CFOM - Centre for Freedom of the Media

Episode 10: Blackouts and Bylines: Media Freedom on the Frontline

In this episode of the CFOM podcast, we talk to the editor of the Kashmir Times, Anuradha Bhasin. The Kashmir Times is the oldest English daily in Jammu and Kashmir. We talk about the threats that journalists in Kashmir are facing alongside how Anuradha keeps the Kashmir Times running after being subjected to police raids. Anuradha also talks to us about how she petitioned the top court in India following an internet shut down. In this episode of the podcast, she tells us how journalism might be on a ventilator, but she is not going to write its obituary just yet. Hosted by Gemma Horton Produced by Anna Jones

Episode 9: CFOM at Voices - European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy

Episode 9 of the CFOM podcast is the final of three episodes recorded at ⁠⁠Voices - The European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy⁠⁠ [https://voicesfestival.eu/]. The festival, held this year in Zagreb, Croatia in February, is organised by a range of organisations engaged in media freedom and literacy and developments in journalism, including the EBU, The European Federation of Journalists and the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom. It aims to “celebrate the pivotal roles journalism and the informed public play in societies while fostering critical thinking around disinformation”. Presenter Dr Gemma Horton spoke to Maja Šimunjak, Associate Professor in Journalism, Middlesex University and Javier Luque Martínez Digital Media Coordinator at the International Press Institute (IPI) about online harassment and smear campaigns against journalists alongside the importance of newsroom support and resilience training. You can contact CFOM on ⁠⁠cfom@sheffield.ac.uk⁠⁠ or on X at ⁠⁠⁠@CFOMsheff⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/cfomsheff] Presented by Dr Gemma Horton Produced by Anna Jones

Episode 8: CFOM at Voices - European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy

Episode 8 of the CFOM podcast is the second of three episodes recorded at ⁠⁠Voices - The European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy⁠⁠ [https://voicesfestival.eu/]. The festival, held this year in Zagreb, Croatia in February, is organised by a range of organisations engaged in media freedom and literacy and developments in journalism, including the EBU, The European Federation of Journalists and the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom. It aims to “celebrate the pivotal roles journalism and the informed public play in societies while fostering critical thinking around disinformation”. Presenter Dr Gemma Horton spoke to Belén López Garrido, Editorial Manager at the European Broadcasting Union and Iva Nenadić, Scientific Coordinator of the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the European University Institute, about the role of big tech and AI in journalism alongside the threats and opportunities it presents. You can contact CFOM on ⁠⁠cfom@sheffield.ac.uk⁠⁠ or on X at ⁠⁠⁠@CFOMsheff⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/cfomsheff] Presented by Dr Gemma Horton Produced by Anna Jones

Episode 7: CFOM at Media Freedom Rapid Response Summit

Episode 7 of the CFOM podcast was recorded to mark the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) Summit. The summit, held this year in Brussels, Belgium, in October, is organised by the MFRR, a consortium of organisations engaged in media freedom work. The Europe-wide mechanism tracks, monitors and reacts to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The MFRR provides legal support, public advocacy and information to protect journalists and media workers. Presenter Dr Gemma Horton spoke to some of the speakers and organisers to get their views on the state of journalistic freedom. In particular, we highlight the threats that media freedom is under across Europe, highlighting Georgia as a specific example where independent reporting is being shut down: * Elena Rodina: a press freedom expert specialising in journalistic resistance, cross-border collaboration, and exiled media. She coordinates the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) * Renate Schroeder: Director of the European Federation of Journalists * Lia Chakhunashvili: Executive Director of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics * Irma Dimitradze: Communications Manager and journalist at Gazeti Batumelebi LLC, an independent Georgian media organization that operates batumelebi.ge and netgazeti.ge. You can contact CFOM on ⁠⁠cfom@sheffield.ac.uk⁠⁠ or on X at ⁠⁠⁠@CFOMsheff⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/cfomsheff] Presented by Dr Gemma Horton Produced by Anna Jones

Episode 6: CFOM at Voices - European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy

Episode 6 of the CFOM podcast is the first of three episodes recorded at ⁠Voices - The European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy⁠ [https://voicesfestival.eu/]. The festival, held this year in Zagreb, Croatia in February, is organised by a range of organisations engaged in media freedom and literacy and developments in journalism, including the EBU, The European Federation of Journalists and the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom. It aims to “celebrate the pivotal roles journalism and the informed public play in societies while fostering critical thinking around disinformation”. Presenter Dr Gemma Horton spoke to several of the speakers and attendees to get their views on the state of journalistic freedom: Samrita Menon, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samrita-menon-302711118/?originalSubdomain=fr] Associate Programme Specialist in the Media and Information Literacy Unit at UNESCO, on techniques to increase public trust in journalism and what journalists can learn from influencers and vice versa.  Divina Frau-Meigs, [https://divina-frau-meigs.fr/] professor of media and information and communications technology sociology at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, France, on the attacks the media are facing around the world which is undermining trust in journalism.  Clothilde Le Coz works for French NGO ⁠Journalisme & Citoyenneté⁠ [https://journalisme.com/en/], part of the consortium behind the festival. She spoke about the work she does to help journalists connect with the general public, and how journalists can make their work even more useful for audiences.   Damian Tambini [https://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/people/academic-staff/damian-tambini], Distinguished Policy Fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics, questions whether a decline in trust is necessarily a bad thing for journalism, and whether the industry should be more open to critique and regulation.  You can contact CFOM on ⁠⁠cfom@sheffield.ac.uk⁠⁠ or on X at ⁠⁠@CFOMsheff⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/cfomsheff] Presented by Dr Gemma Horton Produced by Anna Jones