN: Punitive online journalism legislation poses setback to press freedom (7 November) 

Global Voices: The application of Benin’s Digital Code to online journalists complicates matters for the online  journalism profession in this country, thus jeopardizing press freedom.


BURKINA FASO: Rights groups slam conscription of critics

DW: The Burkinabe junta has requisitioned critics, activists and journalists for its anti-jihadist fight, but rights groups say the “general mobilization” is a strategy to silence dissenting voices.


GHANA: Attacks on journalists worsening …Oppong Nkrumah warns

Ghanaian Times: The Minister of Infor­mation, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has admitted that the phenomenon of attacks and intimidation of journalists is gaining notoriety in the country as data available to his outfit suggests that the trend of abuse on journalist was on the ascendency.


GHANA: Ghanaian soldiers beat and arrest journalist Nicholas Morkah, wipe phone (Press release)

Committee to Protect Journalists: Ghanaian authorities must swiftly complete their investigation into the soldiers who attacked and detained journalist Nicholas Morkah last month and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  


KENYA: Kenya Union Of Journalists Issues Ultimatum To Standard Media Group Over Unpaid Salaries

Capital News: The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has issued Standard Group with a 7-day ultimatum to pay its journalists who have not received their salaries for six months.


NIGERIA: FRCN to be Nigeria’s broadcaters first choice- Dr Bulama

Radio Nigeria: Dr. Mohammed Bulama, the Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), has pledged to position FRCN as the top-choice broadcast station in the country.


NIGERIA: Nigerian journalists are being stripped of their accreditation. Here’s what that means.

IJNet: More than 25 journalists and media outlets in Nigeria are anxiously waiting to be reinstated to their posts covering the presidency after the Presidential Villa’s media department revoked their accreditation in August.  


RWANDA: Inside Rwanda’s media working conditions

The New Times: Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), on November 7, during Africa Day of Information, presented key findings of the assessment of the financial sustainability of media houses and associations in Rwanda.


SENEGAL: Nafissatou Diouf announces the arrival of TNT decoders in Kédougou (French) 

APS: The National Television Broadcasting Company of Senegal (TDS-SA) will take all necessary measures to make DTT decoders available in the Kédougou region (south-east), its general director, Nafissatou, announced on Monday Diouf.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC’s sinking ship is dragging Sentech down with it, deputy minister warns

News24: The failure of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to service its debt to Sentech, the state-owned South African signal distributor, puts the signal distributor at risk of collapse.


SOUTH AFRICA: SOS coalition: ‘govt really needs to come through for heavily indebted SABC’

Capetalk: The extent of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s dire financial position has seen the public broadcaster recording losses of close to R500 million in the 2023/24 financial year.


SOUTH AFRICA: Young South Africans are shaping community radio stations through social media

IJNet: This digital transformation has significant implications for the country’s media. Particularly for newsrooms that want to engage online audiences in a time when news production has evolved towards greater participation of citizens and civil society. More and more, listeners are contributing to media processes.


SUDAN: In the Shadow of Violence: The Pressing Needs of Sudanese Journalists

UNESCO: Ninety of over 200 surveyed Sudanese journalists report experiencing psychological threats and violence, with 53% being exposed to physical threats, according to a newly published MiCT survey supported by UNESCO. Almost 80% of these journalists wish to relocate, with only 23% still receiving a regular salary.


REGIONAL: Africa’s Sahel region: a media desert

France 24: Ten years ago, French radio journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon were murdered by a commando from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in the north-eastern Malian town of Kidal. 


REGIONAL: Inflation Has Slowed Spending On Pay TV Services – IDC Reveals

BMA: According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Telecom Services Tracker, global spending on telecommunications and pay-TV services will reach US$1.55 trillion in 2023, a 3% rise over 2022.


REGIONAL: Media freedom in West Africa declining – MFWA

Ghana Business News: The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Barimah, says freedom of the media to work is waning in the West African sub-region.

