The Australian article states:
It is many years away.
1 Like
Iâd imagine that most if not all Australian broadcasters will eventually move to online-only services as the digital world evolves.
But realistically, this probably wonât happen for another 2-3 decades or so.
2 Likes
3 Likes
Conference on media coverage of news
Inaugural Media Literacy Conference
Public interest journalism in Australia and the need for better media literacy will be the key themes of a national conference to be held in Hobart next month.
The national journalism and media literacy conference, Navigating the News, released its full program today featuring leading national and international journalists and academics.
One of the keynote speakers, Dr Claire Wardle, an international expert on false news, will join a diversity of Australian media leaders to discuss the complex challenges confronting the news and information landscape.
Navigating the News, is a two-day event on Hobartâs waterfront on 10 â 11 September bringing together the best in Australian journalism and academia to discuss trust in journalism, how to collaborate to help better inform citizens and ways to boost media literacy responses. Science and health communications are also a focus of the event, which is being led by the ABC and the University of Tasmania.Conference convenor, journalist and media academic, Dr Joce Nettlefold said the event had taken on even more relevance with the announcement of the Nine/Fairfax merger.
âThe media sector around the world is in constant upheaval,â Dr Nettlefold said. âAs more Australians consume news online, and increasingly turn to social media for news, mistrust of those sources is intensifying.â
Other speakers at the event will include ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania Professor Rufus Black; Director ABC News, Analysis and Investigations Gaven Morris; UNESCO Chair of Journalism and Communication at the University of Queensland Professor Peter Greste; Chief Executive of The Australian Nicholas Gray; Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald Lisa Davies; and Editor and General Manager of Buzzfeed Australia, Simon Crerar.
Organisations involved in panel sessions will include Google, Facebook, the Walkley Foundation, the Museum of Australian Democracy, Vic Health, the Australian Academy of Science and the Foundation of Young Australians.
Dr Wardle is Executive Director of First Draft, which is dedicated to finding solutions to the challenges associated with trust and truth in the digital age. She is also a Research Fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On day two focus will shift to media literacy, the needs of young Australians and challenges for educators. Keynote speaker is Australiaâs National Childrenâs Commissioner, Ms Megan Mitchell.
The conference is the flagship event of the inaugural Media Literacy Week â an ABC initiative aimed at equipping Australians of all ages â particularly students â with the skills they need to understand and interpret news and information.
Most of the conference will be livestreamed and available on-demand on ABC platforms, including iview, after the event.
For the event overview and conference registration go here.
Access the conferenceâs full program here.
Correcting the record on ABC Life
Recent media reports on the upcoming new ABC digital site ABC Life have promulgated incorrect information based on nothing but anonymous quotes attributed to alleged âstaffersâ.
No authorised, discoverable ABC spokesperson has made the statements that the purpose of ABC Life is âto replicate content that does well on commercial sitesâ or that it will be a âBuzzFeed page for the ABCâ. While the ABC does not disclose internal financial details, the figures put on the ABC Life budget have been grossly inflated.
In a cluttered digital environment, fresh approaches are needed to ensure stories are created and shared in ways that are most useful to audiences. ABC Life will make a broad range of quality and engaging ABC content more easily accessible. The project has a small dedicated team and gives our existing employees located around Australia an opportunity to work on an exciting new digital project.
ABC Life is funded from the ABC Content Fund, which was announced in March last year to meet the changing needs and expectations of audiences. The site will utilise ABC journalists and content makers from around metropolitan and regional Australia and bring together in one place curated content from across the ABC, as well as helping much-loved programs reach new audiences and showcasing distinctive ABC programming, supplemented by creative output from the ABC Life team.
More information on this project will be announced soon, and we look forward to making it easier for audiences Australia-wide to discover and enjoy the huge variety of distinctive and informative content they expect from the ABC.
ABC approach to conducting challenging interviews
Media commentators have reported that far-right nationalist Blair Cottrell, currently in the news for his recent interview on News Corporationâs Sky News, has also previously been interviewed on the ABC.
That is true, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss the important issues around how those interviews were conducted, as well as the ABCâs approach to dealing with all potentially controversial interviews.
The ABC does not ban people on the basis of their political beliefs. However, our guidelines require that programs give viewers adequate context and background on interviewees and challenge their statements when appropriate. They also require programs to ensure that the ABC is not seen to be condoning or encouraging prejudice or discrimination. While we strongly believe in media freedom to canvass a range of viewpoints, it is crucial not to simply give interviewees an open platform and carte blanche to say whatever they want.
