10 December 2019
BBC Persian makes urgent appeal to UN as harassment spikes during Iran protests
The harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families in Iran has been stepped up during protests in the country, the UN has heard.
In an urgent complaint, UN Special Rapporteurs heard anonymised testimony from a number of the affected journalists which makes clear the gravity of the current situation which they now face. Elderly relatives have been subjected to solitary confinement, degrading prison conditions and interrogation, and express threats have been made to journalists’ safety in the UK and elsewhere.
In addition, over the past number of weeks Iran is known to have taken extra-territorial action against a number of individuals considered to be critical of the regime. The Iranian authorities claim that foreign broadcasters are encouraging dissent within Iran – in essence blaming the protests on the media.
BBC Persian journalists are extremely concerned for their own safety and wellbeing, and for that of their family members in Iran.
BBC World Service Director Jamie Angus says: “Following the civil unrest, we have seen some deeply disturbing developments regarding the state-backed harassment of BBC Persian staff in London and their families in Iran.
“Over the last few weeks, family members of BBC staff have been called in for questioning, had their passports confiscated and told that they must ask their relatives to stop working for the BBC or face the consequences. At the same time, the Iranian media has cited BBC Persian television as allegedly encouraging unrest and violence in Iran.
“While BBC Persian staff have borne the brunt of this harassment over many years, the Iranian authorities are widening their offensive against journalists from other media outlets reporting on the protests and have imposed an internet shutdown. There can be no doubt that these actions constitute a clear breach of the universal human right of free expression. We call on all those who believe this fundamental right should be powerfully defended to support BBC Persian and all journalists who report on Iran.”
This is the first time BBC Persian journalists have filed a communication with the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Jennifer Robinson, international counsel for the BBC World Service at Doughty Street, say: “BBC Persian journalists are facing harassment and persecution because of their essential work reporting on events inside Iran. This decade-long harassment campaign against BBC Persian staff has included a national security criminal investigation, asset freeze and ongoing targeting of their family in Iran.
“This recent escalation has coincided with a brutal crackdown upon dissent within Iran, and has included express threats being made by state officials to their families about the safety of BBC Persian journalists outside Iran. This places the journalists and their families at grave risk, but it also hampers the ability of international organisations and other States to hold Iran to account for its response to protests within Iran.
“The UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Agnes Callamard, has repeatedly raised concern about impunity for the persecution of journalists and the need to take early action to protect against and prevent violence against journalists. We call on the UN to condemn Iran’s attempts to intimidate and terrify BBC Persian journalists into silence, at a time when their work is needed more than ever.”
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, says: “This campaign of harassment has to stop. This cruel and inhumane tormenting of families has to cease. The Iranian government must recognise that this harassment of individuals and their families are clearly understood by the international community for what they are: an attack on journalism and on press freedom, one that the NUJ and everyone who cares about media freedom will not allow to be successful.”
The three mandate holders hearing the complaint – the Special Rapporteurs on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Human Rights in Iran, and Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Execution – had already acknowledged the deteriorating situation in Iran in a UN statement issued on 22 November 2019.
There are many disturbing and credible reports of killings of protestors on a large scale. Grave concerns have been expressed that the authorities may be using excessive force against those participating in the protests. In addition, the authorities have introduced measures to curtail the public’s access to news and social media, with a nationwide internet shutdown.
Image: Adobe Stock
6 December 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Advances in technology to manipulate information and to spread disinformation have created a very real threat for media outlets and users alike. Fact-checking digital content on the internet and social media has become a top priority together with promoting media literacy. The DG7 members are entering into a long-term commitment for developing an effective response to the threat of AI-generated false information.
The members of DG7 are committed to collaborating on tools for validation and verification of digital content ranging from written articles to video. These are “Project Origin”, which was initiated by CBC/Radio-Canada, New York Times and the BBC as well as DW’s “TrulyMedia”. The cooperation to further develop these tools will lead to content on third-party platforms being published with proof of provenance, enabling users to distinguish objective news from disinformation. In this context, the DG7 are calling on social media companies to combat disinformation and protect digital platforms as a space for free expression.
The DG7 also discussed effective measures to counter the increasing pressure on the freedom of the press around the world, which ranges from censorship to the intimidation and the threatening of journalists.
The DG7 members stressed the profound importance of objectively distinguishing between public service media organizations, which are operating with editorial independence and state-controlled media entities.
With over a billion total weekly users, the DG7 broadcasters have a significant journalistic impact worldwide. Audiences and users, particularly in the world’s most repressive countries, rely on consistently trustworthy, fact-based reporting to circumvent censorship, disinformation, hate speech, and propaganda.
