France 24 expands in Southern Africa on NBC Plus

26 June 2025

France 24 expands in Southern Africa on NBC Plus

France 24’s English-language channel is now available for streaming on nbc Plus, the digital platform developed by Namibia’s national broadcaster, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). This strategic partnership marks a significant step in France 24’s efforts to strengthen its presence in Southern Africa by integrating into a rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

Launched in 2018, nbc Plus offers a hybrid service that combines live television channels with video-on-demand content (VOD), currently available on Android devices. The platform’s reach extends well beyond Namibia, with a growing audience amongst the Namibian diaspora in the UK, the US, Canada, and Germany.

The arrival of France 24 in English enhances nbc Plus’ international content offering, whilst aligning with the platform’s ambitions for continued growth. nbc Plus strives to deliver an optimised viewing experience, featuring a redesigned interface, high-definition streaming, intuitive navigation, and an expanding catalogue of both local and international programming.

France 24 is already broadcast to 574.1 million households globally, including 69.8 million in Africa (2024 average).

Finland becomes co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition

23 June 2025

Finland becomes co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition

Finland has been announced as the new co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, a global partnership of 51 countries working together to promote press freedom at home and abroad.

Finland begins its two-year term as co-chair alongside Germany, which became co-chair in January 2024.

Finland succeeds Estonia, which has been MFC co-chair since July 2023. Finland will officially take over the co-chair role on 1^st July 2025.

Promoting freedom of the press is a priority for the Finnish Government, which ranks 5^th on Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index. In Finland’s view, media freedom is a key pillar of a democratic society and has an important role in contributing to comprehensive security. Issues related to media freedom are also high on the agenda of Finland’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE in 2025.

Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally accepted the co-chairship from her Estonian counterpart, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 23^rd June 2025.

Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany Johann Wadephul was also present for the handover.

Minister Valtonen said: “Our co-chairmanship will focus on protecting journalists and improving media literacy and on broader issues related to global freedom of speech. It is a pleasure to work with Germany on these important themes.”

Minister Tsahkna said: “It has been a great honour for Estonia to co-chair the Media Freedom Coalition from July 2023 until June 2025. I wish to sincerely thank the Netherlands and Germany for the excellent cooperation during our joint chairmanships. The need to protect media freedom has never been more urgent, and we have been fighting globally for free and independent media both online and offline. Together with MFC member States and other important stakeholders, we have stood up for journalists at risk and defended the right to free and independent media globally. I warmly welcome Finland, a country with a strong record on media freedom, as a new co-chair of the Coalition. I am confident they will continue this vital work with determination and vision.”

Minister Wadephul said: “Protecting media freedom is protecting freedom itself. Without a free press, societies cannot be free. Thank you very much, Estonia, for being an outstanding partner and Co-Chair in the global fight for media freedom. Today more than ever, we need independent and courageous journalists that can report the facts to the world unimpededly and that can speak truth to power relentlessly. That is why we are very much looking forward to spearheading the work of the Media Freedom Coalition together with incoming Co-Chair and esteemed partner Finland.”

The Media Freedom Coalition was established in 2019 by co-founders the UK and Canada, and has since grown to 51 member countries from six continents. Member countries work together on a range of activities to protect media freedom around the world, such as diplomacy to support journalists at risk, the provision of emergency visas to journalists fleeing their country, and reforming laws to better protect journalists and media workers.

The Coalition’s latest annual report highlighted that the MFC has acted on 22 cases of journalists at risk during 2024, while embassies of MFC members had spoken out on a further 15 cases. The report also highlighted 123 actions by MFC member embassies around the world, such as visiting imprisoned journalists, providing funding, and organising events.

To do its work, the Coalition works closely with a group of the world’s leading press freedom and media support organisations (the Consultative Network – the AIB is a member of the CN), a group of leading lawyers and judges from around the world (the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom), and international organisations including UNESCO.

Image: Minister Tsahkna (left), Minister Wadephul (centre) and Minister Valtonen (right) during the co-chairship handover

Ukrainian RFE/RL Journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko Released from Custody in Occupied Crimea

23 June 2025

Ukrainian RFE/RL Journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko Released from Custody in Occupied Crimea

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) welcomes Vladyslav’s release and thanks the U.S. and Ukrainian governments for efforts to bring him home.

Ukrainian Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko has been released from Russian custody in occupied Crimea.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said: “For more than four years, Vlad was arbitrarily punished for a crime he did not commit. He paid too high of a price for reporting the truth about what was taking place inside Russia-occupied Crimea. For that, he was tortured, physically and psychologically. While we celebrate his joyous reunion with his wife Kateryna, and their young daughter Stefania, we cannot overlook this family’s pain at the hands of Russian authorities.

“RFE/RL extends its deepest gratitude to the U.S. and Ukrainian governments for working with us to ensure that Vlad’s unjust detention was not prolonged. We also thank the global press freedom community for their tireless advocacy on behalf of RFE/RL’s dedicated journalists.”

This follows the releases of former RFE/RL journalist Ihar Karnei on June 21 and RFE/RL journalist Andrei Kuznechyk in February from unjust detention in Belarus thanks to the significant efforts of the Trump administration.

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.