Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism's annual report reveals that in Australia TV and print news consumption continue to decline, while online and social media are becoming more significant. In line with this trend, Australians are increasingly accessing news across digital devices.

 

How Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism annual Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024 sees Australia, based in large part on a YouGov survey using an online questionnaire at the end of January beginning of February 2024.

Click on these four images to enlarge

AUSTRALIA

Population 26m

Internet penetration 90%

The past year has been marked by persistent inflation, a rising cost of living, and severe flooding in many parts of Australia. Late in 2023, following a divisive campaign laden with misinformation, Australians voted against an amendment to the constitution to establish an Australian Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

It is a critical time when audiences are in need of quality news yet the news ecosystem continues to shrink. Australia now has 29 local government areas with no local news publishers, TV, or radio servicing the local community. Print media have been hit hard due to the decline in advertising revenue and rising print costs. Government departments are cutting back print advertising and instead rolling out campaigns on social media. In 2023, the Victorian government announced they would cease all metropolitan print newspaper advertising. For regional news outlets the reduction in government advertising spend is worrying and they are lobbying for a more consistent policy. Currently the local, state, and federal governments spend about 1% of their advertising budget on regional news.

Streaming services continue to grow, and their weekly reach (58%) has surpassed that of free-to-air TV (54%). However, the cost-of-living crisis has been forcing audiences to cut back on their digital subscriptions. One in three subscribers say they have reduced their subscriptions. The major streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount+, and Binge have reduced their spending on local content by 11% (A$46m). The government has promised to introduce a quota system for streaming services in 2024. The media industry is advocating for a 20% local content quota while streaming platforms are lobbying for 2%.

In March 2024, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, shocked the sector by declaring they were pulling back from news, closing their Australian news partnerships team, and not entering new commercial deals with news organisations. Their current deals with major companies are reported to be worth A$70m annually. This follows the Australian government’s introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code in 2021. Under the Code, Google and Meta are together paying news publishers roughly A$200m a year on voluntary content agreements. This has helped sustain the news industry, but most agreements expire this year. There are now calls to ‘designate’ Meta under the Code, which would force the company to negotiate with publishers or face fines of 10% of its annual Australian revenue. Google and Meta’s combined advertising revenue in Australia was A$8.3bn in 2023. This is more than half of all digital ad revenues (A$14.2bn).

In late 2023, Communications Minister In late 2023, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced A$10.5m in funding through the News Media Assistance Program to promote a diverse and sustainable media sector. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has received the funding to implement the Media Diversity Measurement Framework, which was developed through a public consultation.

Public broadcaster ABC continued its transition into a digital-first media organisation in 2023, announcing a series of proposals to further shift investment into digital services. The ABC Five-Year Plan (2023-2028) forecasts that by 2028 most of its audience engagement will come through its digital services. Newly appointed Chair, Kim Williams, said his priorities included securing better funding for the ABC and upholding its Charter responsibilities, including the requirement for impartiality.

Misinformation was abundant during the divisive Voice referendum campaignwhere Australians voted to reject a proposal to set up a formal body for Indigenous people to give advice on laws. There were widespread claims that the plan might lead to tax increases or that the Australian Electoral Commission would tamper with votes, revealing a deep distrust with the government.

The ‘no’ campaign’s main strategy was to instil fear and doubt, suggesting that the proposal didn’t carry enough details. Seven in ten Australians subsequently expressed concern about the lies and misinformation on social media during the campaign.

The media landscape is undergoing a significant shift as AI increasingly permeates newsrooms, prompting traditional outlets to reconsider their approach to the technology as the industry grapples with how to use it effectively and safely. News Corp Australia is producing 3,000 articles a week using artificial intelligence. The rise of AI use has led to widespread public concern. According to a report from media monitoring organisation Streem,117 over half (57%) believe AI creates more problems than it solves. These concerns indicate a need for policy frameworks that balance the benefits of AI with the public interest.

