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Matthew Ricketson

Professor of Communication, Deakin University
I am an academic and journalist. Presently the professor of communication at Deakin University, I was previously inaugural journalism professor at the University of Canberra between 2009 and 2017. I have also run the journalism program at RMIT for 11 years. I have worked on staff at The Australian and Time Australia magazine: my last job in the news media industry was Media and Communications Editor at The Age. I have written three books and edited two.

Murdoch to Musk: how global media power has shifted from the moguls to the big tech bros

Sep 09, 2024 08:18 am UTC| Technology Business

Until recently, Elon Musk was just a wildly successful electric car tycoon and space pioneer. Sure, he was erratic and outspoken, but his global influence was contained and seemingly under control. But add the ownership...

Best books of 2023: our experts share the books that have stayed with them

Dec 05, 2023 05:36 am UTC| Entertainment

We asked 20 of our regular contributors to nominate their favourite books of the year. Their choices were diverse, intriguing and sometimes surprising. Whether youre looking for something relaxing or stimulating,...

Grandiose visions and arrested development: a new biography considers the contradictory life of Elon Musk

Nov 02, 2023 11:59 am UTC| Entertainment Business

Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, has his fingers in many pies, none of them your standard Four and Twenty space exploration, electric cars, AI and social media, among others. He became a global leader in space...

Media Files: Media companies are mad as hell at tech giants and don't want to take it anymore. But what choice do they have?

Nov 11, 2019 10:52 am UTC| Insights & Views Business Technology

Media companies around the world are in an existential funk. The tech giants - Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon - have built a better mousetrap for profiting from consumers attention than the traditional media can offer....

Media companies on notice over traumatised journalists after landmark court decision

Mar 06, 2019 13:54 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

A landmark ruling by an Australian court is expected to have international consequences for newsrooms, with media companies on notice they face large compensation claims if they fail to take care of journalists who...

Media Files: On the Serena Williams cartoon -- and how the UK phone hacking scandal led to a media crackdown in South Africa

Sep 25, 2018 18:19 pm UTC| Insights & Views Sports

Mark Knights cartoon in The Herald Sun has become a global topic of condemnation and debate because of its negative portrayal of American tennis player Serena Williams. It was widely described as racist. The news of the...

Media Files: ABC boss Michelle Guthrie sacked, but the board won’t say why

Sep 25, 2018 09:34 am UTC| Insights & Views

The major question following the sacking of ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie is why? Why did the ABC board move so decisively and why now? Was it just about tension between her and the corporation chair, Justin...

Economy

Asian Markets Quiet as Japan Gains on BOJ Decision; Australia Eyes Rate Cut

Most Asian stock markets were closed Thursday due to the Labor Day holiday, with trading volumes remaining low. However, Japanese shares advanced after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) left interest rates unchanged at 0.5%, as...

Australia’s Gold Rush to U.S. Turns Trade Deficit into Surplus

Australia recorded its strongest three-month export performance to the United States, driven largely by a surge in gold shipments amid President Donald Trumps tariff policies. According to the Australian Bureau of...

Dollar Stabilizes Amid Trade War Easing Hopes and Yen Waits on BOJ Decision

The U.S. dollar held steady on Thursday, shrugging off weak domestic data as markets turned hopeful over signs of easing global trade tensions. Despite suffering its steepest monthly decline in over two years through...

US Stock Futures Surge as Microsoft and Meta Earnings Beat Forecasts

U.S. stock futures rose sharply Wednesday night, driven by strong earnings reports from tech giants Microsoft and Meta Platforms. This positive momentum came after a choppy regular session where Wall Street posted modest...

Gold Slips on Eased Tariff Fears, Eyes Key U.S. Economic Data

Gold prices extended their decline during Asian trading on Wednesday as easing U.S. auto tariffs and positive trade signals reduced safe-haven demand. President Donald Trump signed two orders offering tax credits and...

Politics

Kamala Harris Slams Trump’s Economic Policies in Major Political Comeback

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris issued a strong rebuke of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling his economic agenda the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history. Speaking in the San...

Medvedev Slams U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal as Trump Leverages Military Aid

Senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev criticized a new U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement, claiming it forces Kyiv to pay for future U.S. military aid with natural resources. The deal, signed in Washington, grants the U.S....

Senate Deadlocked on Tariff Rollback as U.S. Economy Shrinks

The U.S. Senate voted 49-49 on Wednesday, failing to pass a resolution aimed at reversing President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs. The tie vote came just hours after federal data revealed that the U.S. economy contracted...

U.S. Warns Iran Over Houthi Support Amid Ongoing Nuclear Talks

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Iran on Wednesday over its support for Yemens Houthi rebels, even as indirect nuclear negotiations between the two nations continue. Speaking via X (formerly...

Singapore PM Urges Support for Trusted Team Ahead of May 3 Election

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged voters to re-elect his cabinet in the May 3 general election, emphasizing the need for experienced leaders with strong ties to both the U.S. and China. Addressing 1.4...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Xiaomi Unveils MiMo AI Model, Shares Surge 5% on Breakthrough Launch

Xiaomi Corp (HK:1810) launched its first open-source large language model, MiMo, on Wednesday, marking its official entry into the competitive artificial intelligence space. The debut sent Xiaomis Hong Kong-listed shares...

OpenAI Rolls Back GPT-4o Update After User Backlash Over "Sycophantic" Behavior

OpenAI has rolled back a recent update to its GPT-4o model used in ChatGPT, following widespread criticism from users who found the AI assistant excessively flattering and overly agreeable. The company announced Tuesday...

TSMC Expands U.S. Chip Production With Third Arizona Fab and $100B Investment Boost

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM), the worlds largest contract chipmaker, has officially broken ground on its third semiconductor fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona. This marks a major milestone in the...

Meta Launches Standalone AI App to Compete with OpenAI and Google

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has released a standalone app for its Meta AI assistant, marking a significant step to boost its presence in the rapidly evolving AI market. Previously accessible only through Metas main...

Alibaba Launches Qwen 3 AI Model Amid Intensifying China Tech Competition

Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) unveiled Qwen 3 on Tuesday, a next-generation AI model featuring hybrid reasoning capabilities aimed at boosting performance and adaptability. The move underscores Alibabas...