BANGLADESH: CPJ urges Bangladesh to probe beating of journalists by BCL in Rajshshi 

New Age: The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Bangladeshi authorities to investigate the recent beating of student journalists Abdul Alim and Abu Sayed Rony in Rajshshi and hold the perpetrators accountable.


CHINA: China’s media had criticised Australia for years. So how has it covered the prime minister’s long-awaited visit?

ABC: The Chinese media’s coverage of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China this week has generally been positive, with experts saying it reflects Beijing’s changing approach to the relationship. 


CHINA: Xi Jinping enlists Flying Tigers as China’s propagandists seek warmer tone on US 

Financial Times: Beijing fetes wartime pilots ahead of Biden meeting but underlying narrative of America as rival unchanged


INDIA: India proposes new law with certification for broadcasting, streaming giants 

Reuters: India on Friday introduced a new draft broadcasting law to regulate the sector that will also apply to streaming giants such as Netflix (NFLX.O), Disney (DIS.N) and Amazon (AMZN.O) and calls for formation of individual content evaluation committees.


INDIA: Seizure of journalists devices very serious, come up with better guidelines: SC to govt

Indian Express: The bench was hearing a plea by the Foundation for Media Professionals seeking safeguards against what it called unnecessary interference by investigation agencies


INDONESIA: New portal in Indonesia strengthens digital legal aid for journalists (Press release)

UNESCO: The Indonesian NGO LBH Pers has successfully piloted the provision of legal assistance for journalists with a dedicated tool for digital legal aid.


JAPAN: Review by media sought on response to sexual abuse by late Johnny Kitagawa

NHK: A Japanese group has called on domestic media organizations to jointly conduct a review on the media’s silence regarding the sexual abuse by the late founder of a popular talent agency.


NEPAL: Nepal to ban TikTok as it ‘disturbs social harmony’

Al Jazeera: Authorities cite the popular Chinese video-sharing platform’s negative effects and ask internet service providers to close the app.


SINGAPORE: KKTV to acquire 2,000 hours of Mediacorp programmes with inking of content partnership deal (Press release)

Mediacorp: The programmes will be available for on-demand streaming on a dedicated Mediacorp-branded belt on KKTV to be launched in January 2024.


SOUTH KOREA: PPP requests Yoon veto ‘yellow envelope bill’, broadcasting law revision

Yonhap: The leader of the ruling People Power Party on Monday officially requested that President Yoon Suk Yeol exercise his veto power against four contentious bills unilaterally passed by the opposition last week.


SOUTH KOREA: President’s war against ‘fake news’ raises alarms in South Korea

New York Times: He calls fake news an enemy that threatens democracy. Critics of President Yoon Suk Yeol say he is silencing journalists in the name of fighting disinformation.


SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka interrogates Tamil journalist over article from three years ago 

Tamil Guardian: Sri Lanka’s Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) interrogated Uthayan journalist Dileep Amuthan for over 4 hours this week, as they questioned him about a 2020 article on Maaveerar Naal, a national day of remembrance for Eelam Tamils.


TAIWAN: Six media outlets commit to ethical coverage of the presidential campaign 

RSF: Following a call by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and a coalition of NGOs, six major Taiwanese media outlets today have publicly pledged to better take in consideration journalism ethics in their coverage of the January 2024 general election.


THAILAND: Thai PBS invites you to attend the Thai PBS World Forum 2023 with the topic “AI and the Future of Newsroom” (Thai – Event)

Thai PBS: Thai PBS prepares Dealing with changes in AI technology, invite you to attend the Thai PBS World Forum 2023, topic “AI and the Future of Newsroom”.

AUSTRALIA: ABC calls for apology after Bronwyn Bishop tells Sky the public broadcaster is ‘aligning’ itself with Nazi policies

The Guardian: The ABC has lodged a formal complaint with Sky News Australia after Bronwyn Bishop said the public broadcaster was “aligning themselves with the policy of Germany’s national socialist party for the elimination of Jews” in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.


AUSTRALIA: Australian media executives demand codes of conduct against tech 

Mediaweek: Australia’s media executives have demanded the Albanese government establish codes of conduct to stop big tech companies, like Google and Meta, from behaving anti-competitively and leveraging market power. 


