SPECIAL EDITION | Our weekly round-up recaps two weeks of public media of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world after taking a break during our Global Conference in Kingston, Jamaica.

There is great diversity in public media. That was evident in the range of global public broadcasters represented at the PMA’s recent Global Conference in Kingston, Jamaica and the discussions that took place there. No two are exactly alike in the way they are governed, funded or operate. All have evolved to suit their own local context. But here is the important factor, they have all signed up to shared values of accuracy, truth and independence, alongside high standards of journalism. It’s these core values that enable public interest media to build citizen trust and credibility. At a time when public trust in media is at an all time low, those key characteristics are to be cherished and celebrated by us all. Our sincere thanks to all those who travelled and joined us in the debate.

Sally-Ann Wilson, CEO


Click on the drop-down menus below to reveal the latest regional stories.

CAMEROON: Cameroon community radio destroyed in alleged arson attack

CPJ: The station has been off air since May 19 after its two transmitters were damaged in a lightning strike; they were planning to relaunch the week of August 8.


EGYPT: Egypt’s President Sisi ratifies new internet control law

CNN: Aimed at combating extremism, the Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes legislation prohibits the “promotion of the ideas of terrorist organizations” and allows authorities to block websites deemed by judges to be threats to national security.


GABON: New strikes at Gabon’s public broadcaster (French)

VOA: On Thursday, the employees of RTG group Radio Gabon began an indefinite strike to demand a salary increase, announced the Union of professionals of communication (Syprocom).


GAMBIA: Yahya Jammeh’s Supporters Assault Journalists

MWFA: Two journalists from the state broadcaster, Gambia Radio-Television Service (GRTS), have been assaulted by security guards and supporters of Yahya Jammeh’s APRC, the main opposition political party, while covering the funeral of the mother of the exiled ex-president.


KENYA: News by refugees, for refugees in Kenya

CJR: Since its inception, Kanere has reported on issues as diverse as robberies, community elections, and alleged corruption among NGO staff and police. Coverage is often positive, highlighting improvements to infrastructure or educational achievements, but Kanere does not shy away from the camp’s darker realities.


MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique imposes prohibitive new fees on foreign correspondents

Mail & Guardian: Mozambique is set to introduce prohibitively expensive fees for foreign journalists, in an apparent attempt to discourage reporting from the country.


MOZAMBIQUE: PM calls for new media regulatory body

Club of Mozambique: The current stage in the development of the Mozambican media, he said, justifies setting up a platform involving the government, media companies, the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) and other socio-professional bodies, for a reflection that would lead to defining a model for a regulatory body appropriate to Mozambican conditions.


SOUTH AFRICA: LiveWire app connects communities and media in South Africa

IJNet: The Johannesburg-based nonprofit, which builds tools for marginalized communities, in April launched LiveWire, a platform that helps undercovered communities engage with mainstream media.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC editorial hearings draw to a close, public submissions extended

Mail & Guardian: The public hearings, which traversed all nine provinces, is the public broadcaster’s most extensive process of its kind since the SABC’s current editorial policy was implemented in 2004.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC reaches MultiChoice agreement

Broadband TV News: SABC’s 24-hour news network and re-run channel SABC Encore are to remain on the DStv network.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC replaces spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago after 13 years with Neo Momodu

Channel24: The SABC has replaced Kaizer Kganyago as the South African public broadcaster’s spokesperson after 13 years, with Neo Momodu who has been appointed as the SABC’s chief marketing and corporate affairs exec and who will add the role of acting as spokesperson.


TANZANIA: Tanzania press freedom plunges into unprecedented crisis

IPI: Amid newspaper bans and ever more restrictive laws, journalists turn to self-censorship.


ZIMBABWE: The Dangerous Game: Relations Between Zimbabwe’s Independent Media And Zanu PF (Report)

Reuters Institute: Zimbabwe’s politics has been dominated for years by Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF. As Mugabe finally fell from power, toppled by factions within the political party he had once so tightly controlled, journalist fellow Tatenda Prosper Chitagu analysed the role two of the country’s main privately owned newspapers, The Newsday and The Daily News in the power struggles that brought down the president.


ZIMBABWE: ZBC owes producers $400k

Newsday: Zimbabwe Arts and Cultural Industries Association (ZACIA) president Boniface Chimedza yesterday claimed that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) owed several local producers over $400 000, adding efforts to engage the public broadcaster on their behalf had proved futile.


