The Media Report

Lord of the Flicks The New Zealander just appointed to head-up the Australian film industry´s new uber-agency `Screen Australia´... and international security analysts argue about whether Georgia really was subject to cyber warfare.

Txtng Rls! Linguist David Crystal has just done a comprehensive study of text messaging. He dismisses the idea that text language is corrupting English. In fact he says it actually helps promote literacy.

The Gruen Division? The audience loved it and it´s apparently led to a flurry of interest in advertising as a career, but has the ABC´s Gruen Transfer caused divisions within the industry?

Vale 'Sunday' This weekend sees the final edition of Channel Nine´s Sunday program. When it premiered back in 1981 it was revolutionary. There'd never been anything like it on commercial television. We´ll look back with its former managing editor, Tom Kraus.

The ABC's new internet TV service The ABC has just launched a new internet television service called iView. The service takes the availability of video on the net to new levels in Australia and judged on overseas experience, iView is likely to have mass appeal. We speak with the head of ABC Television Kim Dalton. Leonard's Last post Leonard Downie Jr is the executive editor of one of the world´s most respected news organisations The Washington Post. During his tenure the Post has won 25 Pulitzer prizes. On the eve of his retirement he talks about the paper´s successes and failures.

From reporter to refugee Edison and Sony are journalists. They fled the bloodshed of Sierra Leone to start a new life in Sydney. But the past is always with them and explaining and documenting it is now the core of their work here in Australia. Journalists and their sources The assumption of confidentiality between a journalist and his or her source is enshrined in the Australian journalists' Code of Ethics. In Perth this past week one News Limited journalist has has his adherence to the code tested. He was threatened with gaol for not disclosing the name of a whistle-blower. Meanwhile, a new editorial policy has come into effect at the ABC which seeks to provide guidance on the way reporters should deal with their sources. But could it cause more harm than good?

Reporting 'The Troubles' After a career spent reporting the joys and frustrations of Northern Ireland, BBC journalist Denis Murray has now called it a day, but not before speaking with the Media Report about his experiences.

Media work and media practice Three noted thinkers on the changing nature of media and its consumers. Our guests: MIT´s Henry Jenkins, Mark Deuze from Leiden University in the Netherlands and Australia´s John Hartley, Research Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Creative Industries and Innovation. How to handle a source The ABC has just introduced new policies governing the way journalists at the national broadcaster will be required to deal with sources. On Thursday 10th of July the Director of Editorial Policies at the ABC, Paul Chadwick, will be a guest on the Media Report. If you work in the media industry, or have an interest in issues of journalistic practice, we invite your questions on the subject. You'll find a link to the policy document below.

Ten reasons to be happy Journalists can be such a gloomy lot, always finding fault, especially with their own profession. So in a spirit of positivity, we´ll bring you ten good reasons why today´s journalists should smile.

'On the record' with David Butorac `On the record´ with David Butorac, the Managing Director of WIN. The corporation owns Australia´s fourth largest commercial TV network and it has plans for expansion.

Networking for good Not-for-profit organisations and how they can use IT technology and social media techniques to expand their donor-base and energise and engage their supporters.

Tokyo Vice Jake Adelstein spent more than a decade covering crime for a major Japanese newspaper. Now a Yakuza boss wants him out of the way. So why is he writing a book about his experiences?

Extending the media leash Perth-based academic Wanning Sun on the Chinese media and the unexpected freedom it´s been given in covering the Sichuan earthquake disaster. Also James McQuivey on the concept of `net neutrality´.

Online collaboration New York University´s Clay Shirky on the powers of online collaboration and British journalist Kathy Marks recalls the six-week island assignment that was more hell than paradise.

Perceptions, preconceptions and visibility We examine visibility in the media and the preconceptions and stereotyping that tag some people less than desirable and see others ignored altogether. Among our guests: Palestinian journalist Ali Abunimah.

Survival of media platforms for journalism Some of the heavyweights of the Australian media: Campbell Reid, Mark Scott and Max Uechtritz come together with The Guardian´s uber-blogger, Roy Greenslade, for a special panel discussion: the survival of media platforms for journalism.

"On the Record' with Deborah Thomas `On the Record´ with magazine editor Deborah Thomas... and the community broadcasting sector once again feeling out in the cold - this time it´s radio´s turn. Two new reports about the ABC

The media at war: then and now A look at two monumental conflicts: the First World War through film; and the battle for control of West Australian Newspapers.

On the US campaign trail Two US journalists on the campaign trail give us their take on the Obama-Clinton stoush and claims of media favouritism... and the Minister for Communications who doesn´t communicate.

Food and the media From gourmet blogs to Maeve O´Mara to Gordon %#?*! Ramsay. Join us as we explore the symbiotic relationship between food and the media. The Future of Journalism Next month the Walkley Foundation will hold a two-day conference on the Future of Journalism. It´ll get underway in the Eugene Goossens Hall at the ABC´s Sydney headquarters in Ultimo on Thursday the first of May.

Acting up a storm The giant US media industry is facing another crisis. Already damaged by economic downturn and the long-running writers´ strike, now the industry´s acting fraternity has declared war -- on itself!

Redefining the journalist as a news marketer SEO, Search Engine Optimisation, and what it means for the media. It´s already quietly changing the way news is presented online and it´s redefining the journalist as a marketer.

Mad crocs and Englishmen The British media and its hunger for weird aussie animal stories. We´re joined by three UK correspondents Downunder.

'On the Record' with Mark Scott The ABC´s managing director, Mark Scott, is holding his annual leadership conference for senior managers. He has big plans for the organisation´s expansion, but how realistic are they given there´s no sign the budgetary situation is about to change?

Does digital radio have a future? Rolling out digital radio. Just why are Australian radio networks so keen on the introduction of digital radio when the main commercial operator in the UK has been busy scaling back?

Troubles in the West and Kenyan reflections Western Australia's main newspaper and its government are at war -- we examine why. And in Kenya, journalists reflect on the media's role in the recent ethnic and political conflict.

Journalists and their information A closer look at journalists and the information they gather... where they get it... who tries to stop them getting it... and how some can be shaped by what they see and experience.

'On the Record' with Graeme Samuel In the first of our `On the Record´ series of interviews for 2008 we speak to Graeme Samuel, Chairman of the ACCC - the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. What's that sound? Take a journey to the Melbourne Museum of Printing and meet its curator Michael Isaachsen - a man with one hell of a collection and one almighty storage problem.

The voice of Papua Australian journalist Andrew Dodd takes us to Indonesian-controlled Papua. There´s no shortage of media outlets on offer, but do ordinary Papuans have a voice?

The US primaries, The Bulletin's Golden Age and Scoop This week on the program, a scoop from Eastern Europe; how the media in the US is covering the American primaries; and looking back at the early years of the now-defunct Bulletin magazine. Its first two decades were arguably its most influential. We´ll hear why.