Sex and the virtual suburbs : the pornosphere and community standards

This chapter looks at the management and zoning of online sexual culture–the web sites which make up the pornosphere (McNair 2013). It explores the concept of ‘community standards’, which has been a central part of the management of sexually explicit materials in the offline world, and asks what it might mean to talk about ‘community standards’ on the Internet. And finally, it uses the concept of virtual-community standards to revisit the question of managing access to sexually explicit materials on the Internet.

Charting a theoretical framework for examining Indigenous journalism culture

Indigenous media around the globe have expanded considerably in recent years, a process that has also led to an increase in the number of Indigenous news organisations. Yet, research into Indigenous news and journalism is still rare, with mostly individual case studies having been undertaken in different parts of the globe. Drawing on existing research gathered from a variety of global contexts, this paper theorises five main dimensions which can help us think about and empirically examine Indigenous journalism culture. They include: the empowerment role of Indigenous journalism; the ability to offer a counter-narrative to mainstream media reporting; journalism’s role in language revitalisation; reporting through a culturally appropriate framework; and the watchdog function of Indigenous journalism. These dimensions are discussed in some detail, in an attempt to guide future studies into the structures, roles, practices and products of Indigenous journalism across the globe.

The game of clones and the Australia tax : divergent views about copyright business models and the willingness of Australian consumers to infringe

It is often said that Australia is a world leader in rates of copyright infringement for entertainment goods. In 2012, the hit television show, Game of Thrones, was the most downloaded television show over bitorrent, and estimates suggest that Australians accounted for a plurality of nearly 10% of the 3-4 million downloads each week. The season finale of 2013 was downloaded over a million times within 24 hours of its release, and again Australians were the largest block of illicit downloaders over BitTorrent, despite our relatively small population. This trend has led the former US Ambassador to Australia to implore Australians to stop 'stealing' digital content, and rightsholders to push for increasing sanctions on copyright infringers. The Australian Government is looking to respond by requiring Internet Service Providers to issue warnings and potentially punish consumers who are alleged by industry groups to have infringed copyright. This is the logical next step in deterring infringement, given that the operators of infringing networks (like The Pirate Bay, for example) are out of regulatory reach. This steady ratcheting up of the strength of copyright, however, comes at a significant cost to user privacy and autonomy, and while the decentralisation of enforcement reduces costs, it also reduces the due process safeguards provided by the judicial process. This article presents qualitative evidence that substantiates a common intuition: one of the major reasons that Australians seek out illicit downloads of content like Game of Thrones in such numbers is that it is more difficult to access legitimately in Australia. The geographically segmented way in which copyright is exploited at an international level has given rise to a ‘tyranny of digital distance’, where Australians have less access to copyright goods than consumers in other countries. Compared to consumers in the US and the EU, Australians pay more for digital goods, have less choice in distribution channels, are exposed to substantial delays in access, and are sometimes denied access completely. In this article we focus our analysis on premium film and television offerings, like Game of Thrones, and through semi-structured interviews, explore how choices in distribution impact on the willingness of Australian consumers to seek out infringing copies of copyright material. Game of Thrones provides an excellent case study through which to frame this analysis: it is both one of the least legally accessible television offerings and one of the most downloaded through filesharing networks of recent times. Our analysis shows that at the same time as rightsholder groups, particularly in the film and television industries, are lobbying for stronger laws to counter illicit distribution, the business practices of their member organisations are counter-productively increasing incentives for consumers to infringe. The lack of accessibility and high prices of copyright goods in Australia leads to substantial economic waste. The unmet consumer demand means that Australian consumers are harmed by lower access to information and entertainment goods than consumers in other jurisdictions. The higher rates of infringement that fulfils some of this unmet demand increases enforcement costs for copyright owners and imposes burdens either on our judicial system or on private entities – like ISPs – who may be tasked with enforcing the rights of third parties. Most worryingly, the lack of convenient and cheap legitimate digital distribution channels risks undermining public support for copyright law. Our research shows that consumers blame rightsholders for failing to meet market demand, and this encourages a social norm that infringing copyright, while illegal, is not morally wrongful. The implications are as simple as they are profound: Australia should not take steps to increase the strength of copyright law at this time. The interests of the public and those of rightsholders align better when there is effective competition in distribution channels and consumers can legitimately get access to content. While foreign rightsholders are seeking enhanced protection for their interests, increasing enforcement is likely to increase their ability to engage in lucrative geographical price-discrimination, particularly for premium content. This is only likely to increase the degree to which Australian consumers feel that their interests are not being met and, consequently, to further undermine the legitimacy of copyright law. If consumers are to respect copyright law, increasing sanctions for infringement without enhancing access and competition in legitimate distribution channels could be dangerously counter-productive. We suggest that rightsholders’ best strategy for addressing infringement in Australia at this time is to ensure that Australians can access copyright goods in a timely, affordable, convenient, and fair lawful manner.