Sora Park

News and Media Research Centre, University

of Canberra [my yellow highlighting throughout this post]

NOTE:

Excerpt from Biography at https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/persons/sora-park

Dr Sora Park is Professor of Communication and Professorial Research Fellow at the News & Media Research Centre, Faculty of Arts & Design, University of Canberra. She is internationally recognised as an expert in digital media users and media policy, with a special focus on news consumers and digital inclusion.

Full Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024 at

https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-06/RISJ_DNR_2024_Digital_v10%20lr.pdf

It's 2024 and after 236 years of relentless urban expansion across New South Wales there are only 13 breeding pairs of Beach Stone Curlew left in the state

ECHO, 5 November 2024:

A pair of critically endangered beach stone-curlews are nesting in the dunes on Clarkes Beach, they are one of only 13 breeding pairs in NSW.

Beachgoers are asked to stay off the sand dunes and leave nesting birds alone as their nests are just a small area of scraped sand.

‘It’s so important these birds are not disturbed because they only lay one egg and the chick is cared for by both parents for seven to 12 months,’ said Chloe Dowsett, Coast and Biodiversity Coordinator.

‘We are hoping people will do the right thing and play their part in helping these special birds expand their family.’

On other beaches spotted pardalotes and rainbow bee-eaters have been sighted nesting in the dunes with the Byron Bird Buddies rescuing a group of baby bee-eaters as the area surrounding their nest was being damaged by people trampling and climbing on the exposed dune.

‘All of these precious birds are easily disturbed by walkers, joggers and especially dogs so we are asking people to be aware and take extra care when they are on the beach,’ Ms Dowsett said.

CLIMATE CHANGE STATE OF PLAY 2024: we have entered a grim millennia of climate consequences

 

According to the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO biennial report, State of the Climate 2024.......

Australia, on average, has warmed by 1.51°C ± 0.23°C since national air temperature records over the land mass of the continent began in 1910. While sea surface temperatures have increased by an average of 1.08°C since 1900.

Australia is not so slowly and very noticeably cooking.

There has been an increase in extreme heat events associated with the warming over land and in the oceans.

Australia’s warmest year on record was 2019, and 8 of the 9 warmest years on record have occurred since 2013.

This is what Australia's collective experience looks like expressed as a graph

State of the Climate 2024, 22 October 2024, p.2

Every decade since 1950 has been warmer than preceding decades. The warming in Australia is consistent with global trends, with the degree of warming similar to the overall average across the world’s land areas.

There has been an increase in extreme fire weather, and a longer fire season, across large parts of Australia since the 1950s. This has resulted in catastrophic bushfires in 1967, 1974-75, 1983, 2006-07, 2009 and 2019-20. Wildfires burning across millions of hectares, changing landscapes and communities, driving many native plant and animal species closer to extinction.

The track record with regard to rainfall has shown that:

Sustained heavy rainfall and associated flooding in much of Australia, particularly the east, is most common during La Niña, as illustrated by the multiple floods that occurred in eastern Australia in 2022. The 11 wettest years on record in eastern Australia were all influenced by La Niña, and many of eastern Australia’s most significant flood years, such as 1974, 2010−2011 and 2021–2022, have occurred during strong La Niña events, although significant flooding can sometimes occur in non-La Niña years.

Global concentrations of all major long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to increase. Global annual mean carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations reached 419.2 parts per million (ppm) in 2023 and the CO₂ equivalent (CO₂-e) of all greenhouse gases reached 524 ppm. These are the highest levels on Earth in at least 2 million years.

While global fossil fuel CO₂ emissions, the principal driver of the growth in CO₂ 

concentrations, are continuing to increase.

In Australia the latest Quarterly Update of Australia’s NationalGreenhouse Gas Inventory: March 2024 shows emissions were 440.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂-e) in the year to March 2024. On a quarterly basis, this means that national emission levels for the March quarter 2024 increased 0.6% (0.6 Mt CO₂-e) in trend terms.