GENERAL: ‘Our stories are best told by us’: How students are aiming to shape storytelling in Africa through mobile journalism

Journalism.co.uk: Two final-year students at Moi University in Kenya are aiming to empower Africans to tell their own stories, developing a platform for people to post content produced through mobile journalism.


GENERAL: Weekly digital security round-up: Documenting internet shutdowns in Africa

IJNet: ANCIR’s weekly post offering interesting — or amusing — digital security news from around the world, and tips for newsrooms, journalists and sources on the latest security measures.

BANGLADESH: CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering protests in Bangladesh

CPJ: CPJ’s Emergencies Response Team issued the following safety advisory for journalists covering or planning to cover the protests in Bangladesh.


BANGLADESH: IPI urges Bangladesh to protect journalist safety, release critics

IPI: Letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expresses concern over ‘growing intolerance’ toward independent journalism


CHINA: Google complicity in Chinese censorship could endanger press freedom elsewhere

CPJ: Today, the internet in China is more closed than ever. Yet, according to a flurry of recent news reports, Google has multiple products poised to launch in the Chinese market: a censored news application, a suite of cloud services, and a search app designed to help the Chinese government block news websites and “blacklist” sensitive queries.


CHINA: In China, an entire generation is growing up with censored internet

CJR: “An entire generation has never heard of Facebook, Twitter, or Google, and censorship isn’t something they seem to care much about.”


CHINA: In China, fighting clickbait by teaching people how to write

CJR: With few options, Li resolved to try something different: If readers liked what they read on China30s, they could pay for a class in which Li taught them how to produce their own stories.


HONG KONG: Public broadcaster RTHK bans staff from live-streaming pro-independence activist’s press club speech

HKFP: RTHK has banned its staff from live broadcasting pro-independence activist Andy Chan’s talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club next week.


HONG KONG: RSF decries China’s attempt to intimidate the Foreign Correspondents’ Club

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) decries China’s attempt to intimidate the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong (FCCHK) from inviting a pro-independence advocate to speak at a luncheon.


INDIA: All India Radio, Doordarshan content creators say promotions elude them, plan strike

The New Indian Express: The tale of R Shrinivasan, president of Programming Staff Association, is similar. More than 20 years of service has only taken him up one rung of the career ladder.


INDIA: In Narendra Modi’s India, the world’s largest democracy, journalists are muzzled (Opinion)

Gulf News: “The press scenario [in India] is grim with the government deciding on even journalists’ employment”


INDIA: Modi is dishing out e-mail interviews, and the media is lapping it up

Quartz: Over the weekend, three of India’s biggest media companies published sweeping interviews with prime minister Narendra Modi.[…] Curiously, all the interviews were conducted over email, with no follow-up questions—the latest sign of the dispensation’s obsession with controlling the media narrative.


INDIA: Shashi Shekhar Vempati to take charge as Prasar Bharati CEO

LiveMint: Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the former head of online media firm Niti Digital, will be first non-IAS officer to head Prasar Bharati , which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio


INDIA: What’s wrong with Indian media?

DW: In the past few years, the media industry in India has expanded tremendously. But at the same time, corporate and political influences on journalists have also increased.


MALAYSIA: Malaysia scraps ‘fake news’ law used to stifle free speech

The Guardian: Critics say legislation was deployed during Najib Razak’s time in office to silence criticism


MALDIVES: CPJ calls on Maldives to drop fine against opposition-aligned Raajje TV

CPJ: The Maldives Broadcasting Commission yesterday fined Raajje TV 2 million Maldivian rufiyaa (US$130,000)– the largest amount it can impose– for airing a politician’s statement made at an opposition demonstration in March, which the commission said was defamatory toward Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and threatened national security.


MALDIVES: Maldives president’s off-hand comment on missing journalist Rilwan highlights need for fresh investigation

CPJ: Four years to the day that Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla was last seen by his family, President Abdulla Yameen Abdulla Gayoom declared the Maldives journalist dead.


NEPAL: To guarantee press freedom, Nepal must amend its new criminal code

RSF: Nepalese journalists could face up to three years in prison if they publish information that is deemed to be “confidential” under the new criminal code. Several of its articles relating to the protection of privacy pose a serious threat to journalistic practices.


