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

As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues and many countries enter a state of lockdown, 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 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.

The resource will be frequently updated to reflect the changing needs and evolving situation. If you have any recommendations, please let us know.


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 listening to...


The goodies and baddies of the 1pm covid presser 

RNZ: The daily reality TV show that is the 1pm Beehive news conference has turned the spotlight on the journalists covering it, with critics calling them hectoring and aggressive.

What we're watching...


RIPE@Dialogue webinar series

IAPMR & Nordicom: The International Association of Public Media Researchers (IAPMR) together with Nordicom – the centre for Nordic media research – have organised three webinars under the theme ‘PSM and Universalism’, which take place throughout September.

Sign up to the webinar series here.


UNESCO sounds the alarm on global surge in attacks against journalists covering protests 

UNESCO: A new UNESCO report highlights a sharp increase in the global number of protests during which the police and security forces violated media freedom in the first half of 2020.


Global Headlines


Click on the tab menu below to reveal the latest regional stories.

ALGERIA: Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni jailed for two years on appeal

France 24: Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni received a two-year prison term at his appeal hearing on Tuesday, in a trial rights groups have called a test of press freedom in a country recently rocked by anti-government protests. 


ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian authorities re-arrest journalists and media worker released on bail

CPJ: Ethiopian authorities must stop abusing judicial processes to hold journalists and media workers in prolonged pre-trial detention without charge, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.


KENYA: Governors’ statement a threat to media freedom, Media Council

KBC News: A decision by the Council of Governors (CoG) to stop advertising with the Nation Media Group has drawn sharp criticism from the media regulator.


LIBERIA: Eight Liberian Journalists Abused in Separate Incidents in One Month

MFWA: Eight journalists in Liberia were assaulted, threatened or detained in separate incidents, three of them related to COVID-19 in the month of May 2020.


MALAWI: Malawi’s Information Law Finally Comes Into Effect

MISA: The government of Malawi has set 30 September 2020 as the day when its Access to Information Act comes into operation, almost three years after it was signed into law.


NAMIBIA: NBC launches care campaign

NBC News: The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has launched its NBC Cares project to assist communities around the country affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.


NIGERIA: Public Officials on Rampage against Journalists in Nigeria

MFWA: A widely circulated video in which a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode is seen insulting and threatening a journalist during a press briefing in Calabar, Cross River State, on August 2020 marked a new low in the deteriorating press freedom situation in Nigeria in recent times, with public officials as the leading perpetrators.


NIGERIA: Nigeria: Broadcasting Regulator Dragged To Court Over Amended Broadcasting Code

Broadcast Media Africa: Nigeria’s broadcasting regulator – the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is being taken to Court by a film production company based in Lagos, Nigeria over the recently amended broadcasting code.


SOUTH AFRICA: SABC News reaches 1M YouTube subscriber milestone

SABC News: The milestone has put SABC News in the forefront of digital news platforms in South Africa as the first news channel to reach these numbers in the country.


TANZANIA: Tanzania: Shrinking civic space ahead of the October 2020 elections 

Article 19: ARTICLE 19 is extremely concerned about the shrinking civic space in Tanzania ahead of the elections on 28 October 2020. The government is not only cracking down on media, but also undermining the ability of political parties to campaign and seek justice. 


UGANDA: Uganda’s forthcoming elections put journalists under threat 

IPI: Media outlets face censorship and intimidation.


ZIMBABWE: Mutsvangwa pledges transparency in broadcasting licensing

NewsDay: INFORMATION, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday promised Parliament that issuance of the broadcasting licences would be transparent.


ZIMBABWE: Journalists Acquitted Of Breaching Covid-19 Regulations

MISA Zimbabwe: Freelance journalists Frank Chikowore and Samuel Takawira were on 10 September 2020 acquitted on charges of breaching the COVID-19 regulations by Mbare Magistrate Kudzai Hove.


REGIONAL: COVID-19 Provokes More Attacks on Journalists, Media Houses in West Africa

MFWA: Ten journalists in six countries in West Africa have suffered physical attacks, threats, detentions or dismissals with three media houses attacked over various incidents related to the COVID-19 epidemic from May-August 2020.