AUSTRALIA: Ex-AFR journalist returns to Australia after arrest in Malaysia

Australian Financial Review: Kean Wong, a former journalist at The Australian Financial Review, has returned to Australia after he was arrested last month in Malaysia in relation to a book he edited three years ago.


AUSTRALIA: How old ABC broadcasting equipment is helping Indigenous community television reach new audiences 

ABC: Ashley Renehan had a dream of opening up the bush to wider audiences.


AUSTRALIA: Product Futures: Defining a new product vision for Australia’s national broadcaster

ABC: Strategic work is often the very best example of the Goldilocks principle. Make it too esoteric and intangible and your intended audience won’t be able to grab a hold of the message you’re trying to convey. 


AUSTRALIA: SBS Learn is celebrating Diwali in classrooms with a ready-to-go resource for teachers across Australia (Press release) 

SBS: SBS Learn is giving teachers the opportunity to share a greater understanding of the South Asian cultural celebration Diwali/Deepavali in alignment with the Australian curriculum 


AUSTRALIA: Trial of military whistleblower David McBride, who leaked secret allegations of Australian war crimes, begins

ABC: The trial of an Australian military lawyer who leaked secret information about alleged war crimes to journalists has begun in Canberra.


NEW ZEALAND: Calming the troubled waters — what’s the future for RNZ?

The Post: As board chairman Jim Mather put it, it’s been a year of choppy seas for the RNZ waka, with a rogue editing scandal, high-profile presenter departures and the collapse of the mega-entity touted as the saviour of New Zealand’s public media. But a whack of compensatory cash means the public broadcaster is now one of the few Kiwi media companies with money to spend. 


NEW ZEALAND: RNZ marks 75 years of broadcasting shortwave into the Pacific 

RNZ: It has been 75 years since Radio New Zealand commenced broadcasting on shortwave frequencies, into the Pacific region.


NEW ZEALAND: What’s behind the flow of some of Stuff’s biggest names to RNZ?

The Spinoff: It received the largest funding increase in its history earlier this year. So far, the most obvious thing RNZ has spent it on is journalists from a cross-town rival.


REGIONAL: PACRES project builds capacity of Pacific media to cover climate change negotiation (Press release)

Pacnews: A factsheets kit to assist the Pacific media report on the ongoing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) process has been launched by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

ARMENIA: How Armenia’s EVN Report is elevating public discourse amid crisis and transformation

IPI: EVN Report has become the global voice of Armenia by developing a model of in-depth analysis and collaboration between journalists and experts in politics, economics and law


BELGIUM: AI on VRT: the media maker’s co-pilot (Press release – Dutch) 

VRT: At VRT, AI has been playing a role for some time, which is becoming increasingly important for the future. Always with a view to creativity, efficiency and transparency.


FRANCE: (Very) young audiences: How a magazine uses comics to tell the news to French kids

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: TOPO uses graphic novel techniques to tackle complex issues for its teenage audience. It’s reached 5,000 subscribers since its launch in 2016


GERMANY: ARD/ZDF online study 2023: Normalization of Internet use after the corona years (Press release – German) 

ZDF: Never before have so many people used the Internet on the go as in 2023. Online media use, on the other hand, is currently declining noticeably, but remains at a high level of, for example, more than four hours a day for young people. 


HUNGARY: Hungarian plan to target foreign influence fuels NGO and media fears 

The Guardian: Hungarian rights advocates have raised fears over new legislation that they say could put more pressure on independent media and civil society groups.


ICELAND: Arne Helsingen appointed CEO of Nordvision (Press release – Icelandic) 

RÙV: Arne Helsingen, director of the Norwegian state broadcaster NRK, is the next CEO of Nordvision.


ICELAND: Do you have a good idea for Stories? (Press Release – Icelandic)

RÙV: Children have the opportunity to submit a play, a short film script, a song and text or a short story they have written and want to present.