The DG7 calls on governments around the world to respect press freedom, to ensure the safety of journalists and their families, and to reject any legislative action which could lead to a system of law that criminalizes independent media.
The DG7 comprises publicly funded international public service media organizations from seven democratic nations: ABC Australia, CBC/Radio-Canada, France Medias Monde, Deutsche Welle, NHK World-JAPAN, BBC World Service and U.S. Agency for Global Media, represented by their respective directors general or chief executive officers and heads.
3 December 2019
Five programmes from BBC News Persian are adding to the schedule of one of Afghanistan’s leading national TV channels, Ariana News. Thanks to this rebroadcasting collaboration, BBC News Persian will now bring Ariana News viewers the flagship news and analysis programme Shast Daghigeh (60 Minutes), Saturday to Wednesday, and the weekly programmes: the current-affairs programme Safheh Do (Page 2 weekend), the interview programme Be-ebarat-eh Digar (HARDtalk), the debate programme Pargar (Compass), and the guide to digital technology, Click.
BBC News Persian has a global weekly audience of 21m on TV, radio and digital. It currently reaches around 8.5m people in Afghanistan every week.
The BBC reaches 12.1m people in Afghanistan every week – 59% of the adult population – with content from BBC News Afghan in Pashto and Dari, BBC News Persian, BBC News Uzbek and the BBC’s English-language news content on radio, TV and digital.
BBC World Service Director of Business Development, Simon Kendall, says: “We are delighted that through this new partnership with Ariana News a suite of BBC News Persian programmes will be available to audiences in Afghanistan. We are excited to be increasing BBC presence on TV in the region and we hope that audiences will enjoy our programmes alongside our digital and audio offer. We look forward to working with Ariana as we establish this important new agreement.”
Ariana News is part of Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN). ATN’s Managing Director, Ali Kasemi, adds: “ATN was founded in 2005 with a mission to provide our viewers with a ‘Window to the World’ so that all Afghans could watch, share, and enjoy the best global news, entertainment, sports and information from around the world. We are very proud to be adding BBC News Persian’s award-winning programming to our content package, and we see this partnership as an exciting continuation of our commitment to bring the world to Afghan viewers and families around the nation.”
Shast Daghigeh will air at 23.00 Kabul Time Saturday to Wednesday; Pargar – 12.00 on Sundays; Be-ebarat-eh Digar – 20.30 on Tuesdays; Safheh Do – 23.00 on Thursdays; Click – 21.30 on Fridays.
BBC News Persian TV is broadcast via satellite (Hotbird, YahSat and Telstar 12) and is streamed live online (and available on demand) on bbc.com/persian and YouTube. BBC News Persian also reaches its audience via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Telegram. BBC News Persian radio broadcasts are visualized, enabling audiences to also watch radio programmes on TV and digital platforms.
27 November 2019
Iranian government’s action mirrors attack on BBC Persian
The Association for International Broadcasting today condemned the freezing of assets of journalists working for London-based Iran International by the Iranian authorities.
The move, reported by the Fars news agency in Tehran, imposes legal restrictions on journalists working at Iran International, the Persian-language TV network that broadcasts news, current affairs and feature programmes from its headquarters in west London. The asset freeze come in the wake of the Iranian government’s failure to stop reporting by Iran International of the crack down on protestors in the country following the threefold rise in petrol prices.
The asset freeze and legal restrictions mirror the actions taken by the Iranian authorities against BBC Persian journalists and staff based in the United Kingdom two years ago. The scale and severity of the Iranian authorities’ actions led the BBC to file a complaint at the United Nations, the first time the Corporation had taken such a step.
In addition to the asset freeze, Iran International’s satellite television signal has been jammed as the authorities in Tehran attempt to prevent viewers in Iran watch the channel.
“We are appalled by this latest attempt by Iran’s government to silence journalists who are reporting news from and about Iran,” said Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive of the Association for International Broadcasting. “The Iranian government is once again trying to use a jurisprudence dragnet to intimidate journalists and their families. At the same time, it is seeking to restrict access to news and information by its own citizens. The Association for International Broadcasting and its Members – who collectively serve audiences of over one billion people every week – call on the Iranian government to immediately cease from this act of harassment and intimidation and to lift the asset freezes immediately. The jamming of the channel’s signal must also end.”
In March 2019, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran deplored the harassment of BBC Persian staff and reiterated the seriousness of the persecution of BBC staff, which included the publication of fake and defamatory news to undermine the reputation of BBC Persian journalists.
The Iranian authorities ban both Iran International and BBC Persian in the country. Despite the restrictions, both broadcasters reach significant numbers of people in the country, counted in the millions.
