BBC files urgent complaint to UN against Iranian harassment against BBC News Persian staff

10 February 2022

BBC files urgent complaint to UN against Iranian harassment against BBC News Persian staff

Escalating security concerns see BBC file urgent complaint to UN against Iran’s ongoing harassment of BBC News Persian journalists and their families

The BBC has today filed an urgent complaint against Iran with the United Nations over ongoing harassment and sanctions against BBC News Persian journalists and their families in Iran. The urgent complaint is made amid escalating security concerns after a year in which Iran has conducted unlawful, extra-territorial operations against journalists and dissidents.

The urgent complaint comes as Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC International News and Director of World Service, and Rozita Lotfi, Head of BBC News Persian, today address the Third Global Conference for Media Freedom being held in Tallinn, hosted by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For more than a decade Iran has targeted BBC News Persian journalists and their families. Journalists have not been able to return to Iran for fear of arrest, while family members have been subjected to travel bans, interrogated and arbitrarily detained.

Based on interviews with staff members about incidents in the last year, including since the new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office, the new UN complaint filed today reveals a concerning increase in harassment and security risk. The BBC has reported to the UN:

Increased security concerns for BBC News Persian journalists in the light of extra-territorial threats, including in the UK and in third countries;
Increased harassment of family members in Iran;
Increased financial pressure from the ongoing asset freeze, which operates as a blunt financial sanction against BBC News Persian journalists and their extended families;
Increased intelligence and counter-intelligence activity aimed at undermining the professional reputation of BBC News Persian and its journalists;
Increased and continued online attacks and online violence, particularly directed at women journalists;
The BBC has requested urgent action from UN experts, that the matter be communicated to Iran and that the protection of BBC News Persian journalists be raised at the UN Human Rights Council.

Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC News International Services and Director of World Service said: “We appeal to the UN and the international community to continue to condemn Iran for their unacceptable treatment of our BBC News Persian colleagues. There have been escalating actions and threats, including an asset freeze which penalises the journalists and their families, online harassment, gendered attacks on women journalists and death threats. It must stop. The BBC will continue to speak up for its journalists who should be free to carry out their jobs without fear of threats or intimidation towards them or their families in Iran.”

Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Jennifer Robinson (Doughty Street Chambers), Counsel for BBC World Service, said: “We know from Iran’s past actions that it is willing to take cross-border and deadly action to silence its critics, and that it perceives independent journalism about Iran as a risk to their power. Our clients from BBC News Persian receive threats of death and violence simply for doing their jobs – simply for being journalists. We call on the United Nations experts and the Human Rights Council to take swift, robust action to hold Iran to account and ensure that BBC News Persian journalists can report without fear.”

The NUJ’s national broadcasting organiser, Paul Siegert, said: “It is a sad state of affairs that in 2022 these kind of attacks and abuse against individuals are still an on–going problem. Journalists and their families are being threatened just because of the job they do. It has to stop. Our members will not be silenced and will not stop doing their jobs. We once again call on the Iranian government to put a halt to this unacceptable behaviour.”

“Joelle Unfiltered”, the MENA region’s first reality TV show on Shahid VIP

9 February 2022

“Joelle Unfiltered”, the MENA region’s first reality TV show on Shahid VIP

Shahid VIP – the world’s leading Arabic SVOD streaming platform, and part of MBC GROUP – announces the arrival of the region’s very first reality TV show by Shahid Originals.

“Joelle Unfiltered” – starring Joelle Mardinian – is set to offer viewers a no holds barred look into the life of the star TV presenter and beauty mogul. Promising an insight into her life like never before, “Joelle Unfiltered” will showcase many aspects of Mardinian’s life, including her blended family, demanding career, very personal moments, and the challenges involved in juggling her business empire.

And to celebrate the programme’s debut this month, Shahid VIP hosted a special preview and press conference at DREAM restaurant in Dubai, that gathered Mardinian and her family alongside the region’s press, and influencers.

COMPLETELY UNFILTERED

Discussing the show, Mardinian told the audience that she would describe “Joelle Unfiltered” as an edutainment show, stating: “First, there’s the professional aspect, of which the show offers a focus on what it takes to run successful businesses – including how to establish, launch, and manage small ventures, investments, and larger commercial projects – while balancing fame and the social media aspect. Viewers will get to see all the massive challenges involved in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle sectors, and just what really goes into it.”

