AIB members gain instant access to 10,000+ freelance journalists

20 June 2025

AIB members gain instant access to 10,000+ freelance journalists

Over the past few months, the AIB Secretariat has been working with Paydesk, a global network of more than 10,000 freelancers – from audio and video reporters to producers and fixers – and comprehensive workflow management software platform. Paydesk simplifies the process of finding, booking, hiring, paying and insuring freelances. Paydesk is used by major news organisations such as Euronews, RTE, CBS, The Sunday Times and The Sun to contract freelancers in territories around the world to deliver quality news reporting and related services.

Paydesk is a one-stop shop to hire freelancers in areas where news organisations may not have their own reporters, or where it is too costly to deploy crews at short notice.

Importantly, Paydesk provides insurance cover for the freelancers when carrying out jobs contracted through the platform, helping to provide a level of security for the freelancer and their family if something untoward occurs during the assignment.

AIB members are now able to take advantage of a Paydesk account “seat” for their newsroom and gain immediate access to the international freelance pool that is on Paydesk’s books. There is no charge for this seat to AIB member companies.

“This is an important new benefit for our members,” says AIB Chief Executive Simon Spanswick. “As budgets shrink but demand for news coverage increases, AIB members gain a real advantage through access to a global network of freelancers, while back office administration for bookings is greatly simplified.”

To discuss how your company can benefit from this new initiative, and from all the other services that the AIB provides, contact the Secretariat.

RFE/RL Journalist Farid Mehralizada Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison in Azerbaijan

20 June 2025

RFE/RL Journalist Farid Mehralizada Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison in Azerbaijan

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) called the case against Farid a “sham.”

An Azerbaijani court convicted and sentenced Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist and economist Farid Mehralizada to nine years in prison on spurious charges on 20 June 2025.

In a speech before the court, Farid defended his innocence and the importance of a free press in Azerbaijan:

“Independent media is one of the greatest means of service to the state, the nation, and humanity. Unfortunately, journalism in our country today is almost equated with terrorism.”

Farid has been detained since May 30, 2024, when he was violently abducted in Baku by unidentified men and taken to a police station. He was initially charged with “conspiring to smuggle foreign currency” in connection with a case authorities brought against the independent media outlet Abzas Media, for which Farid never worked. On August 19, 2024, authorities invented new charges against him.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said: “Farid has already lost a great deal. Unjustifiably detained for more than a year, he missed the birth of his child, and now waits for elusive justice. Denying this man his fundamental rights is unnecessarily cruel. Instead of perpetuating this sham, it’s time to reunite Farid with his family.”

Increasing restrictions on journalists in Azerbaijan have put significant pressure on RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service. Its Baku bureau was forced to shut down in 2014 and its website was blocked in 2017. Azerbaijani Service journalists have been the targets of intimidation campaigns and physical violence.

BBC issues statement about Gaza films

20 June 2025

BBC issues statement about Gaza films

BBC statement issued 20 June 2025

BBC News is determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly. Over a year ago we commissioned Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, a documentary about the plight of medics in Gaza, from an independent production company, Basement Films.

We paused production of this film in April, having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing. With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film.

However, we wanted the doctors’ voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published.

For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms.

Yesterday it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world’s most trusted broadcaster.

Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films.

Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC’s final pre-broadcast sign-off processes. Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film.

The BBC has produced powerful coverage of this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced award winning documentaries such as Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101. We have also investigated allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel’s attacks on Gaza’s hospitals. Just today we are running a powerful piece of longform journalism that captures the final two weeks inside a Gaza hospital before it was forced to close.

We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.

AIB dismayed as Togo bans French international media for three months

20 June 2025

AIB dismayed as Togo bans French international media for three months

The Association for International Broadcasting is dismayed by the decision of Togo’s High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) to suspend the broadcasts of France 24 television and Radio France Internationale in the country for three months.

According to the press reports, HAAC claims that the Paris-headquartered broadcasters have “repeated failures, already reported and formally recalled, in terms of impartiality, rigour and verification of facts”. In 2024, the HAAC put RFI “on notice” for “unfair treatment of information” and “dissemination of false news about the country”.

“This suspension of independent fact-based news organisations deprives citizens of Togo of important information sources,” says AIB Chief Executive Simon Spanswick. “At a time when rumour spreads on social media platforms, the checks and balances provided by international broadcasters such as RFI and France 24 are vital to counter mis- and disinformation. The AIB calls on the HAAC to rescind its reported suspension rapidly and to allow RFI and France 24 to resume broadcasting in Togo.”

Also in June, a correspondent working for France’s TV5 Monde, Flore Monteau, has been arbitrarily detained in Togo. Monteau had been covering anti-government demonstrations in Lomé and was filming the dispersal of protesters by security forces. CPJ says that police seized her equipment and forced her to delete footage of the protests. She was also required to unlock her mobile phone by the police.