National emissions are preliminarily estimated to be 441 Mt CO₂-e in the year to June 2024.

Actual and trend greenhouse gas emissions have not meaningfully decreased in the last four years according to data collated by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

These inescapable global & national facts mean that Australia's future now holds these scenarios:

Future

In the coming decades, Australia will experience ongoing changes to its weather and climate. The changes are projected to include:

• Continued increase in air temperatures, with more heat extremes and fewer cold extremes.

• Continued decrease, on average, in cool season rainfall across many regions of southern and eastern Australia, which will likely lead to more time in drought.

• More intense short-duration heavy rainfall events even in regions where the average rainfall decreases or stays the same.

• Continued increase in the number of dangerous fire weather days and a longer fire season for much of southern and eastern Australia.

• Further sea level rise and continued warming and acidification of the oceans around Australia.

• Increased and longer-lasting marine heatwaves that will affect marine environments such as kelp forests and increase the likelihood of more frequent and severe bleaching events in coral reefs around Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef.

• Fewer tropical cyclones, but with higher intensity on average, and greater impacts when they occur

through higher rain rates and higher sea level.

• Reduced average snow depth in alpine regions, but with variations from year to year.

Here in coastal north-east New South Wales the response to our changing climate by successive federal and state governments is: (i) to crowd more urban development onto land that is projected to be amongst the first dry land to experience tidal and/or permanent sea water inundation due to rising sea levels; and (ii) to coat building materials in heat reflecting paint while ignoring the fact that building design is now inadequate due to the fact that the north-east can now expect tropical hurricanes to form offshore on a 1 in 10 year basis.

Tweet of the Week

King Charles protester Lidia Thorpe, a Victoria Senator interrupts the great hall after speech pic.twitter.com/d02hoKW1rh

— Kate Mansey (@KateMansey) October 21, 2024

Seven weeks out from the beginning of the Australian Summer meteorologists were predicting "unusually high temperatures from December through to February

 

This is an ABC News article extract on 11 October 2024:

Australia is facing one of the hottest summers on record according to the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) weather modelling, which tips well-above-average temperatures across the country.

The forecast for a scorching summer is largely due to ongoing high ocean temperatures surrounding Australia, a persistent feature that has plagued most of the globe since early last year.

The warm seas will not only raise air temperatures but also boost atmospheric moisture levels, swinging the odds to favour frequent storm outbreaks and above-average rain.

Our simmering oceans could also lead to the most active cyclone season in years, with the BOM expecting around 11 named storms in the Australian region, including an increased risk of severe (category three or above) systems.

Of the past six years, the three that were not La Niña periods took the top three spots as Australia's hottest summers on record, all with mean temperatures more than 1.6 degrees Celsius above the long-term average.

This trend suggests this summer will also produce well-above-average temperatures — a prediction supported by seasonal modelling.

The BOM's initial summer forecast, released this week, shows a greater than 80 per cent chance of minimum temperatures in the top 20 per cent of years — which the BOM label "unusually high temperatures"....

So how do conditions look now in Spring 2024?

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM):

Weekly sea surface temperatures

PACIFC OCEAN SEA SURFACE HEAT MAP

Weekly temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific

For the week ending 13 October 2024, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were:

• 0.8–2 °C warmer than the 1991–2020 average in the far western and parts of the far eastern equatorial Pacific

• 0.8–2 °C cooler than average in the central equatorial Pacific

• warmer than average across much of the north Pacific, with much of the region surrounding and to the east of Japan more than 3–4 °C warmer than average

• 0.8–2 °C warmer than average around the north-west of Australia's coastline and parts of the Tasman and Coral seas

• 0.4–1.2 °C warmer than average across most of the Maritime Continent.

The Niño indices for the week ending 13 October 2024 are:

Niño3, −0.1 °C; Niño3.4, −0.5 °C; and Niño4, +0.04 °C. The Niño3.4 index reflects historically neutral ENSO conditions.