IRELAND: Gavin Deans announced as RTÉ’s new Commercial Director (Press release) 

RTÉ: RTÉ has announced that Gavin Deans is to take up the role of Commercial Director, leading RTÉ’s commercial division. As part of RTÉ’s permanent leadership team, Gavin will lead the development of a new commercial strategy for RTÉ, optimising revenues for reinvestment in public service media through an evolution of RTÉ’s revenue streams, markets, and strategic partnerships.


IRELAND: RTÉ plans to reduce staff numbers by 400 and outsource more content to stem financial crisis 

Irish Times: RTÉ has told the Government it will reduce staff numbers by 20 per cent, or 400 people, sharply increase spending on independent productions, cut some services and examine the sale of part of the Donnybrook campus.


IRELAND: Update: A new direction for RTÉ (Press release) 

RTÉ: RTÉ’s outline document setting out a new direction for RTÉ has been approved by the Board of RTÉ. RTÉ Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst wrote to RTÉ staff this morning to confirm that he expects to be in a position to share details with them early next week, before wider publication.


IRELAND: Will RTÉ throw politicians a decentralisation bone?

Irish Times: Government Ministers were reluctant to say in advance what they wanted to see in RTÉ’s strategic vision document, but one thing Minister for Media Catherine Martin – who has now received a copy – did hint at last month was that she expected to see a “plan for the regions”.


ITALY: Rai wants to “starve” the newspapers, “waste paper”. To the government: “Remove the funds” (Italian) 

Il Foglio: Rai is aiming for publishing funds, 110 million euros which had already been reduced in the past, with the Conte government. We now talk about “company perimeter”. The divestment of Rai is no longer taboo. 


NETHERLANDS: Solidarity with daily newspaper FD as it faces a SLAPP 

ARTICLE 19: The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) deplore the lawsuit against Dutch daily newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) and stand in solidarity with the FD and its journalists. The case, the hearing for which will take place on 13 November 2023, is a clear attempt to silence and discourage Het Financieele Dagblad and its journalists from further reporting.


NORTH MACEDONIA: North Macedonia Climbs Media Rankings, but SLAPPs Pose New Threat

Balkan Insight: North Macedonia has decriminalised defamation, tightened the punishment for attacks on journalists, and in May leapt 19 places on the Reporters Without Borders media freedom index, making it the highest-ranked country in the Western Balkans at No. 38. But don’t be fooled, say journalists in the country. 


POLAND: NATO, army and EU Poles’ most trusted institutions; public media, top court and government most distrusted 

Notes from Poland: … IBRiS found that the institution with the highest level of distrust was public media (62.1%), which has been turned into a mouthpiece by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. Other studies – for example by state pollster CBOS and researchers at Oxford University – have also found public media to be widely distrusted by Poles.


RUSSIA: Putin approves new restrictions on media coverage ahead of presidential elections

AP: Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved changes to the law that governs presidential elections putting new restrictions on media coverage, local news agencies reported on Tuesday.


RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Russian news agencies withdraw alerts about troops ‘regrouping’ in southern Ukraine

Reuters: The highly unusual incident suggested disarray in Russia’s military establishment and state media over how to report the battlefield situation in southern Ukraine, 20 months into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.


SLOVAKIA: Deepfake audio of Denník N journalist offers worrying example of AI abuse

IPI: Manipulated audio clip involving journalist Monika Tódová shared ahead of general election portends possible future use of AI tools to discredit media. 


SLOVAKIA: Slovak PM Robert Fico announces review of accreditation for “hostile” media

Mapping Media Freedom: On 13 November, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that there would be an assessment of the accreditation of certain media to the government office and cabinet office, describing the media as hostile to his party and “enemies” of the people. 


SLOVENIA: Raising confidence in the public institution RTV Slovenia (Press release – Slovenian) 

RTV SLO: Based on Valicon’s public opinion survey Ogledalo Slovenije, the public institution RTV Slovenija recorded a large increase in trust in October, the largest among all participating institutions.


SPAIN: Spanish viewers favour RTVE news

Broadband TV News: Just over a third (36.5%) of Spaniards watch news on RTVE despite the public broadcaster’s falling viewing figures.


