When one of South Africa’s biggest newspaper chains was sold last month, an odd name was buried in the list of new owners: China International Television Corp. A major stake in a South African newspaper group might seem an unusual acquisition for Chinese state television, but it was no mystery to anyone who has watched the rapid expansion of China’s media empire across Africa.

Were Marshall McLuhan advising Bashar al-Assad, he would have told him the same thing the Syrian President’s counsellors did: Go on television and take your case directly to the American people. And that’s exactly what the man accused of using chemical weapons on his own people did, courtesy of Charlie Rose, the popular 71-year-old interviewer of the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service.

Western media organisations are trying to demonise China and promote revolution and national disintegration as they hate seeing the country prosper, the head of China’s official Xinhua news agency said in comments published on Wednesday. China’s ruling Communist Party has in recent weeks been tightening controls over the internet and reminding state media of its responsibility to promote a “correct political direction”, as President Xi Jinping dashes hopes his administration will embark on political reforms.

China’s gaffe-prone media are at it again – this time regarding the U.S. government’s military action in Syria. According to a report published by the South China Morning Post, yesterday China Radio International put together a photo gallery that was intended to show worldwide protests against military intervention in Syria. However, the international radio broadcaster overlooked one photo that clearly features people protesting China instead.

My heart is in my throat. I haven't taken a full breath for 24 hours. On the horizon is the sight I'd been hoping to avoid: black flags and men in smocks with AK-47s slung casually over their shoulders—which means a checkpoint manned by jihadist fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a.k.a. ISIS, a.k.a. the latest and most feared incarnation of al-Qaeda in Syria.

Egyptian authorities have freed a four-member team of Al Jazeera journalists after holding them in detention for five days without charge. Correspondent Wayne Hay, cameraman Adil Bradlow and producers Russ Finn and Mohammed Baher were freed on Sunday afternoon. They were arrested on Tuesday while covering events in Cairo. Three other Al Jazeera journalists are still being held in Egypt: Shihab Elddin Shaarawi, an executive producer with Al Jazeera Mubasher, was arrested on Friday morning.

Two new television deals mean that New Zealand viewers are for the first time able to watch global news channel Al Jazeera English. From today, on SKY channel 090, Al Jazeera’s offering of news, documentaries and programmes from over seventy bureaus worldwide will be beamed into nearly half of New Zealand homes reaching around two million people. And from 1st November, Al Jazeera will be on Freeview HD channel 16, broadcasting live and free to air.

Egypt's interim government called an Al-Jazeera local affiliate that broadcasts in Arabic a national threat Thursday, moving closer to banning its broadcasts beamed from Qatar after the affiliate aired recordings of declarations by fugitive leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Qatar-based television network said four journalists working for its English service were arrested in Cairo.