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.

NHK WORLD Monthly programme focus for April

31 March 2023

NHK WORLD Monthly programme focus for April

Detective heroes in the making

Dear Detective from RAMPO with Love April 23 Sun. Ep.1 April 30 Sun. Ep.2 Subtitled 0:10/6:10/12:10/18:10 (UTC) At the dawn of the 20th century in Tokyo, the streets were rough, and the locals yearned for a hero. Hirai Taro—later known as the renowned Japanese mystery author Edogawa Rampo—was still an unknown. But things start to change when he meets the elderly detective Shirai Saburo, whose humor and melancholy captivate Hirai. Meanwhile, Shirai is intrigued by Hirai’s eccentric ideas and boundless passion. The two forge an unlikely partnership and embark on a thrilling journey as detectives.
Dive in Tokyo Wednesdays 0:30/5:30/10:30/15:30/21:30 (UTC) Tokyo: where both tradition and the latest trends coexist. Join us on a journey to discover the real Tokyo as we dive into its historic old towns and encounter many fun surprises along the way. Explore Japan’s capital with us in Dive in Tokyo, part of our regular program lineup from April.
Zero Waste Life Fridays 1:45/6:45/12:45/17:45/22:45 (UTC) Meet people around Japan who strive for a life without waste under the traditional philosophy of “MOTTAINAI,” which values cherishing the things we have.

Orchard Clips launches with Middle Eastern Video Content

29 March 2023

Orchard Clips launches with Middle Eastern Video Content

New video clip sales business Orchard Clips, is launching on 30 March offering what the company says is an unparalleled selection of both historic and contemporary footage showcasing the rich diversity and cultural heritage of the Middle East. Orchard Clips aims to become the go-to destination for video clips from and about the region as the demand for this high-quality content continues to grow. See showreel here.

Orchard Clips will draw on its award-winning sister company, OR Media’s 30-year archive of documentary footage and unmatched access to people, places, and events across the Middle East. OR Media produced the winning entry in the historical documentary category in the AIBs 2022.

The Orchard Clips team says that it has scoured thousands of hours of footage for exclusive and elusive clip content. From events throughout the region’s history to the everyday lives of its citizens. Over 10,000 clips will be available at the time of launch, with hundreds more added every week for use by documentary producers, news channels, publishers, and brands.

OR Media is also currently documenting Saudi Arabia’s societal transformation, Vision 2030, and has been granted unique access to major cultural, historical and archaeological projects, many of which have gone unrecorded and unseen by the outside world. With over 150 hours of documentaries currently in production, Orchard Clips will make this footage, shot to the highest quality by award-winning filmmakers, readily available to worldwide content producers.

In addition to the exclusive content from OR Media, Orchard Clips will also be collaborating with high-profile third parties for content acquisitions and partnerships. The company is committed to helping Middle Eastern content owners turn their archives from a “cost sink” into a revenue-generating resource. They also plan to offer new user-generated content (UGC). The team will provide advice and support to help content owners effectively maximise their revenue potential.

Head of Orchard Clips and former AP archive manager, Luke Smedley, will lead a team of industry experts, with experience in managing, preserving, and monetising audio-visual content. He explains: “Right now, lenses – both figuratively and literally – are focused on the Middle East. With the World Cup in Qatar, protests continuing in Iran and the mega building projects of Saudi Arabia, the whole world is watching the region with interest. We’re committed to providing video producers with the right footage to tell the stories of the Middle East. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to be able to make the prestigious archive of OR Media available for the first time. The collection goes beyond the headlines and tells the intimate stories of the diverse people of this fascinating region.”

To ensure that customers can quickly and easily find and licence the content they need, Orchard Clips has partnered with Veritone, a leader in developing AI tools and services for video clip content ‘search and find’. The user-friendly platform will offer content that is both searchable and licensable online in English with an Arabic version coming soon. The range of purchasing options ensures that clients with different requirements can find a package that meets their needs.

RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly Visits Ukraine, Moldova as RFE/RL Expands Efforts to Counter Russian Disinformation

27 March 2023

RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly Visits Ukraine, Moldova as RFE/RL Expands Efforts to Counter Russian Disinformation

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) President and CEO Jamie Fly visited Moldova and Ukraine for meetings with senior officials, civil society groups, and the company’s journalists. His trip reinforced RFE/RL’s commitment to counter Russian malign influence, and to support media freedom in both countries.

“I am in awe of the professionalism and resilience shown by our incredible journalists reporting every day on Ukraine’s struggle to defend its freedom,” said Fly. “RFE/RL is committed to continuing to expand our reporting on this war as we grow our audiences in Russia, Ukraine, and across the region.”

Fly visited Ukraine as RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, launched a new hour-long weekday morning show “Svoboda.Ranok” on YouTube from a new bureau in Lviv. The show recaps the latest news from the frontlines overnight, while giving Ukrainian audiences hope as they begin their day. RFE/RL also launched a new reporting project, “How Are You?” to cover the stories of the approximately thirteen million forced migrants displaced by Russian aggression.

During a visit to Odesa, Kyiv, and Lviv, Fly met with senior government officials including Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Innovation, Education, Science, and Technology and Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov; Minister for Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko; First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzheppar; Advisor to the Chief of Staff of President Zelenskyy Daria Zarivna; Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko; Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi; and members of parliament. Fly also met with representatives from other media outlets and civil society groups. In all discussions, Fly emphasized the importance of RFE/RL’s frontline reporting, its investigative work, and its ongoing role in creating a democratic culture with a vibrant free press. Fly also advocated for the release of imprisoned journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko, and thanked officials for their ongoing efforts to obtain his release.

As the Kremlin’s threats toward other countries in the region intensify, Fly also visited Chisinau, Moldova. In meetings with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, Fly reiterated RFE/RL’s commitment through its Moldovan Service and Russian-language services to produce content relevant for all Moldovans, including those subjected to Kremlin propaganda.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war over one year ago, RFE/RL journalists have provided audiences with award-winning reporting from the frontlines on the human toll and Ukraine’s response to the brutality. Journalists with the Ukrainian Service have uncovered mass burials in Mariupol, documented the search for Russian sailors killed in the sinking of the Moskva cruiser, and reported extensively on “filtration” and life under occupation. This thorough coverage has driven historic traffic increases among audiences in Russia.

On April 28, 2022, RFE/RL journalist Vira Hyrych was killed in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike hit the residential building where she lived. Prior to the full-scale invasion, Radio Svoboda contributor Vladyslav Yesypenko was unjustly sentenced to a six-year prison term (later reduced to five years) on fraudulent charges in Russian-occupied Crimea. Fly and members of the international community have called for Yesypenko’s immediate release.

RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, known locally as Radio Europa Libera, is reaching Romanian and Russian-speaking audiences with objective reporting in a country with widespread disinformation. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Radio Europa Libera broke news about a bridge explosion at Moldova’s border, and later, errant missiles. The Service was also one of the first local outlets to report on refugees from Ukraine, and is covering Moldova’s ongoing economic hardship as a result of Russia’s war. Moldovan audiences also consume Russian-language reporting from RFE/RL’s Russian Service and 24/7 television and digital platform Current Time.

[Source: RFE/RL press release]