What we’re reading this week
Take a look at some of the things we are currently reading in our newsroom that you should be aware of
Bloomberg | Facebook cuts off news in Australia in fight over payments
Australians were outraged by Facebook’s decision to block news from being shares on its platform. Australian lawmakers said the move was an abuse of power by the tech giant, whose dominance is increasingly under the scrutiny of governments and watchdogs around the world. The Australian blackout follows a proposed new law that calls for publishers to be compensated for sharing their content on Facebook and Google. Bloomberg writes: “Australia’s envisioned law could set a precedent with other countries that have watched the two internet giants impact their news industries.”
Poynter | Is it possible to decolonise the media?
Akanksha Singh reflects on how world news is rarely representative of world events. She argues that some foreign countries are deemed more newsworthy than others due to “their proximity, economic and political power, similarities, and, at times, vested interest.” Add to that the fact that western media is seen through a “disproportionately white” lens and you have what she argues is a colonised media. She urges the news media to take a critical look at itself and ask: “More than focusing on who the news is for, we need to ask whom it serves”.
702 | ‘Non-profit form of journalism emerging’
In an interview with talk radio station 702, Wits University Caxton professor of journalism Anton Harber said traditional newspaper circulation as we know it is in steady decline. The recently released Audit Bureau of Circulations data for the fourth quarter of 2020 has shown a 40% drop in print circulation numbers. Harber said this was the global trend that had been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. He said what we are seeing is the emergence of a new form of journalism. “… A non-profit form of journalism. A journalism that gets support from foundations and is less of a business,” Harber said. Its a podcast worthy of a listen.
Social Media Today | The top 6 social media trends of 2021
As the trends in our social media usage change, so should your social media marketing strategy. TechCo put together a handy list of trends, in the form of an infographic, to look out for this year. One of the key standouts was the phenomenal rise of TikTok, where 1-billion videos are watched daily and 2-billion videos have been downloaded to date.