PAKISTAN: Imran Khan must restore press freedom in Pakistan

IPI: IPI urges country’s expected leader to ensure an end to attacks on independent media


PAKISTAN: Zaffar Abbas on press freedom under Pakistan’s new government

IPI: New IPI Executive Board member is editor of highly respected Dawn newspaper


PHILIPPINES: Brave Filipinos fight for justice when regular media flee

La Croix: ‘They asked for food, they got bullets’: Activist reporters expose horrors in areas where mainstream journos fear to tread.


PHILIPPINES: Poe wants independent agency to ensure protection of journalists

Manila Bulletin: Senator Grace Poe believes that there should be an independent agency that will ensure the protection of the welfare of media practitioners and not operating under the Office of the President.


TAIWAN: Harassment of media by Taiwan officials continues

IFJ: For the third time in less than a year, the Taipei City Government has intervened with media reporting, raising serious concerns about its commitment to press freedom in Taiwan.


TAIWAN: It’s No BBC: 20 Dismal Years of Taiwan’s Underfunded PTS Public Broadcaster

The News Lens: PTS’ legacy of outstanding program production is certainly worthy of praise, but its broadcasting history has certainly not always been smooth sailing. If management does not reflect on the bumpy ride they have had over the last 20 years, it will be difficult to come to a consensus on the future direction of the station.

AUSTRALIA: ABC cuts begin to bite in the depleted newsrooms of Sydney

The Guardian: The ABC’s Sydney newsroom has put out an urgent call to all state news directors for staff who can fly in to fill “significant gaps in the production roster”. This is on top of regional staff who have already arrived to fatten up Sydney’s skeleton staff.


AUSTRALIA: ABC’s shortwave cutback ‘weakens thin link’ for Pacific, says PMC

Asia Pacific Report: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s cutback in services to the Asia-Pacific region has “weakened the thin link” that many parts of the region have with the “outside world”, says the Pacific Media Centre.


AUSTRALIA: Federal government launches ABC and SBS efficiency review

Mumbrella: The Turnbull Government has commenced its efficiency review of the ABC and SBS announced in this year’s federal Budget.


FIJI: Graphic Fiji crash images highlight need for social media education

Asia Pacific Report: A viral spread of photos and videos from last week’s fatal crash at Nabou has highlighted a need for education surrounding the use of social media in Fiji.


NAURU: RSF asks Nauru to let journalists cover Pacific Islands Forum

RSF: Nauru’s government has cited “harassment” and “lack of respect towards our president” as grounds for banning ABC from covering this annual meeting of 18 South and North Pacific island nations, which usually receives a great deal of media coverage.


NEW ZEALAND: Does the news do any good – and should it actually aim to? (Audio)

RNZ: A listener writes in questioning what value “the news” brings to society, citing the lack of uplifting news. Do they have a point, and should the news media be looking to highlight the positive that goes on in the world?


NEW ZEALAND: Media banned from Māori King’s koroneihana celebrations

RNZ: Media have been banned from the grounds of Tūrangawaewae Marae at Ngaruawahia for the anniversary celebration of Māori King’s koroneihana or coronation this weekend.


PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG Facebook ban threat casts shadow over Pacific media freedom

Asia Pacific Report: Papua New Guinea threatened to temporarily ban Facebook earlier this year. With the APEC conference looming in November, the question remains whether this was an attack on freedom of speech.


SAMOA: ‘Don’t play with fire’ warning in Samoa’s social media threat

Asia Pacific Report: Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Maleilegaoi has warned  that the social media site Facebook may be banned, and has told users “not to play with fire”.


TONGA: Tonga’s TBC strengthened by new digital transmitter

RNZ: A new AM transmitter has been commissioned for Tonga’s state broadcaster in a move that is expected to strengthen disaster preparedness.


VANUATU: Vanuatu broadcasting joint venture company in liquidation

RNZ: A company that was set up to improve the services of Vanuatu’s public broadcaster has been put into liquidation.

BELARUS: Belarusian police raid independent news outlets, detain at least 17 journalists

CPJ: Belarus police raid independent media offices, detain journalists.


CROATIA: Croatian authorities take no action on death threat to journalists

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision by Croatian prosecutors not to prosecute a war veteran who called for a website’s journalists to be killed.


CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech TV provides DVB-T2 timeline

Broadband TV News: The Czech public broadcaster Ceska Televize (CT) will end the distribution of its HD channels on the multiplex 1a by the end of September.


