Defending democracy against disinformation

Australia needs an integrated approach to fighting disinformation from hostile foreign states.

Combating misinformation

The federal government’s proposed laws to curb rampant mis- and disinformation on social media need to have clearer definitions – and include the growing menace of mass produced, AI generated lies.

Could a tech tax save journalism?

Could a new tax make technology giants like Google and Meta pay for the news they distribute and profit from?

The men who killed the news

A new book examines the way modern media and technology moguls have dismantled journalistic ethics in pursuit of personal profit and undermined democracy itself.

No anarchy in the UK

A combination of better AI generated images, complicit social media platforms, hostile state actors and ‘post-truth’ politics threatens democracies around the world, but had little influence on Britain’s recent election.

If you can’t beat ’em…

Australian government departments should develop an engagement strategy with online influencers and invite them to join the press in attending international and security events.

The downside of doomscrolling

In a world first study on the impact of doomscrolling from an existential perspective, Flinders University researchers warn that habitual checking of disturbing stories on social media is linked with changes to how we view humankind and the meaning of life.

What the experts say…on social media bans for young people

Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced that he would like to implement a social media ban for children, and the Prime Minister followed suit by noting that technology restricting children’s social media access is still being developed but a ban would be a ‘good way to go’. What do Australia’s experts say on the situation?

Keeping track of new technology

The Australian Internet Observatory (AIO) is a major new research infrastructure initiative that will open up the ‘black box’ of digital platforms and their algorithms.

To have and have not

RMIT analysis of 30 years of Australian media articles on personal financial wellbeing has unearthed some glaring gaps in the coverage.

Fake news is old news

News has been falsified for as long as it’s been sold and can be traced as far back as the concept of news itself.

Australia v X

The Australian news cycle has been dominated by the fight between the Australian eSafety Commissioner and Elon Musk’s X Corp (Twitter). As their battle continues to play out, the question of who controls the internet is thrust into the public debate once again.