BENIN: In Benin, Flore Nobimé intends to “continue her work, despite” the new “digital code” (Listen – French) 

RFI: In Benin, a country presented as an exemplary democracy, restrictions on individual freedoms are increasing. A new law called the ”  digital code” is being used to punish journalists with prison sentences.

CAMEROON: Bruno Bidjang, director of the media group L’Anecdote, released from prison (French) 

RFI: Bruno Bidjang, the media director of the L’Anecdote group, is free. The journalist left the main prison of Kondegui in Yaoundé this Friday, August 23 after six months of detention.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 2 DRC reporters threatened by province officials after airing critical reports

CPJ: “Local authorities in the DRC’s Lomami province should cease efforts to intimidate journalists Martin Kasongo and Michaël Tenende and allow them to freely report on issues of public interest,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program, in New York. 

EGYPT: Two journalists arrested, forcibly disappeared

IPI: Arabic Post journalist and satirical cartoonist face false news, terrorism charges

GAMBIA: Modou Joof, GPU Secretary General: “Trained journalists are better equipped to produce trustworthy information about migration”

IFJ: Migration is an issue in which the media play a significant role. Hence the importance of the decision taken by the Gambia Press Union (GPU), an affiliate of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), to take part in a ‘train the trainers’ workshop organised together with the IFJ to challenge stereotypes and hate speech and to ensure balanced coverage of migration.

GHANA: GBC reveals financial breakdown of six service providers for African Games coverage

Modern Ghana: The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has revealed a detailed breakdown of the six service providers it contracted for the coverage of the recently-held 13th African Games. 

GHANA: Sports Ministry insists it paid GBC $3.6million for 2024 African Games coverage

Modern Ghana: Ministry of Youth and Sports has reiterated it disbursed over $3 million to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its role as the official broadcaster of the 13th African Games, which took place in Accra earlier this year. 

GHANA: GBC denies benefiting $3m from All African Games coverage 

GBC: The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has refuted claims that it received $3 million from the Ministry of Youth and Sports as full payment for coverage of the 13th All African Games. 

MALI: Mali Govt. Suspends Broadcast Operation Of French News Channel LCI

Broadcast Media Africa: According to industry reports, Mali’s government has suspended the broadcast of the French news channel LCI for two months, citing alleged “false accusations” made against the army and its Russian allies. 

MALI, NIGER & BURKINA FASO: The Alliance of Sahel States wants to create its own digital media platform (French) 

RFI: From August 22 to 23, a workshop brought together communication experts from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to discuss the communication strategy between these three countries, members of the Alliance of Sahel States. A new digital platform including a web TV should be created and should begin broadcasting on September 16, 2024.

MOZAMBIQUE: Of Angoche Accused of Attacking Journalists 

AllAfrica: The National Forum of Community Radios (FORCOM) has condemned the mayor of the coastal town of Angoche, in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, for attacks upon journalists of the Parapato Community Radio during its coverage of the start of the general election campaign.

NIGERIA: UNICEF partners media to raise awareness on children’s challenges in Taraba, Adamawa, others

Vanguard: The Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has partnered with several media organizations in Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, and Plateau states to expose children to contemporary issues affecting them.

SENEGAL: The standoff between the private press and the authorities continues (French) 

RFI: Press bosses have reacted after several statements by the new authorities in a rather tense context between the press and the State.

SOUTH AFRICA: AfriForum says SABC must ensure a fixed time for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 (Press release) 

Polity.org: In a letter to the Chairman, Chief Executive and management of the SABC, AfriForum demands that the daily Afrikaans news bulletins should be moved back to SABC2 and then be broadcasted at the same time daily, without being replaced by sports or other events.

SOUTH AFRICA: Blank screens loom: SOS Coalition demands halt to SA’s impending analogue TV switch-off (Paywall)

News24 

SOUTH AFRICA: SABC moves Afrikaans TV news on weekends back to SABC2 without any explanation 6 months after shunting it to SABC3.

