DOCSLIB.ORG

Westminsterresearch Media Ownership and the Exploitation Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Westminsterresearch Media Ownership and the Exploitation Of WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch Media ownership and the exploitation of media power for corporate self-interest: a case study of News International's coverage of the BBC and OFcom Langworth, R. This is an electronic version of a PhD thesis awarded by the University of Westminster. © Miss Rachel Langworth, 2020. The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND THE EXPLOITATION OF MEDIA POWER FOR CORPORATE SELF-INTEREST A CASE STUDY OF NEWS INTERNATIONAL’S COVERAGE OF THE BBC AND OFCOM RACHEL ELIZABETH LANGWORTH W11368894 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the reQuirements of the University of Westminster for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Abstract This work examines whether there is an agenda on the part of the newspapers owned by News International (Rupert Murdoch’s UK media company) where reporting on matters with regards to the British Broadcasting Corporation and Ofcom. The agenda, examined via the content analysis of the relevant articles published in three Murdoch owned newspapers compared with three non-Murdoch owned newspapers of eQual standing, proves an already existing theory discussed by the press and academics alike that Rupert Murdoch is particularly hostile towards both bodies; the BBC because it is a rival news provider, and a prominent, trusted voice in Britain; and Ofcom, because of its role as a regulator that has often stood between Murdoch and his commercial expansion plans. The research answers three key Questions: to what extent News International’s newspapers seek to undermine organisations and competitiors that in some way interfere with the company and/ or proprietors expansion plans; to what extent this agenda is manifested in News International’s newspapers; and to what extent these compare with eQual-standing, non-News International owned newspapers. The findings identify a clear bias in the reporting, demonstrating for the first time that Murdoch exploits his newspapers in pursuit of commercial self-interest. This work demonstrates how the news agenda can be deliberately manipulated to suit the commercial self-interest of dominant owners, and provides evidence of the way in which proprietors such as Murdoch can exploit their dominance of media markets through the distorted or biased coverage of rival institutions or regulators in a bid to influence both popular opinion and the decisions of politicians and policymakers, thus undermining the democratic process. List of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One: Media and Democracy 6 Chapter Two: The New Digital Environment 23 Chapter Three: Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation 43 Chapter Four: Media Economy – The Economic Imperatives of 72 Consolidation Chapter Five: Current Framework 85 Chapter Six: Recent Policy and Regulatory Developments 109 Chapter Seven: The Research Questions 126 Chapter Eight: The Methodology 127 Chapter Nine: The Results for the BBC 145 Chapter Ten: The Results for Ofcom 163 Chapter Eleven: The Discussion and Conclusion 180 Appendices 222 References 236 List of Illustrations 3.1 Rupert Murdoch’s media holdings 45 8.1 Detail of newspapers used in study, including political 134 affiliation and average circualtion. 9.1 Total number of articles about the BBC 146 9.2 Number of articles about the BBC – timeline 147 9.3 Wordcount – BBC 148 9.4 All articles about the BBC by tone 149 9.5 Articles by tone by newspaper 150 9.6 News International articles by tone 151 9.7 Non- News International articles by tone 151 9.8 Negative coverage timeline – BBC 152 9.9 News International negative coverage timeline – BBC 153 9.10 Articles by tone, by date range for News International vs 154 non-News International 9.11 All articles about BBC by focus 155 9.12 News International negative articles by focus 156 9.13 Non-News International negative articles by focus 156 9.14 All articles about BBC by type 157 9.15 Negative articles by type 158 9.16 Non- News International negative articles by type 158 9.17 News International negative articles by type 158 9.18 Sources Quoted in all articles about the BBC 160 9.19 News International articles – sourced vs unsourced 161 9.20 Non-News International articles – sourced vs unsourced 161 9.21 News International articles by source 161 9.22 Non-News International articles by source 161 10.1 Total number of articles about Ofcom 163 10.2 Number of articles about Ofcom 164 10.3 Number of articles