SWITZERLAND: The SRG welcomes the Federal Council’s rejection of the halving initiative, but is concerned about the consequences of an announced tax cut (Press release – German) 

SRG SSR: The Federal Council spoke out against the halving initiative at its meeting today. At the same time, he proposed measures that would have a financial impact on the SRG. 


UK: BBC faces broad backlash over cuts to local radio output

The Guardian: The BBC is facing a backlash from listeners, concerns from the regulator Ofcom and potential legal action over controversial cuts to its local radio output.


UK: BBC Future Planet is shedding light on climate solutions around the world

IJNet: (…) In response to these worrying developments, people are innovating, and newsrooms are highlighting the efforts. Launched in 2020, the BBC’s Future Planet is one of these reporting initiatives.


UK: ITV cuts spending on programming as ad slumps hit production arm 

The Guardian: A slump in demand for TV productions has hit ITV’s studio division, the maker of shows including Love Island and Come Dine With Me, as traditional broadcasters pull budgets for new commissions in the face of the ad market drought.


UK: NUJ ‘extremely worried’ by Police Scotland questioning journalists 

The Guardian: The National Union of Journalists said it was “extremely worried” about the “chilling effect” of police officers questioning members of the press, after a Scottish journalist revealed police had come to his home last week and asked him to reveal his source for stories he had written.


UK: The King’s Speech and the Media Bill

Media Reform UK: The Media Bill has been formally announced as part of the government’s legislative agenda for the next year. Although not mentioned directly in the King’s Speech, the accompanying briefing document lists the Media Bill as a measure to “support the creative industries and protect public interest journalism”.


UKRAINE: Kyiv Independent launches an English-speaking journalism school Journalism.co.uk: The Ukrainian news organisation wants to develop brave, young journalists who can tell the world what is really happening in Ukraine

ARGENTINA: A book by Osvaldo Aguirre that reviews the role of journalism in the face of the dictatorship (Book release – Spanish)

Télam: In his most recent publication, the journalist and writer addresses the responsibility of journalistic companies and the majority consensus of the newsrooms regarding the coup of March 24, 1976. 


ARGENTINA: They warn that the Ombudsman’s Office is in danger if the formula that wants to “destroy the public” wins (Spanish) 

Télam: The head of the entity and journalist, Miriam Lewin, participated in the Southern Region of Audiovisual Media of Argentina hearing at the UTN of Santa Cruz and highlighted the need to “recover the full validity of the Audiovisual Communication Services law”


BOLIVIA: IAPA: Bolivia is a country with high restrictions on press freedom

Los Tiempos: The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) concluded its General Assembly yesterday and concluded that several governments in the hemisphere are failing to promote “the republican values ​​of a free press,” among them Bolivia. 


BRAZIL: Local politician attacks journalist in Brazil

CPJ: Brazilian authorities should investigate a councilor’s October 23 attack on journalist Godofredo Brito while he was reporting and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. 


COLOMBIA: Colombia is in the category of “restriction of press freedom”, according to the Inter-American Press Association. (Spanish) 

Infobae: According to the organization, the country shows a deterioration in the exercise of freedom of expression and the press, which has meant a partial restriction on the exercise of these human rights.


JAMAICA: Veteran journalist urges media to endorse a political party, help fight crime

Jamaica Observer: The Jamaican media is being called upon to adopt the practice of endorsing a political party at election time, as a way of encouraging politicians to strive to be better in order to win the support of the media.


MEXICO: A new station in Mexico City is making radio for social media — and filling local news gaps

LatAm Journalism Review: What happens when a capital city of 22 million people and 16 boroughs doesn’t have enough local news sources to cover its massiveness? Welcome to Mexico City, Mexico, where this is a reality that a new radio station is trying to address.


