commbox Law, Regulation, Media Policies

National journalism funds: A GFMD impact policy paper

Sameer Padania, Francesca Silvani

Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) (2023), 17 pp.

"As such, a National Fund for Journalism (NFJ) is a dedicated structure that is designed with a strategic sectoral purpose to provide long-term funding and financing to an independent journalism ecosystem in a particular country, region or place (as a Local or City Fund for Journalism, for example). ... It can take different forms, but in essence is designed to redress shortcomings, barriers or imbalances in a particular media market, or to incentivise, catalyse or accelerate new entrants or transformative processes in that market. A National Fund for Journalism (NFJ) can complement and reinforce other policy measures aimed at improving and strengthening the independent media ecosystem. NFJs are ideally nationally- or sometimes regionally-governed funding structures that are independent of the funders - including governments, bilaterals, multi-laterals, foundations, tech platforms and others - that provide them with financial resources. Even if underpinned principally by public money - either from a domestic government or from international government donors or both - their transparency and independence reduces the risk of the funder being seen to be interfering in the media landscape/market or in individual grantees. This can also help to give confidence to other sources of funding, such as philanthropic, tech, corporate or individual donations, where such donors are wary of being seen to fund media directly. Given these primary sources, NFJs need to operate with a high degree of accountability and transparency, and in general, NFJs are designed and administered by independent and professional bodies, with independent governance and transparent structures and processes. NFJs ideally include representation from diverse parts of the media sector, and potentially from citizens. An NFJ may be centrally administered through a single body or may be a mechanism to decentralise funding through diverse bodies or sub-funds to particular regions or communities, to counteract spatial, racial or other inequalities. As a sector-level intervention, an NFJ should have a longer horizon than project or programmatic funding schemes. In many locations, NFJs will need to address the need for long-term stable funding and therefore, if not established in perpetuity, could be designed to last for a minimum of ten years. NFJs should be established to exist beyond electoral or political cycles, emergencies or short-term project cycles. In many cases, for example, where funds are provided through regulatory mechanisms, they may be established in law." (Pages 4-5) more

Entorno regulatorio y políticas públicas para la sostenibilidad de los medios comunitarios en Honduras

Carlos Ramón Enamorado

Montevideo: Observacom (2023), 33 pp.

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Entorno regulatorio y políticas públicas para la sostenibilidad de los medios comunitarios en Guatemala

Anabella Rivera Codoy

Montevideo: Observacom (2023), 26 pp.

Direito a Comunicação no Brasil 2022

Alex Pegna Hercog, Eduardo Amorim, Mabel Dias et al.

São Paulo: Intervozes (2023), 99 pp.

Ley Orgánica de Comunicación en Ecuador: Génesis, conflicto, reforma y perspectivas

Pablo Romero Guayasamín, Stefanía Lema Insuasti

Quito: Abya-Yala;Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (2023), 289 pp.

Swedish journalists' perceptions of legal protection against unlawful online harassment

Oscar Björkenfeldt

Frontiers in Sociology, volume 8, issue 1154495 (2023), 12 pp.

"This study examined journalists' perceptions regarding the legal system's ability to protect them against online harassment. By utilizing open-ended survey responses from respondents with varying levels of trust in the legal system, the findings suggested a need for increased technical proficiency, ... more

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Beyond Self-Censorship: Hong Kong’s Journalistic Risk Culture under the National Security Law

Francis Lee

China Journal, volume 90 (2023), pp. 129-153

"Professional and liberal-oriented news media in Hong Kong have been under severe political pressure since the establishment of the National Security Law in 2020. Journalists now have to navigate a more dense and uncertain legal minefield. Self-censorship has intensified. This article argues that se ... more

Weaponising the Law: Attacks on Media Freedom
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Joel Simon, Carlos Lauría, Ona Flores

Thomson Reuters Foundation;Tow Center for Digital Journalism (2023), 50 pp.

"The purpose of this report is to provide the first step towards a global overview of the weaponization of the law as a prominent threat to media freedom. In doing so, we offer a resource that can be used to empower those seeking to navigate the shifting legal environment and support those working t ... more

International organizations that protect journalists' rights in international law

Orifjonov Shokhrukhbek Joraboy o'g'li

Proceedings of International Conference on Scientific Research in Natural and Social Sciences, volume 2, issue 6 (2023), pp. 184–190

"The protection of journalists' rights is critical for the preservation of freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democracy. International organizations play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of journalists worldwide. This article examines the international legal framework th ... more

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Medienpolitik: Grundlagen für Wissenschaft und Praxis
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Manuel Puppis

München: UVK, 3., vollständig überarb. und erw. Aufl. (2023), 366 pp.

"Digitalisierung, Transnationalisierung und Kommerzialisierung stellen die Medienpolitik vor große Herausforderungen. Wie kann sichergestellt werden, dass Medien und Plattformen ihre wichtige Funktion in einer demokratischen Gesellschaft erfüllen? In diese Thematik führt Manuel Puppis systematisc ... more

Public Support for Local and Community Media in Three Countries: A Comparative Study

Franz Krüger

African Journalism Studies, volume 44, issue 4 (2023), pp. 310-326

"In the discussion of possible solutions to the business crisis facing legacy media, insufficient attention has been paid to existing arrangements that channel public money to media serving marginalised audiences, particularly in Global South countries. Argentina and South Africa are upper middle-in ... more

Chilling Legislation: Tracking the Impact of “Fake News” Laws on Press Freedom Internationally

Gabrielle Lim, Samantha Bradshaw

Washington, DC: Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) (2023), 20 pp.

"The proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information (MDM) poses serious challenges to democracy, public safety, and national security. Conversely, these very worries could be used as a front for unjustified ends. There is a global trend toward legislation that may risk infringi ... more

Articulations between Self-regulation and Regulation in the Field of Information and Journalism: A Comparative Analysis of European Practices Followed by Observations & Recommendations

Helena Peten, Pina Prata

Bruxelles: Association pour l'Autorégulation de la Déontologie Journalistique (AADJ);Conseil de Déontologie Journalistique (CDJ) (2023), 77 pp.

Distinguishing Journalism from other Sources of Information

Nikolaus Forgó, Ziga Skorjanc, Marie-Catherine Wagner

Vienna: Österreichischer Presserat;Press Councils EU (2023), 24 pp.

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The Search for Sustainable Local Media: Tools and Models

Franz Krüger

BBC Media Action;PRIMED (2022), 3 pp.

"A summary of the forthcoming policy paper Greening Africa's news deserts: The search for sustainable local media in sub-Saharan Africa, soon to be published. The policy paper has been written with support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Fojo Media Institute. It focuses on local and communit ... more