Brianna Fields

Social media. We all use it for different purposes. It’s used to connect with people across the globe in an instant, share thoughts, events and multimedia, or post the avocado toast you had for breakfast this morning. However, with the growth and adaption of social media, we’ve found it to be useful for a lot more things. On Facebook, you can now apply for jobs, sell your items and even watch the news. Yep, don’t worry about grabbing the paper, tuning into the radio or switching on the telly. Have a scroll on Twitter, catch up with your friends while simultaneously catching up on the latest news. This is great for time poor people, or people not really interested in directly consuming news through traditional sources, but what does it mean for journalists and media companies? Are Facebook and Twitter ruining the reputation of journalism? Should we expect newspapers to be completely wiped out in the next coming decades? If anyone and everyone can post, what should we believe as true in...

It’s obvious that journalism is vital in informing the public of current events, news and global issues. Of course it is, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this degree. However, what much of the unassuming public aren’t aware of, is the many different types of journalism. Each journalistic form uses a different style and different techniques in order to craft their story. This week we learned about data journalism  - what is it, why we use it, and is it always effective? Data journalism is essentially exactly that. Data + Journalism =    Journalism Data. It may seem straight forward, but it actually goes a little deeper than that. Data journalism is incorporating numerical data to provide deeper insights into what happens around us and why.    Incorporating data allows journalists make sense of a story and display it to the public with statistical data. This gives the audience a visual which can be easier to understand.  There are three main...

Australia does not have an official religion, however the main religion represented by citizens is Christianity. Religion has sparked much debate for years in the Australian community. Should churches pay tax? Should churches have more protection? When is religious preaching too much, especially in unregulated spaces like social media? The well-known case of Israel Folau springs to mind when I think of freedom of speech in relation to religion. Folau was an Australian rugby union player, most recently representing NSW in Super Rugby. He posted an image to his Instagram account, saying that “hell awaits” gay people, which caused heavy criticism from viewers.  Rugby Australia sacked Folau for the homophobic comments, however Folau launched court action, arguing that his contract was “unlawfully ended” due to his Christian beliefs. The situation had me thinking, when do religious views turn into hate speech? Is religion an excuse for discrimination? In my eyes, reli...

As discussed in earlier entries, the recent AFP raids on journalists put investigative and public interest journalism at serious risk.  The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) sees public interest as the freedom of the media to investigate, and inform and comment on matters of public concern and importance. ALRC does not put a singular definition on public interest, instead creating a list of public interest matters, providing parties and the court with useful guidance. The list, including what I have just mentioned above, also includes Freedom of expression, including political communication The proper administration of government Open justice Public health and safety National security The prevention and detection of crime and fraud The economic wellbeing of the country All these factors contribute in assisting courts and parties into making appropriate cause of action, hopefully reducing litigation.  We have seen public interest journalism in ...

We’ve come a long way with equality regarding race in the media, and rightly so, it’s 2019! We, as a society, are more inclusive, with some participating in cultural celebrations nationally such as Ramadan. So how is race portrayed in Australian media, and how does this influence our society? Around one in five Australians have been verbally abused due to their race, experiencing racial slurs and name calling. More than one in 20 Australians have been physically attacked because of their race. But its not just race that’s targeted in the media, and in society. Its religion as well. Muslim’s often experience a lot of backlash due to their portrayal in the media, factual or otherwise.  I grew up without a religious background. I never really swayed one way or the other, and whenever I was questioned on my beliefs I would say “I believe in something, I just don’t know what”. However, Australia’s major religion is Christianity, accounting for 52% of the population according ...