TVwithThinus: The Afrikaans TV news bulletin which had lost hundreds of thousands of viewers on weekdays when it was moved from SABC2 to SABC3, was back and broadcast on SABC2 at 18:15 on Saturday and Sunday, without any explanation to viewers.

SOUTH AFRICA: State-owned enterprises removed from Public Enterprises

SABC: Political analyst Dr Dale McKinley says under the Department of Public Enterprises, State-Owned Enterprises did not have a regulatory authority outside of the department that could hold them accountable for over-expenditure and mismanagement.

SUDAN: With Sudan’s media muzzled, famine ravages a nation in the dark

Dabanga Sudan: (…) The local and foreign media face a similar predicament, unable to adequately report on the humanitarian crisis affecting refugees and displaced people due to restrictions, communication disruptions, and internet outages. Journalists are not permitted to operate freely in covering these critical issues, often forced to work in secrecy, which is entirely incompatible with the nature of their work.

TUNISIA: IFJ and SNJT call for judgment against journalist Walid Al-Majri to be annulled

IFJ: Walid Al-Majri, the founder of the investigative media Al-Katiba, was convicted in absentia in January 2023 following a complaint by the Ministry of Interior in 2017. 

REGIONAL: Group launches journalists’ coalition, partners research consortium for development uptakes in Africa 

The Premium Times: In a bid to promote reporting from the perspectives of the disadvantaged, a non-governmental organisation- Pro-Poor Development Media Network (PDM-Network), on Thursday, launched its Development Journalists’ Coalition, a network of journalists covering development issues such as environment, health, education, gender and economy.

REGIONAL: VOA Launches Fulani Language Programming (Press release) 

VOA: Today Voice of America begins broadcasting to the Fulani-speaking audience in Africa. With an estimated population of more than 40 million across West and Central Africa, the Fula people are considered to be the world’s largest nomadic group.

AFGHANISTAN: New law grants Taliban morality police fresh powers to censor Afghan media   

CPJ: “The Law for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice grants the Taliban’s notorious morality police extensive powers to further restrict Afghanistan’s already decimated media community,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi.

AFGHANISTAN Taliban release journalist after five-day detention

IFJ: On August 18, the head of the Nedai Baloch News Agency Mohammad Asif Faizyar was released from Taliban detention after his arrest on August 13 in Herat, Afghanistan’s third largest city. In a Telegram post, the media outlet claimed it was forced to shut down due to Faizyar’s detention.

AZERBAIJAN: Four other people arrested in connection with the “Abzas Media case” were also charged (Azerbaijani) 

Abazas Media: On August 19, the director of “Abzas Media” publication Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, journalist Elnara Gasimova and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali were charged with 7 new serious charges.

BANGLADESH: 5 journalists killed, dozens injured covering Bangladesh protests

VOA: The U.N. Human Rights Commission and international watchdogs are calling on Bangladesh’s interim government to allow media to work without fear of attack, and to ensure accountability for attacks on journalists.

BANGLADESH: Outlet attacked as broadcaster suspended

IFJ: Approximately 70 unidentified assailants attacked the offices of the East West Media Group in Dhaka on August 19, while a director of private broadcaster Somoy TV issued a broadcast suspension petition against his own outlet. 

HONG KONG: Hong Kong denies work visa to Bloomberg reporter Haze Fan 

CPJ: The Hong Kong Immigration Department has denied a work visa to Bloomberg News reporter Haze Fan, a Chinese national who was previously detained for at least 13 months by national security officials in Beijing.

HONG KONG: Survey: Hong Kong laws contribute to decline in media freedom

VOA: Press freedom in Hong Kong is at its lowest level in at least 11 years, according to the latest survey of its members and the public by the Hong Kong Journalists Association.

INDIA: India’s broadcasting bill is an exercise in state control (Paywall) 

Financial Times: Government efforts to regulate broadcasters, including individual YouTubers, is part of a bigger plan to censor content

INDIA: MIB invites agencies to conduct FM Radio Phase-III e-auctions

Radio Info Asia: On behalf of the President of India, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has announced an invitation for proposals to select an agency for conducting the e-auction of private FM channels as part of FM Radio Phase-III.

