Israeli firm’s spyware used to target journalists’ cell phones – reports

Washington DC, US Reuters An Israeli company’s spyware was used in attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists around the world, according to an investigation by 17 media organisations published on Sunday. One of the organisations, The Washington Post, said the Pegasus spyware licensed by Israel-based […]
Facebook switches news back on in Australia, signs content deals

Sydney, Australia Reuters Facebook Inc ended a one-week blackout of Australian news on its popular social media site on Friday and announced preliminary commercial agreements with three small local publishers. The moves reflected easing tensions between the US company and the Australian Government, a day after the country’s parliament passed a law forcing it and […]
Undeterred by Facebook news blackout, Australia commits to content law

Sydney, Australia Reuters Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed on Friday to press ahead with laws to force Facebook Inc to pay news outlets for content, saying he had received support from world leaders after the social media giant blacked out all media. Facebook stripped the pages of domestic and foreign news outlets for Australians […]
Australia evacuates journalists from China amid ‘national security’ probe
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Two Australian foreign correspondents were rushed out of China for their safety with the help of Australian consular officials after being questioned by China’s Ministry of State Security, their employers said on Tuesday. China correspondents for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Financial Review sought shelter in Australia’s embassy in Beijing and […]
Politics and the media

Politics in Australia has gone down a number of unexpected roads. PICTURE: Daniel McCullough/Unsplash The relentless 24-hour media cycle has promoted sensationalism over substance – three-word-slogans over policy, and trolling over discussion. You hear the politicians trying to deliver their 20 second soundbites during press conferences, such that their speeches become a collection of unrelated, […]
Updated: Australian newspapers unite in protest against media restrictions

Last updated: 10.20am Sydney, Australia Reuters Australia’s biggest newspapers ran front pages on Monday made up to appear heavily redacted to protest against recent legislation that restricts press freedoms, a rare show of unity by the usually tribal media industry. The protest was designed to put public pressure on the government to exempt journalists from […]
News coverage of Muslims is more negative than of other minority groups, says report

RNS A new study of how the media covers minorities in the United States finds that depictions of Muslims in the news remain by far the most frequent and the most negative. “Muslims are just way down there in comparison to the other groups,” said Erik Bleich, director of the Media Portrayals of Minorities Project […]
More than 90 journalists and media staff killed in 2018, says International Federation of Journalists
The number of journalists and media staff who died in work-related incidents in 2018 rose to 94, up from last year’s total of 82, according to figures from the International Federation of Journalists. The data shows that 84 journalists, cameramen, fixers and technicians died in targeted killings, bomb attacks and cross-fire incidents while 10 other […]
Essay: Why Christians should support a free press

Writing from the US, DANIEL DARLING, author and vice president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, argues, in an article first published by Religion News Service, that Christians should not only support a free press but “robust” reporting…
Postcards: “Flying news” – humanitarian media counter Rohingya refugee rumours

JARED FERRIE, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how humanitarian agencies are using innovative projects to ensure refugees who have fled Myanmar have access to correct information…