USAGM releases statement re conviction of Vietnamese blogger

13 April 2023

USAGM releases statement re conviction of Vietnamese blogger

CEO Amanda Bennett (pictured) released the following statement regarding the conviction of Radio Free Asia contributor Nguyen Lan Thang.

Nguyen was sentenced to six years in prison by the Hanoi’s People’s Court on charges of spreading anti-state propaganda. The charge against him came under Article 117 of Vietnam’s criminal code, which is often used by authorities to suppress free speech on social media.

This conviction brings the total number of USAGM network contributors jailed in Vietnam to six. Others held include Nguyen Tuong Thuy, Truong Duy Nhat, and Nguyen Van Hoa from RFA, and Le Anh Jung and Pham Chi Dung from Voice of America.

CEO Bennett statement:

“The sentencing of Nguyen Lan Thang in Vietnam strikes yet another blow against free speech and freedom of the press in Vietnam.

For nearly a decade, Nguyen Lan Thang shared timely and prescient perspectives on freedom, democracy, and human rights with the Vietnamese audience of Radio Free Asia.

I join the chorus of international voices calling on the government of Vietnam to drop all charges and immediately release Nguyen Lan Thang.”

[Source: USAGM press release]

RNZ gains additional funding

7 April 2023

RNZ gains additional funding

New Zealand’s Government has announced extra investment in Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and NZ On Air to ensure all New Zealanders have access to public media that delivers world class content, Minister for Broadcasting and Media Willie Jackson has announced.

RNZ will receive an annual increase of $25.7m. This will include:

$12m for RNZ to maintain public media services
$12m for a new digital platform
$1.7m for AM Transmission

The scale and population density of New Zealand means that AM transmission – being significantly reduced in some countries – remains important to provide broadcast coverage of the whole country. The map shows coverage provided by RNZ’s AM transmitter network.

NZ On Air will also receive a $10m increase for 2023/24 which will focus on reaching new audiences.

“We must ensure that New Zealand can meet cost of living issues and support the cyclone recovery, while also delivering world class public media for all of Aotearoa,” said Willie Jackson.

“Today’s announcement will mean a total saving of $364.7 million over four years compared to merging RNZ and TVNZ.

“We have listened to New Zealanders and now is not the right time to restructure our public media. However the changing media landscape, increased competition, changing audience demands, and declining revenue pressures facing our public media are not going away.

“To address these challenges, we are investing $117.8 million over four years to deliver modern, trusted and relevant public media to all New Zealanders. This includes ensuring there is access to Civil Defence lifeline emergency communications and support to NZ On Air to strengthen collaborative public broadcasting.

“Supporting RNZ to provide public media services and to meet the needs of all New Zealanders in the digital age is critical. That’s why we are committing $25.7 million (annually) to ensure RNZ is financially sustainable for the future.

“This investment will strengthen news and current affairs coverage through a free multi-media digital platform to reach new audiences, expand regional coverage to be truly national, establish a new initiative to prioritise Māori and Pacific content and support RNZ to deliver civil defence lifeline emergency communications.

“To bolster collaborative public broadcasting, we will be restoring NZ On Air funding and providing a $10 million increase for 2023/2024 to support the creation of innovative content.

“The funding will support the creation of high-quality content that better represents and connects with audiences such as Māori, Pasifika, Asian, disabled people and our rangatahi and tamariki. It is vital that all New Zealanders are seeing and hearing themselves in our public media,” said Willie Jackson.

$1.7 million per year will ensure RNZ continues as a critical lifeline utility in civil defence emergencies. This investment will support RNZ’s AM Transmission services so lifeline services can be provided on platforms people can access during times of emergency.

“As we have seen over the past few years, and in particular during the recent severe weather events, RNZ is a crucial lifeline utility in civil defence emergencies and is one of the places New Zealanders can turn to for reliable, up-to-date, accurate, and emergency information.

“Investing $25.7 million annually into New Zealand’s public media reflects the necessary changes that must be made to meet the challenges and priorities of our public media landscape. We’ve listened to New Zealanders, and our public media needs to provide for both an Aotearoa of today, and tomorrow.” said Willie Jackson.

The AIBs 2023 – 19th global journalism and factual awards open for entry

5 April 2023

The AIBs 2023 – 19th global journalism and factual awards open for entry

Global competition inviting entries across 19 categories to showcase the world’s best journalism and factual productions across TV, radio and digital platforms

The Association for International Broadcasting has revealed the 19 categories in its 19th global competition that celebrates the world’s best journalism and factual programming.

Each year this renowned and respected competition – called the AIBs – attracts entries in many languages from all over the world. In 2022, more than 400 hours of content was submitted to the AIBs.

New for 2023 are two Presenter of the Year awards – one for TV, the other for radio (or their digital equivalents). There is also a new category rewarding the most innovative docudrama.

“The AIBs are immensely popular in the global media industry,” comments Simon Spanswick, AIB chief executive. “We are looking forward to seeing the extraordinary range of stories that are told around the world, helping journalists and programme makers to showcase their work on the global stage. We are privileged that so much remarkable work is entrusted to the AIBs each year and we look forward to celebrating success in our 19^th contest.”