GENERAL: We need science journalists not press release cheerleaders (Opinion)

Africa Check: Science journalism, unlike science communication, exists to serve the reader. Getting it wrong can only undermine the public’s trust in science.

AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan: Media freedom in ‘downward spiral’

Anadolu Agency: As Afghanistan returns to normalcy, journalists say they face curbs, intimidation for reporting on issues of governance.


CHINA & AUSTRALIA: ‘Chilling’: Australian press fight with China goes global

The Sydney Morning Herald: European leaders are becoming increasingly concerned about China’s crackdown on press freedom after two Australian journalists were forced to leave Beijing, as global outrage over the case grows and business warns of an investment exodus.


CHINA & AUSTRALIA: China’s state media condemn raids on Chinese journalists in Australia

Reuters: China’s state media condemned raids on the homes of Chinese journalists working in Australia, as relations between the two major trading partners become increasingly strained.


CHINA & HONG KONG: How China’s influence is changing Hong Kong protests

Deutsche Welle: Hong Kong’s protest culture has been targeted by Beijing’s security law. Experts say mass arrests during demonstrations this weekend show why the pro-democracy movement needs to adapt.


HONG KONG: Amid National Security Law uncertainty, women journalists in Hong Kong forge ahead

Poynter


HONG KONG: ‘Even with handcuffs, I feel at peace’: Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai says Apple Daily won’t change, but no more protest activism (Opinion)

HKFP: Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai says he is prepared to sacrifice anything for Hong Kong and his embattled newspaper Apple Daily will keep speaking out under the Beijing-imposed national security law, but it will steer clear of protest activism.


INDIA & KASHMIR: Dodging India’s media curbs in Kashmir

Nikkei Asian Review: Under government pressure, self-censorship is growing in troubled region


INDIA: “Doordarshan is an emotion that reminds the unity of the nation”: Netizens become nostalgic as Doordarshan turns 61 (Opinion )

Op India: Public broadcaster Doordarshan is celebrating its 61st anniversary on Tuesday, reminiscing the glorious days when shows like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Chitrahaar, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Fauji, Malgudi Days, and several others captured the imagination of the public and which till date remains etched in the public memory as timeless classics.


INDONESIA: Media freedom watchdogs condemn Indonesian assaults on journalists

Asia Pacific Report: The International Federation of Journalists and the Alliance of Independent Journalists have expressed concern over reports that several local journalists have been harassed and attacked across Indonesia, reports IFJ Asia-Pacific.


MALAYSIA: Malaysia: Media council critical for press freedom

IFJ: Malaysia’s media reform trajectory has been stymied by political change and increased violations against media workers, according to an international media discussion on September 9. 


PAKISTAN: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s detention: Jang-Geo workers’ protest goes on

The News International: The journalists and workers of the Geo and Jang Group along with the journalists’ organisations, civil society and political workers continued countrywide protest against the illegal arrest of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on Wednesday.


PAKISTAN: New cases against Pakistani journalists stoke media crackdown concerns days after PM boasts of free press

ICIJ: The arrest of a reporter at his home in Karachi and the sedition case against a veteran Pakistani journalist last week furthered journalists and press freedom advocates’ concerns of a media crackdown in the country.


PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s Hypocrisy on Press Freedom

HRW: Editor’s Jailing Shows Reality of Media Crackdown.


PAKISTAN: Pakistan: PEMRA imposes 24NewsHD’s shutdown

IFJ: Media workers from Pakistan’s 24NewsHD are facing the possibility of job-losses after the channel was suspended by The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and ceased operation on August 31. 


PHILIPPINES: NTC recalls frequencies, channels assigned to ABS-CBN

ABS-CBN: The National Telecommunications Commission on Thursday recalled the frequencies assigned to ABS-CBN, which it said was “warranted” in the absence of a legislative franchise.


