Our weekly round-up of public service media related stories and headlines from around the world
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, the need for community solidarity and mutual support has never been greater. But this support requires quality, fact-checked and evidence based news and information.
With this in mind, the Public Media Alliance has compiled an extensive and growing list of resources featuring recommended tools, advice and sources for journalists and the public alike. The resources can be found via the link below or in the Tools section of our website.
If you have any recommendations, please let us know.
What is...
Our weekly explainers for key public media terms, phrases and values.
Week 23: What does AUDIENCE FRAGMENTATION look like?
As access to the internet and internet-enabled devices becomes more affordable and prevalent, audiences are increasingly splitting their media consumption across multiple devices and platforms. While more media sources lend to pluralism, it may also leave each media source with a smaller share of the audience — a phenomenon known as audience fragmentation. Audience fragmentation can look like a shift from public broadcast content to that of video-on-demand (VOD) services. For example, in its 2018/2019 annual plan, the BBC reported that its 16-24 year-old audience spent more time on Netflix than all of its services combined. Audience fragmentation can also look like heavier online news consumption and the resulting shift by advertisers to online platforms, adding to the pressures and financial woes faced by local news outlets. But fragmentation does not only impact media outlets; there are concerns that it can also impact democracy when audiences become polarised and develop media preferences that reinforce their own opinion. Ultimately, the challenge for public service media is adapting to and keeping pace with fast changing audience habits and trends.
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.
Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
What we're watching...
In Conversation with Rhodri Talfan Davies
Royal Television Society: Sky News presenter, Gillian Joseph, interviews Rhodri Talfan Davies, BBC Director of Nations, about the BBC’s plan for its biggest transformation in decades. Rhodri also discusses his vision for BBC Nations and how the BBC can play a central role in the development of the UK’s creative economy.
What we're listening to...
Lack of news literacy – what role does journalism play? (German)
Deutschlandfunk Kultur: ‘Disinformation, information, advertising, opinion: According to a study, many people find it difficult to differentiate between them. Are journalists also to blame for the deficits in news literacy?’
Sign up to our Global Call Out
Promote, support and advocate for public service media
Global Headlines
Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.
ALGERIA: Algeria cancels France 24’s operating license: State media
Al Jazeera: The government alleged the outlet had shown ‘clear and repeated hostility’ towards Algeria and its institutions.
ALGERIA: Algeria: Two journalists arrested two days before the legislative elections
IFJ: Late on 10 June, two journalists Khaled Drareni and Ihsan El Kadi were arrested by the authorities in Algeria along with opposition leader Karim Tabbou.
ETHIOPIA: Tigray War Exposes Limits to Abiy’s Promises of Press Freedom
VOA News: ‘We are still operating under fear’ says a journalist who was forced to flee as Ethiopia retaliates against some who cover rights abuses in Tigray.
GHANA: Media forum on RTI law, investigative journalism and the fight against corruption in Ghana (Event)
MFWA: 17 June – Right to Information (RTI) is a universally recognized basic human right. Globally, more than 120 countries have passed Right to Information laws with about 60% of countries in West Africa having such laws.
GUINEA-BISSAU: Press Freedom Disappears Under Guinea-Bissau President Sissoco (Paywall)
World Politics Review
KENYA: Free press means a more open society; let media freedom reign (Opinion)
Nation
MOZAMBIQUE: Teachers on TV — How Thousands of Children in Mozambique Are Learning During COVID-19
Global Citizen: Global Citizens are making sure that students continue to learn during the pandemic.
NIGERIA: Nigeria demands social media firms get local licence
Reuters: Social media firms wanting to operate in Nigeria must register a local entity and be licensed, the country’s information minister said on Wednesday, the government’s latest move since it banned Twitter (TWTR.N) last week.
NIGERIA: Nigeria: dozens of civil society groups demand end to Twitter ban
Amnesty International: Dozens of human rights and civil society groups have demanded an end to the Nigerian government’s ongoing blocking of Twitter in the country.
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC ALERTS THE PUBLIC ON SCROLLER MESSAGE AS THE SWITCH-OFF OF ANALOGUE TV TRANSMITTERS CONTINUES (Press Release)
SABC: The primary purpose of this message is to alert the public of the impending analogue switch off and the need to change to alternative digital technologies for television viewing.
