ASIA

In an effort to enhance people’s abilities to access, utilize and share reliable information in both physical and digital spaces, UNESCO has launched a podcast series “Think Critically, Click Wisely” on media and information literacy.The Podcast series consists of eight episodes and is accessible on popular streaming platforms like Spotify and Amazon Music. It aims to equip listeners with essential media and information literacy skills through engaging discussions with media experts and compelling stories from around the globe.The audience can expect to gain practical insights into navigating various topics such as disinformation, hate speech, digital skills, AI and privacy.

Through the podcast series, listeners will:

Understand the significance of Media and Information Literacy in today’s digital age.

Acquire essential skills for navigating the digital landscape.

Identify and counter misinformation and disinformation, including conspiracy theories, through fact-checking and related techniques.

Recognize hate speech and discrimination across various multimedia platforms and advocate for more diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Gain insights into the functionality of Artificial Intelligence and algorithms, as well as the ethical use and training of AI tools.

Understand both individual and institutional responsibilities in safeguarding privacy, as well as the available avenues for recourse in the event of privacy breaches.

The podcast series is a condensed version of UNESCO’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Think Critically, Click wisely: Media and Information Literacy in the next normal. Consisting of 20 modules, the MOOC provides comprehensive and interactive training to equip learners with the media and information literacy skills. Learners can explore a boarder range of topics such as digital authorship, entrepreneurship, health, and well-being.Available in English and Spanish, both the MOOC and podcast series are suitable for educators, students and concerned citizens alike.Listen to the podcast here. […]

As the unrest in Bangladesh continues with violent protests which saw the state broadcaster Bangladesh TV being burnt down last week, public radio Bangladesh Betar’s website is still silent.The government cracked down heavily on students who were protesting quotas reserving 30% of government jobs for veterans who fought in the 1971 independence war and their children.The internet and all forms of telecommunications were shut down last week and there was a complete information blackout.

While the Bangladesh Betar building was safe, the internet shutdown took down their stream and it continues to be offline at the time of the publishing of this story.A staff member told radioinfo: “There were no internet connection in the country since 8:30PM local time on Thursday. Apparently there were clashes between students and law enforcement agencies, but things spiralled out of control as vested quarters got involved and there were fire and robberies across various government offices.”“Then the country went into curfew from 12 midnight on Friday and is still ongoing. But during daytime for 4-5 hours curfew gets relaxed and people can go out.”“Our offices resumed from today. Bangladesh Television are a separate entity under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and have their own station separated from Betar. On Wednesday, some miscreants went into BTV station in Dhaka and did a lot of damage to some offices. They set fire on some places inside. Damages are still being assessed.”The country’s Information and Broadcasting Minister has also visited the site.

Meanwhile the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has asked the government to disclose full details about last week’s crackdown amid growing accounts of horrific violence, and to ensure all law enforcement operations abide by international human rights norms and standards. He also called on the government to restore full internet access to allow all people, including journalists and media outlets, to communicate freely and in line with international law. […]

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has released its findings on media freedom violations in Afghanistan for the first six months of 2024, reporting that seven media outlets have been shut down in the first half of 2024 under Taliban orders.These include two private television stations in Kabul, two radio stations in Ghazni, one radio station in Parwan, one radio station in Laghman, and one radio station in Khost province. Three of these closures have been temporary, while the rest remain permanently shut down.According to the AFJC, a total of 89 cases of violations of journalists’ and media rights were recorded in various provinces across the country from January to June 2024.

The findings highlighted an increase in pressure on private and independent media, with the Taliban authorities closely monitoring media content and interfering in the operations of local media outlets. There have been threats against journalists and local private radio and television networks in the provinces that broadcast content featuring women’s voices or musical backgrounds.Journalists who cooperate with exile media that covers Afghanistan issues have also been receiving warnings.According to the report: “Local journalists can only collaborate with national media by obtaining approval from local authorities. This pressure extends to the publication of any content on social networks and personal accounts of journalists.”AFJC has urged the Taliban authorities to reconsider their media policy, stop making unwarranted demands on journalists and media organizations, and establish a climate that is devoid of fear and self-censorship.Photo: AFJC Press Release        Credit: Victor J. Blue for The New York Times […]

