Which I find quite sad, in a way.  Although I certainly could have updated my blog a lot more, I found it comforting to know it was there.  It also became apparent that owning a blog helped my relationships with other people.  Instead of ranting and raving at them, I was able to convert that into blog entries.  As you probably have been able to tell, I have far too many opinions.  For those who know me in real life, I also have far too loud a voice.  This blog helped me control the volume of my voice (much to my family’s general happiness).

So, I must bid thee farewell.  I’ll continue to keep an eye out on the media and every now and then will no doubt have a rant about it.  I hope you do as well.  To appropriate the words of the infamous Don Chipp, we have to keep the bastards honest.

To conclude, I leave with yet another song from Terrence Trent D’Arby.  Enjoy!

So, speaking of medical journalism, here is an interesting tale from April that made my skin crawl.  From Ninemsn:

Surgeons in Russia were astounded to find what they say is a 5cm fir tree growing inside a man’s lung.

“I thought I was hallucinating,” said surgeon Vladimir Kamashev.  “I asked my assistant to have a look: ‘Come and see this — we’ve got a fir tree here’. He nodded in shock. I blinked three times as I was sure I was seeing things.”

They even had x-rays of the gestating fir tree!

From ninemsn.com.au

Absolutely disgusting and horrifying!!  … If it’s true.

And let’s be honest, how could it be?  Even if said patient did actually inhale a fir seed and it went straight into his lungs.  Wouldn’t the human body create an abscess wall around the foreign body?  And even if it didn’t, doesn’t a fir tree need sunlight in order to photosynthesise??

What I like most about the report on Ninemsn is the final line:

The discovery has not been independently verified.

All the more reason to publish it.

From http://motls.blogspot.com/2009/04/media-swine-flu-beats-global-warming.html

Swine flu took over the world for a couple of days at the end of April and beginning of May.  Within two days, there were over 50,000 articles dedicated to swine flu.  It makes some sense as a threat as it has killed people.  However, it would have taken a lot for me to panic.  For a start, swine flu just doesn’t have the terrifying ring to it like SARS did.

This was not for wont of trying, however.  As this Media Watch analysis about the reporting of swine flu states: 

Fortunately there’s not much sign that normal Australians are panicking, despite the media’s best efforts.

This was only the half of it.  Media reports about stockpiling food and water, the media telling people that they should purchase masks ASAP (fashionable ones, though), and the rapid announcement that over 100 people had been killed (this was later downgraded to eight) certainly made one think twice.  The media were screaming and wringing their hands about, trying desperately to induce panic.

But was it really scare-mongering?  Initial reports suggested a powerful virus that could not be stopped, ready to infiltrate every continent if people let their guard down.  Yet it suddenly became very quiet on that front, and by the beginning of May, it was reported that the swine flu was nowhere near as virulent as first feared and that it was no more deadly normal seasonal influenza.

From http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/science/swine-flu-evolution.html

This was not the only aspect of the swine flu that got the media’s attention, however.  As Daniel Goldberg remarks, there is a tight connection between illness and culpability.  No sooner than the pandemic breaks that people start pointing fingers at potentially responsible parties.  In this case, impoverished rural Mexican pig farmers were quickly blamed.  This was soon followed by media discourse on illegal immigration between the United States-Mexico border.

Gary Schwitzer has said that “journalists have a special responsibility when covering health and medical news … readers and viewers may make important health care decisions based on the information provided in our stories.”  Yet journalists are also under intense pressure to write stories that will sell and make the media outlet money, and audiences are far more interested in stories that will directly affect them.  Schwitzer also makes the point that, because of this, that certain health stories will not be reported on because they are not glamourous, whilst other stories are sensationalised in order to ensure commercial success.

Blogs have been increasingly used by medical professionals to discuss health issues and to create a community in order to inform the public about important aspects of medicine.  It seems logical that doctors and other medical professionals who do post blogs about these issues are filling in a gap, improving the quality of medical journalism.  They also quietly correct the mistakes made and hype created by the traditional media outlets.  I’ve argued before that there is a place for blogs in new frontier of journalism.  I think this is a case where blogging really helps getting accurate information out to the public.

To provide a bit of context, I should tell you that the first thing I learnt at university was never reference Wikipedia.  It’s an automatic fail.

From ABC News:

An Irish student’s fake quote on the Wikipedia online encyclopaedia has been used in newspaper obituaries around the world.

The quote was attributed to French composer Maurice Jarre, who died in March.

Shane Fitzgerald, 22, a final-year student studying sociology and economics at University College Dublin, told the newspaper he placed the quote on the website as an experiment when doing research on globalisation.