THAILAND: Thai PBS aims to promote learning Through the Thai PBS Learning Shelf, delivered in August, 350 sets nationwide (Thai – Press Release)

Thai PBS: The project will be delivered to schools, communities, hospitals, agencies that care for vulnerable groups across the country. It aims to promote and expand learning opportunities and inspire children, youth and the general public.

AUSTRALIA: ABC and SBS should also receive fees from Facebook and Google, Labor says

The Guardian: Opposition says proposed code should cover public broadcasters so the revenue is used to boost regional news services.


AUSTRALIA: ABC goodbyes (Watch)

ABC Mediawatch: Long-time presenters, producers and crew depart the ABC as budget cuts hit home.


AUSTRALIA: China escape (Watch)

ABC Mediawatch: Reporters for the ABC and AFR flee China over concerns for their safety following a midnight knock on the door.


AUSTRALIA: Ita Buttrose asks ABC staff to vote on six-month wage freeze

The Guardian: Chair tells staff $5m saving would not go back to government but be diverted to emergency broadcasting services and public interest journalism.


AUSTRALIA: Tree change for ABC’s radio news presenters

The Sydney Morning Herald: The ABC’s flagship radio news and current affairs programs are set to be permanently presented from areas outside of Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra for the first time.


NEW ZEALAND: A closer look at a ‘good news’ survey

RNZ: When a prestigious publisher said New Zealand was the second-safest country in the whole Covid-stricken globe, it was no surprise that made headlines here – and it was touted as evidence that we’re on the right track. But did this story really belong in our bulletins?       


NEW ZEALAND: Election fake news weekly report to monitor New Zealand campaigning

RNZ: Fake news is already hitting New Zealand’s election campaign, with a weekly research group pointing to NZ Public Party and the New Conservatives as the main offenders so far.


NEW ZEALAND: The goodies and baddies of the 1pm covid presser (Listen)

RNZ: The daily reality TV show that is the 1pm Beehive news conference has turned the spotlight on the journalists covering it, with critics calling them hectoring and aggressive.

ALBANIA: Internet Governance Key to Media Freedom in Albania

Balkan Insight: Amid growing regulatory threats to online media in Albania and attempts by the media community to self-regulate, BIRN’s new report reveals the key role that internet governance plays in media freedom.


BELARUS: Eleven journalists detained in Belarus this weekend

EFJ: The wave of repression against journalists continues in Belarus. On the sidelines of the demonstrations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday against the disputed president Lukashenko, eleven journalists were abusively detained by the security forces. Nine of them are still in prison today.


BELARUS: Authorities block local news websites amid Belarus protests

CPJ: Authorities threatened last week to censor another major domestic news website in Belarus, where dozens remain blocked amid nationwide protests, local journalists told CPJ.  


ESTONIA: Interview: Media organization chief on European Commission ERR complaint

ERR News: The news that the Estonian Association of Media Enterprises (EML) is planning to take its complaint over public broadcaster ERR to European Commission level has raised many questions over the exact role and nature of any public broadcaster and how that fits in with the private sector.


FRANCE: France Televisions’ Ernotte names 33 year-old chief of staff as number two 

Digital TV Europe: France Télévisions director-general Delphine Ernotte has appointed her 33 year-old chief of staff Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez as director of programmes and channels – effectively the public broadcaster’s second in command.


FRANCE & IRAN: In an era of global protest, France and Israel stand out for use of dangerous ammunition (Feature)

CPJ: With the world gripped in a historic wave of unrest, journalists in no fewer than 65 countries – about a third of the world – have been attacked covering protests since 2015, according to a report I authored for a U.N. agency that was published today.


GERMANY: ARD / ZDF mass communication long-term study 2020 (German)

Hessischer Rundfunk: People in Germany use media for an average of more than seven hours a day. In the corona pandemic, the demand for trustworthy content has increased. The shift in usage from the linear to the network continues. These are the main results of the current ARD / ZDF mass communication long-term study 2020.


HUNGARY: Hungary’s Last Independent Radio Station at Risk | Reporting Democracy 

Balkan Insight: Hungary’s government is now tightening its grip on the radio media by refusing to extend the license of independent Klubradio and turning off DAB+ digital radio broadcasting.