JAPAN: Japan broadcaster apologises after disputed Senkaku Islands called ‘Chinese territory’ on air 

The Guardian: Unscripted remarks about the Japanese-administered islands were made during during a Chinese-language programme on the public broadcaster NHK.

JAPAN: Press freedom ranking drops while new law passed to remove defamatory online posts

Civicus Monitor: The state of civic space in Japan is rated ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. While the space for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly is relatively free, restrictions on press freedom, censorship, as well as discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community have been documented. The government has also imposed tougher penalties for criminal defamation.

MALAYSIA: Tech firms must comply with Malaysia’s laws, minister says, amid backlash over social media licensing plan

Reuters: Tech companies must comply with local laws to continue operating in Malaysia, a minister said on Tuesday, after an industry group urged the government to pause a plan to require social media platforms to apply for a regulatory licence.

MYANMAR: Myanmar soldiers shoot dead 2 journalists in raid on home

CPJ: “The killing of journalists Win Htut Oo and Htet Myat Thu is an atrocity against the free press and must not go unpunished,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.

NEPAL: Investigative journalist threatened

IFJ: Nepal Ground Zero investigative reporter Subhak Mahato was reportedly threatened on August 10, with the journalist receiving multiple calls from an unknown number warning him to stop his reporting on alleged corruption in the construction of some Nepali airports.

SOUTH KOREA: Court pauses FBC reshuffle (Korean) 

KBS: A court has suspended the new director of appointment of MBC, one of the Korean public broadcasting media, by the Korea Communications Commission. 

SOUTH KOREA: South Korean Youth Lead Shift in Media Consumption Habits, Survey Finds

Korea Bizwire: A recent survey has revealed that young adults in South Korea are at the forefront of changing media consumption habits, with 20-somethings spending an average of 70 minutes daily on online video streaming services (OTT). 

THAILAND: House urged to probe Prawit’s alleged assault on reporter

Thai PBS: Thai PBS and the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) submitted a joint petition to the House Speaker today, demanding an investigation into the conduct of General Prawit Wongsuwan, the leader and an MP of the Palang Pracharath party, over alleged intimidation of a Thai PBS reporter.

THAILAND: Thai PBS joins hands with 10 network organizations to launch the Happyland project: A Land of (Used) Happiness. (Press release – Thai) 

Thai PBS: Thai PBS joins hands with 10 network organizations to reclaim the smiles of Thai people, launching the Happyland project, a land of (formerly) happiness, creating a space for intellectual well-being, raising the level of positive mental health of Thai people, inviting Thai people to join in finding ways to build mental immunity together.

THAILAND: Thai PBS – Partners organize the event “Solving the Clean Energy Policy Trap, Creating Opportunities for the Country”, opening the Policy Forum area to promote sustainable green energy. (Press release – Thai)

Thai PBS: Thai PBS Podcast and The Active join hands with network partners to organize the event “Solving the Clean Energy Policy Trap, Creating Opportunities for the Country” presenting the results of the study “Unlocking Rooftop Solar to Lead Thailand to Sustainable Clean Energy Targets”, exchanging views through the Policy Forum, and launching the “Clean Podcast” program to clarify doubts and knowledge about clean energy.

VIETNAM: Vietnam cracks down on social media users who criticize the state

Radio Free Asia: Authorities in Vietnam are pressing on with a crackdown on social media users who are seen as critical of the government, using two articles of the Criminal Code that rights groups say are too vague, to punish those “opposing” the state and the ruling Communist Party.

AUSTRALIA: ABC signs MOU with Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) (Press release) 

ABC: A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Indonesia’s public radio broadcaster Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI). 

AUSTRALIA: Low Media Literacy: A Risk to Australia’s Cybersecurity Landscape

TechRepublic: A recent study by Western Sydney University, Adult Media Literacy in 2024, revealed worryingly low levels of media literacy among Australians, particularly given the deepfake capabilities posted by newer AI technologies.