TANZANIA: CPJ calls on Tanzania president to reform press laws (Callout)
CPJ
UGANDA: Ugandan government scraps social media tax (Paywall)
Telecompaper: Uganda has scrapped social media tax in the 2021/2022 financial year budget. Amos Lugoloobi, designated minister of state for finance in charge of planning, has repealed the UGX 200 excise duty imposed on Over-The-Top (OTT) services. Lugoloobi said the government has instead introduced a direct tax of 12 percent on airtime and mobile internet data.
REGIONAL: Sadc leaders must respect journalists: Maunganidze
NewsDay: MEDIA Institute of Southern Africa (Misa)-Zimbabwe chapter chairperson Golden Maunganidze (GM) was last week elected Misa regional chairperson. His appointment comes at a time the media umbrella organisation will now be housed in Harare.
HONG KONG: Filmmakers Worry Hong Kong Film Censors Will Stifle Expression
VOA: Filmmakers are raising concerns about new guidelines for Hong Kong’s film censor that instruct them to ban movies deemed endangering national security.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong teachers urge public broadcaster RTHK to restore deleted shows for use in classroom
HKFP: Teachers` “think RTHK programmes are of high quality and can delve into various social issues from multiple angles… they are very rare Cantonese teaching materials,” according to an educators’ union.
HONG KONG: How China Is Tightening Its Grip on Hong Kong’s Media Scene
Bloomberg: Since China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong a year ago, it has snuffed out protests, arrested key democracy activists and overhauled the election system. Now its vibrant media scene is under threat.
SCMP: Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying will stand trial in the High Court, where the maximum sentence is life in prison, for allegedly breaching the national security law by colluding with foreign forces.
INDIA: As Indian journalists’ death toll reaches 474, more voices call for COVID-19 protection (June 2)
Reuters Institute: Labelled “presstitutes” and “unpatriotic”, reporters are dying with little to no support from their newsrooms or their government.
RSF: With the number of Indian journalists killed by Covid-19 now more than 500, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is shedding light on the dilemmas facing reporters trying to cover the pandemic’s under-reported impact in India’s rural areas, where they are exposed to many dangers.
INDIA: India And Tech Companies Clash Over Censorship, Privacy And ‘Digital Colonialism’
NPR: One night last month, police crowded into the lobby of Twitter’s offices in India’s capital New Delhi.
INDIA: Modi’s ‘contempt for press freedom’ charted: Media repression in India
Press Gazette: We chart the decline of press freedom in India under prime minister Narendra Modi’s seven years in charge.
INDONESIA: Indonesia: Global media organisations condemn government internet regulation
IFJ: Global media organisations sent a joint letter to Indonesia’s minister of Communication and Information Technology urging him to repeal Ministerial Regulation 5/2020 (MR5) that enables companies to monitor content. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) urge the government to repeal the MR5 regulation.
JAPAN: Request for full disclosure of minutes of management committee NHK filing volunteers for news coverage (Japanese)
The Mainchi: Shunzo Morishita, Honor of Tokyo University, requested disclosure of the minutes of the management committee in 2018 due to the issue that the NHK management committee paid close attention to then chairman Ryoichi Ueda over the program reporting the illegal sale of Kanpo life insurance.
LAOS: Laos social media task force: Will it target ‘fake news’ or censor online criticism?
Global Voices: Civil society groups in Southeast Asia are pushing back against the Laos government’s recent directives to monitor social media platforms and enforce internet registration.
MALAYSIA: Malaysia: Media vaccinations urged so journalists can carry out work safely
IFJ: Malaysia’s national journalist union is urging media companies to put journalist safety as a priority as the country continues to face huge numbers of Covid cases.
MYANMAR: ‘The darkest days are coming’: Myanmar’s journalists suffer at hands of junta
The Guardian: Journalism has been outlawed in all but name since the coup, with reporters and editors fleeing the country or leading double lives to survive.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s draconian proposed press law stirs controversy
Nikkei Asia: Pakistan is trying to push through a new law intended to centralize government oversight of the media, fueling concerns about further deterioration of press freedom in the South Asian country.