PERU: Peru falls again in the regional index of freedom of expression (Spanish) 

Inforegión: National position in the Chapultepec Index places us in the group of countries with restrictions on the press, reported the Peruvian Press Council


TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Association of Caribbean Media Workers wants more safety for regional journalists

Trinidad & Tobago Guardian: The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has called for crimes against regional journalists to be taken seriously. In a statement the ACM said this UN International Day to End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists is a bleak one.


VENEZUELA: “They attack all those who show what is really happening in the country”: president of the National College of Journalists of Venezuela (Spanish) 

NTN24


REGIONAL: Fellowships, grants and opportunities open to Latin American journalists (Opportunity) 

LatAm Journalism Review: This time of year marks the opening of calls for grants and fellowships in Europe and the U.S. Participation in these programs appears on the resumes of many of Latin America’s most successful journalists. 


REGIONAL: Regional Initiatives for Exiled Journalists in Central America Presented at the International Day to End Impunity

UNESCO: UNESCO figures indicate that 69 journalists from ten countries were killed in the region between January 2022 to July 2023.

IRAN: Iran International: The news outlet Tehran targets

CBS News: This week on 60 Minutes, correspondent Lesley Stahl reported on a type of proxy war Iran is waging around the world: hiring hitmen to intimidate, abduct and assassinate perceived enemies. Among the dissidents the Iranian government is increasingly targeting are journalists working abroad to report Iranian news. 


IRAN: Iranian journalist Manijeh Moazen arrested

CPJ: On November 8, Moazen, a freelance journalist and translator, was arrested from her home in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and was taken to an undisclosed location, according to news reports and a source familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal.


ISRAEL: Government shuts down first critical foreign media over “security concerns”

IFJ: On 13 November, Israel blocked access to Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen TV in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories for “security reasons”. 


ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Israel-Hamas fake news thrives on poorly regulated online platforms

The Guardian: Disinformation has flourished across a range of online platforms in the month since Hamas launched its bloody attack on Israel, fuelled by weak content regulation on X, formerly Twitter, and Telegram and at times propelled by state actors.


ISRAEL & PALESTINE: Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war

CPJ: CPJ is investigating all reports of journalists and media workers killed, injured, or missing in the war, which has led to the deadliest month for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.


ISRAEL & QATAR: Israel holds off on threatened shut-down of Al Jazeera locally 

Reuters: Israel signalled on Monday it would hold off on a threatened closure of the local bureau of Al Jazeera, leaving the powerful Qatar-owned satellite station unmentioned in a government decision about emergency media regulations for the Gaza war.


TURKEY: Turkey’s Media Regulator Votes to Order DW to Obtain License 

VOA: Turkey’s media regulator ordered Friday the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, or DW, to obtain a broadcast license for its Turkish-language website.


UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Don’t offend monarchs, UAE tells reporters ahead of climate talks

Politico: The United Arab Emirates quietly established sweeping restrictions on the hundreds of journalists expected to visit the country for international climate talks later this month. Now, the UAE says it was a mistake.

CANADA: CBC RELEASES EXPANSIVE REPORT ON CANADIAN PRODUCTION CARBON EMISSIONS (Press release)

CBC/Radio-Canada: Biggest to date report of its kind summarizes the carbon footprint submissions of 64 CBC original independent and in-house entertainment productions.


CANADA: In Canada’s battle with big tech, smaller publishers are caught in the crossfire

Reuters Institute: Independent outlets explain how traffic and engagement have plummeted overnight after Meta blocked news from its platforms.


CANADA: Opening Remarks from Catherine Tait, President and CEO, at the Standing Committee on Official Languages (Press release)

CBC/Radio-Canada: Catherine Tait appeared before the Standing Committee on Official Languages on November 8, to discuss CBC/Radio-Canada’s commitment to the health and vitality of the French language in Canada.


CANADA: The Minister of Culture calls on journalists to be more self-critical (French)

Le Devoir: His speech at the congress of the Professional Federation of Journalists of Quebec aroused the ire of some.


CANADA: Towards “difficult decisions” at Radio-Canada (French)

Le Devoir: “Difficult decisions” are coming to CBC/Radio-Canada, which must find $100 million to complete its budget for next year. The president and CEO of the national broadcaster, Catherine Tait, considers the $50 million emergency fund proposed by the Bloc Québécois to resolve the “systemic” crisis in Canadian media “insufficient.”