“Joelle Unfiltered” will include snippets of her blended family – providing an example of how families can successfully manage co-parenting and shedding light on her journey with adopting her youngest son. The show will take viewers to several locations as well – including Dubai, London, and the Maldives – and will also offer an insight into personal moments, such as Mardinian’s fears, sorrows, anxieties, success and more.

She continued: “While it is ‘unfiltered’ I am keen to point out that it also remains in line with the values and traditions of our society. The unfiltered aspect relates to showcasing the realities of my life – balancing motherhood and family with career, the fame, and my journey – it’s not all glitz and glamour as people may initially think.

“MBC GROUP has forever been a pioneer in unrivalled family entertainment, and I cannot wait for everyone to check out the show on Shahid VIP.”

ONE OF TV’S BIGGEST STARS

With nearly 18.5 million followers on Instagram alone, Mardinian is one of the Arab world’s biggest TV stars, having graced MBC’s channels with a number of lifestyle shows for over ten years now.

She’s also a successful businesswoman, known for Joelle Group, a leading beauty multi-conglomerate that includes Maison de Joelle, Clinica Joelle, and Joelle Paris.

Offering a final note on her upcoming reality show, Mardinian said: “I hope it inspires viewers and encourages them to chase their dreams and be creative. I hope it showcases how women can be empowered through their career, family support, and important partnerships and relationships.

“And as I have mentioned earlier, don’t be fooled by the glamour of it all… Of course, there are lots of highlights, but life does not just comprise happiness and luxury, and I am keen to showcase the reality of this lifestyle.

“Success definitely does not arrive overnight – there has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears – stress, fatigue, plenty of late nights, and so much more. This is a 360-degree view of my life.”

“Joelle Unfiltered” has been in the making for 4 years, and debuts on Shahid VIP on 14 February 2022.

Shahid and Shahid VIP are part of MBC GROUP, the largest and leading media company in the MENA region.

[Source: Shahid press release]

Cheryl Lai appointed chairperson of RTI

9 February 2022

Cheryl Lai appointed chairperson of RTI

Distinguished media executive Cheryl Lai has been appointed as the new chairperson of Radio Taiwan International (RTI), Taiwan’s national broadcaster. RTI announced the appointment on Wednesday after a meeting of the board of directors and other senior figures.

Lai is a senior media executive who has held many important roles in Taiwan’s media and cultural sectors. She previously served as RTI’s president from 2003 to 2006. Lai was the Editor-in-Chief of the Central News Agency, the Director of the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, and the Editor of the Thinking Taiwan Forum. She is also a consultant to The Cultural Taiwan Foundation.

Culture Minister Lee Yung-te says he believes Lai’s leadership will enable RTI to continue to play a key role in Taiwan’s connection to the world and to allow Taiwan’s voice to be heard in the global community.

RTI is the only broadcaster that provides print, audio, and video news and features about Taiwan in 14 languages. Its programs have won many top awards at Taiwan’s Golden Bell Awards, the New York Festivals Radio Awards and the UK’s Association for International Broadcasting. The station also works with the Voice of America and the BBC in their programming.

Lee is also thanking the outgoing board of directors and supervisors for their contribution. He says that the new board has many outstanding executives who can lend their expertise in broadcasting, culture, finance and public affairs to bring RTI to new heights.

Australian government to end ABC funding freeze

9 February 2022

Australian government to end ABC funding freeze

Australia’s federal government has announced that it is ending a freeze on funding of the ABC.

From July 2022, the ABC will receive almost A$3.3 billion (US$2.37 billion) over three years. SBS – the country’s second national broadcaster – will receive more than A$950 million over the same period.

ABC Chair Ita Buttrose said: “I am delighted with the Government’s decision to commit $3.3 billion over the next three years to the ABC.

“It will allow the national broadcaster to continue doing what it does best – provide information and entertainment to Australians wherever they live.”

ABC Managing Director David Anderson commented: “On behalf of the ABC, I welcome the funding certainty this announcement brings to the national broadcaster for the next three years.

“The $3.3 billion over the next triennium, announced by the Minister Paul Fletcher, sees the resumption of indexation, the continuation of the Enhanced Newsgathering (ENG) program that provides vital services across the country, and ongoing support for audio description services for blind or visually impaired audiences.

“ENG funding has delivered more tailored news to local communities and has seen the ABC invest more in specialist resources that provide vital context and analysis about issues that matter to all Australians.

