2024 | newsletters
In our first newsletter for 2024, Derek looks at the rules that apply to local radio presenters and social media and ask whether the national broadcaster has its editorial policy settings right. Monica then explores the controversy around objectivity and journalists from diverse backgrounds. And Tim switches gear to AI and looks at how research questions become redundant even before they’re answered.
In this newsletter, Ayesha is looking at one tool of war that we also saw in the early stages of the Russia/Ukraine war – the use of AI generated images of civilians, mostly children, presumably created to generate even more sympathy for the besieged victims of the Hamas/Israel conflict. Kieran looks at the government’s response to AI risks. Next, Shaun Davies looks at a copyright issue plaguing Tik Tok and Derek delves into a decision by a regional Mayor to stop a defamation action against ChatGPT’s maker, Open AI which, on a prompted search, claimed he'd served prison time for corruption.
Another newsletter, another week in AI advances – and failures. In this issue, Kieran Lindsay covers some of the recent AI news, highlighting ongoing issues of accuracy, bias and legal liability. Shaun Davies drills down into the growing problem of deepfake videos, which just got a lot easier to make thanks to OpenAI’s new text-to-video generator, Sora. He asks Bryce Craig, lawyer at Gilbert + Tobin, what legal protections we have as individuals, and as a body politic. Turning to the news industry, Nick Newling and Ayesha Jehangir’s piece looks at new site The Nightly. Is it the knight in shining armour Australia’s been waiting for? Or will it go the way of vice.com, the latest high-profile site to crash and burn?
Monica looks at Meta's announcement that it will stop paying Australian news publishers for content that appears on their platform, and asks: where to now? Derek discusses some points around the definition and scope of public interest journalism in our submission to the public consultation on the Department of Communications’ proposed News Media Assistance Program. Hal Crawford explains NZ's news media crisis - why it’s happening and what lessons these hold for Australian broadcast media. And Ayesha looks at what alternative news media might look like if the traditional editorial and business models of news crumble globally.
In this newsletter, we reflect on the ways our digital frontiers are shifting, and how they're being policed. After Monica explores the vexed issue of social media and impartiality at the ABC, Ayesha addresses the question: what exactly do we want our digital sphere(s) to look like? Tim then ponders the merits of digital spheres without news, before Sacha looks at some recent legal developments.
This week’s newsletter is all about the conduct of companies in the broader media landscape and the rules that govern their conduct – or fail to. Monica and Sacha look at the ethical questions raised by the latest twists in the Lehrmann action. Derek looks at how social media platform X, in a series of moves against the eSafety Commissioner and its own industry association, is offering a challenge to the still-developing regulatory framework for digital platforms. Lastly, we link to a recent ABC broadcast where Ayesha explains her Pashtun background and recounts the difficulties of her early life in Pakistan, her work as a journalist in Afghanistan, and her transformation into a researcher in Australia.
Who could have missed Elon Musk’s challenge to the Australian E-Safety Commissioner’s demand that X (formerly Twitter) hide all posts linking to depictions of the horrific knife attack on a prominent Orthodox Christian leader in Sydney last week or face huge fines?Derek takes a look at the complicated legal issues that follow a week of political position taking and platform pushback. Ayesha is looking at differences in the way news media covered the attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at Wakeley Park in far western Sydney and the way it covered the Bondi Junction shopping mall stabbings in the city’s eastern suburbs. And Monica takes a look at how the Federal Court’s Justice Michael Lee, of Lehrmann vs Ten and Wilkinson fame assessed journalistic reasonableness. Both Ten and Lisa Wilkinson have hailed the judgment in their favour in the defamation trial as a victory. But the Judge was critical of the way Ten arrived at the truth.
In this issue, Ayesha explores some of the recent context that may be driving the fall in Australia’s ranking for World Press Freedom. Israel may further damage its already-low ranking of 101, raiding and suspending Al Jazeera’s operations. Monica investigates the risk to Israel’s democratic legitimacy. Tim discusses research that suggests that, in addition to the wide range of social goods that media subsidies can promote, a well-supported media system is less prone to influence than a struggling one. Sacha and Derek have been hard at work on a systematic review of media-standards schemes around the world and published a table summarising Denmark’s scheme. This will be followed by accounts of other countries’ approaches, as well as a report, all with a view to gaining a better perspective on how to reform Australia’s fragmented, inadequate system of news-media oversight. Lastly, Sacha dives into the legal and ethical issues raised by Peter Stefanovic’s own-goal in his interview with prizewinning fisherman Keegan Payne.