PAKISTAN: Pakistan is pursuing an unrelenting assault on journalism (Opinion)
Deutsche Welle: In Pakistan, journalists are fired, harassed, and assaulted for their critical reporting. Instead of finding support and empathy, they are mocked and manipulated — often by the government, writes Umer Ali.
SOUTH KOREA: ‘Coping with Economic Pressure’: KBS Joins ‘PBI CEO Virtual Workshop’ to Exchange Insights on Financial Sustainability (Press Release)
KBS World: KBS has enjoyed a rare opportunity to share its strategic Public Service Media perspectives, and insights at the Public Broadcasters International(PBI) CEO Virtual Workshop on 3 June, 2021.
SOUTH KOREA: MBC documentary producer starts vlog on rustic life
Korea Times: More and more people these days are dreaming about settling down in the countryside and adopting a rustic lifestyle…Choi Byul, a 32-year-old producer at public broadcaster MBC, has chosen to do exactly that by buying an abandoned house far away from Seoul. From her new home, Choi started MBC’s first official vlog channel, “Onulun,” to share her idyllic journey.
TAIWAN: Taiwan: Coalition calls for vaccinations for media workers after journalist dies
IFJ: A coalition has urged the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) to consider journalists as frontline workers and be given vaccinations after the death of Next TV photographer, Liu.
THAILAND: Thai PBS received an honorary award “Organizations that make contributions to society” on the occasion of the establishment of TU (Press release – Thai)
Thai PBS: Public Broadcasting Organization of Thailand (SAT) or Thai PBS has been nominated by Thammasat University. Honored to be an organization that has made contributions to society with morality and ethics, and is also a supporter of the operation of Thammasat University…
THAILAND: Thailand: Proposed initiatives to combat ‘fake news’ undermine freedom of expression
Article 19: ‘Proposed government initiatives to address ‘fake news’ would further curtail digital rights and freedom of expression in Thailand, said ARTICLE 19.
UZBEKISTAN: Pressure on Journalists, Bloggers Mounts Ahead of Uzbekistan’s Presidential Elections
The News Lens International
AUSTRALIA: ABC launches First Nations Talent Portal to increase Indigenous voices and representation on all its platforms (Press Release)
ABC: ABC content makers will be able to readily identify and promote First Nations voices and screen practitioners with the launch of the ABC’s First Nations Talent Portal.
AUSTRALIA: As News Corp savages its enemies, the ABC must strive for unity. Which makes it the perfect target … (Opinion)
The Guardian: It’s a cliche to say that we all inhabit news silos these days but people pay to read stories that reflect and reinforce their views.
AUSTRALIA: How Four Corners became the story in the government’s ABC wars
The Sydney Morning Herald: Conflicts – between journalists, editors and management – are the subatomic particles of journalism without which not much journalism appears.
AUSTRALIA: The Coalition’s absurd and undemocratic war against the ABC (Opinion)
Independent Australia: ‘Another Senate Estimates session brings another culture war attack on the ABC.’
FIJI: Fiji media encouraged to keep morale high
FBC News: While staying at home is the safest option during COVID-19, members of the media are sacrificing this necessity to keep the public informed.
NEW ZEALAND: Response To Govt Announcement Of New Media Regulation System (Press release)
Via Scoop: ‘The Better Public Media Trust welcomes the government’s announcement to review New Zealand’s media regulatory system. This is desirable after years of reviews and recommendations from the Law Commission established a need for a single statutory regulator.’
NEW ZEALAND: Govt to spend $500K on second RNZ-TVNZ merger report
TVNZ: ‘The Government is planning on spending half a million dollars more on a second business case about a potential merger between TVNZ and RNZ.’
ALBANIA: Albania: MFRR partners concerned about restrictions on access to Parliament (Letter)
ECPMF
BELARUS: Joint call to make respect for press freedom a cornerstone of all demands towards Belarus
IFEX: The undersigned organisations are calling for the international community to make respect for press freedom a cornerstone of all demands it voices towards Lukashenka’s regime.
