Confidence in the media has long been low, but can we really afford a society without truth and balance, asks Dr Johan Lidberg.
The Oxford Dictionaries recently coined ‘post-truth’ the 2016 word of the year. The definition according to Oxford Dictionaries is ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’
This poses major challenges for journalism whose main currency is seeking to report as factually and truthfully as possible (there is of course no such thing as absolute truth as it depends on your initial point of view). If your audience is not prepared to listen to and consider facts, what is then the point in spending months on researching and uncovering hidden truths and facts? Read the full article in New Matilda.
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My take on the prosecution of Witness K
Fear is a tricky thing. It’s often hard to distinguish between what is real and … Continue reading My take on the prosecution of Witness K
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ABC caves in after political pressure – latest piece in the conversation
The ABC’s chief economics correspondent, Emma Alberici, did her job the other day. She wrote … Continue reading ABC caves in after political pressure – latest piece in the conversation
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Australia – world champ in anti-terror and security laws
My latest piece in The Conversation on the proposed federal bill on foreign interference and … Continue reading Australia – world champ in anti-terror and security laws
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‘In the name of security – secrecy, surveillance and journalism’
Our book assessing the impact of anti-terror, secrecy and surveillance laws on in-depth public interest … Continue reading ‘In the name of security – secrecy, surveillance and journalism’
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How should research into journalism be assessed in Australia?
In the July edition, 2017, of the Australian Journalism Review one section of the journal … Continue reading How should research into journalism be assessed in Australia?
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The Senate inquiry: How governments can support public interest journalism
Drawing on the Journalism Education Research Association Australia’s submission (that I contributed to) I outline … Continue reading The Senate inquiry: How governments can support public interest journalism
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‘A government without newspapers’ – why we should care about the cuts at Fairfax
Market based journalism is failing public interest journalism. It’s time for governments to consider how … Continue reading ‘A government without newspapers’ – why we should care about the cuts at Fairfax
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Trump supporters playing with nationalistic fire
Has nationalism combined with xenophobia ever brought the world anything good? The answer is no. … Continue reading Trump supporters playing with nationalistic fire
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New article – Suspect identified: revisiting naming practices in crime coverage
Australian Journalism Review – Vol 38 Issue 1 (Jul 2016) with Steve Lillebuen and Philip … Continue reading New article – Suspect identified: revisiting naming practices in crime coverage
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New article: Information access evolution: assessing Freedom of Information reforms in Australia
Australian Journalism Review – Vol 38 Issue 1 (Jul 2016) The past seven years have … Continue reading New article: Information access evolution: assessing Freedom of Information reforms in Australia
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Secrecy, Naru and Manus island
My take on our right to know what is done in our name in the … Continue reading Secrecy, Naru and Manus island
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UniPollWatch: Monash journalism and 27 other unis cover the 2016 election
More than 100 Monash journalism student reporters contributed to the coverage of the recent marathon … Continue reading UniPollWatch: Monash journalism and 27 other unis cover the 2016 election