ITALY: Italian journalist beaten over reporting on alleged judicial corruption (Statement)

IPI: Authorities in Italy must conduct a thorough investigation into the death threats and brutal beating of journalist Michele Santagata in Cosenza and ensure his physical safety is guaranteed, the International Press Institute (IPI) said today.


KOSOVO: Kosovo journalist Ermal Panduri receives death threats following criticism of president

CPJ: Kosovo authorities should conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the threats sent to journalist Ermal Panduri and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.


LATVIA: Latvian Saeima moves towards approval of a new Public Media Law

Baltic News Network: On Thursday, 10 September, Latvia’s Saeima supported in the second reaching a new legislative draft on Public Electronic Mass Media Management. The goal of this legislative draft is ensuring efficient and transparent management, independence and responsibility before society for public media.


MONTENEGRO: Montenegro Took Wrong Route in Tackling Pandemic Disinformation (Opinion)

Balkan Insight: Montenegro has failed to address the problem of fake news on the coronavirus in a fair way – labelling certain media outlets, conducting selective arrests and publishing of lists of infected citizens.


NETHERLANDS: More than 2,000 TV ideas have already been received by NPO and MAX (Press Release – Dutch)

NPO: The public pitch ‘Your idea on TV’ by NPO and Omroep MAX has already yielded more than 2,000 entries. This milestone was reached last Sunday. NPO and MAX have been calling on the public to submit ideas for TV programs since the end of August. “To open up the public broadcaster even more to the public and to give everyone a voice,” said NPO chairman Shula Rijxman. 


SERBIA: COVID-19 deepened Serbia’s local media crisis. Here’s what one nonprofit did to help.

Poynter: Cenzolovka, a Serbian site dedicated to media and free speech, used satire and small pots of money to strengthen local media during the pandemic.


SLOVENIA: Delo says govt’s plan is to weaken the public broadcaster (Paywall)

STA: The newspaper Delo says in Saturday’s front-page commentary that the government-sponsored reform of the law on RTV Slovenija is in fact a revolution, which has two goals, one of them being to weaken the function of the public broadcaster.


SLOVENIA: Debate hears conflicting views on quality of public broadcaster (Paywall)

STA: Opinions clashed about the quality and impartiality of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija as President Borut Pahor hosted a debate on Friday after the end of a public consultation about three media laws that have been the subject of heavy criticism at home and abroad.


UK: BBC Three audience has ‘collapsed’ since shift to digital

Digital TV Europe: The BBC’s decision to take BBC Three off the air and make it an iPlayer-exclusive channel reportedly cost it almost 90% of its viewership. 


UK: BBC star salaries 

BBC News: Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has agreed a £400,000 pay cut, the BBC has revealed as it publishes the latest list of its best-paid presenters.


UK: Netflix wants to boost BBC, not destroy it, bosses tell parliament

The Guardian: Executives refuse to tell DCMS committee hearing how broadcaster should be funded.


UK: Politicians say ‘avalanche of redundancies and paper closures’ in regional media next month if furlough scheme ends 

Press Gazette: Welsh politicians fear an “avalanche of redundancies and newspaper closures” in regional media unless the UK Government extends the furlough scheme for the industry past October.


UK: Radio reporters to be axed by BBC and told to reapply for new roles

The Observer: Critics fear end of an era because of plans to make audio journalists work across media platforms.


REGIONAL: CPJ reminds EU that ‘e-evidence’ rules should protect journalists

CPJ: CPJ today prompted the European Parliament to safeguard press freedom and human rights in a proposed regulation known as the ‘e-evidence’ proposal, co-signing a letter with European Digital Rights and other digital and media organizations. 


REGIONAL: EBU calls for ambitious EU rules on online platforms (Statement) 

EBU: As the EU prepares to make new rules on online platforms in its landmark Digital Services Act, the EBU has given detailed input to a public consultation on how those rules should be shaped.  In a submission to the European Commission’s consultation, we stress that the adoption of meaningful EU rules for global online platforms is absolutely essential. 