about Ofcom by year 164 10.4 Wordcount - Ofcom 165 10.5 All articles about Ofcom by tone 166 10.6 Tone of articles by newspaper 167 10.7 Tone of articles in News International newspapers 168 10.8 Tone of articles in non-News International newspapers 168 10.9 Negative coverage timeline – Ofcom 169 10.10 News International negative coverage timeline – Ofcom 170 10.11 All articles about Ofcom by focus 171 10.12 News International newspapers – focus of article 171 10.13 Non-News International newspapers – focus of article 171 10.14 Negative articles by focus – News International newspapers 172 10.15 Negative articles by focus – non-News International 172 newspapers 10.16 Negative articles where Ofcom is primary focus 173 10.17 Negative articles where Ofcom was mentioned in passing 173 10.18 Articles about Ofcom by type 174 10.19 Negative articles about Ofcom by type 175 10.20 News International negative articles by type 175 10.21 Non-News International negative articles by type 175 10.22 Sources Quoted in articles about Ofcom 177 10.23 News International articles about Ofcom - sourced vs 178 unsourced 10.24 Non-News International articles about Ofcom - sourced vs 178 unsourced 10.25 News International – negative articles by source 178 10.26 Non-News International – negative articles by source 179 Acknowledgements Throughout the writing of this thesis I have received a great deal of support and assistance. I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Steven Barnett, for his time, effort and support, without which I could not have completed this work. I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to Steve for not letting me Quit, despite numerous threats to do so. I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to my parents, David and Lee Langworth, for their wise counsel and unwavering support. I would like to dedicate this thesis to my Grandfather, William Joseph Langworth. Author’s Declaration I declare that all the material contained in this thesis is my own work. Definitions Rupert Murdoch’s corporate entities: over the course of time, Rupert Murdoch’s media companies have changed names. Throughout this thesis, where discussing his UK company, it is referred to as ‘News International’. Only where appropriate and explicitly referenced by others has it been referred to as ‘News UK’. References to ‘News Corporation’ or ‘News Corp’ are in relation to his US holdings. Introduction A free press is the cornerstone of any democracy. Even with the advent of digital and social media and powerful technology companies, traditional news publishers still retain the power to carry out investigative reporting that holds power to account and asks difficult Questions, while providing a flow of uncompromised and unbiased information to reach the public and promote an informed electorate. For broadcasters, certainly in the UK and across Europe, impartiality rules and a long-standing non- partisan reporting culture ensure that these journalistic norms broadly remain intact. But for newspapers and online publishers, free to write what they want within the law, the selection of stories, how they are reported and the overall editorial stance are generally dependent on the newspaper owner’s political, ideological and commercial agenda. A single publisher with an editorial standpoint decided by the owner taking a strong line on any particular issue is not in itself a problem or a threat to democracy. However, if the proprietor also owns several other types of media platform, such as television networks, radio stations or internet sites, the opportunity to set the news agenda and the potential to influence both the public and politicians becomes a likely and potentially dangerous possibility. The more media outlets owned by a single proprietor, the more power they command, and the more dangerous it can be for a healthy democracy that relies on a plurality of viewpoints. Issues around concentration of media ownership and the threat to democracy have freQuently been raised by scholars in the UK, Australia and the US in respect of Rupert Murdoch’s ownership of multiple media outlets and platforms. He owns media businesses that operate across a number of countries and is still considered to be one of the most powerful media proprietors in the English-speaking world. He is known for having conservative views, a strong disdain for elitism and the ‘establishment’, and a strong desire to operate in free, commercially driven markets. Most scholarly work has focused, rightly, on how Murdoch has exploited his media properties to promote this conservative worldview, whether it be through supporting (mostly) right-wing political parties and leaders such as Thatcher, Reagan and Trump or right-wing policies in areas such as taxation and criminal justice. Less work, however, has 1 focused on whether and how he exploits his media outlets to promote his own corporate interests and denigrate his competitors. This thesis aims to fill that gap with systematic empirical evidence from the UK. Murdoch is known to liken the ‘elite establishment’ with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which he described during his 1989 MacTaggart Lecture speech as having “debilitating effects on British society, by producing a TV output which is so often obsessed with class, dominated by anti-commercial attitudes” (Murdoch, 1989) The BBC was a direct competitor to Murdoch’s Sky TV, in a uniQue position as the UK’s public service broadcaster with guaranteed public funding via the licence fee.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reassessing Journalism 'S Global Future
    Challenge & Change: REASSESSING JOURNALISM’S GLOBAL FUTURE Alan Knight Edited By CHALLENGE AND CHANGE Reassessing Journalism’s Global Future Edited by Alan Knight First published in 2013 by UTS ePRESS University of Technology, Sydney Broadway NSW 2007 Australia http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/ © 2013 Copyright rests with the respective authors of each chapter Challenge and change : reassessing journalism’s global future Edited by Alan Knight ISBN: 978-0-9872369-0-6 The chapters in this book are peer reviewed. Table of Contents Chapter One Journalism re-defined : Alan Knight 1 Chapter Two The rise and fall of newspapers : Paolo Hooke 30 Chapter Three One World? Globalising the Media : Tony Maniaty 53 Chapter Four Reporting a world in conflict : Tony Maniaty 76 Chapter Five Networked journalism in the Arab Spring : Alan Knight 107 Chapter Six Ethics in the age of newsbytes : Sue Joseph 126 Chapter Seven Data Drive Journalism : Maureen Henninger 157 Chapter Eight Information Sources and data discovery: Maureen Henninger 185 Chapter One: Journalism Re-defined Prof. Alan Knight –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– “The future of journalism can and will be better than it’s past. We have never had a more open ecosystem for the expression of information and ideas”. Richard Gingras, Director of news and social products at Google August 9, 2012 in Chicago. (Gingras, 2012)1 Journalists were once defined by where they worked; in newspapers, or radio and television stations. Now, the internet promises everyone, everywhere can be a publisher. But not everyone has the skills or training to be a journalist; defined by their professional practices and codes of ethics.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethics for Digital Journalists
    ETHICS FOR DIGITAL JOURNALISTS The rapid growth of online media has led to new complications in journalism ethics and practice. While traditional ethical principles may not fundamentally change when information is disseminated online, applying them across platforms has become more challenging as new kinds of interactions develop between jour- nalists and audiences. In Ethics for Digital Journalists , Lawrie Zion and David Craig draw together the international expertise and experience of journalists and scholars who have all been part of the process of shaping best practices in digital journalism. Drawing on contemporary events and controversies like the Boston Marathon bombing and the Arab Spring, the authors examine emerging best practices in everything from transparency and verifi cation to aggregation, collaboration, live blogging, tweet- ing, and the challenges of digital narratives. At a time when questions of ethics and practice are challenged and subject to intense debate, this book is designed to provide students and practitioners with the insights and skills to realize their potential as professionals. Lawrie Zion is an Associate Professor of Journalism at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and editor-in-chief of the online magazine upstart. He has worked as a broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and as a fi lm journalist for a range of print publications. He wrote and researched the 2007 documentary The Sounds of Aus , which tells the story of the Australian accent. David Craig is a Professor of Journalism and Associate Dean at the University of Oklahoma in the United States. A former newspaper copy editor, he is the author of Excellence in Online Journalism: Exploring Current Practices in an Evolving Environ- ment and The Ethics of the Story: Using Narrative Techniques Responsibly in Journalism .