AUSTRALIA: SBS and IMAA partnership unlocks new training for Australia’s independent media agencies (Press release)

SBS: Landmark partnership sees training on core inclusion skills, gender equity, cultural diversity, disability, First Nations, LGBTIQ+, generational diversity and appropriate workplace behaviour made available to all members of the IMAA Academy.

AUSTRALIA: Senior journalists leave Sydney Morning Herald, Age and AFR in huge talent exodus

The Guardian: Up to 85 journalists, most of them senior, have taken a voluntary redundancy from mastheads including the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Australian Financial Review in the second exodus of editorial talent since the company formerly known as Fairfax Media shed more than 150 journalists in 2012. More than 100 staff left in another huge clearout in 2017.

AUSTRALIA: Yes — taxpayers should bail out journalism. It’s the least bad option we’ve got left (Opinion)

Crikey: ‘If making The Great Gatsby is in the interest of the Australian taxpayer, then so is covering the news.’

FIJI: Journalists use talanoa, tradition to find their voice

PMN: As climate change, exploited fisheries, declining human rights, decolonisation, and geopolitics challenge the Pacific, approaches to news media and journalism education in the region are also under scrutiny.

NEW ZEALAND: Ten revelations as local media strikes back in Where Are the Audiences 2024

The Spinoff: After years of consistent decline, NZ On Air’s crucial survey shows big tech sliding, and local media stabilising.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ‘Shameful’: Ban on journalist during PNG visit by Indonesia’s Prabowo condemned

Benar News: Indonesian embassy officials’ actions “an attack on Papua New Guinea’s independent media sector,” says media council.

REGIONAL: Pacific panellists call for use of Indigenous Languages in the media

Post Courier: A panel of leading Pacific media experts recently highlighted the critical role of indigenous languages in shaping regional identities and encouraging community engagement. 

BELARUS: Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Luksha released following presidential pardon

CPJ: Luksha, a freelance journalist with the Kazakh state-funded television station Khabar 24 and a former reporter with Belarusian state broadcaster Belteleradio, was detained in March 2022 and convicted that December of “discrediting Belarus” and “organizing or participating in gross violations of public order,” according to media reports and Viasna, a banned Belarusian human rights group.

BELGIUM: Live sports experience for everyone (Press release – Dutch)

VRT: Technology opens the doors to an inclusive VRT experience for every Flemish person.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Television is preparing an extensive news service for the upcoming elections, offering regional discussions and the final Super Debate (Press release – Czech) 

Czech TV: Before the upcoming elections to regional councils and the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Czech Television will offer no less than thirteen regional debates. 

FINLAND: Get to know northern journalism and its authors – Lapland News Media Day is celebrated in Lord’s Square in Rovaniemi (Finnish) 

YLE: Journalists talk about their work and present their tools in the joint effort of Lapland’s news media. Yle Radio Suomen Lapland’s afternoon radio broadcast is broadcast from Lordi aukio.

FINLAND: Yle is renewing its organization – changes to the management team (Finnish) 

YLE: The changes prepare to better meet the needs of the future. The goal is to increase operational efficiency and flexibility. The changes will take effect gradually during the fall.

ITALY: Generation gap, military rhetoric and polarisation: what needs to change in Italian sports journalism 

The Fix: We need to build a new and more respectful way of writing about sport in Italy, and many journalists are already doing that

ITALY: Neofascist attack on journalist Andrea Joly must be punished

EFJ: On 22 August 2024, Italian state police arrested four suspects from the neofascist group CasaPound for the violent physical attack on the Italian journalist Andrea Joly in Turin in July.

GERMANY: Deutsche Welle is appealing journalist Bülent Mumay’s conviction in Turkey’s top court. Convicted for spreading “personal data,” Mumay insists it was legitimate journalism. DW’s director called the case “baseless.” (Press release) 

Deutsche Welle: DW plans to appeal the 2023 conviction of reporter Bülent Mumay for publishing supposedly secret information belonging to an Istanbul construction company owner at Turkey’s highest court, after a lower court upheld his 20-month suspended jail sentence last week. 