ARGENTINA: The Fernández obsession with journalists (Spanish – Opinion) 

La Nacion: In early July this year, Marcelo Longobardi shocked viewers of a news channel by stating that the arrest of a journalist in Argentina was imminent. The media machine-gunning against the investigative journalist had already been consummated. It is the term that President Alberto Fernández used days ago to summarize the way in which he believes the media treats him.


BRAZIL: AM Journalists Union announces total stoppage after company fires workers (Portuguese) 

FENAJ: The Union of Professional Journalists in the State of Amazonas (SJPAM) decided to completely freeze the activities carried out from this Thursday, 10.09.20 , due to yet another abusive and disrespectful conduct adopted by the management, which in addition to not paying salaries on time, dismissed six professionals, as a form of pressure to end the strike.


BRAZIL: Poor working conditions worsen journalists’ mental health inside newsrooms, study finds (Portuguese) 

FENAJ: Research on journalists’ perception of working conditions, coordinated by journalist Gabriela Oliva, witnesses in data and professional reports an old scenario in the press: how hostile working conditions, such as excessive working hours, fragile employment relationships and violence against journalism professionals, especially in print media, affect journalists’ quality of life and the mental health of these professionals.


COLOMBIA: Four journalists were detained by the National Police during the second day of demonstrations (Spanish) 

FLIP: FLIP expresses its concern about the attacks against journalists and the media that have covered the demonstrations in recent days in the country.  FLIP rejects the illegal detention of journalists Diego Andrés Patiño, a photojournalist with the Mi Ciudad University medium of the Agustiniana University; and Cristian Camilo Trujillo, Luis Enrique Rengifo and Kevin Charry from the digital medium La Otra Verdad. 


COLOMBIA: Grave violations of freedom of the press in a day of protests in Bogotá for the murder of citizen Javier Ordoñez (Spanish)

FLIP: On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, protesters took to the streets of Bogotá to protest the murder of lawyer Javier Ordoñez the night before in the middle of a procedure by the National Police. During the demonstrations that took place in front of more than 50 Immediate Action Commands (CAI) in the city, six journalists were attacked by members of the Police.


ECUADOR: Former employees of seized media reiterate that Public Media Company has not paid amounts owed (Spanish) 

El Universo: Through a statement, the ex-workers of the seized media reiterated that the Public Media Company EP has not canceled the settlements or made the payment to the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS) or Biess.


ECUADOR: Public Media EP could be managed, again, as a new company (Spanish) 

PRIMICIAS: In July 2020, the Public Companies Coordinating Company (EMCO) received confirmation from the Ministry of Finance on the transfer of USD 38.4 million for the payment of compensation to former employees of the eight public companies, which are in the process of settlement. 


EL SALVADOR: Digital attack against the president of APES (Spanish)

APES: The president of the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES), Angélica Cárcamo, is the victim of digital attacks by users of social networks and trolls, after quoting on her Twitter account statements by congressmen in a letter addressed to President Nayib Bukele, in which they express their concern about hostility towards the press in the country.


EL SALVADOR: President disqualifies informational work of international news agency (Spanish)

APES: President Nayib Bukele tried to delegitimize the information work of the international news agency Deutsche Welle, after publishing a note on the rejection of the Institute for Access to Public Information (IAIP) of the reforms to the Operating Regulations that were approved by the president. 


HAITI: ANMH condemns threats and intimidation attempts against Radio Télé Caraïbes (French) 

Le Nouvelliste: The National Association of Haitian Media strongly condemns the threats and intimidation attempts directed against Radio Télé Caraïbes. The Constitution and the laws of the Republic guarantee the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression which are two fundamentals which feed the ideological pluralism which results from it.


HONDURAS: Access to Information and active transparency: vulnerable groups in the COVID-19 pandemic  (Spanish) 

C-Libre: The Regional Alliance for Free Expression and Information today publishes its report  Access to information and active transparency: vulnerable groups in the COVID-19 pandemic,  with the aim of presenting a series of minimum content recommendations that governments should disseminate about and for these sectors in the framework of the health emergency, and thus reduce the risks they face.