A different breed altogether? Distinctions between local and metropolitan journalism cultures

While a number of scholars have explored the special exigencies of local as opposed to metropolitan journalism, rarely have studies examined such differences in relation to journalism culture as constituted by journalists’ professional views. To address the gap in our knowledge, this study reports results from a representative survey of local and metropolitan newspaper journalists in Australia. Findings suggest that territorial context accounts for some significant differences in journalists’ demographics, as well as their role perceptions. In line with past research, local newspaper journalists exhibit much stronger support for the community forum and advocacy role. At the same time, and contrary to expectations, there is very little difference in their support of the watchdog role compared with metropolitan journalists. By combining questions about journalistic ideals and enactment in their work, and finding differences in the two, this study also has important implications for the methodological development of survey studies.

Setting the agenda, influencing public opinion, and advocating for social change

This study seeks to contribute to the systematic explanation of journalists’ professional role orientations. Focusing on three aspects of journalistic interventionism – the importance of setting the political agenda, influencing public opinion and advocating for social change – multilevel analyses found substantive variation in interventionism at the individual level of the journalist, the level of the media organizations, and the societal level. Based on interviews with 2100 journalists from 21 countries, findings affirm theories regarding a hierarchy of influences in news work. We found journalists to be more willing to intervene in society when they work in public media organizations and in countries with restricted political freedom. An important conclusion of our analysis is that journalists’ professional role orientations are also rooted within perceptions of cultural and social values. Journalists were more likely to embrace an interventionist role when they were more strongly motivated by the value types of power, achievement and tradition.

A methodology for mapping Instagram hashtags

While social media research has provided detailed cumulative analyses of selected social media platforms and content, especially Twitter, newer platforms, apps, and visual content have been less extensively studied so far. This paper proposes a methodology for studying Instagram activity, building on established methods for Twitter research by initially examining hashtags, as common structural features to both platforms. In doing so, we outline methodological challenges to studying Instagram, especially in comparison to Twitter. Finally, we address critical questions around ethics and privacy for social media users and researchers alike, setting out key considerations for future social media research.

Thriller

Shifts in genre definitions and classifications over time are very much a part of a living art form such as cinema. Films that today we might identify as bearing some of the hallmarks of the thriller, but which were not understood as such at the time of release, have been made in Australia since the earliest days of narrative cinema. The Story of the Kelly Gang (Charles Tait, 1906) contains some of the thriller’s stock elements: crime, conspiracy, suspense, a chase, heroes and villains. The fact that these elements are not exclusive to the thriller underscores the point that genres change, evolve, and often overlap. While contemporary reportage attests that The Story of the Kelly Gang thrilled audiences, it was not named as a ‘thriller’ at the time. Even so, a genealogy of the thriller can be traced through Australian film history, despite quiescent periods.

BMX Bandits

Synopsis and review of the Australian film BMX Bandits, directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith, and starring Nicole Kidman in one of her first screen roles.

Deathcheaters

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film Deathcheaters, directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith.

Tomorrow, When the War Began

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film Tomorrow, When the War Began directed by Stuart Beattie.

Walk into Paradise

Synopsis and review of Australian feature film Walk into Paradise (aka Walk into Hell) directed by Lee Robinson and starring Chips Rafferty.

Red Hill

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film Red Hill, directed by Patrick Hughes and starring Ryan Kwanten.

The Craic

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film The Craic directed by Ted Emery, and starring Jimeoin.

Bad Eggs

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film Bad Eggs, directed by Tony Martin.

Balibo

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film Balibo, directed by Robert Connolly.