Togo, with a population of just under 9 million, is ranked 121^st in the World Press Freedom Index 2025 published by Reporters Without Borders.

Image: HAAC headquarters in Lomé; courtesy Republique Togolaise

As conflict grows, so do audiences to threatened US international broadcasters

18 June 2025

As conflict grows, so do audiences to threatened US international broadcasters

US-funded media organisations Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) are bringing millions of people in Iran and across the Middle East real-time, 24/7 news coverage of the war between Israel and Iran.

As fighting began over the weekend, Iranians surged to RFE/RL’s Persian-language Service, Radio Farda, for responsible news and information. On Friday 13 June, Farda’s extremely popular Instagram profile attracted 62.5 million video views, a spike of 344%, and traffic to its website rose by 77% compared to its 30-day average. Farda is increasing its coverage to include ten-minute audio news bulletins at the top of the hour 24/7 to meet the needs of our audiences.

Even before the war began, more than 6.6 million Iranians, ten percent of the adult population, accessed Farda each week to get news that was not produced by the state-controlled propaganda networks.

Farda also provides the outside world a valuable and unparalleled look inside the Islamic Republic. This report features listeners from Tehran describing the intensity of the Israeli attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities.

Across the Arab Middle East and North Africa, where news is often state-controlled and anti-American, MBN’s Alhurra.com and social media platforms are covering the Israel-Iran hostilities for millions of Arabic speakers. They featured exclusive interviews with high-level figures such as former U.S. State Department Spokesman and Iran expert Alan Eyre and former Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata.

A segment with Hulata, “Why Israeli Jets Didn’t Use Saudi Airspace,” attracted more than 53,000 views in less than 40 minutes. Another clip, “How Israel Targeted Iranian Leaders Simultaneously,” also garnered strong audience engagement.

This coverage comes as the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) attempts to shutter RFE/RL and MBN by unlawfully cancelling their grant agreements.

As a result, MBN has been forced to terminate 90 percent of its staff and RFE/RL has furloughed some staff and reduced programming. USAGM shut down a transmitter it owns in Kuwait that Farda could use to reach the people of Iran. It has since been reactivated for use by Voice of America (VOA) for only 15 minutes a day after USAGM executives called VOA’s Persian Service back to work on short notice to cover the hostilities and give voice to U.S. officials and experts.

Ilan Berman, a leading Iran analyst who serves on the boards of RFE/RL and MBN (pictured), said:

“This is the most decisive moment in modern Iranian history since the Islamic Republic’s founding in 1979. America needs to seize it to talk directly to the Iranian people – to educate, to inspire and to tell them that a different future could lie ahead. The more we can do that, the better.

“I’m glad RFE/RL and MBN are still functioning, albeit at diminished capacity. The current conflict with the tyrannical rulers of Iran underscores the need for American voices to counter the lies and disinformation of U.S. adversaries. These tools can’t be allowed to disappear.”

Berman was the Trump administration’s transition team leader at USAGM before new leadership arrived earlier this year.

Channelbox brings The Filipino Channel to UK’s Freeview

17 June 2025

Channelbox brings The Filipino Channel to UK’s Freeview

Global Distribution Services is proud to announce the launch of The Filipino Channel (TFC) on Channelbox, now available to UK audiences on Freeview Channel 271.

Operated by ABS-CBN Europe Ltd., TFC is the world’s leading platform for Filipino entertainment and news. This launch marks the first time a dedicated Filipino FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel is available on Freeview, giving UK-based Filipino communities—and fans of dynamic Asian content—free, easy access to 24/7 all-Filipino programming.

Broadcast through Channelbox’s hybrid-streaming service on Freeview, TFC delivers a vibrant lineup of the Philippines’ most-watched news and current affairs, acclaimed dramas, family comedies, reality and talent shows, talk programs, and lifestyle content—offering a cultural lifeline for the Filipino diaspora and a gateway for global audiences to engage with Philippine culture.

This FAST channel launch is powered by Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) technology for seamless, buffer-free streaming, and features a fully compliant Consent Management Platform (CMP) to meet UK data protection standards—creating a privacy-first, high-quality viewing experience for audiences and advertisers alike.

Tanya Kronfli, Founder and Director at Global Distribution Services, commented:

“We’re proud to bring TFC to Freeview viewers through Channelbox and celebrate the vibrant stories and voices of the Filipino community. This launch continues our mission to expand meaningful, community-focused content using modern, scalable broadcast solutions.”

Maribel Hernaez, Business Unit Head for Global Content & Distribution Services at ABS-CBN Global

“The Filipino Channel is more than just an entertainment channel —it’s a bridge to home for millions of Filipinos abroad. We’re excited to connect with audiences in the UK and share the very best of Filipino creativity and culture.”

TFC is now live on Channelbox and available to all Freeview UK viewers at Channel 271.