More speakers have been announced for Radiodays Asia and Podcast Day Asia. Radiodays Asia takes place 2-4 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Podcast Day Asia takes place on Tuesday, September 5, and is part of Radiodays Asia.Chase Hattie, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at mowPod, BermudamowPod is the leading platform driving engaged podcast audiences in the USA. With a track record of conceptualizing and developing audience growth products utilized by major podcast networks and media companies globally, Chase excels in forging partnerships with industry leaders to optimize audience expansion and enhance podcasting’s overall impact.Chase will be moderating a panel featuring an exceptional lineup of experts, focusing on audience development for podcasts in Asia. The panel will delve into essential topics such as effective growth metrics, successful strategies, pitfalls to avoid, and innovative methods to increase podcast visibility and reach.Priya Dharshini Prabakaran, Director of Astro Audio, MalaysiaPriya is the first female and youngest Director of Astro Audio since its inception in 1996. Starting as a Music Executive at Hitz FM, Malaysia’s No.1 English station, she progressed to become Station Manager, and eventually assumed the responsibility of English Network Manager.  At Astro Priya leads the development and implementation of content strategies across multiple platforms for all 13 brands under Astro Radio and SYOK. Her focus on delivering quality content reflects her deep understanding of audience preferences and market trends.

Justine Murray, Senior Podcast Producer, RNZ National, New ZealandBeginning her broadcasting career in 1998 with Māori radio in Tauranga Moana, Justine has worked as a freelance reporter, Māori language sportscasting and part of the launch team for a youth radio station in 2003. Now as a Senior Podcast Producer at RNZ National, Aotearoa New Zealand she has worked on the long form radio series Te Ahi Kaa, a programme centred on the Māori storytelling as well as many other podcasts.  Additionally Justine contributes to Māori language news at Moana Radio, in Tauranga, and hosts a weekly bi-lingual show ‘Paewhiri’ with two co-hosts, discussing identity, culture and language in these changing times.Philippe Generali, President and CEO of RCS worldwidePhilippe joined RCS USA in 1996 as a Product Manager and subsequently became Vice President of Operations. In 2003, he established Media Monitors, a market research company that uses RCS fingerprinting technology and operates multiple data production centres globally. By 2007, Generali expanded his responsibilities to include President and CEO of the Florical Systems division, which specializes in television automation. He further extended his leadership by taking charge of Mediabase in 2010.  Throughout his career, Generali has demonstrated exceptional leadership in both the radio and television industries, leveraging his technical background and innovative mindset to drive growth and technological advancements within the companies he has led.You can register for the whole three-day Radiodays Asia conference, or you can register just for Podcast Day Asia. […]

After the attack last week that shut down the Bangladesh government’s tv station BTV in Dakar, the  government radio network, Bangladesh Betar has also gone silent.The attacks occurred after the Prime Minister appeared on the tv network calling for calm in the face of increasingly violent protests in the country.Protests first broke out on university campuses earlier this month about quotas for government jobs. Quotas reserving 30% of government jobs for veterans who fought in the 1971 independence war and their children, were abolished in 2018, but were reinstated last month after a court order.

Students argue that the quotas disadvantage them getting jobs and also entrench loyalty and support for the current government within the public service.Hundreds of protesters clashed with riot police who had fired rubber bullets at them, then the protesters invaded the BTV compound and set several buildings alight. Staff fled to safety and the tv station went off air.The BTV compound is several blocks away from the main radio building in Dakar, but it appears that radio has also been affected by the violence in the city, with no services now available and the Bangladesh Betar website down at the time of writing.The station’s main radio stream has fallen silent.

Other private radio stations are still on air but appear to have  departed from their regular formats to play music at this time. […]

The second workshop organised by the Indonesian Public broadcaster RRI and the DRM consortium took place on July 3. It was attended by about 140 participants from RRI stations and headquarters, and other interested Indonesian parties.This workshop follows an introductory workshop held in April with a presentation from the DRM consortium participants and contributions from RRI, KOMINFO (ministry) and BMKG (disaster agency).The aim of the second joint Indonesian seminar was to go step by step with suggestions for introducing DRM for local, regional and national coverage of the country in a costly efficient and practical way.

Key DRM speakers detailed how DRM can build on existing and new infrastructure to offer enhanced audio and multimedia services in all frequency bands. They also detailed how DRM can also offer special benefits like emergency warning, highway traffic news and e-learning. The many receiver solutions including the mobile ones were of particular interest to the participants.Some of the main conclusions of the workshop were that DRM is already a tested and recommended digital radio standard in Indonesia. The versatility of the standard is demonstrated as DRM offers flexible paths to digitization as a per-broadcaster operation (as AM/FM successor), as well as an efficient transmitter-sharing option (Multichannel-DRM). This latest modern and ultra-efficient option enables RRI to be the industry-leading platform operator in the FM-band and band-III. As the transmission chain elements and receiver technologies exist already, the final conclusion of the workshop was that DRM is ready to fully digitise Indonesian radio now. […]