MONTENEGRO: EFJ demands rape threats against female journalists to be punished

EFJ: The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Montenegrin affiliate, the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), in urgently calling on the relevant authorities to protect female journalists from misogynistic and sexist threats by ensuring that investigations are treated with the seriousness they deserve, including establishing the gender-based motive and the link to journalistic work. 

NORTH MACEDONIA: Free, But Not Fully Free (Interview) 

Transitions: “There’s always a sense of being monitored, especially when working on sensitive topics,” says a prominent journalist in North Macedonia.

POLAND: In Poland, public broadcasting is back to being news-focused (Paywall) 

Le Monde: After its politicization by the national-conservative PiS party when it held power from 2015 to 2023, Poland’s public broadcasting system has lost its propagandist habits under the new pro-European government. Yet it still has a long way to go before it is fully independent from the government.

PORTUGAL: RTP signs contract for expansion of Photovoltaic Park at Headquarters in Lisbon (Press Release – Portuguese) 

RTP: The public radio and television service remains committed to energy transition, efficiency and environmental sustainability. This path has now been reinforced by an agreement between RTP and TLCI Energia for the expansion of the Photovoltaic Park at the company’s headquarters.

ROMANIA: TAZ and IPI release case study on disinformation and harassment against journalist Adina Marincea

IPI: Adina Marincea, a Romanian journalist known for her investigative reporting on far-right extremism and LGBTQIA+ rights, has faced relentless disinformation campaigns and online intimidation aimed at discrediting her work and silencing her voice.

RUSSIA: Authorities prosecute five foreign journalists covering the war in the Kursk region

IFJ: Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB) have opened criminal cases against British reporter Nick Paton Walsh; Ukrainian correspondents Olesya Nikolaevna Borovik and Diana Vladimirovna Butsko; and Italian journalists Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini for illegally crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sudzha, the Kursk region in western Russia.

RUSSIA: Russia’s parliament wants to ban Deutsche Welle

DW: Russian lawmakers are pushing to label Deutsche Welle as “undesirable,” a move that would ban the broadcaster’s operations and content across the country, marking a significant blow to press freedom.

SPAIN: Media freedom coalition calls for an end to repressive “Gag Law” 

EFJ: The undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) organizations call on the Spanish government to fully repeal the so-called “Gag Law” as part of its announced “democratic regeneration” efforts. While we welcome the initial proposed changes to the law, these fall short of the full repeal necessary to protect free expression in Spain.

SPAIN: RTVE is stuck in reducing the gender pay gap (Spanish)

El Confidencial Digital: A campaign as strategic for the Government as eliminating the gender pay gap has not yet taken off at RTVE. According to data obtained by Confidencial Digital, the difference in pay between men and women on public television has gone from 6.2% in 2019 to 6.3% in 2023 , when the president was Elena Sánchez.

SWITZERLAND: Education with Play Suisse (Press release – German) 

SRGSSR: Play Suisse goes to school: The content of the SRG streaming platform can be shown in classrooms and lecture halls. In keeping with this and just in time for the start of school, Play Suisse is offering a new collection of films and series on the topic of school in addition to its section on “Education”.

UK: Channel 4, Snapchat AR experiences for Paralympics

Advanced Television: Channel 4 and Snapchat will launch a new augmented reality (AR) feature on Channel 4’s Snapchat profile for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Fans will be able to put themselves into the heart of the action in Paris by trying out multiple Paralympics events through AR – including archery and athletics – using Snapchat.

UK: Neglect of working class has decimated TV industry, says Carol Vorderman

The Guardian: Broadcaster blames television snobbery for shift to social media and says it is partly responsible for UK riots.

UK: Reporters Without Borders launches online training course for exiled journalists

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a new online training course for exiled journalists, in partnership with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

UKRAINE: Reuters safety adviser killed in strike on hotel in Ukraine

VOA: A member of the Reuters news agency team was killed and two others were injured in a strike on a hotel in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.

IRAQ: 2 journalists die in Turkish airstrike in northern Iraq, officials say

VOA:  Two female journalists were killed in a Turkish airstrike that hit their car in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, local officials and media said Friday.

