Tag: media

As Mexico marks journalist Valdez’s murder, another colleague killed

by Miriam Ramírez © Agence France-Presse CULIACAN, Mexico (AFP) — A Mexican journalist was murdered Tuesday, the fourth of 2018, as the country mourned acclaimed reporter and writer Javier Valdez on the first anniversary of his killing. Juan Carlos Huerta was shot dead as he left his home in a suburb of Villahermosa, the capital of the southern state of Tabasco, the state government said. The 45-year-old radio and television journalist had a wife and two […]

News agencies hail ‘major step’ by EU to make net giants pay for news

PARIS, France (AFP) — News agencies welcomed Monday what they called a “major step” by the EU parliament’s legal committee asking internet giants to pay for press articles. Officials are hammering out an overhaul of EU copyright rules against the backdrop of free online news that has decimated earnings for traditional media companies. “Very profitable companies, like Facebook and Google, offer users qualified news reporting from publishers including news agencies, but they do not offer […]

Malaysian news site mounts legal challenge to ‘fake news’ law

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — A leading Malaysian news portal mounted a legal challenge Friday against a law aimed at combating “fake news,” which critics fear will be used to stifle dissent before elections next month. Parliament earlier in April passed the legislation, which makes the dissemination of deliberately misleading information punishable by up to six years in jail and a hefty fine. The government has argued it will safeguard the public, but the opposition […]

‘Burning man’ image wins AFP top prize at World Press Photo

  by Jan Hennop Agence France-Presse NETHERLANDS (AFP) — Agence France-Presse photographer Ronaldo Schemidt won the prestigious 2018 World Press Photo of the Year Award Thursday with a fiery image of a masked Venezuelan protester which judges said symbolised a country “burning.” Schemidt’s photo, taken during violent clashes with riot police and protesters demonstrating against President Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Caracas last year, invoked an instant emotion, the judges said. AFP also scooped other awards, […]

New standards for journalists to fight fake news

PARIS, France (AFP) — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and leading broadcasters launched a drive against fake news Tuesday with a new set of trust and transparency standards for journalists. The Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), which hopes to be able to certify outlets and news sources with high standards of ethical norms and independence, is being backed by Agence-France Presse, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Global Editors Network. RSF head Christophe Deloire said the […]

Malaysia proposes 10 years’ jail for ‘fake news’

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — The Malaysian government Monday proposed a law to combat “fake news” which could see offenders jailed for 10 years, sparking fears authorities aim to stifle criticism as elections loom. Governments in several countries, emboldened by US President Donald Trump’s fulminations against “fake news,” are considering such legislation. But rights groups warn that authoritarian regimes are likely to use the new laws to crack down on dissent. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib […]

Google boosts efforts to help news organizations, with $300 mn

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Google on Tuesday launched a new initiative, committing $300 million to help news publishers get more paid subscribers while stemming the flow of misinformation. The internet giant described the Google News Initiative as part of an “effort to help journalism thrive in the digital age.” The announcement in New York followed a series of commitments to help the troubled sector by Google, which has been accused by some in […]

UK firm in Facebook row suspends CEO amid fresh revelations

by Alice Ritchie © Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Cambridge Analytica, the British firm at the centre of a major scandal rocking Facebook, suspended its chief executive Alexander Nix Tuesday, as he became embroiled in fresh controversy and lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic demanded answers over the data breach. Recordings of Nix emerged Tuesday evening in which he boasts about the company’s expansive role in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, claiming it did […]

Facebook rocked by data breach scandal as investigations loom

by Rob Lever © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook shares plunged Monday as the social media giant faced an onslaught of criticism at home and abroad over revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign harvested and misused data on 50 million members. Calls for investigations came on both sides of the Atlantic after Facebook responded to the explosive reports of misuse of its data by suspending the account of Cambridge […]

Pagpapanatili ng kapayapaan, magkatuwang na isinagawa ng 91st IB at mga mamamahayag sa Aurora

AURORA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Patuloy ang pagpapaigting ng ugnayan ng mga mamamahayag at ng kasundaluhan sa Aurora para sa kapayapaan, pagkakaisa at pagbabalita ng wastong impormasyon. Sa isinagawang strategic planning para sa isang taong programa, magkatuwang na bumuo ng mga plano ang Kaugnay Media Defense Corps Incorporated  (KMDCI) Aurora Chapter at 91st Infantry Sinagtala Battalion. Isa sa mga kampanya ng KMDCI ngayong taon ang massive recruitment ng Philippine Army Reservists na siyang magiging katuwang […]

Play ‘fake news tycoon’ to combat misinformation

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Trolling, impersonating, demonizing: these are just some of the behaviors encouraged in a new online game launching Tuesday in which young players become “fake news tycoons” — to counter growing misinformation. Researchers at Cambridge University have teamed up with a Dutch media collective to develop an English version of the game aimed at inoculating people against the spread of so-called fake news. The exercise encourages participants, who are tasked with […]

Tax benefit lifts profit for Murdoch’s Fox

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Media-entertainment giant 21st Century Fox said Wednesday that profits had doubled in the past quarter, boosted by a one-time tax benefit from recently enacted US legislation. The group led by mogul Rupert Murdoch and his family reported a net profit for shareholders of $1.83 billion in the final three months of 2017, up from $856 million a year earlier. Revenues rose nearly five percent in the period to $8.04 billion for […]