…

The quote was posted on Wikipedia shortly after Jarre’s death and later appeared in obituaries in major British, Indian and Australian newspapers.

From ABC News

One of the Australian papers that referred to the said quote included the Sydney Morning Herald.  It’s no longer there, but it once was according to Google News.

As an avid Wikipedean myself, I can only congratulate Fitzgerald for his blatant vandalism of Jarre’s webpage.  The story that he was doing it for a thesis is a bit dodgy though, in my opinion (I thought he’d do it for the laughs, personally). 

Yet another stamp of fail for journalists.  If they are using Wikipedia as gospel, then what makes them any more reliable?

One of the interesting things I found in this report by Professors Boomgaarden and Vliegenthart was the idea of ‘prototypes’ in the media.  Certain events, such as earthquakes, lead to more coverage of similar events in the following period.  This occurs despite a decrease in the number of incidents compared to the period before the key event took place.  Such events often grow lives of their own, often leading to media exploitation and hype over a particular story or topic.  Any following events connected to this particular topic are often amplified during these ‘news waves’, as described by Vasterman in this report.  We’ve seen it recently with the reports on swine flu and Sydney bikie gangs, but also with shark attacks.

A great white shark (from The Australian)

Based on this idea, one could expect that after a particularly brutal shark attack, any following shark attacks are more likely to receive coverage and attention in the media.  The end of February/beginning of March saw an increase in shark attack stories in the Sydney media.  The media response to the three highly publicised attacks on some of Sydney’s most popular beaches, including Bondi, was suitably hysterical.  If two surfers and a navy diver aren’t safe from shark attacks, who is?

News reports hypothesised that the supposed increase in shark attacks was due to strict fishing regulations – after all, NSW has the tightest restrictions on fishing for sharks and the highest number of recorded shark attacks.  Another popular theory was that an improvement in the water quality around Sydney attracted a larger number of the usual shark bait.  The apparent feeding frenzy eventually led to finger-pointing, with the NSW Opposition blaming the State Government of not doing enough to protect swimmers from sharks.  It’s almost as good as the marketing for Jaws: who would want to go in the water when there have been 51 shark attacks in NSW in this decade?  It basically worked as well, with people banned from swimming at Bondi Beach.

The front page of the Daily Telegraph, 25th February 2009

Front pages, such as the above, were not surprising during this time.

Vasterman defined media-hype as a “media-generated, wall-to-wall news wave, triggered by one specific event and enlarged by the self-reinforcing processes within the news production of the media”.  The sharp rise of news stories was the result of the media making news rather than reporting it, thus nourishing the hype (check out the Media Watch report on the Daily Telegraph and their reporting of an “ignored” shark threat).  The constant reporting on shark attacks created an impression that the situation was dire and that we were entering a real crisis.  However, some reports suggested that there was no change in the frequency of shark attacks in the past 20 years, and no increase in the number of sharks caught at netted beaches.  Indeed, it’s been argued that sharks are far more likely than humans to be attacked in the water.

Self-inflating and exaggerating media coverage of the shark attacks in NSW ultimately created a threat that was not consistent with the reality of the situation.  The accumulation of reporting created a false impression that such events are accumulating, which conflicts with journalistic standards such as reliability and balance.  You are more likely to be injured in a car accident, or be struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark.  There is also no evidence of a spike in the number of shark attacks this year beyond a natural fluctuation in numbers.  Although three attacks in two days is unfortunate, it is also truly uncommon.  Nevertheless, reactions to shark attacks are often based on emotion rather than reality facts.  The media appeared all too happy to continue to supply the public with disturbing and progressively frenetic reporting.

(On a related note, this also ties in with Professor Boomgaarden’s notes on framing.  This one specific frame led the media to focus solely on opinions and facts that would fit within the established frame (i.e. shark attacks are increasing in the Sydney area).  Dissenting information seemed to be ignored by the major newspaper outlets – the only real investigative report that utilised different information was The 7:30 Report.  As Vasterman argues, this leads to a reinforcement of the original frame, which makes it the only one that appears socially relevant.)

Dozens of CBD workers reported the blackout on social networking site Twitter, and police said  it affected Market Street to Circular Quay. .

Parliament House escaped though, with Premier Nathan Rees posting on Twitter about 10.40am: “Good to be back in Sydney – straight into work with cabinet this morning.”

Mr Rees had just returned from an overseas trip to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

“Sigh another sydney blackout. Someone stuck in the lift,” wrote one worker.