IRAN: Cyber police undermine Iranian president’s internet freedom promises

Iran International: Contradicting President Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign pledges to end internet censorship in Iran, the head of the Cyber Police on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining strict control.

ISRAEL & EU: 60 organizations urge EU action against Israel’s attacks on press freedom

IPI: A letter to EU leaders calls for suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement

ISRAEL & GAZA: Attacks, arrests, threats, censorship: The high risks of reporting the Israel-Gaza war

CPJ: In addition to documenting the growing tally of journalists killed and injured, CPJ’s research has found multiple kinds of incidents of journalists being targeted while carrying out their work in Israel and the two Palestinian territories, Gaza and the West Bank.

TURKEY: End Harassment of Journalists, Turkey Urged After Reporter’s Jailing Upheld

Balkan Insight: A joint letter from rights groups says the long jail sentence imposed on journalist Bulent Murray, now confirmed by a court, exemplifies the Erdogan government’s “escalating pressure on press freedom in Turkey”.

TURKEY: Turkey Blocks Kurdish Politicians, Journalists’ X Accounts for ‘Terrorist Propaganda’ 

Balkan Insight: A Turkish court blocked access to 82 accounts operated by Kurdish politicians, journalists, publishers and media houses on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on the grounds of “protecting national security”.

CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada announces complete schedule and broadcast details for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games (Press release) 

CBC/Radio-Canada: CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s Paralympic Network, today announced details of its coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. CBC/Radio-Canada will broadcast more than 140 original hours of coverage, with an additional 2000 hours of live streaming coverage available across its multiple platforms.

CANADA & GERMANY: Three digital media projects to receive over $534K through Canada-Germany Digital Media Incentive 

Canada Media Fund: The Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB) today announced a joint investment of $534,250 (approximately €353,188) in three interactive digital media (IDM) projects through our Canada-Germany Digital Media Incentive.  

CANADA: Why CBC News follows the U.S. presidential election (Editor’s blog) 

CBC: There will be no shortage of news from the U.S. election campaign and CBC News will be there to report it

CANADA: Would you listen to an AI radio announcer? Some in the region have been for months 

CBC: Humans will always be an integral part of the operation, especially on the air, station owner says

US: 3 journalists arrested covering DNC protests, prompting press freedom concerns

VOA: At least three journalists were arrested in Chicago this week while covering protests during the Democratic National Convention.

US: As campus protests return, schools must do better on press rights

Freedom of the Press Foundation: As students make their way back to campus for the 2024-25 academic year, Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) authored letters to universities around the country, outlining the constitutional framework that protects the press and providing guidelines for university leaders and law enforcement to follow to allow journalists to cover protests freely and safely.

US: Chicago police ignore warnings about press freedom at DNC protests

Freedom of the Press Foundation: The First Amendment prohibits police from dispersing law-abiding journalists covering protests, even in circumstances where lawbreaking protesters can be dispersed. Everyone from the Department of Justice to federal appellate courts agrees on that.

US: Convention and Cringe 

CJR: Kid reporters, now first-time presidential voters, on the coverage of Election 2024

US: CPB Awards Up to $1.8 Million to Four Public Media Stations to Improve Emergency Alerting (Press release) 

CPB: Public media stations in four states — California, New York, Oregon and Texas — will receive a total of up to $1.8 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting.

US: Fact-checking, unburdened by what has been

CJR: This was an appropriate, if silly, end to a week in which facts and the checking of them played an outsize role in the discourse, at least among Very Online media critics—as speakers processed across the DNC stage, journalists at various outlets rated the veracity of what they said, and, often, critics charged that they were the ones who had gotten it wrong.

US: Google agrees to first-in-the-nation deal to fund California newsrooms, but journalists are calling it a disaster 

CNN Business: Google struck a first-in-the-nation deal with California lawmakers on Wednesday to fund newsrooms in the state and end proposed legislation that would have forced technology giants to pay for the right to distribute news content. But the agreement was immediately met with fierce criticism from journalist unions, who called the deal “disastrous.”