    [Show full text]
  • 02200493.Pdf
    Appendix 4D Half year report Name of entity NEWS CORPORATION ABN or equivalent company reference Financial half year ended ARBN: 163 882 933 31 December 2019 Results for announcement to the market US$ million Revenues Down $332 million (-6%) to 4,819 Net income Down $338 million (-172%) to -142 Amount per Franked amount Dividends share per share Current period Interim 2020 (declared)(1): Class A – non-voting US$ 0.10 Unfranked Class B – voting US$ 0.10 Unfranked Final 2019 (paid): Class A – non-voting US$ 0.10 Unfranked Class B – voting US$ 0.10 Unfranked Previous corresponding period Interim 2019: US$ 0.10 Unfranked Class A – non-voting US$ 0.10 Unfranked Class B – voting Final 2018: US$ 0.10 Unfranked Class A – non-voting US$ 0.10 Unfranked Class B – voting (1) The interim dividend, which has been declared and will be unfranked, is payable on 15 April 2020, with a record date for determining dividend entitlements of 11 March 2020. The interim dividend has not been provided for in the Consolidated Financial Statements as it was not declared by the Directors prior to 31 December 2019. Net tangible asset backing per share was US$4.92 and US$4.51 as of 31 December 2019 and 2018, respectively, and is based on asset values disclosed in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Commentary on these results is contained in the attached Form 10-Q for the period ended 31 December 2019. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-Q (Mark One) ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended December 31, 2019 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number 001-35769 NEWS CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 46-2950970 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Democracy, Participation and Convergent Media: Case Studies in Contemporary Online News Journalism in Australia
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Queensland University of Technology ePrints Archive 1 Democracy, Participation and Convergent Media: Case Studies in Contemporary Online News Journalism in Australia Terry Flew Media and Communication, Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia Paper presented to Communications Policy Research Forum 2009 (CPRF09), University of Technology, Sydney, November 19-20, 2009. ABSTRACT The shift from 20th century mass communications media towards convergent media and Web 2.0 has raised the possibility of a renaissance of the public sphere, based around citizen journalism and participatory media culture. This paper will evaluate such claims both conceptually and empirically. At a conceptual level, it is noted that the question of whether media democratization is occurring depends in part upon how democracy is understood, with some critical differences in understandings of democracy, the public sphere and media citizenship. The empirical work in this paper draws upon various case studies of new developments in Australian media, including online-only newspapers, developments in public service media, and the rise of commercially based online alternative media. It is argued that participatory media culture is being expanded if understood in terms of media pluralism, but that implications for the public sphere depend in part upon how media democratization is defined. KEYWORDS Media, citizenship, participation, public
    [Show full text]
  • Media Scion James Murdoch Quits News Corp Board 1 August 2020
    Media scion James Murdoch quits News Corp board 1 August 2020 Disney acquired most of the group's assets. James Murdoch, 47, has recently been critical of his father's business and its media coverage. In January, he denounced the climate change skepticism of some Murdoch media, citing coverage of the fires which devastated large parts of Australia. He has launched his own private holding company called Lupa Systems, which among other things has taken a stake in Vice Media. "We're grateful to James for his many years of James Murdoch, who has resigned from News Corp, has service to the company. We wish him the very best been critical of the business and its media coverage in his future endeavors," said Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corp and James's brother Lachlan Murdoch in a statement. Former 21st Century Fox chief executive James © 2020 AFP Murdoch, son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has