BELARUS: Raman Pratasevich forced televised ‘confession’ amounts to ill-treatment
Amnesty International: “Raman Pratasevich’s forced ‘confession’ on Belarusian state TV was devastating to watch. He was plainly on the edge of breaking down, in tears and with visible wounds on his wrists, as he was forced to incriminate himself and praise his captors. It was a televised coercion.”
BELARUS: RFE/RL President Says Lukashenka Has Discussed Adopting ‘Foreign Agents’ Law
RFE/RL: RFE/RL President Jamie Fly told a U.S. Senate committee on June 9 that Belarusian authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka has discussed copying Russia’s “foreign agents” law to further restrict media freedom in Belarus.
BULGARIA: ‘Bulgaria interim government must prioritise media freedom’
Sofia Globe: Six media associations have written to Bulgaria’s caretaker government to urge it to prioritise the improvement of media freedom in the country and the investigation of serious threats and attacks on journalists.
CROATIA: Croatia signs ‘Global Pledge on Media Freedom’ document
Euractiv: Croatia’s Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek signed a Global Pledge on Media Freedom during a meeting with the UK’s undersecretary for European neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton, in Zagreb on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.
DENMARK & GERMANY: DR turns up the coverage of Germany ahead of the election (Danish – Press Release)
DR: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down after almost 16 years in office. Now the Germans must find her successor. DR’s ambition is for the Danes to understand the choice that the Germans make.
ESTONIA: Supreme Court: Public authorities can’t define journalistic public interest
ERR News: A landmark Supreme Court ruling states that the media has a broad scope in defining what is in the public interest and that this cannot, in the normal run of things, be curtailed by the courts or by other public authorities, ERR’s online news in Estonian reports.
FINLAND: Yle’s internship program trains new Sámi-speaking experts in the media field (Finnish)
Yle: There are few Sámi-speaking journalists, which threatens the development of Sámi journalism. Yle’s internship program offers five Sámi-speaking young people the basics of journalism and summer work.
FRANCE: Radio, a centenary in the midst of an existential crisis (French – Paywall)
Le Monde: The rise of musical platforms and podcasts represents a threat to the preferred media of the French, whose audiences are eroding. It relies on its 40 million listeners to develop its own content on demand and rejuvenate its audience.
FRANCE: TV5Monde’s streaming platform available Thursday in the United States (French)
Le Figaro: It presents itself ” as an alternative in French ” to American giants such as Netflix, according to the managing director of TV5Monde, Yves Bigot, citing an issue of ” planetary French-speaking sovereignty “.
GERMANY: ARD future dialogue: 3,000 ideas submitted at halftime (German – Press release)
ARD: With 3,000 ideas submitted, it’s halfway through. The online participation of the ARD Future Dialog, which started two weeks ago, comes to this number. Citizens can contribute their ideas for the future of ARD at www.ard-zukunftsdialog.de until June 27th.
GERMANY: Reform of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio: “Something very decisive is changing” (German – Paywall)
Süddeutsche Zeitung: Heike Raab, the chairman of the Broadcasting Commission, explains why the public broadcasters should get more freedom from the law in the future.
HUNGARY: EC Launches Infringement Procedure Against Hungary Over Media Freedom Violations
Exit News: The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Hungary for a breach of EU law in forcing independent Klubradio off the air.
HUNGARY & POLAND: Biden urged to address media freedom in Hungary and Poland during Europe visit
IPI: MFRR writes to U.S President ahead of meetings with EU and NATO.
ITALY: Italian TV employees suspected of thieving dozens of works of art
The Guardian: ‘Priceless’ pieces removed from Rai’s offices by employees and replaced with fakes, police believe.
KOSOVO: OSCE Mission in Kosovo launches media literacy campaign
OSCE: ‘In response to the proliferation of fake news and misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, on 8 June 2021, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo launched a one-month media literacy campaign aimed at youth.’
NORWAY: NRK with historical live broadcast from Pride (Norweigan)
NRK: On Friday 25 June, there will be a rainbow-colored live broadcast from Spikersuppa in Oslo. Here, NRK will take the pulse of the Pride celebrations in the capital and in the rest of the country.
POLAND: PKN Orlen media purchase violates EU merger rules and media pluralism standards
Article 19: The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today said that allowing the acquisition of regional newspaper publisher Polska Press by Poland’s state-controlled oil giant PKN Orlen to go forward would violate both EU and Polish merger rules and undermine media pluralism.