The 19 categories in the AIBs 2023 are:

TV/VIDEO/DIGITAL

PRESENTER of the YEAR
DOCUDRAMA
SHORT FEATURE
NATURAL HISTORY
SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
SPECIALIST FACTUAL
SPORTS JOURNALISM
HUMAN INTEREST
NEWS COVERAGE
POLITICS and BUSINESS
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS DOCUMENTARY
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DOCUMENTARY
INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARY

RADIO/AUDIO/PODCAST

PRESENTER of the YEAR
DOCUDRAMA
SPECIALIST FACTUAL
HUMAN INTEREST
NEWS COVERAGE
INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARY

The competition is open for entry until 30 June 2023. Full information on all the categories, including what the international panel of judges will be looking for, is online at http://theaibs.tv.

The awards will be presented at the annual AIBs gala evening taking place this year on 10 November at Church House Westminster in the heart of London. The event attracts guests from all over the world who travel to London to meet colleagues, exchange ideas and to discover if they have won one of the coveted AIBs. Highlights of the 2022 event can be seen at https://vimeo.com/792992840/214dea2fb8.

The AIBs are run by the not-for-profit Association for International Broadcasting, the industry body for the international broadcasting and media industry.

TRT launches TRT Afrika digital service

4 April 2023

TRT launches TRT Afrika digital service

Turkiye’s public broadcaster TRT has launched a new digital news platform, TRT Afrika, to highlight stories of and from the continent to a global audience in four languages, Swahili, English, Hausa and French on the second day of the 1^st Broadcasting Summit, organised by TRT and African Union of Broadcasting (AUB). More than 50 media professionals from nearly 25 African countries attended the launching ceremony.

Turkiye’s public broadcaster TRT has launched a new digital news platform, TRT Afrika, to present stories from and about the continent to a global audience in four languages, Swahili, English, Hausa and French on the second day of the 1st Broadcasting Summit, organised by TRT and the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB). More than 50 media professionals from nearly 25 African countries attended the opening ceremony.

Aiming to make Turkiye heard with its international broadcasters, TRT has launched TRT Afrika after TRT World, TRT Arabi, TRT Russian, TRT Deutsch, TRT Francais and TRT Balkan, all of which individually and collectively bring diverse voices and perspectives to global audiences.

The launch ceremony of TRT Afrika, hosted by the Director General of TRT, Mehmet Zahid Sobaci on the second day of the 1st Broadcasting Summit, organised by TRT and the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), was attended by Fahrettin Altun, Director of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye, Ahmet Albayrak, Chairman of the Board of TRT, Daud Aweis Jama, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Somalia, Gregoire Ndjaka, Chief Executive Officer of the African Union of Broadcasting, TRT management, members of the African Union of Broadcasting and representatives of the foreign mission in Istanbul, along with more than 50 media professionals from nearly 25 African countries.

In the opening speech of the launching ceremony, the Director General of TRT Mehmet Zahid Sobaci emphasised that Africa is subjected to one-sided journalism by the Western media and said, “For years, Africa has been discussed according to the political interests of the West, ignoring the fact that the reasons for the current problems lie in colonialism. The true history, colourful culture, natural beauty and significant stories of the continent were not thoroughly told. TRT Afrika became a manifesto of Turkiye’s constructive and friendly approach, unlike Western society.”

Sobaci explains that TRT Afrika was launched with the goal of being the only platform that sees Africa as it is, and continues, “As an indication of this goal, we have set our motto “Africa as it is” Our new digital news platform will provide news to the entire continent in English, French, Hausa and Swahili. I am convinced that TRT Afrika will help improve our relationship, which has already gained remarkable momentum over the past 20 years. We also continue our efforts to launch the TRT Spanish and TRT Farsi digital news platforms.”

Director General Sobaci pointed out that the 1st Broadcasting Summit organised by TRT and the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) is one of the most concrete examples of the improving dialog between TRT and African media institutions, saying, “An African proverb says: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.’ Today, with the 1st Broadcasting Summit, we express our will to go further together.”

Gregoire Ndjaka, CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), also attended a TRT-AUB summit and said at the ceremony that they came together to strengthen Turkish-African relations and TRT Afrika will reflect the facts about the continent as they are: “The coverage of Africa in other parts of the world gives the impression that it is a place of conflict. We would like TRT Afrika to help us end this perception. As African journalists, we would like to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his contribution to the development of relations with Africa and for his love for Africa. Because if you do not love a continent, you would not be in that continent and not visit it.”

BBC World Service launches “Dars” – the first multi-platform education series for Afghan children barred from school

3 April 2023

BBC World Service launches “Dars” – the first multi-platform education series for Afghan children barred from school

BBC World Service is launching the first series of an education programme for young audiences in Afghanistan. From Saturday 1 April, the new BBC News Afghanistan satellite channel will broadcast Dars (“Lesson”) – a TV and radio series in Pashto and Dari, to bring learning to children not at school, including girls aged over 11 barred from formal education. The series will also be available via BBC News Pashto and BBC News Dari radio, BBC Persian TV broadcasts, and online.

