Things are heating up on the media policy front. In this issue, Derek runs through the question of which regulator should be tasked with managing the external dispute resolution scheme for digital platforms proposed by the ACCC, and Sacha looks at the proposed reforms issuing from the review of the Privacy Act. Last week’s Senate estimates hearings covered several issues of current research interest for us, and Ayesha looks at the hubbub surrounding the ABC Ombudsman’s breach finding against an ABC radio report on Alice Springs.
Meanwhile, you might recall that at the end of 2022, with the work of First Draft wrapping up internationally, we flagged a change of direction for our information disorder research program. Our focus has moved away from real-time monitoring towards understanding the drivers of information disorder and using this understanding to develop effective policy and industry interventions.
The first project we are looking at is a study of information flows relating to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Politically fraught issues such as the Voice tend to generate increased levels of misinformation. By their nature, such issues are difficult to address in a way that mitigates the social harms caused by the proliferation of misinformation while preserving freedom of expression. This is a large part of what makes information disorder such a wicked problem – another theme of our research program. We hope the project will help us to understand what kinds of intervention could be useful and how they can be legitimately and properly exercised.
In addition to this research, we’ll be launching a seminar series featuring some of our affiliated researchers and visiting scholars working in the area. Stay tuned for more information.
Michael Davis, CMT Research Fellow