resigned from News Corp's board, according to a document released Friday by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A letter sent by James Murdoch to the board said the decision was due to "disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company's news outlets and certain other strategic decisions." News Corp owns the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, The Times and the Sun newspapers among others, but not Rupert Murdoch's Fox News network. James Murdoch was once seen as his father's successor, but Friday's move reinforces his disengagement from the family media empire, which grew from a newspaper group in Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Dirty Power: Burnt Country 1 Greenpeace Australia Pacific Greenpeace Australia Pacific
    How the fossil fuel industry, News Corp, and the Federal Government hijacked the Black Summer bushfires to prevent action on climate change Dirty Power: Burnt Country 1 Greenpeace Australia Pacific Greenpeace Australia Pacific Lead author Louis Brailsford Contributing authors Nikola Čašule Zachary Boren Tynan Hewes Edoardo Riario Sforza Design Olivia Louella Authorised by Kate Smolski, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Sydney May 2020 www.greenpeace.org.au TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive summary 4 1. Introduction 6 2. The Black Summer bushfires 7 3. Deny, minimise, adapt: The response of the Morrison Government 9 Denial 9 Minimisation 10 Adaptation and resilience 11 4. Why disinformation benefits the fossil fuel industry 12 Business as usual 13 Protecting the coal industry 14 5. The influence of the fossil fuel lobby on government 16 6. Political donations and financial influence 19 7. News Corp’s disinformation campaign 21 News Corp and climate denialism 21 News Corp, the Federal Government and the fossil fuel industry 27 8. #ArsonEmergency: social media disinformation and the role of News Corp and the Federal Government 29 The facts 29 #ArsonEmergency 30 Explaining the persistence of #ArsonEmergency 33 Timeline: #ArsonEmergency, News Corp and the Federal Government 36 9. Case study – “He’s been brainwashed”: Attacking the experts 39 10. Case study – Matt Kean, the Liberal party minister who stepped out of line 41 11. Conclusions 44 End Notes 45 References 51 Dirty Power: Burnt Country 3 Greenpeace Australia Pacific EXECUTIVE SUMMARY stronger action to phase out fossil fuels, was aided by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp media empire, and a Australia’s 2019/20 Black coordinated campaign of social media disinformation.
    [Show full text]
  • Before the Murdoch Takeover: New Evidence Indicating the Need for a Further “Fit and Proper” Review
    Before the Murdoch takeover: new evidence indicating the need for a further “Fit and Proper” review AVAAZ, 8th March 2017. Submission for Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Introduction An acquisition of Sky Plc. by 21st Century Fox (21CF) would result in a major expansion of the influence of the Murdoch Family Trust (MFT) over Sky. In 2012 Ofcom was highly critical of the role of James Murdoch who was CEO and Chairman of News International during the period of criminal and other reprehensible conduct at that organisation. This submission details a long list of wrongdoings and criminal misgovernance that has emerged since Ofcom reviewed the licenses held by BSkyB in 2012. It also draws attention to an unfolding sexual harassment epidemic being unearthed at Fox News in the US. The Secretary of State notes in her 6th March 2017 letter1 to 21CF and Sky that 21CF’s record of compliance with the broadcasting code might reflect on the culture or corporate governance at 21CF. The “huge failings of corporate governance” at News Corporation, the precursor company to 21CF were noted in the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on News International and Phone Hacking and the Secretary of State herself acknowledges that James Murdoch’s actions during this time was a “failure of corporate governance.” The shocking scale of corporate misgovernance and criminal conduct make it incumbent upon the Secretary of State to exercise her powers under Section 58(3) of the Communications Act 2003, to refer the Sky bid on broader public interest grounds than those she currently says she is minded to exercise.