US: CPB and PBS Partner With 19 Public Media Stations to Support Early Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills (Press release)

CPB: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS today announced partnerships with 19 public media stations across the country centered on an innovative model of community engagement, extending the reach and impact of Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS early learning resources to local communities.


US: Jezebel, the pioneering feminist website, will shut down 

The New York Times: Citing “economic headwinds rattling our business,” Jim Spanfeller, the chief executive of Jezebel’s parent company, G/O Media, announced the suspension of the publication and staff layoffs.


US: Lawmakers OK fresh audit into Arkansas PBS’ purchases, procedures as far back as July 2021 (Paywall) 

Current: A fiscal 2022 audit of the station raised questions of whether administrators deliberately sidestepped or broke state procurement law.


US: Pulitzer board allows broadcast media sites to enter journalism prizes (Press release)

The Pulitzer Prizes: The Pulitzer Prize Board has decided to expand eligibility for its journalism awards to digital news sites operated by broadcast and audio organizations.


US: Rhode Island public broadcasters to merge (Paywall) 

Current: “This is really the opportune moment to bring these two legacy media organizations together.”


US: The Britons are coming! US media sees influx of Britons in top roles

The Guardian: Will Lewis’s helming of the Washington Post comes after the Wall Street Journal and CNN hired other UK talent as top brass.


US: Washington Post deleted editorial cartoon criticised as racist 

Washington Post: The Washington Post has taken down a cartoon which was criticised as racist and dehumanising towards Palestinians, and which appeared prominently in Tuesday’s print edition. The editorial page editor said he “missed something profound, and divisive.”

Burying the Bird – is trashed Twitter facing extinction? (Listen) 

RNZ: Twitter emerged as an important source of live updates, news and images during the Arab Spring more than a decade ago. Many in the media also joined the platform to share news and commentary with users worldwide. But a year after Elon Musk took it over, X is a mess – and a group of local users recently gathered to ‘Bury the Bird’ for good. 


Climate change news audiences: Analysis of news use and attitudes in eight countries

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: In this new report, we build on our 2022 survey to present fresh insights into how people in eight countries – Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, the UK, and the USA – access news and information about climate change in 2023.


Google and Meta owe US news publishers about $14 billion a year, our research estimates (Opinion) 

Poynter: A new working paper calculates the value of news to tech companies and shows publishers how they can assess what they are owed.


How 13 news publishers are using WhatsApp Channels

Nieman Lab: More than two billion people worldwide use WhatsApp for messaging, customer service, organizing communities, and sharing news headlines. Now, increasingly, they can get those headlines straight from the source.


How to Fund Independent News Media in the 21st Century (Report)

Center for Journalism & Liberty: Our democracy depends on a free and independent press. As news organizations continue to pursue major layoffs and more and more media outlets disappear altogether, public access to reliable information declines and our democracy is threatened. 


International Fact-Checking Network awards $1 million to 20 groups to expand fact-checking operations

Poynter: Twenty groups have been awarded a total of $1 million in grants to help grow the capacity and sustainability of fact-checkers to fight misinformation around the world, the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute announced Monday.


Microsoft’s murder poll

ABC Mediawatch: Readers shocked after an article about a young woman’s murder in Sydney includes an AI generated pop-quiz about how she died. How Microsoft’s AI is making a mess of the news. 


RSF and 16 partners unveil Paris Charter on AI and Journalism (Charter)

RSF: The first of its kind, the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism defines ethics and principles that journalists, newsrooms and media outlets around the world will be able to appropriate and apply in their work with artificial intelligence. 


Should news publishers directly distribute to readers or diversify market channels? (Blog)

INMA


Will TikTok’s New Creator Program Change the App?

Rolling Stones: What a new payment system could mean for TikTok creators — and the industry


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Header image: A row of people on the mobile phones. Credit: camilo jimenez / Unsplash.com