AIB publishes safety advice for journalists covering US events

12 June 2025

AIB publishes safety advice for journalists covering US events

In view of the growing number of journalists who have been injured during coverage of the LA riots, the AIB Secretariat has been asked to produce a guide to keeping safe during protests.

Some of the information is relevant to non-journalists intending to travel to the USA, for meetings, conferences, exhibitions and so forth (and equally applies to anyone in a media organisation travelling to the USA for a vacation). One key message is: do not take your work phone but use a burner phone for the duration.

The document provides top-level guidance and is not intended to replace any information that a media organisation may have already produced, and certainly does not replace any hostile environment training. The AIB has produced this simply as a handy guide for anyone working in or travelling to the USA (and indeed other territories where journalists may be on the receiving end of tear gas, rubber bullets and so on).

Contact the AIB Secretariat to get a copy of the document and to discuss membership of the AIB and the range of services members receive.

ABC grows international audience

4 June 2025

ABC grows international audience

The reach of ABC content offshore has risen strongly in the first three months of 2025 with more than 11 million people outside Australia engaging and consuming ABC content across TV, radio, digital and social media.

Engagement across ABC International social sites jumped 111 per cent, led by ABC Pacific on Facebook, with around 570,000 people engaging with ABC International social content each month.

Pageviews for ABC International websites are up almost 50 per cent and total followers of ABC International accounts increased by about 3 per cent to 6.3 million.

ABC Radio Australia podcast downloads are also up in all countries except the US in quarter one of 2025 compared to last year.

According to the most recent available sources, ABC Australia TV attracts more than 10.5 million monthly viewers and ABC Radio Australia reaches more than 360,000 listeners.

The ABC Pacific Facebook page and Instagram accounts were particularly strong performers, with the key indicators of posts, impressions, video views and engagements increasing compared to the same quarter last year.

ABC International Head Claire M Gorman said: “We’re thrilled by the latest audience results across our digital platforms and linear broadcast networks.

“The ABC’s strong international audience growth demonstrates the impact of additional Government funding under the Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy in developing improved distribution networks and producing high-quality, bespoke content that reflects the diversity of stories across the region.”

Threats to BBC News Persian journalists continuing

2 June 2025

Threats to BBC News Persian journalists continuing

The BBC has issued this statement:

There has been a sharp and deeply troubling escalation in the persecution of BBC News Persian journalists in the UK and their families in Iran over recent months. This campaign of intimidation, orchestrated by the Iranian authorities, has intensified in both scale and severity.

BBC News Persian journalists – alongside other Iranian journalists based in the UK and around the world – face serious extraterritorial threats from the Iranian authorities. These threats have consistently extended to their families in Iran, who have been subjected to a sustained campaign of intimidation. However, the BBC is now witnessing a surge of arbitrary interrogations, travel bans, passport confiscations, threats of asset seizures directed at the family members of BBC News Persian journalists – marking a significant and increasingly alarming escalation.

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, says: “In addition to enduring personal security threats from Iranian state actors operating beyond Iran’s borders, BBC News Persian journalists are now witnessing a disturbing rise in the persecution of their family members inside Iran. These acts are clearly designed to exploit family ties as a means of coercion – pressuring our journalists to abandon their work or return to Iran under false pretences.

“We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately cease this campaign of intimidation and to stop targeting journalists with violence, threats, and psychological warfare. This persecution is a direct assault on press freedom and human rights. It must end now.”

The BBC is preparing to lodge a new complaint with the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures mandate-holders, calling on Iran to cease its campaign of persecution of BBC journalists and their families.

NHK WORLD-JAPAN programme focus in June: Niigata

2 June 2025

NHK WORLD-JAPAN programme focus in June: Niigata

Niigata: Trove of Golden Delights

EKIBEN JAPAN A Bento Shaped by Layers of Tradition June 8 Sun. 5:10/11:10/17:10/22:10 (UTC) In Nagaoka, there’s an ekiben shaped by layers of tradition, featuring chicken meatballs with local chili, 100-year-old abura-age, thrice-pickled eggplants in miso and more, each with their own story.
CYCLE AROUND JAPAN Sado – Island of Hidden Treasures June 14 Sat. 2:10/10:10/15:10/21:10 (UTC) Historically Japan was famous for gold, much of it mined on Sado. The prosperity this created left the island with unique cultural traditions like its strong Noh theater. We meet an actor teaching a new generation of Noh performers, cycle Sado’s beautiful coastline and spectacular mountains, paddle hangiri shallow-water fishing boats, visit a sake brewery built in an old school, and meet the man who rescued the Japanese crested ibis from extinction to Sado’s current population of 500 birds.
EXPO 2025 Special Edition: Do the Oceans Hold the Key? June 8 Sun. 1:10/7:10/13:10/19:10 (UTC) The World Expo 2025 is underway in Osaka, Japan. Bobby Judo and Professor Oki Taikan, a hydrologist visit pavilions focusing on climate change to find out how the ocean can help us combat this urgent global issue.

US District Court Orders USAGM to Release RFE/RL Funding for May

30 May 2025

US District Court Orders USAGM to Release RFE/RL Funding for May

Today, Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)’s third request for a temporary restraining order in its lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).

In his ruling, the judge ordered USAGM to immediately disburse RFE/RL’s congressionally appropriated funds for the month of May. The judge rejected USAGM’s argument that the agency is not obligated to release the funds because other donors reportedly intend to provide financial support to RFE/RL to prevent its imminent collapse.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said:

“The will of Congress is clear and now the court, yet again, agrees: RFE/RL is to receive its appropriated funds for May, now a full month past due, to continue operating in alignment with America’s vital national security and foreign policy objectives.

Our dedicated journalists are needlessly paying a steep price because of USAGM’s refusal to release our funds in a timely manner.”

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About RFE/RL

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a private, independent international news organization whose programs — radio, Internet, television, and mobile — reach a weekly audience of nearly 50 million people in 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through USAGM. 

[Source: RFE/RL press release]

ABC signs MoU with KBS during ABU Admin Council meeting

29 May 2025

ABC signs MoU with KBS during ABU Admin Council meeting

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), endorsing the commitment of the two public broadcasters to collaborate and partner across future endeavours.

Hugh Marks said: “South Korea is a cultural powerhouse and its public broadcaster KBS is a leading provider of high-quality content across its varied platforms. It is important for the ABC to work closely with our regional partners, in particular public service media organisations, and to look for ongoing opportunities to exchange content and information to improve our respective services and audience offerings.

“The ABC also congratulates KBS for the Korean parliament’s recent legislating of an integrated licence fee which will ensure KBS’ ongoing financial stability and the provision of its essential services.”

The MoU was signed during the ABU Administrative Council meeting that the ABC hosted in Sydney. ABC International welcomed media leaders for the meeting, held on 8 and 9 May in Sydney.

Alongside ABU Secretary General Ahmed Nadeem, ABC International leadership hosted leaders from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Japan (NHK), MTV Channel (Pvt) Limited, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC), Prasar Bharati, India (PB), Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Teledifusao de Macau, S.A. (TDM), Television Broadcasts Limited, Hong Kong, China (TVB), Radio and Television of the People’s Republic of China (RTPRC), Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) for high-level discussions about the ABU’s finances, administration and policies.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “It is a great honour and responsibility to be part of the Administrative Council and to host this year’s meeting. We thank the ABU and its members for this opportunity to meet and discuss how we can strengthen regional co-operation and work collaboratively as media and broadcasters in our countries and internationally.”