Why converging cultures can make media houses more sustainable
Traditional media houses must adapt, innovate and converge to survive in the digital age. Until the arrival of the world wide web, the media model that worked revolved around money… (more)
Why some news stories get more clicks than others: Social media study
Few industries have suffered more disruption from the internet than the news media. Over two decades or more, journalism has been hit by a “perfect storm” due to the loss… (more)
Google’s scrapping third-party cookies – but targeted advertising will live on
Google has announced plans to stop using tracking cookies on its Chrome browser by 2022, replacing them with a group profiling system in a move the company says will plot… (more)
Misinformation and content overload: Challenges publishers can’t ignore (plus a Big Ben rabbit hole)
I went down the ‘rabbit hole’ to debunk misinformation – here’s what I learned about Big Ben and online information overload Big Ben was stolen from Palestine. So claimed an… (more)
It’s not just a social media problem: How search engines spread misinformation
Search engines are one of society’s primary gateways to information and people, but they are also conduits for misinformation. Similar to problematic social media algorithms, search engines learn to serve you… (more)
Facebook’s news blockade shows how tech giants are swallowing the web
When Facebook disabled Australians’ access to news articles on its platform, and blocked sharing of articles from Australian news organizations, the company moved a step closer to killing the World Wide Web… (more)
Digital giants paying for content is good news, but will it support local publishers?
That the internet has all but destroyed the business model that has always supported journalism is not news. But what has made the news around the world recently is that… (more)
Facebook versus News: Advertising is the real problem
The fight between Facebook and the Australian government is over almost before it began. Having drastically overplayed its hand by banning a vast range of content, Facebook has been forced to settle… (more)
This week’s changes are a win for Facebook, Google and the government — but what was lost along the way?
After almost a year of heated discussion about the News Media Bargaining Code, there will shortly be a new law of the land – one that’s unlikely to be applied… (more)
The news media bargaining code could backfire if small media outlets aren’t protected: An economist explains
When I was the chief economist at the US Federal Communications Commission, we oversaw was the acquisition of DirecTV, the satellite pay-TV platform, by News Corp in 2003. Prior to the merger,… (more)
Getting news from Facebook and Google is convenient — but it comes at great collective cost
Digital platforms like Facebook and Google give us easy access to media and information. But our collective dependence on these tech giants could in the long run reduce the quality… (more)
The WeChat model: How Facebook’s ban could change the business of news
Facebook’s “news ban” in response to Australia’s proposed media bargaining code, has been hard to miss if you’ve spent any time on social networks in the past day or so. The social… (more)
Facebook’s news is gone. Here’s where to turn for trusted information
How Australian news publishers and consumers can cope with Facebook’s restrictions. Notes from down under. Information is everywhere, right? Well, here in Australia, we now have one less source of… (more)
Facebook has pulled the trigger on news content — and possibly shot itself in the foot
Facebook today made good on its threat to block Australians from accessing or posting news content. The ban includes blocking links to Australian and overseas news publishers. Facebook said the ban was… (more)
Why Google is now funnelling millions into media outlets, as Facebook pulls news for Australia
Over the past few days, Google has been inking multimillion-dollar deals to pay media companies for news content that will appear on Google News Showcase. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is the… (more)
Meet Clubhouse, the voice-only social media app setting the internet abuzz
There’s a new kid on the social media block, and it is making big waves. It is less than a year old, yet is already valued at US$1 billion, and has… (more)
The old news business model is broken: Making Google and Facebook pay won’t save journalism
The federal government is talking tough about making Google and Facebook pay Australian news businesses for linking to, or featuring, these publishers’ content. The digital platforms have been talking equally… (more)
Is news worth a lot or a little? Google and Facebook want to have it both ways
Executives from Google and Facebook have told a Senate committee they are prepared to take drastic action if Australia’s news media bargaining code, which would force the internet giants to pay news… (more)
News media bargaining code could break the internet — but there’s a fix
The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, has raised concerns that Australia’s proposed News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code could fundamentally break the internet as we know it. His… (more)
People turn to their local news sites in record numbers during pandemic
Local newspapers have seen sales of their print copies in decline for decades and, with regional newspaper groups regularly cutting staff, it has felt like UK local news journalism might be on the… (more)