5-day sub-surface temperatures

For the 5 days ending 13 October 2024, the analysis shows:

• sub-surface temperatures around 1 °C cooler than average in the central equatorial Pacific (between 125 m and 200 m depth) and in the eastern equatorial Pacific (between 50 m and 100 m depth).

• sub-surface temperature anomalies more than 3 °C warmer than average in the shallow eastern equatorial sub-surface (above 50 m depth).

Long-range forecast overview

Issued: 10 October 2024

The long-range forecast for November to January shows:

• Above average rainfall is likely across much of southern and eastern Australia.

• Warmer than average days and nights are likely to very likely across most of Australia.

• Unusually high minimum temperatures are very likely for much of northern and eastern Australia.

Our forecasts have greater accuracy closer to the forecast period. Refer to our weekly updates to follow the evolution of rainfall and temperature patterns as the November to January season approaches.

New South Wales forecast air temperature over land

Max temperature - The chance of above median max temperature for 20 Oct – 2 Nov

COVID-19 STATE OF PLAY AUSTRALIA 2024: "the mortality experience" in an epoch of obfuscation

 

ACTUARIES INSTITUTE, Mortality Working Group, 12 September 2024:

Mortality in First Five Months of 2024 Was Slightly Higher than Prediction

In summary:

• Total mortality was 1% higher than the new baseline for the first five months of 2024.

• The mortality experience of 2024 includes higher COVID-19 mortality than predicted from March to May.

• Mortality from the COVID-19 wave that started in April 2024 rose more sharply than predicted and by May had reached a higher level than anticipated.

• For 2024, the Working Group measures mortality relative to 2023, allowing for some mortality improvement and an estimate of COVID-19 mortality (see April 2024 and June 2024 blogs).

Table 1 – Excess deaths in Australia (versus 2023-based expectation) – by cause of death for January to May 2024

COVID-19 was a much more significant cause of mortality in the first five months of 2024 than influenza (1,610 doctor-certified deaths for COVID-19 versus 144 for influenza).

The last Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report indicated that between 1 January and 22 September 2024 there were a total of 237,001 confirmed COVID-19 infections officially recorded in Australia, with 44 per cent of all cases being with New South Wales.

According to NSW Health from 1 January to 5 October 2024 there were 108,777 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, with by far the highest concentration found in Western Sydney at 20,305 confirmed infections (or 19% of all officially recorded cases across NSW).

In relation to COVID-19 deaths, all state and federal departments and agencies have perfected the art of fudging the data by making it difficult to compare across agencies/sources.

However, Australia-wide from 1 January to 31 August 2024 there were 2,943 doctor certified deaths due to COVID-19 respiratory infection [ABS 30.09.24]

The cohort group with the highest mortality numbers appears to be aged care residents, with recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaching 7,019 individuals between 1 January to 10 October 2024 [Australian Govt. DoH, 11.10.24]

In New South Wales according to ABC News (14.10.24) NSW Ministry of Health data released under freedom of information laws showed 1,729 hospital inpatients catching COVID-19 and 86 dying between January and April this year.

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND 2024: AUSTRALIA SCORES THREE Fs ON THREATENED SPECIES REPORT CARD

World Wildlife Fund - Australia

THE 2024 THREATENED SPECIES REPORT CARD

4 September 2024

*SELECTIVE EXCERPTS*

In September 2022, WWF-Australia launched its first Threatened Species Report Card, which provided a simple but scientifically robust way to track and communicate Australia’s progress in recovering our threatened species.

The methods behind the report card were developed in collaboration with conservation scientists from the University of Queensland. After the 2022 launch, the methods were improved through a peer review process, and published as a scientific paper in an international journal (Wardet al. 2024).

We have now refreshed the report card grades with 2024 data and have compared them with the 2022 results outlined in the scientific paper.

WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE OUR 2022 REPORT CARD?*

• 163 species have been newly listed as threatened

• 40 species have had their threatened status upgraded, e.g., from Vulnerable to Endangered

• 3 species have had a genuine improvement in their threat status, because the rate of their decline has slowed or stopped. These are:

o The Red Knot (Calidris canutus) which moved from Endangered to Vulnerable

o The Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris), which moved from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable

o The Northern Siberian Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica menzbieri), which moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered

 

• There have been no new extinction listings since our 2022 Report Card. However, 15 species have been listed as extinct or extinct in the wild in the last 10 years.

*Includes listing changes between 8 March 2022 and 30 June 2024.

GRADING

We calculated a score between 0 and 1 for each indicator, where 1 is the ideal scenario. We then assigned grades using equal intervals, where:

• an A grade is greater than 0.83,

• a B grade is 0.67 to 0.82,

• a C grade is 0.5 to 0.66,

• a D grade is 0.33 to 0.49,

• an E grade is from 0.17 to 0.32, and

• an F grade is less than 0.16.

As the reader will observe, in this report Australia received a shockingly bad overall assessment:

Funding - FAIL/F Grade

Recovery Plans - FAIL/ F Grade

Protection - LOW PASS/ C Grade

Threat Status Improvement - FAIL/ F Grade

Persistence - SECOND CLASS PASS/ B Grade

Full WWF The 2024 Threatened Species Report Card (released September 2024) can be read & downloaded at:

https://assets.wwf.org.au/image/upload/f_pdf/file_Threatened_Species_Report_Card_Technical_Report_2024

Australian National Cabinet reaffirms its commitment to National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 & identifies a $4.7 billion funding package

 

Between April 2023 and March 2024 in New South Wales there were 36,513 domestic violence assault incidents recorded and the state rate for domestic-violence related assaults reported to police was 447.1 per 100,000 persons and the NSW regional rate was 596.7 per 100,000 persons.

Across New South Wales during the same time period there were 15,728 incidents where adult women were recorded as victims of intimate partner domestic violence along with 5,926 incidents where adult women were the victims of family violence.

From April 2004 to March 2024 there were 15 domestic violence-related female murder victims in NSW - 11 were murdered by an intimate partner and 4 were murdered by a family member.

Between April 2023 and March 2024 domestic violence-related assault rates per 100,000 population in the Northern Rivers local government areas were:

Richmond Valley - 772.1

Clarence Valley - 709.8

Lismore City - 496.9

Tweed - 324.6

Byron - 312.2

Ballina - 303.1

Kyogle - 37.9.

Three of the seven local government areas exceeded the state rate for domestic violence-related assaults reported to police, two exceeded the NSW regional rate & three also exceeded the Northern Rivers estimated overall rate of 422.3 incidents per 100,000.

Note: All statistics were found in NSW BOCSAR, Trends in Domestic & Family violence – quarterly March report 2024 & Domestic Violence Assault Regional Comparison Tool

Neither New South Wales nor the Northern Rivers region are unique in the level of domestic violence-related assaults and murders within their communities, violence against women and girls is endemic within Australia.

So it was heartening to see the Australian National Cabinet's detailed announcement at the end of last week which included a $4.7 billion funding package.

Meeting of National Cabinet

Media statement

Friday 6 September 2024

National Cabinet met in Canberra today to agree practical next steps to accelerate action to end gender-based violence in a generation and deliver on the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

First Ministers agreed that ending the national crisis of gender-based violence, including violence against children and young people, will remain an ongoing priority for National Cabinet. First Ministers acknowledged that a coordinated approach across all states and territories is required to address this national crisis.

National Cabinet is committed to maintaining a central focus on missing and murdered First Nations women and children and agreed that all government commitments on gender-based violence must explicitly consider the needs and experiences of First Nations people, and be delivered in genuine partnership with First Nations communities.