FINLAND: Finland sees ‘chilling effect’ from online harassment against journalists

IPI: New report identifies immigration, asylum and Russian interference as key topics sparking harassment


FINLAND: How Finland’s Yle combats online harassment

IPI: “If we don’t tell people how we do our work, someone else will take that space.”


FRANCE: Public broadcasting reform unveiled at the end of 2018 (French)

Démarches Administratives: Merging public broadcasting organisations, specific regulations related to digital platforms, law on fake news … What are the paths of the major audiovisual reform that should take place in 2019?


GERMANY: Journalists detained in Dresden after complaint by far-right protester

EFJ: A TV crew working for German public broadcaster ZDF´s investigative political magazine programme Frontal21 were detained by police during 45 minutes, on 16 August, after a complaint by a participant at a Pegida (far-right) demonstration in Dresden.


HUNGARY: Critical TV broadcaster purchased by Orbán ally

IPI: IPI joins letter urging EU to take strong stance against country’s loss of media independence


ITALY: Does football on TV cost too much? Usigrai and Cdr Rai Sport accuse: vision denied to the general public ( Italian)

Prima Online: Football on TV is for the rich and the most popular sport in Italy is  denied to the general public, argue Usigrai and the Cdr of Rai Sport asking the institutions and the new Rai leaders to intervene.


ITALY: RAI, the board rejects the candidacy of Laganà to the presidency. Foa: “All postponed to September, in the meantime I will coordinate” (Italian)

La Repubblica: The board of directors limited itself to approving the most urgent contracts. But the stalemate remains. The 5Stars Movement on Foa: “He is suitable but without  there will not be president”.


MACEDONIA: Election Commission authorised to fine media for ‘Unbalanced Reporting’

EFJ: Article 181a of the amended Electoral Code particularly raises concerns, authorizing the State Election commission to register the online media which will report on the elections, as well as to monitor and evaluate their work. The amended law provides fines up to 4,000 Euros to traditional and online media for “unbalanced or impartial reporting”.


MALTA: Caruana Galizia murder: Enemies killed Malta journalist’s dogs

BBC: The family of murdered Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia is demanding an independent public inquiry because she had suffered years of intimidation.


NORTHERN CYPRUS: Northern Cypriot journalists targeted by Turkish authorities

IPI: IPI condemns defamation charges filed against representatives of Afrika newspaper


ROMANIA: Journalists beaten by riot police during Bucharest protest

EFJ: Romanian gendarmes assaulted and verbally attacked with no reason journalists covering the protest around Victoriei Square, in Bucharest.


ROMANIA: Were Romania’s police told to prevent reporters from doing their job?

RSF: As thousands of Romanians continue to take to the streets every day to protest against corruption and call for the government’s resignation, ActiveWatch issued a statement on 15 August condemning the unacceptable verbal and physical attacks by members of the gendarmerie against many of the journalists trying to cover the use of force to disperse the 10 August protest.


SERBIA: Journalist associations’ concern over media strategy

B92: Several association gathering journalists have expressed their concern over the development of Serbia’s new media strategy.


SLOVAKIA: Six months later, Ján Kuciak’s killers still enjoy impunity

IPI: Growing scepticism over Slovakia’s ability and willingness to solve crime


SPAIN: Experts who will evaluate RTVE candidates beg to be able to work “in peace” (Spanish)

La Vanguardia: The 17 members of the aforementioned committee are “very upset” by the “leaks” of most of the names of the candidates to take the reins of the corporation, which has generated “bewilderment” and a certain “distrust”, said its president, Diego Carcedo to Efe.


SPAIN: The BOE publishes the provisional list of admitted for the renewal of the Board of Directors of RTVE (Spanish)

RTVE: 17 candidates pass the first cut and 86 are excluded and can submit a  claim the reasons for their exclusion. The criteria and scales of merit assessment for the final selection have also been published.


UK: What worked and what didn’t in BBC’s hunt for new storytelling formats

IJNET


UK: BBC’s David Jordan on Brexit, ‘fake news’ and the future of public broadcasting (Interview)

IPI: New IPI Executive Board member is director of editorial policy at the BBC


UK: BBC Ideas six months on

BBC Blog: “Through BBC Ideas we’re exploring how best to reinvent and develop how we offer audiences intelligent, thoughtful and often fun short films about ideas in a way that reflects people’s changing online viewing habits.”