    [Show full text]
  • Linguistic Means of Expressing Gender in British Quality Newspapers
    Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích Pedagogická fakulta Katedra anglistiky Diplomová práce Linguistic Means of Expressing Gender in British Quality Newspapers Jazykové prostředky vyjadřující rodovou neutralitu v britském seriózním tisku Vypracovala: Radka Mrňová Vedoucí práce: Mgr. Jana Kozubíková Šandová, Ph.D. České Budějovice 2013 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Mgr. Jana Kozubíková Šandová, Ph.D, for her generous guidance, invaluable advice, constant encouragement and support. I am also very grateful to Sheldon Bassett, M.A., for his language supervision and editorial comments. Prohlášení Prohlašuji, že jsem diplomovou práci na téma Linguistic Means of Expressing Gender in British Quality Newspapers vypracovala samostatně pouze s použitím pramenů uvedených v seznamu citované literatury. Prohlašuji, že v souladu s § 47b zákona č. 111/1998 Sb. v platném znění souhlasím se zveřejněním své diplomové práce, a to v nezkrácené podobě elektronickou cestou ve veřejně přístupné části databáze STAG provozované Jihočeskou univerzitou v Českých Budějovicích na jejích internetových stránkách, a to se zachováním mého autorského práva k odevzdanému textu této kvalifikační práce. Souhlasím dále s tím, aby toutéž elektronickou cestou byly vsouladu s uvedeným ustanovením zákona č. 111/1998 Sb. zveřejněny posudky školitele a oponentů práce i záznam o průběhu a výsledku obhajoby kvalifikační práce. Rovněž souhlasím s porovnáním textu mé kvalifikační práce s databází kvalifikačních prací Theses.cz provozovanou Národním registrem vysokoškolských kvalifikačních prací a systémem na odhalování plagiátů. V Českých Budějovicích 24. června 2013 …………………………. ABSTRACT This diploma thesis analyses various ways of expressing gender neutrality in present- day English. This is a highly contemporary issue to be traced in both written and spoken language.
    [Show full text]
  • BBC TV\S Panorama, Conflict Coverage and the Μwestminster
    %%&79¶VPanorama, conflict coverage and WKHµ:HVWPLQVWHU FRQVHQVXV¶ David McQueen This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. %%&79¶VPanorama, conflict coverage and the µ:HVWPLQVWHUFRQVHQVXV¶ David Adrian McQueen A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2010 µLet nation speak peace unto nation¶ RIILFLDO%%&PRWWRXQWLO) µQuaecunque¶>:KDWVRHYHU@(official BBC motto from 1934) 2 Abstract %%&79¶VPanoramaFRQIOLFWFRYHUDJHDQGWKHµ:HVWPLQVWHUFRQVHQVXV¶ David Adrian McQueen 7KH%%&¶VµIODJVKLS¶FXUUHQWDIIDLUVVHULHVPanorama, occupies a central place in %ULWDLQ¶VWHOHYLVLRQKLVWRU\DQG\HWVXUSULVLQJO\LWLVUHODWLYHO\QHJOHFWHGLQDFDGHPLF studies of the medium. Much that has been written focuses on Panorama¶VFRYHUDJHRI armed conflicts (notably Suez, Northern Ireland and the Falklands) and deals, primarily, with programmes which met with Government disapproval and censure. However, little has been written on Panorama¶VOHVVFRQWURYHUVLDOPRUHURXWLQHZDUUeporting, or on WKHSURJUDPPH¶VPRUHUHFHQWKLVWRU\LWVHYROYLQJMRXUQDOLVWLFSUDFWLFHVDQGSODFHZLWKLQ the current affairs form. This thesis explores these areas and examines the framing of war narratives within Panorama¶VFRYHUDJHRIWKH*XOIFRQIOLFWV of 1991 and 2003. One accusation in studies looking beyond Panorama¶VPRUHFRQWHQWLRXVHSLVRGHVLVWKDW
    [Show full text]
  • A Better Death in a Digital Age: Post
    Publishing Office Aims and scope Abramis Academic ASK House Communication ethics is a discipline that supports communication Northgate Avenue practitioners by offering tools and analyses for the understanding of Bury St. Edmunds ethical issues. Moreover, the speed of change in the dynamic information Suffolk environment presents new challenges, especially for communication IP32 6BB practitioners. UK Tel: +44 (0)1284 700321 Ethics used to be a specialist subject situated within schools of philosophy. Fax: +44 (0)1284 717889 Today it is viewed as a language and systematic thought process available Email: [email protected] to everyone. It encompasses issues of care and trust, social responsibility and Web: www.abramis.co.uk environmental concern and identifies the values necessary to balance the demands of performance today with responsibilities tomorrow. Copyright All rights reserved. No part For busy professionals, CE is a powerful learning and teaching approach that of this publication may be reproduced in any mate- encourages analysis and engagement with many constituencies, enhancing rial form (including pho- relationships through open-thinking. It can be used to improve organization tocopying or storing it in performance as well as to protect individual well-being. any medium by electronic means, and whether or not transiently or incidentally Submissions to some other use of this Papers should be submitted to the Editor via email. Full details on submission – publication) without the along with detailed notes for authors – are available online in PDF format: written permission of the www.communication-ethics.net copyright owner, except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Subscription Information Designs and Patents Act Each volume contains 4 issues, issued quarterly.