Blair Cottrell has appeared on the ABC, including in news reports, in the 2017 Four Corners episode âCracking the Codeâ and as a part of a 2016 panel discussion on âAussie patriotismâ conducted by Tom Tilley on triple jâs Hack Live . In both programs Mr Cottrellâs background and the controversial nature of his organisationâs beliefs and actions were fully revealed to viewers.
In the Four Corners program Mr Cottrell openly discussed how Facebook had facilitated the rise of the United Front despite attempts to remove its most obnoxious and inflammatory content. It was a revealing case study in the dangers of unfiltered social media.
Hack Live was an example of how a challenging interview subject should and can be handled in a responsible way. The program was pre-recorded to ensure hate speech and incitement were not broadcast; Mr Cottrellâs background was fully disclosed; and his views were vigorously contested and challenged by the presenter and other guests.
This issue is covered in the ABCâs Editorial Policies under Harm and Offence. The Editorial Guidance Note on Interviewing also has good information on handling difficult interviews.
Hack Live wasnât live? Very deceptive by the ABC inferring a program was live when it wasnât.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was on Radio National Breakfast yesterday, and told host Fran Kelly that her party did not support the ABCâs decision to switch off short wave services in the Pacific.
https://radioinfo.com.au/news/julie-bishop-we-did-not-support-abc-closing-its-shortwave-pacific
Full interview can be heard here
I think it was only delayed on this one occasion because of the nature of the debate
Hack Live was always pre-recorded. Stupid to call it a live show.
1 Like
ABC drought appeal raises more than $1.2 million for NSW farmers
The ABCâs drought appeal, in partnership with Red Cross and other charities, has raised more than $1.24 million for NSW farmers.
The charities began receiving donations from ABC audiences when the appeal kicked off early on Friday morning, 10 August. ABC Radio Sydney, ABC Radio Canberra, regional ABC stations together with ABC NEWS ran special drought-related programming across the day crossing to ABC journalists in every part of the state.
Director of ABC Regional & Local, Michael Mason, said the tally showed how generous Australians were in times of need. âWe launched the appeal in direct response to listenersâ requests to help the farmers,â Mr Mason said. âWe were hoping to raise at least half a million dollars on the day of the appeal, but the level of support shown by our listeners has been overwhelming and Iâd like to thank them for the enormous generosity.â
Judy Slatyer, CEO, Australian Red Cross, said: âIâd like to extend an enormous thank you to everyone at the ABC, for the hugely successful ABC Red Cross Appeal over the past three days, promoted across all channels, raising more than $1.2 million to support Australian farmers as they cope with this terrible drought. Many donors have told us moving stories, reinforcing the strong connection between Australians living in urban areas and farmers working on the land.â
The appeal will remain open until the end of August. Donations can be made by calling 1800 RED CROSS or through abc.net.au/drought.
2 Likes
Fantastic ident before tonightâs news.
1 Like
I saw that. Is that the first time theyâve shown that âYoursâ ident with the âI Am Australianâ song?
Video uploaded
It was also shown last night
And Sunday night, think thatâs when it kicked off. I think thereâs a couple of versions.
ABC Commercial announcement on retail activity
ABC Commercial has announced a proposal to exit the ABC Shop Online business by the end of this year. The proposal would also involve the closure of the in-store ABC Centres.
ABC DVDs, music, books, toys and other merchandise would remain just as widely available through approved retailers both online and in stores around Australia.
Andrew Lambert, General Manager ABC Commercial, said:
âConsultation with employees and union representatives on this proposal begins today and we look forward to their input over the coming weeks.
âABC Shop Online and the ABC Centres are an important part of the ABCâs commercial operations, and these decisions are never taken lightly.
âThis proposal directly responds to the changing market, in particular consumersâ shift to digital delivery of audio and visual content. Coupled with the intensifying global competition affecting the entire retail sector, the resulting decline in physical sales means the retail business is becoming increasingly unviable.â
It is anticipated there would be up to 16 redundancies as a result of the proposal.
Once consultation concludes the ABC will keep our valued customers fully informed on how their favourite products can continue to be purchased.
ABC Retail is part of ABC Commercial, the revenue-generating division of the ABC. ABC Commercial contributes all its profits to content producers at the ABC and receives no taxpayer funding.
Full ABC responses to recent stories in The Australian
The Australian has published two stories in the past two days that have not fully reflected the responses provided by the ABC to the writers.
It is worth putting the complete responses on the public record, so readers can be better informed on the issues and allegations raised.