UK: Building A Public Service Internet

BBC: What might an Internet that upholds public service values look like?


UK: AI to create BBC channel schedule and new programmes in technology trial

iNews: AI knows what BBC viewers want to watch and will create new programmes in trial experiment

ARGENTINA: Adjustment in public media: a new assembly on Radio Nacional (Spanish)

Primera Fuente: Staff of the state radio station demand the payment of overtime that was unduly paid to them and the failure to pay bonuses and holiday.


ARGENTINA: China’s state television will film in El Calafate and El Chaltén (Spanish)

Ahora Calafate: Argentina’s Public Television (TVP) and China Central Television (CCTV) announced the signing of the first co-production agreement between both countries for the production of the series Amazing China and its Surprising Argentina, which will be recorded in both countries and with mixed production teams.


ARGENTINA: Lombardi presented before the Senate on the public media situation (Spanish)

Ámbito: The head of the Federal System of Public Media, Hernán Lombardi , attended the Senate Tuesday to present on the situation of his area and in particular of the dismissals that affected the official news agency Télam.


CARIBBEAN: Gary Allen | Climate-proofing media a priority for region

Caribbean Climate: The following is an address from Gary Allen, president of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), delivered at the opening ceremony of the  CBU Annual General Assembly on Monday.


CARIBBEAN: CBU takes issue with draft data protection legislation

RJR News: The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) has taken issue with draft legislation in some countries in the region aimed at putting laws in place for data protection.


MEXICO: Chinese Investors’ Takeover of Radio Station in Mexico Raises Propaganda Concerns

The Epoch Times: A major Spanish-language radio station in Mexico—with enough wattage to be heard in large swathes across the border in Southern California—was recently purchased by an entity with ties to a pro-Beijing television network, raising concerns that the station could soon beam the Chinese regime’s propaganda into the United States and Mexico.


MEXICO: #Mexico2018|Fake News and Social Media: The New Heads of the Hydra (Report)

Reuters Institute: In this paper, Juliana Fregoso discusses how public opinion on social media surrounding the general election is altered by disinformation and so-called ‘fake news’.


NICARAGUA: In Nicaragua, Ortega’s control over the media slips even as a government crackdown intensifies

CPJ: Nicaragua’s four-month-old popular uprising has not only weakened President Daniel Ortega’s grip on power: it has eroded his government’s control over the news.


NICARAGUA: Millions in losses for media and journalists in Nicaragua due to state repression (Spanish)

La Prensa: The onslaught of blood and fire by the Government against the population has reached independent media and journalists in Nicaragua who have had to contribute their corresponding quota of blood and damages. In theft or damages of equipment, the costs reach almost 600 thousand dollars.

ISRAEL: Eurovision Crisis Averted After Israel and Public Broadcaster Reach Deal

Haaretz: The Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation will take out a $13.5-million loan to help cover the cost of hosting the event.


ISRAEL: Israeli forces arrest at least 7 Palestinian journalists in West Bank

CPJ: The early morning arrests occurred after Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared the Hamas-affiliated broadcaster Al-Quds TV a terrorist organization and banned its activities in Israel and the Palestinian territories.


ISRAEL: Will a new wave of Israeli legislation diminish internet freedoms?

7amleh via Ifex: This most recent policy brief from 7amleh the Arab Center for Social Media is focused on the dramatic upsurge in the number of laws being put forth by Israeli legislators that violate the right to privacy, freedom of expression and often exhibit racist and discriminatory features.


TURKEY: How Turkey silences journalists online, one removal request at a time

CPJ: Since 2012, 13 countries have used Twitter’s CWC tool to effectively censor content, according to the social media platform’s transparency reports. Governments usually cite laws around national security, counter-terrorism, defamation, or hate speech when requesting removals.


TURKEY: New witch hunt against journalists feared in Turkey

RSF: As the Turkish lira continued to plummet yesterday, the interior ministry, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office and Turkey’s financial watchdog opened hundreds of investigations into “manipulative stories on media and social networks” that “threaten economic security” and “create a negative perception.” Those targeted could face up to five years in prison.

CANADA: News in a Snap

Inside CBC/Radio-Canada: “People don’t get their news like they used to. It’s important for media organizations to be able to reach their audiences on the multiple new platforms that now exist and that are proving more and more popular with certain groups. We are proud to say that CBC News is about to become the first Canadian daily news provider featured on Snapchat Discover!”