The AIB is supporting its Members around the world through its Media Freedom Initiative that seeks to increase the cost of infringements of media freedom to governments and other actors.
25 November 2019
These are some of the programme highlights of NHK WORLD TV for the month of December:
Baja’s Studio [December 27] Dreams are the stock-in-trade of KOHATA Anime Studio. The people of this fictional facility take care of Baja, a creature that looks something like a hamster. One evening, when Baja peeks outside, he sees a cat attacking his friend, a duck. Baja embarks on a mysterious nighttime mission, hoping to rescue his companion. Directed by Ichiro Miyoshi , Animation: Kyoto Animation
ABU TV Song Festival in Tokyo [Part 1: December 29; Part 2: December 30] Top musicians from 11 countries and regions presented a multi-cultural extravaganza at the 8th “ABU TV Song Festival” of Asia and the Pacific. Shingo Murakami, the MC of “SONGS OF TOKYO,” hosts the performance. Hey! Say! JUMP and Joe Hisaishi, both from Japan, join artists from other places, including A. R. Rahman, Na Ying and TWICE. Tune in for a tuneful tour of this part of the world.
Home Sweet Tokyo, Season 3 [Saturdays in December] Still just a few months into their move to Tokyo, life is hectic as ever for Bryan and the Matsuyama-Jenkins family! “Home Sweet Tokyo Season 3” takes the family from bizarre Japanese business meetings and British tea parties, to peaceful rural rice fields and summer festivals, as Bryan & Itsuki, together with their daughter Alice and her traditional grandfather Tsuneo, work together to adjust to their new life in Tokyo.
Somewhere Street [Sundays] A unique walking-eye view of cities around the globe! Chat to the locals and enjoy encounters that only strolling the streets can bring.
[Source: NHK WORLD TV press release]
22 November 2019
MBC Group’s Video On Demand (VOD) platform, SHAHID has announced the launch of its first-ever original production. Titled ‘ElDiva’, the drama series stars the superstar Cyrine Abdel Nour in the lead role, alongside actor Yacob Alfarhan, and the Egyptian folk singer and actress, Bosy. The production is expected to launch on SHAHID on 27 November.
The title was launched in a press preview evening attended by the stars of the show. During the preview, Abdel Nour expressed her joy at being involved in the project, touching upon how it is a “natural progression” for her journey with MBC, following on from her critically-acclaimed drama, ‘Ruby’ that was first aired in 2012, up to last Ramadan’s ‘Al Hayba: Al Hasad’, released in May of this year.
‘ElDiva’ marks a shift in traditional drama productions, inspired by real events and fiction; complemented by the experiences of MBC’s producers involved in producing various talent-spotting TV shows.
Alex Meouchy, MBC’s Senior Regional Manager of Content commented: “We have produced a large number of Arabic adaptations of global, top-rated talent-spotting TV shows. During work on these productions, the entire team encounter numerous situations that would be absolutely fascinating to watch as a fictional drama.” Meouchy concluded: “Viewers always want to know what happens when the cameras are turned off, and so this is how the idea of ‘ElDiva’ came about. Subsequently, SHAHID decided to introduce ’ElDiva’ as its first SHAHID ORIGINAL.”
Johannes Larcher, Managing Director, SHAHID said: “MBC was the first major media company in the region to launch a VOD platform. Year after year, it continues to cement its status as a leader in this vital sector. The launch of SHAHID’s first short-form original is in-line with the Group’s extensive five-year growth and expansion plan. Multinational drama productions are more popular than ever – and the best quality they have ever been – thanks to the introduction and growth of global digital platforms and VOD. Nearly all the international giants of entertainment have turned or are turning their attention to this type of ‘digital first’ content.Today, we launch our first title of short-form SHAHID ORIGINALS – and this is just the beginning. We promise viewers more premium content and quality productions with diverse storytelling in the coming period.”
Directed by Randa Alam, ‘ElDiva’ is a multinational production, with Lebanese and Egyptian scriptwriters involved in the creation of the story: Sarah Faraj, Hind Radwan, Sama Abdel Khalek, Engi Al-Qasim and Jad Khoury. Joining Cyrine Abdel Nour, Yacob Alfarhan and Bosy in the cast are Mahira Abdel Aziz, Wissam Fares, Dory Samarani, Stephanie Attalah, and Nibal Arakji.
Sponsors of ‘ElDiva’ include GMC (General Motors Overseas Distribution LLC); Mars (Mars GCC FZE); Samsung (Samsung Gulf Electronics), and Unilever (Unilever General Trading LLC & BINZAGR UNILEVER LTD).
[Source: MBC press release]