POLAND: Poland: Orlen continues editorial purge at Polska Press
IPI: A purge of editorial management at regional newspapers owned by Polska Press has gathered pace in the last month, as the shockwaves of the controversial takeover of the publishing house by Poland’s state-controlled oil giant PKN Orlen continue to be felt.
RUSSIA: Russia Using Foreign Agent Law to Attack Journalism, Media Say
VOA News
SERBIA: Safety of journalists: a meeting with the Serbian media actors
Council of Europe: An online meeting on the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists (Platform) was held on 9 June 2021 as a support to actors in Serbia dedicated to improvement in the field of the protection and safety of journalists.
SERBIA & MONTENEGRO: Campaign group flags judicial interference in journalist cases in Serbia and Montenegro
Euractiv: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) flagged on Friday (11 June) two instances where key judiciary figures interfered with legal proceedings in cases involving two investigative journalists in Serbia and Montenegro.
SLOVAKIA: Beleaguered Slovak Journalists Look to New Media Law for Protection | Reporting Democracy
Balkan Insight: Despite a years-long decline on the World Press Freedom Index framed by bullying politicians and mushrooming disinformation sites, Slovakia’s media could see better days ahead.
SLOVENIA: Intl Journalist Associations Condemn Janša’s Tweet on Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Right
Total Slovenia News: Several international journalist organisations condemned Wednesday Prime Minister Janez Janša’s tweet that said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović was “part of #fakenews network”. This came after her warning about deteriorating media freedom in Slovenia. The organisations agree with her assessment of the situation.
SPAIN: RTVE renews the television studios of its training center for old and obsolete (Spanish)
El Confidencial Digital: RTVE prepares the renovation of the television studios of the RTVE Institute. This body is the training center of the Corporation. Its main task is to train future journalists. It was created in 1967 under the name of Official School of Radio and Television, being one of the first faculties of journalism in Spain.
SWEDEN: Debate article on Altinget.se: Our mission is important to prepare the school for the social crisis (Swedish – blog)
UR: In the debate article “Our mission is important to equip the school for social crisis” published today (20210603) on Altinget.se, the evaluations that are now made of the pandemic’s consequences for the school are important, to be prepared for the next social crisis. But there is a risk that the perspective will be too narrow, writes Johan Hartman, head of strategy at UR.
SWEDEN: Swedish Radio wins international innovation award (Swedish)
Swedish Radio: Swedish Radio wins the EBU Technology & Innovation Award 2021 for the system of news values, which is considered to have the potential to positively influence the entire media industry.
SWITZERLAND: Gilles Marchand: “The public service must never campaign” (French)
Le Temps: Three years after the vote on the “No Billag” initiative, the SSR is facing a new slingshot: its critics accuse its leaders of having collected too high bonuses during the crisis and its journalists of being too militant. The Director-General responds to criticism.
UK: BBC publishes review on the facts around the decision to appoint Martin Bashir as Religious Affairs Correspondent (Press Release)
BBC: The BBC has published a review set up to establish the facts around the decision to appoint Martin Bashir as Religious Affairs Correspondent in September 2016 and the subsequent re-grading of the role to Religion Editor in 2018.
UK: Licence fee, accountability and overseas opportunities central to BBC’s future
Journalism.co.uk: The public broadcaster is thinking of new ways to cash in on its growing presence at home and abroad. But first, it needs to deal with scandals and balance sheets.
UK: No lights, no camera: UK TV producers face equipment shortage
The Guardian: Film and television industry struggles with surge in demand for high-end shows fuelled by lockdown binge viewing.
UK: UK to rein in online platforms’ power in effort to protect public broadcasters (Paywall)
The Financial Times: Ministers want to ensure prominence of channels such as BBC and ITV on smart televisions.
UKRAINE: Independence of the Public Broadcaster’s Supervisory Board Challenged (Alert)
COE
REGIONAL: Here is the spring project with fund support (Swedish)
Nordvision: The Board of the Nordic Vision Fund decided on support for new Nordic projects during its most recent meeting.