The programme’s commissioning editor, BBC World Service News Controller Fiona Crack comments: “As the global public service broadcaster, it felt only right that BBC World Service stepped in to adapt and use the BBC’s world-leading education content, as well as our journalism, to help children excluded from school, particularly girls. We want to offer a topical, learning-based programme in Afghan homes, and we hope Dars will inform and inspire its young audience.”

The presenters of Dars – the BBC’s Shazia Haya and Malaika Ahmadzai (in Pashto), and Aalia Farzan and Sahar Rahimi (in Dari) – fled Afghanistan, following the country’s takeover by the Taliban.

Shazia Haya says: “When I am working on this programme, I picture myself as a 16-year-old, and I wish there was a TV programme such as Dars back then… I hope that, as they study with the help of our programme, they also learn that they should not give up on education.”

Aalia Farzan adds: “Sometimes I ask myself, if I were a teenage girl in a country where I can’t go to school, wouldn’t I be very happy if someone helped me, if someone came and taught me? It’s such a privilege for me to be able, through Dars, to encourage people to choose their own life. I want to help them believe that one day you can choose what you are going to be.”

Tailored for 11 to 16-year-olds, Dars makes the most of the BBC’s teaching content with adapted maths, history, science, and Information and Communications Technology modules from BBC Bitesize, the BBC’s online study support resource for UK school-age pupils. BBC Learning English lessons will be split into two sections, for lower- and higher-stage learning. Dars will also bring its young audience current-affairs and inspirational stories from BBC World Service’s multilingual global content and from the World Service’s 100 Women series.

The first 12-week series of Dars will air four times a day, Saturday to Friday, on the newly launched BBC News Afghanistan channel. The half-hour programme will also be available via BBC News Pashto and BBC News Dari Facebook channels, on radio – through the network of BBC FM transmitters in Afghanistan as well as on shortwave and medium wave – and will be part of the BBC Persian TV channel schedule.

BBC News Pashto reaches a weekly audience of 8.3 million in Afghanistan while the weekly reach of BBC News Dari in the country is 4.3 million (BBC Global Audience Measure 2022).

The BBC News Afghanistan satellite channel brings together BBC World Service’s multilingual offer for Afghanistan, with BBC News Pashto, BBC News Dari, and BBC News Uzbek TV and radio content as well as the BBC Persian TV programming.

Image: Presenters: Sahar Rahimi, Shazia Haya, Aalia Farzan, Malaika Ahmadzai (Robert Timothy/BBC)

[Source: BBC World Service press release]

Commitments to protect media freedom announced

31 March 2023

Commitments to protect media freedom announced

100+ GOVERNMENTS, CSOs, CORPORATIONS, AND MEDIA GROUPS TO ISSUE COORDINATED COMMITMENTS TO PROTECT MEDIA FREEDOM WORLDWIDE

Media Freedom Cohort creates unprecedented global partnership supporting independent media

Ahead of the Summit for Democracy 2023, more than 100 governments, businesses, and media support organisations are making official commitments to protecting media freedom worldwide.

The commitments are a direct response to a call to action issued by the Media Freedom Cohort – an international coalition chaired by the Governments of Canada and the Netherlands and facilitated by the international NGO Internews. The full list of commitments is available here.

“This is a tremendous achievement for the global movement supporting independent media,” said Internews’ President and CEO Jeanne Bourgault. “At a time when journalists face new threats, local news outlets struggle to stay afloat, and dangerous disinformation campaigns sway public opinion, it’s very encouraging to see an unprecedented number of influential actors come together to protect free, high-quality journalism around the world.”

The commitments provide a concrete roadmap for making progress in the Media Freedom Cohort’s three priority areas: protecting journalists’ safety and security, advancing freedom of expression, and bolstering independent and diverse media. Actors behind the commitments include 27 governments, leading news organizations such as The New York Times and Associated Press, corporations such as Microsoft and WPP, and an array of civil society groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, BBC Media Action, Free Press Unlimited and IREX. Details about each commitment, including metrics and projected timelines, can be found in the Media Freedom Cohort’s Findings Report.

Looking beyond the Summit for Democracy 2023, the work of the Media Freedom Cohort will continue through the Media Freedom Coalition, co-chaired by the Governments of Canada and the Netherlands.

ABOUT THE MEDIA FREEDOM COHORT

In 2021, U.S. President Biden hosted the Summit for Democracy, at which countries from around the world pledged concrete actions to advance democracy at home and abroad. “Democracy’s Year of Action” followed, with governments and civil society groups working together to convene Democracy Cohorts in advance of the second Summit for Democracy in 2023. The second summit will highlight progress against commitments made in the first summit, as well as new commitments to advance democracy by a wider array of stakeholders. These broadened commitments were the focus of the Media Freedom Cohort, co-led by the Governments of Canada, the Netherlands and international NGO Internews. The Association for International Broadcasting is a key member of the Media Freedom Cohort, and is a member of the Consultative Network to the Media Freedom Coalition.