“When did Sydney become part of the developing world? Third #blackout in a month. Grrr,” said another.

Another said: “Don’t really like being on level 43 during a blackout!”

If power outages are the new black for Sydney, is Twitter the new replacement for journalism?

I think Clay Shirky said it best:

When someone demands to know how we are going to replace newspapers, they are really demanding to be told that we are not living through a revolution. They are demanding to be told that old systems won’t break before new systems are in place. They are demanding to be told that ancient social bargains aren’t in peril, that core institutions will be spared, that new methods of spreading information will improve previous practice rather than upending it. They are demanding to be lied to.

From http://techwiredau.com

Let’s be honest: freedom of information has never been a strongpoint in Australia, and the FoI legislation currently in effect is almost useless: too much time, too much money, and a government who didn’t want to share any information whatsoever.

Now, a last minute election promise from Rudd seems to be coming to fruition.  What I want to look at is the new legislation, and what this might mean for us journalists-in-training.

Firstly, the basis of the FoI laws lie in international law, with Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stating that everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression, and this includes seeking information.

The proposed changes from Labor include:

• The Freedom of Information (Removal of Conclusive Certificates and Other Measures) Bill is which proposes to abolish conclusive certificates.
• The other two Bills propose to establish the independent Office of the Information Commissioner, which will monitor the Privacy and FoI laws.
• The Bills establish a public interest test, whereby a person can be allowed access to the document unless it would be, on balance, contrary to the public interest.  The Bill states that this balancing act will not include considerations of government embarrassment or possible confusion.
• There is no longer any application fee.

However, although these laws are a step in the right direction, there has still been no reference to the main concern of FoI legislation: whistleblower protection.

From Sydney IndyMedia (http://sydney.indymedia.org.au)

Within Australia, there is a certain illusion that there is whistleblower protection. The ASIC has dedicated a whole webpage to how whistleblowers are seemingly protected. However, whistleblower laws are extremely ineffectual, with numerous exemptions throughout the legislation. They seem to be more symbolic than than useful.  For example,

1. The three nurses who sparked an inquiry into patient care at Campbelltown and Camden hospitals accussed MPs in NSW State government of threatening and intimidating them.
2. Dr. Gerard McLaren claimed he was ostracised by his colleagues for whistleblowing in regards to practices at Canberra Hospital.  He has attempted suicide.
3. There is also the results of Michael Moodie blowing the whistle on the King Edward Memorial Hospital.

Gerard McManus and Michael Harvey, two journalists who faced jail as they refused to reveal the identity of their sources. (Picture: http://www.newsawards.com.au/07-winners)

Similarly, it is not unusual to hear stories about journalists not revealing their sources. This lack of protection for journalists and whistleblowers falls well below expectations; there has been no real progress for protection for journalists.  Chris Merritt of The Australian was particular critical, stating that “it is beginning to look like the Rudd government is all talk“.

It is also concerning when the government claims it is serious about transparency, yet is in the process of creating policies which undermine this, namely the mandatory internet filter.  This filter will unfairly restrict usage of the internet for most Australians by blocking up to 10,000 sites blacklisted by the government and the ACMA.  A good dose of censorship, anybody?

You can see the draft Bill here.  It’s a good start, but there still seems to be quite a bit more to do.

Although he was specifically referencing Wikipedia and its vandalising Wikipedians, it is also true of the ridiculously popular Twitter.

Twitter's logo

Now, I do not have a Twitter account.  Personally, I need more than 140 characters to describe my current ‘status’.  I also hate boring status updates, e.g. So-and-so “is on their way home”, followed 40 minutes later by So-and-so “is now home”.  So being forced to read such status updates would probably drive me insane.

What I am finding completely bizarre is the sudden influx of news stories based on Twitter information.

Harry Potter actress, Emma Watson

For instance, my E!Online newsletter stated at the beginning of March that Emma Watson had ‘twittered’ that she had been accepted into Yale University.  However, it was later found out that the twitter account was a fake.  A statement on Watson’s official website said:

There have been several rumours spreading recently that Emma has accepted a place at Yale University after ‘telling her fans via her Twitter account’ … Emma does not have a Twitter account and these rumours are false. Emma is still trying to decide whether she wants to attend university in the UK or the USA and hasn’t accepted any placements at this time.

Fake twitters are nothing new.  There are advantages to Twitter for journalists: many journalists are open to being pitched through Twitter as it forces people to get to the point quickly.  There is also a variety of sources for journalists to flick through.  However, certain problems arise when the media start using twitter accounts as sources of information, and then don’t bother to check their veracity.  Twitter is the third most popular social networking.  The increase in traffic ultimately means an increase in fake Twitter accounts.  To treat what anybody says on Twitter as gospel is seriously failing Journalism 101.