Today, National Cabinet agreed a comprehensive $4.7 billion package that harnesses important opportunities to work together to prevent violence and support legal services. It brings together efforts and funding to:

— Deliver much needed support for frontline specialist and legal services responding to gender based violence.

— Innovative approaches to better identify and respond to high-risk perpetrators to stop violence escalating.

— Address the role that systems and harmful industries play in exacerbating violence.

These actions are guided by the valuable contributions of the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches. The recommendations of the review have guided immediate actions and First Ministers have agreed to use the review’s recommendations to inform strengthened efforts across all governments to deliver the National Plan. Governments will progressively respond to the review with the collective response overseen by Women and Women’s Safety Minister’s Meeting over time.

Today, National Cabinet signed the Heads of Agreement for a new National Access to Justice Partnership, including a critical $800 million increase in funding to the legal assistance sector over five years, with a focus on uplifting legal services responding to gender-based violence.

Under this agreement, the Commonwealth will invest $3.9 billion over five years from 1 July 2025 and for the first time will provide ongoing funding beyond the five year agreement so that the sector has long-term funding certainty.

National Cabinet agreed to negotiate a renewed, five year National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses, to commence on 1 July 2025 and deliver over $700 million in new matched investments from the Commonwealth and states and territories.

The new agreement will support greater flexibility for states and territories to direct funding to meet local need, and will be accompanied by stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms. It will include a focus on nationally coordinated approaches to support prevention activities through frontline services, including funding for:

— Specialist services for women.

— Services to support children exposed to family, domestic and sexual violence to heal and recover.

— Working with men, including men’s behaviour change programs for perpetrators of gendered violence.

Delivering on commitments made at the May National Cabinet on gender based violence, First Ministers today agreed to deliver innovative new approaches to better identify high risk perpetrators, share information about them across systems and state boundaries, and intervene early to stop violence escalating.

First Ministers agreed to:

— Develop new national best practice family and domestic violence risk assessment principles and a model best practice risk assessment framework.

— Support enhancements to the National Criminal Intelligence System, which enables information sharing across jurisdictions, to provide a ‘warning flag’ that will assist police responding to high-risk perpetrators.

— Extend and increase nationally-consistent, two-way information sharing between the family law courts and state and territory courts, child protection, policing and firearms agencies.

— Strengthen system responses to high-risk perpetrators to prevent homicides, by trialling new focussed deterrence models and Domestic Violence Threat Assessment Centres. These centres will be able to use intelligence, monitor individuals and intervene with those at high risk of carrying out homicide.

The new risk assessment principles and trials of focussed deterrence models will be developed in close consultation with First Nations people and communities and will give specific consideration to application and implementation of approaches for First Nations people and communities.

Acknowledging the role that systems and industries can play in exacerbating violence, State and Territory First Ministers agreed to review alcohol laws and its impact on family and domestic violence victims to identify and share best practice and reforms and to report back to National Cabinet on progress.

This builds on commitments by the Commonwealth at the May National Cabinet to deliver a range of measures to tackle factors that exacerbate violence against women, including violent online pornography. The Commonwealth will announce a comprehensive response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Gambling in due course.

To help break the cycle of violence, the Commonwealth will start comprehensive work with sector experts to identify gaps in supports for children and young people who have experienced or witnessed FDSV, to inform the design and implementation of new and revised initiatives and interventions. This work will include a specific focus on First Nations children and young people through culturally safe consultation and expertise.

While this comprehensive work is underway, the Commonwealth will provide an over $80 million boost to enhance and expand child-centric trauma-informed supports for children and young people.

The Commonwealth will also provide funding to establish national standards for men’s behaviour change.

The Commonwealth will immediately commence an audit of key Commonwealth government systems to identify areas where they are being weaponised by perpetrators of family and domestic violence.

This media statement has been agreed by First Ministers and serves as a record of meeting outcomes.

Cartoon of the Week

When Summer comes before Spring begins.......

Matt Golding