This newsletter talks about power. Derek analyses X’s win in the Federal Court, where the eSafety Commissioner failed to have an injunction extended that would have compelled the platform to remove all videos of the Wakeley stabbing. How much power should the regulator should have to ban content? Sometimes, power is less obvious and this includes the recommender algorithms that determine so much of what we see online. Sacha discusses the curious case of a US academic who sued Meta to force the platform to allow him to adjust his Facebook Feed. Meanwhile, Michael writes about the power dynamics behind the flurry of news about AI. And Shaun Davies turns his attention to Scarlett Johansson and AI.
Derek Wilding discusses eSafety v X , Kieran Lindsay looks at the OpenAI & News Corp deal and what sustainable business models might look like for journalism in the face of AI, and then Sacha Molitorisz discusses the attention on Tingle and impartiality.
Chris and Gary explore some of this year’s Digital News Report findings. Chris looks at the use of short-form and long-form video as a source of news, while Gary looks at how interest in local news is holding up, particularly in regional areas. Kieran reports on changes made to the Basic Online Safety Expectations that are administered by the eSafety Commissioner.
Assange, freedom of speech, AI and govt subsidies | Issue 12/2024
In our newsletter, Kieran has been testing out generative AI’s infamous ability to extract information from large volumes of documents, which has been useful in academic research. Will it be the same for journalism? Michael considers what we can expect, and should hope for, in a redrafted Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill. And finally, Tim Koskie, who this week left us to take up a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Sydney, writes about how scholars around the world are thinking about what government can do to help subsidise private media, a subject of discussion at this year’s International Communications Association Post Conference on the Gold Coast – from which many of us at the CMT have just returned.
Lowering the temperature | Issue 13/2024
In our newsletter, Chris Hall looks at how some Australian journalists and smaller newsrooms could benefit not only from adopting more social-media-savvy production values, but also from the business model adopted by many YouTube content-producers. Ayesha Jehangir casts a critical eye on the news that the Washington Post has released its own climate-change chatbot. And Simon Levett examines the potential investigation by the International Criminal Court of journalists’ deaths in Gaza – which number 108 as of 15 July.
Jobs, tax breaks and keeping info clean | Issue 14/2024
This newsletter, Gary Dickson takes a close look at what might be some good news for journalism the final report of the Productivity Commission on the question of removing some of the barriers that prevent registered charities from accessing deductible gift recipient (DGR) status. Kean Wong gives you a peek at the Information Integrity Forum for which invited 16 editors from India, The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to UTS to talk about the problems they’re facing in their newsrooms with mis- and disinformation. Michael takes a look at the use of deep fakes in political campaigns and the corrosive impact of its normalisation (should that occur), whilst Miguel D'Souza brings you the latest news in the world of generative AI. By the way, if you’re curious about how Australian editors have been thinking about the use of genAI, have a read of our 2023 report here.
Government misinformation, media's gambling habit and tech challenges | Issue 15/2024
Monica discusses the recent II Forum held by the Centre which brought together a group of editors from India, Malaysia, Indonesia and The Philippines to exchange information on the problems each of us are experiencing in combatting mis and disinformation. Miguel takes a look at a network of AI operated accounts, linked to a Chinese university and a Chinese AI company which have appeared on X (formerly Twitter). The accounts – some 5000 of them – target contentious US narratives on China but also amplify political issues in Australia. Kieran shares his views on the dwindling sources of funding available to media, which might worsen if the federal government proceeds with its plan to ban gambling advertising on commercial free to air networks. And lastly, Sacha discusses the UTS Allens Neota Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice.
Michael looks at the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, and what the saga means for free speech. Sacha takes a look at the ever-diminishing deals available to news media from the platforms, in particular Google – as the government turns its mind to other ways to help journalism. Meanwhile, Monica tries to make sense of why the public broadcaster’s Managing Director David Anderson has resigned, four years before the end of his current contract.
Social media spotlight, fakes and Brazil boots out X | Issue 17/2024
Tamara tackles the tension between freedom of expression and tackling the spread of misinformation in Brazil where the country’s Supreme Court has upheld a ban on X (formerly Twitter). Sacha delves into the controversial question around banning kids from social media, and Meta’s unashamed admission that it's mining our data for its own AI machine and we can’t stop them. Michael assesses the government’s latest Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, tabled this week in Parliament. And Monica looks at research showing that maybe politically motivated, AI-generated ‘deepfakes’ aren’t hitting the mark.