    [Show full text]
  • The Finkelstein Inquiry: Miscarried Media Regulation Moves Miss Golden Reform Opportunity
    Vol 4 The Western Australian Jurist 23 THE FINKELSTEIN INQUIRY: MISCARRIED MEDIA REGULATION MOVES MISS GOLDEN REFORM OPPORTUNITY * JOSEPH M FERNANDEZ Laws are generally found to be nets of such a texture, as the little creep through, the great break through, and the middle-sized are alone entangled in.1 Abstract The Australian media’s nervous wait for the outcome of media regulation reform initiatives came to an abrupt and ignominious end in March 2013 as the moves collapsed. The Federal Government withdrew a package of Bills at the eleventh hour, when it became apparent that the Bills would not garner the required support in parliament. These Bills were preceded by two major media inquiries – the Convergence Review and the Independent Media Inquiry – culminating in reports released in 2012. The latter initiative contained sweeping reform recommendations, including one for the formation of a government-funded ‘super regulator’ called the News Media Council, which the media generally feared would spell doom especially for those engaged in the ‘news’ business. This article examines the origins of the Independent Media Inquiry; the manner of the inquiry’s conduct; what problem the inquiry was seeking to address; the consequent recommendations; and ultimately, the manoeuvres for legislative action and the reform initiative’s demise. This article concludes that the Independent Media Inquiry was flawed from the outset and * Head of Journalism, Curtin University. This article is developed from a presentation by the author to the Threats to Freedom of Speech Conference hosted by the Murdoch University Law School on 12 October 2012 at Perth, Western Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Signal and the Noise
    nieman spring 2013 Vol. 67 no. 1 Nieman Reports The Nieman Foundation for Journalism REPOR Harvard University One Francis Avenue T s Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Nieman VOL Reports . 67 67 . To promoTe and elevaTe The sTandards of journalism n o. 1 spring 2013 o. T he signal and T he noise The SigNal aNd The NoiSe hall journalism and the future of crowdsourced reporting Carroll after the Boston marathon murdoch bombings ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Fallout for rupert mudoch from the U.K. tabloid scandal T HE Former U.s. poet laureate NIEMAN donald hall schools journalists FOUNDA Associated press executive editor T Kathleen Carroll on “having it all” ion a T HARVARD PLUS Murrey Marder’s watchdog legacy UNIVERSI Why political cartoonists pick fights Business journalism’s many metaphors TY conTEnts Residents and journalists gather around a police officer after the arrest of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect BIG IDEAS BIG CELEBRATION Please join us to celebrate 75 years of fellowship, share stories, and listen to big thinkers, including Robert Caro, Jill Lepore, Nicco Mele, and Joe Sexton, at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism’s 75th Anniversary Reunion Weekend SEPTEMBER 27–29 niEMan REPorts The Nieman FouNdatioN FoR Journalism at hARvARd UniversiTy voL. 67 No. 1 SPRiNg 2013 www.niemanreports.org PuBliShER Ann Marie Lipinski Copyright 2013 by the President and Fellows of harvard College. Please address all subscription correspondence to: one Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-2098 EdiToR James geary Periodicals postage paid at and change of address information to: Boston, Massachusetts and additional entries. SEnioR EdiToR Jan gardner P.o.
    [Show full text]