US: Free Media Are Not “The Enemy Of The People”

EJO: Free media can cut through the self-interested ways in which elected officials and public authorities present themselves and shine a light on uncomfortable questions and inconvenient truths. That is why politicians are afraid of them, and that is why they attack them.


US: How Perceptions of News Accuracy Shift With Outlet — And Topic

Morning Consult: In a world of media bubbles and political polarization, trust in news accuracy shifts as quickly as the outlet doing the reporting. But readers are sometimes willing to trust articles on certain topics outside their bubble if the headline confirms readers’ own biases.


US: Letter from the executive director: How should pubmedia respond to Trump’s attacks on the press? (Subscription)

Current


US: Merger of 2 public radio ‘outsiders’ has something for both

Poynter: While still behind NPR and American Public Media in broadcast public radio programming distribution, the merger positions the 35-year-old Public Radio International and the 15-year-old Public Radio Exchange to take advantage of the meteoric rise in podcasting and smart-streaming audiences.


US: Public radio’s efforts to track source diversity see as path to addressing “deep problem”

Current: Several public radio newsrooms are putting data behind evaluations of whether diversity in their sourcing – or a lack of it – perpetuates stereotypes or presents truthful journalism.


US: The Defense Department has produced the first tools for catching deepfakes

MIT Technology Review: Fake video clips made with artificial intelligence can also be spotted using AI—but this may be the beginning of an arms race.


US: This Latina Director Is Shedding Light On Children’s Immigration Experiences Through Animation

Fierce: Most American television viewers know about PBS (the Public Broadcasting Service) the broadcaster and television program distributor that has worked for years to provide educational television programming to people’s homes. In their latest effort to educate audiences about today’s social issues, the network has tapped a Latina director to educate young viewers about immigration.


US: US media fight back against Trump attacks

DW: US newspapers have launched a concerted campaign to counter President Donald Trump’s attacks on the press dubbed #EnemyOfNone. Over 350 media outlets are carrying editorials stressing the importance of free journalism.


US: What we learned about media literacy by teaching high school students fact-checking

Poynter: Over four weeks, six teenage interns identified misinformation on social media, wrote stories debunking fake news and starred in short videos — all aimed at educating a younger audience.

Democracy is cracking and platforms are no help. What can we do about it? Some policy suggestions

NiemanLab:  Here are a few in a new Canadian report: greater transparency requirements for digital news publishers, holding social media companies legally liable for the content on their platforms, and mandatory independent audits for platform algorithms.


First draft of an epidemic: how key media players framed Zika (Report)

Reuters Institute: Maria Esperidião’s paper on reporting Zika is based on content analysis, interviews and literature review. She grounds her research in studies on framing and seeks to discuss what were the main narratives adopted by CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera during the Zika outbreak, in 2016, when shocking images of tiny-headed newborn babies were brought into living rooms across the world.


How feminist journalists are shaking up the Spanish language media

Open Democracy: A growing number of new media projects are providing alternative coverage of topics from economics to beauty. But the challenge of financial sustainability remains.


How media coverage of epidemics helps raise anxiety and reduce trust

NiemanLab: “Telling people about scary diseases without informing them about ways to protect themselves is a good way to cause anxiety and emotional distress — and a bad way to build trust in government health agencies.”


How To Reach Readers On Social Media — And Make Them Care

EJO: Journalists excel at finding and leveraging stories, yet the idea of promoting their projects might seem strange to many. Still, having a strategy for reaching readers through social media and other channels can bring many benefits that you should not take for granted.


Making News When the Market Fails

EJO: : If news nonprofits are increasingly essential to quality investigative and watchdog reporting, what enables these often very marginal players to contribute what better-known and better-funded news organisations increasingly can’t?


More than two dozen resources journalists can use for mentoring, sourcing, invoicing and more

Poynter: If you’ve ever looked at a website and thought “How did I live without you?,” this issue is for you.


Six issues that imperil press freedom worldwide

EJC via Medium: What our new Media Landscapes reveal about challenges journalists face today


State Aid For Journalism: Should Governments Provide Subsidies to News Media? (Opinion)

GIJN: Despite state aid for journalism being common across Europe, it is a contested matter.


What Is ‘Quality’ Journalism? (Opinion)

EJO: Quality is the key word for journalism right now, but it can mean nothing.

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Header image: KTVU Tower. Credits: Tony Webster/Creative Commons