ARGENTINA: RTA and Public Content will advance in joint production (Spanish)
Total Medios: The president of Radio y Televisión Argentina (RTA), Rosario Lufrano, and the general manager of the state company Contenidos Públicos, Jésica Tritten, signed an agreement to work on the dissemination and production of content together.
ARGENTINA: The Lower House debated gender parity in public media (Spanish)
La Voz: It is promoted by the Frente de Todos. It tends towards gender equality in state audiovisual media, but “promotes” the same situation for private ones.
BRAZIL: After criticism of Manaus and Biden coverage, EBC stops publishing bimonthly ombudsman reports on its website (Portuguese)
Folha de S. Paulo: Under Bolsonaro, ombudsman documents will leave out analysis of government-sensitive journalistic content.
Via IFEX: The Supreme Court examined the case of photographer Alex da Silveira, who lost sight in his left eye after being injured by a rubber bullet fired by the São Paulo Military Police during a protest in May 2000.
COLOMBIA: Colombia: the number of attacks and arrests of journalists grows during the mobilizations for the National Strike (Spanish)
IFJ: In the last five weeks, during the social protests in Colombia, numerous attacks were registered by the security forces against press workers who were covering the National Strike.
ECUADOR: The Government announces that it plans to sell the seized media (Spanish)
Primicias: The Secretary of Communication, Eduardo Bonilla, said that the government plans to sell the seized media and create a law on public media.
PERU: Peru: Forces the resignation of journalists who had denounced pressure during electoral coverage (Spanish)
IFJ: More than ten press workers from América Televisión and Canal N were forced to resign after refusing to give in to pressure from the company, which sought to promote the partialization of journalistic coverage of the second round of elections for the presidency of Peru, held on Last sunday.
URUGUAY: Sotelo: “We were on our way to being the museum of public media” (Spanish)
El País: The president of the National Audiovisual Communication Service spoke about the contracts that were not renewed in the public media and about their presumed precariousness.
IRAN: Iran is stepping up pressure on journalists, including foreign journalists, in run-up to election
RSF: With official campaigning for next week’s presidential election now under way in Iran, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) again condemns the regime’s censorship of the media, its use of threats against journalists and the absence of independent reporting.
PALESTINE & ISRAEL: MADA: IOF commits 122 Offence and Serious Assault against Media Freedoms in Palestine in May
MENAFN: May 2021 has witnessed a large-scale of Israeli offenses and assaults against media freedoms in Palestine, during which the occupation army and authorities committed 122 assaults and offenses against Palestinian, Arab, and international journalists and media[…]
TURKEY: Turkish presidency reintroduces press card controls that court found restrictive
CPJ: On April 1 this year, press freedom groups in Turkey chalked up a small win when the nation’s top administrative court, the Council of State, suspended 2018 rules that made it easier for the authorities to cancel or refuse press cards.
TURKEY: Turkey using terrorism legislation to gag and jail journalists
RSF: RSF has documented 12 cases of journalists currently being prosecuted in Turkey under terrorism legislation that prohibits questioning the security forces.
CANADA: A grand prize and several medals for Radio-Canada at the Awards of Excellence in Digital Publishing (French)
Radio-Canada: The public broadcaster distinguished itself on Friday at the Digital Excellence Awards, a pan-Canadian competition that recognizes the work of digital content creators.
CANADA: Annual Public Meeting: A window to the world (Event – Watch)
CBC/Radio-Canada: This year, we’ll be opening the border virtually so you can engage with our foreign correspondents and get a Canadian perspective on events happening around the world. When? 16 June 2021.
CANADA: Open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Letter)
Toronto Star: News Media Canada pens open letter to Canadian Prime Minister calling on him to address prominence issues.
CANADA: Why CBC is turning off Facebook comments on news posts for a month (Editorial)
CBC News: Social media attacks on our journalists and the subjects of our stories is something we take seriously.
US: An open letter on U.S. media coverage of Palestine (Letter)
Via Medium: From journalists, to journalists: Why reporting on Palestine has to change.
US: Can State Governments Save Local Newspapers?
Washington Monthly: Politicians and journalists are getting over their historic squeamishness about taxpayer money going to news outlets. A report from New England.