It makes one look like a twit, really.

Daily Kos was created primarily in response to the Bush administration and as a protest to it’s war on terror; its creator, Markos ‘Kos’ Moulitsas, is a war vet and felt that the Republican administration was “destructive”.  The blog aims to influence and strengthen the Democrat Party in the USA.  As Kos himself says:

This is a Democratic blog, a partisan blog. One that recognizes that Democrats run from left to right on the ideological spectrum, and yet we’re all still in this fight together.

We happily embrace centrists like NDN’s Simon Rosenberg and Howard Dean, conservatives like Martin Frost … and liberals like John Kerry and Barack Obama.

Liberal? Yeah, we’re around here and we’re proud. But it’s not a liberal blog. It’s a Democratic blog with one goal in mind: electoral victory.

And since we haven’t gotten any of that from the current crew, we’re one more thing: a reform blog.

The battle for the party is not an ideological battle. It’s one between establishment and anti-establishment factions. And as I’ve said a million times, the status quo is untenable.

Kos’s reputation as a “the single most successful entrepreneur of the progressive movement” ultimately has resulted in a highly successful blog – Daily Kos has grown to have an average of over 800,000 visitors per day.  This is a ridiculously huge amount of people.

Yet it makes you wonder whether Daily Kos is as good a site as the number of its visitors suggest.  After all, popularity does not equal quality, so lets examine the make-up of the site.  Below is a breakdown of Daily Kos’s homepage:

Daily Kos allows anybody to sign up and post comments.  Signing up to Daily Kos also gives you the chance to write a ‘diary’, which basically acts as a blog within the blog.  A lot of what makes up Daily Kos is recycled from traditional media, but with additional content provider by the bloggers (whether that be opinion or further research).  Although the front page bloggers are chosen to act as ‘editors’ for a year, the quality of writing ultimately becomes dependent on who is writing.  With no test to check the quality of writing when one signs up, the quality obviously fluctuates.

There are ways around this, thankfully.  As mentioned earlier, the front-page bloggers are specifically chosen due to their high quality pieces.  There is also the chance to recommend diaries, allowing users of Daily Kos to vote on which diary entries are the best.  Recommended diary entries are posted on the front page, allowing a first time user to check out the best written pieces on the site.

Daily Kos has allocated a certain area for Daily Kos TV, a political news video blog run by Daily Kos contributing editor and video producer Jed Lewison.  However, Daily Kos does not appear to utilise many other forms of media.  There is a severe lack of photos on the website.  There is no break-up between postings except for headings; the writing is often presented in large chunks of text.  Daily Kos is really a site that is based on informing its audience and sharing the same views rather than entertaining.  However, I think Daily Kos could be improved with additional media with more photography, perhaps more linkage to audio and Daily Kos TV.  I think it would lead to more people spending a larger amount of time at the site and recall more information.

Personally, I found Daily Kos to be a great site during the Presidential election last year.  I wasn’t around for the controversy surrounding the Obama vs. Clinton supporters, but I found their reporting was constantly updated and always on the ball, albeit quite biased toward the Democrat party.  However, I’m not sure if I will continue to visit the site.  I must admit, I prefer FiveThirtyEight and my recent finding, Politico, primarily because I prefer my political news to be unbiased.  That is my main concern about Daily Kos: it is unabashadly progressive and liberal.  For many, however, this appears to be exactly what they are after.  And, in providing their users with such content, Daily Kos is very successful.

From Battery Mouth (http://batterymouth.com/texting-the-chicago-sun-times/)

The above picture is in reference to the Chicago Sun-Times collapsing and filing for bankruptcy.  That darn cyberspace!  However, the Internet and the economic downturn is not the only reason for its bankruptcy.  The Chicago Sun-Times was also suffering from paying off legal fees after previous management was caught stealing money from their shareholders.

Speaking of the iPhone, I just recently got one and I love it!  More specifically, I love my ABC application (it’s almost as good as the Fairfax Radio News Network application).

(Apologies for the terrible state of this photograph.  I am no photographer!)

This free application allows me to read and watch news, entertainment and sport from the ABC and its radio programs.  Unfortunately there is no streaming option (otherwise I would never stop listening to triple j) but it is a useful way to quickly check updates in news and get the latest reviews.  I use it all the time, especially on the long train ride home.  Definitely recommended.