A story by Aviation Writer Robyn Ironside (âJetstar hits back at ABC claims of underpayment, long hoursâ) concerning the 7.30 and online story âThe reality of cheap airfares: Jetstar under fire over foreign crewsâ pay and work on domestic sectorsâ prominently quotes a Jetstar spokesperson, while the ABCâs detailed response is reduced to a paraphrase in the final paragraph.
This is the full response that was provided to Ironside ahead of publication:
At the time of sending this email, no complaint from Jetstar has been received.
7.30 first contacted Jetstar more than three weeks before the story was broadcast. Before broadcast, 7.30 exchanged 21 emails and had at least nine phone conversations with members of Jetstarâs media team.
After Jetstar declined 7.30âs request for an on-air interview, 7.30 put detailed allegations and questions to the airline. Its responses to these questions were featured prominently in the digital and broadcast versions published by the ABC and the airlineâs statement was also published in full online.
7.30 has reiterated its request for an interview on the program â as soon as tonight â to give Jetstar an opportunity to give a detailed on-air response to the allegations.
In both the 7.30 and online stories it was made clear the pay amounts referred to were âbase payâ. Jetstarâs response to those figures was included in both publications.
The stories include an interview with a cabin crew employee who resigned recently, as well as quoting two Jetstar pilots, the Transport Workersâ Unionâs Michael Kaine, Aviation consultant Neil Hansford and a Jetstar spokesperson.
Further, it was made clear to Ironside that the âheadlineâ her story claims has âenraged Jetstar and prompted accusation (sic) of misleading reportingâ was not the headline on the online story; it was part of a 7.30 site title and was immediately followed by the subtitle: âBudget airline Jetstar is paying its Thai cabin crew a base salary of as little as $100 a week.â This information is not in the story.
A story by Andrew Burrell (â Cannabis Âmogul Ross Smith in homophobic, violent tirade â) highlights an interview with Ross Smith, founder of medical cannabis company PhytoTech, in Four Cornersâ April investigation âGreen Rushâ.
Again, the ABCâs response, though brief, was still truncated. For the record, the complete response was:
As the founder of the first listed Australian medical cannabis company, who is now embarking on another venture, Ross Smith was a relevant and appropriate interview to include as part of an in-depth report on the medical cannabis industry. The program put the death threat allegation to Ross Smith during the interview and reported his claim that he was hacked. It also broadcast his admission to having been caught with large amounts of cannabis.
ABC responses to todayâs items in Guardian Australia
To ensure readers are fully informed, these are the ABCâs responses to the issues and claims published in Amanda Meadeâs The Media Beast column in Guardian Australia today. All this information was provided to the journalist before publication.
Contrary to the report, the ABC has not âdecided to replace its switchboard operators with a voice-activated computer and a team of three human âaudience triage agentsââ.
The ABC will still have people working on the switchboard and answering calls. A new Audience Support Team is being created which will bring together in one team all the functions in this area, and employees working on the switchboard will be part of that team.
As a result of this process, itâs anticipated some positions will become redundant. A redeployment process is currently underway; the impact on specific roles will be known when that concludes.
There is no ârobotâ. The design is not replacing employees with an automated system, but integrating a system that includes a voice menu. New audience support positions are being created; they are not called âaudience triage agentsâ.
A short-term rostering issue in the NSW newsroom has been caused by a combination of factors, including new roles being recruited and training demands for the new technology systems currently being rolled out.
No one has been or will be brought in from interstate. Colleagues in other NSW offices are filling in as needed. The ABC is currently hiring for new editorial roles, and at the end of this process the NSW newsroom is expected to have the same number of editorial roles as before. This will all be completed in a few weeks.
The panel for the special episode of Q&A in Mackay on 27 August has been in place since June. It comprises One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, Coalition MP George Christensen, Independent MP Bob Katter, Labor MP Cathy OâToole and Greens politician Larissa Waters.
Meade says that âthe timing of the announcement of the Queensland panel â right after the racist âfinal solutionâ speech by senator Fraser Anning â made the casting choice look tone deafâ. However, the panellists were publicly announced on 10 August, four days before Senator Anningâs speech.
Also, while Waters could technically be described as âa former Greens senatorâ, she is more pertinently also expected to return to the Senate in September.
The panel was brought together to give citizens the opportunity to question representatives from the five significant political parties competing for votes in Central and Northern Queensland. No panel of five people can do justice to the wide range of views in Queensland, or any other region, but all of the panellists are representatives elected by Queenslanders to sit in the Australian Parliament.
Has the ABC always released these formal statements when media have commented negatively on its operations? Canât remember them in the past.