MEXICO: Mexican reporter Julio Valdivia found beheaded in Veracruz state

CPJ: Mexican authorities must immediately undertake a thorough and credible investigation into the killing of journalist Julio Valdivia and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.


MEXICO: Canal Once, IMAL and SPR, the only public media that will have more budget in 2021

EL CEO: The public broadcasting system of the Mexican State (SPR), Channel Once and the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) and the Mexican Institute of Radio (IMER) are the only public media that would have an increase in budget next year. 


REGIONAL: The truth remains captive while surveillance spreads in Latin America

IFEX: August in the Americas: A free expression round up produced by IFEX’s Regional Editor Paula Martins, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.


GENERAL: Voces del Sur presents Shadow Report 2019 that details the attacks on the press in the region (Spanish) 

C-Libre: The Voces del Sur (VDS) network presented the SOMBRA 2019 REPORT on September 9, which compiles alerts related to violations of freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information that occurred in 10 countries of Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

IRAN: Iranian journalist Khosrow Sadeghi Borojeni begins 7-year jail term 

CPJ: Iranian authorities should release journalist Khosrow Sadeghi Borojeni immediately and cease arbitrarily jailing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.


IRAQ: Kurdistan-based media watchdog calls for protection of journalists facing threats 

Kurdistan 24: A press freedom advocacy group based in the Kurdistan Region on Saturday called on the regional and federal governments as well as international organizations to protect workers of the Dijlah media group who had to flee to the autonomous region after receiving death threats.


PALESTINE: Palestine: Majority of Palestinians exposed to fake news says new study

Via IFEX: According to new research from The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media (7amleh), at least 72% of Palestinians say they have been exposed to misleading news and identified Israeli authorities as a main source of misinformation.


QATAR & US: Push to register Al Jazeera as a foreign agent in the US threatens media freedom (Opinion)

Middle East Eye: Congressional Republicans are arguing that the network’s activities align with Qatar’s foreign policy priorities


SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia: Court ruling in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder case is a shocking denial of justice

IFJ: On 7 September, a Saudi court has issued a final verdict in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, commuting the convicts’ previous death sentences. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns a ruling that “fails international efforts to end impunity for crimes against journalists, ” and calls on Saudi Arabia government to take its responsibility in an obvious case of impunity.


SYRIA: They risked their lives to show the horrors of war. Where are Syria’s journalists now?

Middle East Monitor: Across Syria, journalists are targeted not only by the government and their allies and also by armed groups. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, between March 2011 and May 2019, 695 journalists were killed, some permanently handicapped, yet few of them receive help from their employers. 


TURKEY: Turkey convicts 5 journalists under national security law

CPJ: Turkish authorities must not contest recently convicted journalists’ appeals on national security cases, and cease jailing members of the press for covering sensitive topics, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

CANADA: CBC Unveils New Fall Programming For Kids And Tweens (Press Release)

CBC: In the midst of a unique back-to-school season, CBC unveils new fall programming for kids and tweens across all platforms, including CBC Kids, CBC Kids News and the free CBC Gem streaming service. The new programming further exemplifies CBC’s ongoing commitment to connecting with young audiences across the country by providing content that inspires, entertains and educates. 


CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada celebrates canadian storytellers at TIFF

CBC/Radio-Canada: TIFF 2020 selects include CBC original series TRICKSTER and titles from CBC Films, CBC Short Docs and documentary Channel from creators Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt, Tracey Deer, Tiffany Hsiung, Bruce LaBruce, Michelle Latimer, Charles Officer and Loretta Todd.


CANADA: The Supreme Court clarifies the contours of freedom of expression (French)

La Presse: Freedom of expression is one of the cornerstones of a healthy and pluralist democracy, but it does not allow reputations to be tarnished, the Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday, establishing criteria for determining whether a lawsuit in defamation is founded or if it aims only to muzzle citizen expression in matters of public interest.