US: Fake Hate (Public Editor)
PBS: Our mailbox was hit by aggressive, automated campaigns to gin up mass viewer sentiment against two PBS shows. The orchestrated waves of outrage are examples of how our public debates have been hijacked by special interests.
US: For the Biden administration, who counts as news media? (Opinion)
CJR: FIRST IMPLEMENTED IN 1970, the Department of Justice’s news-media guidelines were meant to restrict the use of certain investigatory tools, like subpoenas and court orders, that might “unreasonably impair newsgathering activities.”
US: How public broadcasting overcame early setbacks to become a national institution (Paywall)
Current: Public media’s mission was clear early on, but an emphasis on high-quality programming was needed to earn widespread support.
US: How ‘prebunking’ can fight fast-moving vaccine lies
PBS: Vaccines have played a vital role in slowing rates of new infection, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. But misinformation threatens our progress on the pandemic by undermining confidence in the vaccines and science behind them.
US: It’s A First! NPR And Member Stations KCUR And WABE Win A Pulitzer Prize
NPR: NPR’s first-ever Pulitzer occasioned a round of virtual Champagne corks popping and heartfelt cheers of congratulations across … well, NPR’s corner of cyberspace.
US: Training for audio editors can help bridge gaps in long-form storytelling (Paywall)
Current: Plenty of audio journalists have the talent for long-form storytelling. Why aren’t we training more of them to be editors?
US: What makes a news story trustworthy? Americans point to the outlet that publishes it, sources cited
Pew Research: Americans see a variety of factors as important when it comes to deciding whether a news story is trustworthy or not, but their attitudes vary by party affiliation, demographic characteristics and news consumption habits, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
US: Why Has Local News Collapsed? Blame Readers. (Opinion)
Politico: Despite all the impassioned pleas to salvage local news coverage, the reality is there’s a demand-side problem.
Covid vaccine fact-checks have a problem: Few people are clicking
Nieman Lab: Fact-checks struggle to compete with disinformation on major social media networks.
Global Media Forum to focus on effects of disinformation, populism (Event – Catchup)
Deutsche Welle: The pandemic has brought the societal role and responsibility of media into sharp relief. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to open the 2021 conference, which is open to the public and freely available online.
Head of Committee to Protect Journalists to Step Down (Paywall)
The New York Times: After 15 years as the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon said on Wednesday that he would step down by the end of the year.
Hijacking the truth: how repressive governments worldwide cracked down on press freedom
HKFP: The last month has witnessed a variety of attacks on the free press – including what was seen as a state-sponsored hijacking – by governments going to great lengths to punish journalists for their work.
How social media companies help authoritarian governments censor the internet
The New Statesman: Increasingly, the price of access to a global digital market is assisting the policing of online speech.
How can broadcasters secure themselves against possible cyber attacks?
TVB Europe: Following the recent ransomware attack on one US media group, Quantum’s Eric Bassier explains why broadcasters are being targeted, and how they can safeguard themselves against such threats.
Registration for the RIPE@2021 Conference is open! (Event)
Nordicom: “Public Service Media’s Contribution to Society” is the theme of the RIPE@2021 Conference that takes place as a virtual event on 27–28 September 2021. All interested scholars may participate free of charge.
The Conversation: Gardening provides a helpful metaphor to help us understand how individual and platform approaches to misinformation need to be accompanied by policy and cultural reforms.
Webinar roundup: Tips and tactics for creating successful newsletters
WAN-IFRA: More and more news publishers agree that, when done right, newsletters are highly effective tools for driving subscriptions.
What is disinformation — and how can you fight it?
Deutsche Welle: Conspiracy theories, doctored photos, fake news, bot-boosted messages designed to elicit an angry reaction. Disinformation abounds in free societies, but there are steps you can take to fight it, says Ingo Mannteufel.
PSM Weekly is available via email. You can subscribe by signing up to our mailing list at the bottom of the page or email editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
All PSM Weekly stories are provided for interest and their relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
Header Image: A young man using a professional camcorder outdoor. Credit: porpeller/iStock
Sign up to PSM Weekly
Receive our weekly round-up of public service media headlines and PMA news straight to your inbox.
Related Posts
