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Brian McNair

Brian McNair is an academic researcher and media commentator. He writes on a wide range of topics including journalism, political communication, popular culture and mediated sexuality. His most recent books are Porno? Chic! (Routledge, 2013), Journalists In Film (Edinburgh University Press, 2010) and An Introduction To Political Communication (5th edition, Routledge, 2011). He is a regular contributor to press, online and broadcast media in Australia and overseas, including ABC News 24, Sky News, BBC World, and many other news outlets. His books have been translated into fifteen languages, including Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, Greek, Polish and Albanian.

Why politicians and television still need each other

Mar 30, 2017 04:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

We are living through a period of particularly combative media-politics relations, driven largely by the Trump presidency and the ongoing fake news debate. But, as an ABC Rear View documentary reminded us recently, tension...

Fake news – a user's guide

Mar 06, 2017 13:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

With Zelig-like serendipity I was in Stockholm when #lastnightinsweden went viral. While echoing the melancholic majesty of a classic ABBA song title, the hashtag #lastnightinsweden actually referred to yet another Donald...

When politicians become pundits

Jan 17, 2017 15:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Former prime minister Tony Abbotts weekend column in The Australian was a good example of professional politicians intervening in the public debate through guest punditry. Abbott has a journalistic background, and is...

Global Geopolitics Series

Putin, the political technologist

Jan 12, 2017 08:17 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The 35-page dossier published by Buzzfeed alleging collusion and conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian state in pursuit of what the Kremlin calls active measures against Hillary Clinton not to mention the...

The empire strikes back

Dec 12, 2016 10:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Just five short years after (literally) eating humble pie live on national TV for presiding over the most corrupt, criminally minded, bin-raking, sleaze-mongering crowd of press hacks ever to spread their poison in the...

US Election Series

After objectivity?

Nov 20, 2016 11:14 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As the results of the 2016 election came in, the mainstream media in America and around the world demonstrated their inability to cope with the challenge of a president Trump within the conventional paradigms of...

No offence, mate, but ...

Oct 07, 2016 01:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Its been a busy week for the easily offended. On Tuesday, it was reported the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria banned local actress Rahama Sadau from making movies because of an offensive hug she had...

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Economy

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Why is the London Stock Exchange losing out to the US

London Stock Exchange (LSE), which can trace its heritage to the coffee houses of the 17th century, is failing. The volume of shares traded is sharply declining, and some UK companies are swiftly moving to the US...

Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal – and why it won’t go back

One year ago, Germany took its last three nuclear power stations offline. When it comes to energy, few events have baffled outsiders more. In the face of climate change, calls to expedite the transition away from fossil...

Politics

Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board

To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...

History for sale: what does South Africa’s struggle heritage mean after 30 years of democracy?

One of my favourite statues is the one of Nelson Mandela at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg. Larger than life, its oversized bronze shoes shimmer in the evening light, polished by the hands of many...

Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight

In the early hours of April 15 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Sudanese paramilitary force attacked the military airstrip in the town of Merowe and deployed troops across strategic locations in Sudans capital,...

Joe Biden Proposes Record 44.6% Capital Gains Tax in Latest Budget Plan That May Favor Cryptocurrencies

President Joe Biden has proposed raising the capital gains tax to an unprecedented 44.6% in a bold fiscal move, targeting the wealthiest Americans. This hike is part of his 2025 budget proposal to reduce income...

Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish political movement continues to fuel a deadly armed conflict

The world has 91 democracies and 88 autocracies. Yet 71% of the worlds population (some 5.7 billion people) are living under autocratic rule, a big jump from 48% ten years ago. This trend towards authoritarianism can...

Science

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Technology

Shiba Inu Issues Alert: TREAT Token Scams Surge Amid Blockchain Upgrades

The Shiba Inu community is on alert as scammers capitalize on the anticipated release of the TREAT token, which is leading to misinformation and fraudulent claims. Shibarmy Scam Alerts warns investors to verify sources as...

Io.net Tightens Security After GPU Metadata Breach, Plans Live Recovery Demo

In response to a recent SQL injection attack targeting GPU metadata, Io.nets chief security officer, Husky.io, announced rigorous new security measures and a planned webcast to demonstrate live system recovery. This...

Tesla Debuts Enhanced Autopilot in China for Just $98 Monthly

Tesla has officially launched Enhanced Autopilot subscriptions in China, offering features like auto-steering and auto-lane change. Marking a strategic step in Teslas global tech deployment. Teslas Pricing Strategy:...

Nate Geraci Highlights Correlation Between Bitcoin and ETF Performance

Nate Geraci, president of The ETF Store, emphasized the strong linkage between Bitcoins market movements and the performance of Bitcoin ETFs. This correlation is evident as shifts in Bitcoins price significantly influence...

Google Cloud Launches Web3 Portal, Stirring Mixed Reactions in Crypto Community

Google Cloud has unveiled a new Web3 portal featuring blockchain development tools, testnets, and educational resources, sparking diverse reactions across the cryptocurrency industry. While some praise the initiative as a...