“Importantly, this announcement also guarantees the ability of the ABC to continue to reinvest funds from the recently concluded Google and Facebook deals into rural and regional services.

“As the ABC’s Managing Director, I have consistently made the case for the resumption of indexation on the ABC’s base funding and the continued support for ENG program.

“The triennial funding announcement is an important recognition that the ABC is needed now more than ever, and this funding is required so it can continue to fulfil its vital role in our democratic society.

“I would like to thank the Minister, Paul Fletcher, and the Government for recognising the enduring value of the ABC as we mark 90years of serving Australians.”

Media Freedom Coalition evaluation published at Estonia conference

9 February 2022

Media Freedom Coalition evaluation published at Estonia conference

A new evaluation finds that the Media Freedom Coalition requires a ‘re-injection of energy’.

The Foreign Policy Centre – an independent, non-partisan international affairs think tank based in the United Kingdom – has supported the publication of a report evaluating the first two years of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC). The MFC is a partnership, established in 2019 by the UK and Canada, of 50 countries working together to advocate for media freedom and the safety of journalists. The report is being launched on 9 February at the Global Conference for Media Freedom in Tallinn, Estonia. https://mfctallinn.humanrightsestonia.ee/video/

Conducted by a team of six academics and researchers, from the University of East Anglia, City, University of London and University of the Philippines-Diliman, the report poses one central question: is the Media Freedom Coalition working?

“Our assessment is that the MFC is only partially achieving its objectives,” states Dr Mary Myers, the lead author of the report. “It has taken some positive steps towards its ambitious goals including attracting a relatively large membership and establishing collegiate ways of working. However, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actions of the MFC have not been as rapid, bold or visible as was initially promised.”

The report concludes that MFC requires a ‘re-set’ and ‘re-injection of energy and funds’ in the next two to three years if it is to achieve its original aims, and provides a scorecard and recommendations to support future development.

“The objective of our report was to identify key areas for improvement to strengthen the MFC’s work moving forward, as such, we hope members of the MFC will take on board our findings and adopt our recommendations,” added Dr Myers.

Evaluating the MFC

The evaluation report’s findings are based on over 100 interviews with relevant stakeholders; analyses of news coverage, social media commentary and public statements; and a survey of media freedom campaigners – as well as detailed case studies in Sudan and the Philippines. The research team assessed the MFC against its own pledges to:

– Promote accountability by ‘raising the cost’ to those who abuse or violate media freedom;

– Hold its own members to account over media freedom violations;

– Work together as a coalition, expand the membership and collaborate with partners (including the Consultative Network, UNESCO and the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom;

– ‘Shine a spotlight’ on the issue of media freedom by raising awareness of it; and

– Develop and defend the media by providing practical support to independent media around the world.

The report finds that the Coalition had some early successes. Several states – such as the Maldives and Sierra Leone – have made positive improvements domestically, as a direct result of joining the MFC and there have been several instances of successful private diplomacy by Coalition members working together. However, according to Dr Martin Scott, another of the report’s co-authors, “its working methods have been slow and lacking transparency, its communications poor, and its financial commitments small”.

The Association for International Broadcasting is a member of the Consultative Network to the Media Freedom Coalition.

RT issues statement on broadcasting in Germany

9 February 2022

RT issues statement on broadcasting in Germany

RT’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Anna Belkina, has issued a statement on broadcasting in Germany

“It is ironic that just the idea of a new TV news channel with a different voice appearing in Germany has made the local authorities, including the regulator MABB, so nervous and desperate, as to abandon their much-touted principles such as freedom of speech. Today, by once more threatening an independent production company that has nothing to do with RT DE’s entirely lawful and legitimate license to broadcast in Germany and other European countries, it was demonstrated that rules and regulations – including European conventions – and even the semblance of all logic, have been thrown out the window. By claiming that we are not responsible for our broadcasts here in Moscow MABB is ignoring facts, and painting a false reality to suit a clearly politically motivated threat.”

“We will not be removing our feeds or channels voluntarily, and encourage all platforms not to be bullied by MABB’s illegitimate demands. MABB’s actions have no basis in law, and are a clear attempt to overreach and impede the German people’s free access to information, protected under the ECTT (European Convention on Transfrontier Television). Any efforts by MABB to impede RT DE’s fully legitimate and properly obtained rights to broadcast will be met with legal challenge in all applicable jurisdictions, including Germany.”