One of the greatest challenges to modern democracies is the spread of misinformation. Yet conventional explanations of how it spreads and why may not be right.
In a new paper – Sharing of misinformation is habitual, not just lazy or biased – by Gizem Ceylan, Ian Anderson and Wendy Wood (PNAS 17 January 2023) argue that while misinformation is a worldwide concern carrying socioeconomic and political consequences we are not so sure about what drives its spread.
Rupert Murdoch may be running out of political clout and financial luck.
For decades Murdoch has been a pernicious influence on journalism, politics, climate policy, progressive ideas and whether nations go to war or not.
Murdoch is now 91. His father died young and his mother lived until 103 mourned by all who knew her and benefited from her generosity. So, what the genetic lottery means for his longevity is moot although when the inevitable comes he is unlikely to be mourned by all.
Writing in John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations newsletter (2 March 2023) Dr Helen McCue addressed the current Israeli settler violence in the context of what Israel’s media and many Israelis were saying about the violence.
Dr McCue previously worked with the United Nations with refugees and the displaced in the Middle East – many of them displaced as a result of US and Australian military interventions. She has been a strong advocate for Palestinian human rights including the rights of Palestinian refugees for more than 40 years.
A couple of decades ago the phrase international best practice seemed to be on the lips of just about every business leader, business and economics journalists and the odd politician.
In fact, much of it was a justification for various overseas study tours and traditional employer attempts to reduce wages and worsen working conditions.
If you follow the mainstream media the campaign for the Voice is being overwhelmed by controversy, lack of detail and conflict.
Even progressive parts of the media – for instance crikey – feature pieces like a recent one by Dennis Aitkin which said: “There’s no doubt most Australians want First Nations peoples to have constitutional recognition, but are the numbers there to guarantee that?
The British refrain for many, many decades was: ‘There’ll always be an England’.
For the US, from when Europeans first invaded, the refrain might as well have been ‘There’ll always be an enemy’.
Of course, the British empire always had an enemy too: the French, the Zulus, the Boers, the Germans, the Kenyans, the rebellious Indians, the Irish, the Russians and assorted tribal and national groups who needed to be civilised at the point of a gun.
Bill Garner – academic, author, actor and activist – attended the City of Port Phillip Council meeting discussing the Cost Review Report. (see last blog for the blog’s view of the matter).
He was cut off after two minutes and what he wasn’t allowed to say is in italics. It is a compelling defence of the role of the arts and culture. He has given his permission to reproduce what he said. His comments follow.
Sometimes the City of Port Phillip comes up with things which might as well be lifted direct from Yes Prime Minister or The Hollowmen.
It’s latest stunt is a Cost Review Program for 2022 for which the PPurpose (sic) is to outline the outcomes of the Cost Review Program 2022 to be considered as part of the development and consultation of the Draft Budget 2023/24.
Election night TV coverages blur into one big indigestible mass as the years go by. Yet every now and again a few stand out.
For progressives it was the sinking feeling as Scott Morrison won in 2019 and the clear early indication from Penny Wong’s body language. For Victorians it was probably the sight of John Pesutto, serving as an expert commentator on the ABC coverage while losing his Hawthorn seat in the Andrews landslide.
The good news for the Murdoch media is that it’s not the most distrusted brand in Australia – despite the efforts of its journalists.
The bad news is that – according to the Roy Morgan Research Most Trusted and Distrusted Brands research – it is the fifth most distrusted behind Facebook, Optus, Telstra and Amazon. It just edges out Harvey Norman, whose ads in newspapers provoke much irritation, which rated sixth.