CANADA: Web giants: reforms are coming, promises Minister Guilbeault (French)

ICI Radio-Canada: The Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault affirms that he does not want to go “to war against Facebook”, but that he still intends to dictate to the web giants obligations to produce Canadian content, to force them to support the media and to impose on them the collection of sales tax.


US: Federal Funding for Public Media Update (Campaign)

Protect my Public Media: Since May, our grassroots network has pressed legislators to provide federal funding for public media in the next COVID-19 relief package and the Fiscal Year 2021 spending bills, and this month, we could see movement on our requests.


US: How journalists at Voice of America are rebelling against Trump’s war on media

The Independent: Journalism is not a crime: Reporters and Congress clash with president’s appointee to lead congressionally funded news outlets, writes Alex Woodward.  


US: How NPR built the launch pad for its first podcasts (Paywall)

Current


US: KPCC Journalist Tackled, Arrested While Trying To Cover L.A. Protest

NPR: For hours on Saturday, KPCC reporter Josie Huang kept her followers informed with regular updates on Twitter as she covered the protests and unrest around Los Angeles.


US: NPR & Member Stations Turn ‘Consider This’ Into First Localized News Podcast

NPR: Today at the IAB Upfront, NPR and a group of 12 public radio stations across the country announced that they have launched the first localized daily news podcast, one that blends national stories and local reporting.


US: Public TV fights datacasting fees at FCC (Paywall)

Current: Should public TV stations that use a portion of their spectrum to provide noncommercial data services have to pay fees for that service?


US: Social media disinformation on US west coast blazes ‘spreading faster than fire’

The Guardian: Rumors find fertile ground in Oregon, a state already divided after months of protests – and are complicating emergency responses

COVID-19: both a challenge and an opportunity for democracy

EU News: On International Day of Democracy, the EU reaffirms its willingness to take a leadership role on democracy, working ever harder in supporting those who defend it, build it and hold decision makers accountable in these difficult times.


How the journalism industry’s elitism locks out folks from underrepresented backgrounds (Opinion)

Poynter: When a journalism executive suggested I could have gotten an internship if I wasn’t attending a community college, he perpetuated systemic barriers.


Journalism under fire: UNESCO raises alarm over surge of attacks on media workers covering protests (Report)

UN News: Clampdowns on the media have increased sharply in 2020, the UN cultural agency said on Monday, highlighting 21 protests around the world this year in which State security forces have violated journalists’ rights.


Journalists increasingly likely to be killed covering protests, UN warns

Press Gazette: Violence, arrests and harassment against journalists covering protests, mostly by police and other authority figures and sometimes by protesters, has increased over the past five years.


Multi-stakeholder Media Provenance Management To Counter Synthetic Media Risks In News Publishing (Research – Paywall)

IBC 365: Technical Papers: This paper looks at how to tackle the rise of manipulated content.


New world. GPT-3, this artificial intelligence that writes articles (almost) by itself (French)

France TV Info: Several media, including the British daily The Guardian, have entrusted an artificial intelligence company Open AI with the writing of editorials. The result is astonishing, but we must beware of any abusive interpretation.


RSF addresses Human Rights Council on pandemic-linked press freedom violations (Statement)

RSF: In a statement today to the United Nations Human Rights Council in the presence of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the many violations of media rights in connection with coverage of the coronavirus crisis in more than a third of UN member countries, and pointed out that these violations put everyone’s health in danger. RSF also called for the release of all journalists imprisoned during the pandemic whose lives are threatened by the virus, and urged governments to stop all intimidation of the media.


Sustainability: The Real Cost Of Development In Public Service Media (Research – Paywall)

IBC 365: Technical Papers: This paper looks at how Public Service Media can reduce their environmental impact.


When police patrol protests in military gear, journalists face a hostile reporting environment

CPJ: When St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson was covering protests against police violence in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, he said other reporters often asked him what it was like to get teargassed night after night. These days, he told CPJ, he rarely gets asked that question: “Now all of my journalist friends have been teargassed.”


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