US: How Kartemquin Films and public broadcasting built a legacy of democratic storytelling

Current: In almost six decades of making award-winning documentary films such as Hoop Dreams (1994) and Minding the Gap (2018), Kartemquin Films has been a leader in production. What I didn’t understand until I undertook to tell its history was how essential a partner public broadcasting has been in that journey.

US: New series from Vision Maker, ‘Nova’ showcases Native American filmmakers and climate change (Paywall) 

Current: Six short films from Native American filmmakers focused on climate change make up the series from GBH’s “Nova” and Vision Maker Media.

US: Public media: facing challenges, building our future (Paywall) 

Current: “My view is that public media has a solid pathway forward. I want to share the reasons for my optimism.”

US: Star Spangled Media petitioned lawmakers for press status. A leaky ad portal suggests ties to dark-money group. 

CJR: A quasi-local news site whose operators sought a news media exception to dodge campaign finance regulators has emerged as a vehicle to promote down-ballot Democratic candidates in districts targeted by a liberal dark-money group.

US: The Star Tribune isn’t the only local newspaper that’s growing

Poynter: From Louisiana to South Carolina and Georgia to Vermont, news outlets are bucking the trend and opening bureaus across their states

US: Why Project 2025 is a threat to a free media 

Index on Censorship: Reframing the US government’s relationship with the media and placing free speech and democracy in the firing line is at the heart of Project 2025, the 922-page policy plan supported by over 400 conservatives and led by the Heritage Foundation thinktank.

Arresting Telegram’s Pavel Durov could be a smart move. Tech bosses care more about themselves than you (Opinion) 

The Guardian: The shock arrest of Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov as he stepped off his private jet in the Bourget airport near Paris over the weekend is a startling, unprecedented event: he faces alleged offences that could include enabling fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, promotion of terrorism and cyberbullying.

Ear Hustle’s new audio space is just the first step in a bigger plan

Nieman Labs: The studio, at the California Institution for Women, will bring more incarcerated women’s voices to the podcast — and kickstart an ambitious training program.

Google’s AI Search Gives Sites Dire Choice: Share Data or Die

Bloomberg: Publishers say blocking the company’s AI bot could also prevent their sites from showing up in search.

Most AI avatars look female, young and attractive. Are they a passing trend or here to stay?

Reuters Institute: Two technologists explain how and why they created these figures. Critics fear this can reinforce negative stereotypes about women.

New report offers strategies for fact-checkers to combat online harassment (Report) 

IPI: The report, developed as part of the ‘Decoding the Disinformation Playbook’ project led by IPI, focuses on strategies to mitigate the risks associated with online harassment.

Nicaragua, China, India among 55 countries that restrict freedom of movement (Report) 

VOA: At least 55 governments in the past decade have restricted the freedom of movement for people they deem as threats, including journalists, according to a Freedom House report published Thursday.

Press Freedom and freedom of expression 2024: Ghana’s Gains and Gaps (Report) 

DW Akademie: Ghana’s constitution guarantees freedom of the press and of expression but both are challenged. DW Akademie asked experts to assess the situation and to make recommendations for improvements.

 Tactical ad breaks and lies: rightwing coverage of DNC is exactly as expected (Analysis) 

The Guardian: As the Democratic party enjoys the afterglow of an exuberant national convention, the rightwing media has settled on consistent counter-programming: complaining about “joy”, hyping up pro-Palestinian protests and expressing a newfound concern for the treatment of Joe Biden.

Telegram Becomes Free Speech Flashpoint After Founder’s Arrest (Paywall)

The New York Times: Pavel Durov, the founder of the app, which has more than 900 million users, was taken into custody by the French authorities.

WAN-IFRA’s Newsroom AI Catalyst kicks off in Europe in September 2024

WAN-IFRA: WAN-IFRA announced the 16 publishers participating in the first edition of the Newsroom AI Catalyst programme. The first catalyst kicks off in Europe and initiates a global programme of eight catalysts in four regions. This intensive program combines expert guidance with hands-on experience, equipping newsroom stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to drive strategic AI initiatives.

Why don’t women use artificial intelligence?

The Economist: Even when in the same jobs, men are much more likely to turn to the tech.