A thumbnail dipped in tar: The resuscitation of a remote rural community newspaper using the Distributed Newsroom model

Residents of the remote central-western Queensland town of Blackall (pop. 1,833) watched their last locally reported and produced newspaper close in 2001. The nearest newspapers in the intervening years had been and continue to be controlled and produced from Longreach, 200km to the north-west, and in Charleville, another 300km to the south-east. In 2002, a group of Blackall residents formed a committee and asked local officers of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to help them in a project to start a new locally controlled and produced newspaper. Through the DPI, they also approached journalism lecturer John Cokley at James Cook University, Townsville, for advice and assistance. This article documents subsequent preparation for, and publication of, a pilot newspaper called The Barcoo Independent on October 24, 2003, and evaluation by survey, email and telephone interview

Runway incursions: Airport movement area driver training demographics suggests revisions to airport driver training methods

This paper examines the problem of runway incursions at the (OEP-35) U.S. towered airports. According to the FAA Runway Safety Report (2004), vehicle deviations accounted for 20% (291 events) of all runway incursions during the period of 2000 through 2003. The focus of this quantitative correlational study is whether demographic characteristics are a significant factor in the airport movement area driver training that employees receive at Operational Evolution Plan (OEP-35) US towered airports. Airport driver training officials at the OEP-35 airports were surveyed using a five-point Likert-type survey. The data from this study suggested that demographic characteristics are significant factors in the airport driver training that employees receive at Operational Evolution Plan (OEP-35) US towered airports, and vary by geographic region, as well as ethnic and cultural influences prevalent in each region. The data from this study may assist airport operators in identifying significant demographic characteristics that affect the outcomes of their driver training programs, and potential improvements that may enhance airport movement area driver training programs in various geographic regions

Challenging the critical impact of the internet

Reviewed book by: Natalie Fenton Publication date: May, 2011 "There are many in journalism, in both the academy and in practice, who on reading New Media, Old News, will shout, 'See, I told you so!' because the conclusions can be used to back up a very institutional, traditionalist approach to our profession. For me, as a researcher who teaches and continues to practise reporting and editing, this book is a difficult dish, rather challenging and exciting but—like my first Périgord black truffle— just a little dissapointing...

A Documentary Video Assignment to Enhance Learning in Large First-Year Science Classes

The video documentary assignment described in this paper provides students with learning opportunities in a range of core competencies in biology, framed by and including communication skills. The design, presented as a flow chart to illustrate scaffolding activities, is a culmination of six years of reflective practice and evidence based evaluation (e.g., student perspectives, teacher perspectives and student performance on certain criteria). The assignment forms part of a large (600 student) first year biology course and requires groups of four students to investigate and explain the biology behind an environmental issue to a lay audience. Scaffolding activities support development of interpersonal communication skills (team training activities), visual and oral communication skills (through interaction with a journalist and/or TV presenter) and the basics of audience analysis. They also develop information literacy skills and involve students in evaluation of basic logic and argument in a selection of Youtube videos. Student engagement and motivation with the assignment is very high and it provides a fun and bonding experience for students in their first semester of university. Evidence and justification for design decisions are presented in this article and should prove useful for others looking to implement a similar task in a different context, either as a whole or part

Tiny houses and their usefulness in addressing logistical challenges associated with operating a permanent 50-person Martian colony

When American singer-songwriter Malvina Reynolds composed the folk hit Little Boxes in 1963 it was held up as a protest song about the sameness and predictability of contemporary American architecture and 20th century society. More than half a century later, however, the habitat pendulum has swung and the “Tiny House/Home” movement is gaining momentum among sustainability activists, environmentalists, and a new breed of architects, who must rethink and incorporate inexpensive and realistic, as well as adaptable designs, into these tiny habitats for them to become a reality for ordinary people. Since the question is not whether we will colonize the Moon or Mars, but when, who and how we will colonize, these new habitats, therefore, must also reflect a sense of connectivity and situational awareness to avoid social isolation. This is important not for reasons of survivability in space, but also for marketability of the space living experience and for desirability for communities to move to space

I, Journalist: Coping With And Crafting Media Information In The 21st Century

I, Journalist invites journalists, and people wanting to enter the journalistic field, to take a hard look at the place occupied by their line of work in the 21st century. It views journalism as a kind of knowledge and skill which is very central to surviving and prospering in the new economy – an economy built increasingly on communication and creativity. It is even suggested that everybody could do well to become a journalist, at least to some extent. Not that the path will be easy and practitioners have to make some big adjustments as they face the new demands of emerging communication technology and expectations in society. This book moves away from the tradition of journalism texts focused on writing, ethics and media production, to look at mass media and society, strictly as observed from journalists’ own informed perspective

News Corp and Fairfax not the future of journalism

The journalists' union, the MEAA, has invited two News Corp editors to head up its 'future of journalism' summit this month in Brisbane. Courier Mail editor David Fagan and Brisbane Sunday Mail editor Liz Deegan have been asked along to give delegates the latest on 'the future of journalism' under the title 'Adapt or Die, newspaper editors on their survival strategy'

Why 2012 is the 'right place, right time' for citizen journalism in Australia (DataBlitz 2012)

Associate Professor John Cokley discusses his research into new product development in journalism and also highlights the potential growth for new products and increased productivity. DataBlitz on 'Social Innovation' was held on 28 September 2012

Relaunch of the same old thing

Just in from newspaper land: The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are to be relaunched in 'streamlined' formats. Skinnier