Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

"What the hell is happening to the ABC? Ten years of Liberal government of course. And was last Friday another step along the ABC’s road to compliance with the Tory worldview?": Tony Phillips

"The original cross-media ownership laws might not have guaranteed local content, especially in radio, but they did guarantee separate control of broadcast and print in each market, and that is the basic foundation on which a government should build localism requirements.": Peter Andren MP

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would be looking beyond mere changes in media delivery technology to deeper issues in order to ensure competition was preserved, ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.

"Without endangering those in China, news organizations could conclude deals with other companies to ensure that uncensored reports are echoed from one free server to the next, thereby defying China to filter the entire Internet if it wishes to eliminate content. Of course, news organizations operate as businesses, and defying powerful governments can be a bad business strategy.": Jonathan Zittrain

"9/11 is not only a moment in history – it is also a moment in television history. This leads us to our opening questions. Do we respond to the images themselves, or to what the images depict? And further, what part do these images play in cultural memory?": Stephen Smith

"Was the ABC’s reason for pulling Jonestown, the unauthorised biography on the influential radio presenter Alan Jones, political or commercial? Was it the result of an ABC Board stacked with appointees who share the political interests of the incumbent government, or a board dominated by people with a narrow business outlook?" Glenys Stradijot

There has been much debate on Webdiary over its nearly 6 years of existence about the merits of moderation and registration of comments and commenters. Most serious sites either moderate or require registration or both - we do both. Today's Crikey accuses the SMH (moderation without registration) of systematically not publishing critical comments on blogs. Meanwhile, over the Guardian's new Comment is Free site (registration without moderation), a debate is under way about the need to tone some of the abusive comments down ... what follows is the view of Guardian Online Editor Emily Bell.

"In modern mythology, ‘Chaucer’s Guide’ might well describe the journalist, reporter or news anchor. At various times they have all been figures the public trusts. They are experienced travelers to exotic places and zones of conflict, and know all the best ‘sources’ and experts. In front of the camera or in print they become a virtual guide to understanding. To this extent, the news media is more than a vocation: it has cultural authority. But in comparison to medieval times, the modern guide’s bag of tricks has Blue Tooth and all the gadgets of the digital age." Stephen Smith

"I'm having an ethical crisis. Over the last couple of years I've been looking in shadows for details, and now I'm wondering if it's a current-affairs equivalent of a meerschacht test.. you know, when a pychologist shows a patient ink-blobs and analyses their interpretation." Richard Tonkin

"At 20, I charged into scribbling for student newspapers and radio, and had minor battles with all manner of senior academics, Queensland politicians of any stripe and most memorable of all, a very rough, evil and well-connected lad who was, and remains a member of the Israeli army. He threatened me with a defamation writ for my coverage in Semper Floreat of his bullyboy antics at a Student Council meeting. I wasn't a student at the U of Q at the time, but at the then Institute of Technology, where a notable campus figure was the well-known Bryan Law, who probably still strongly disapproves of my behaviour." Peter Woodforde

"It had to happen eventually, and now it has. The cyclone hammered people of Innisfail have been mightily slagged by Sydney columnist Miranda Devine, safely tucked up in her warm PJs as she delivers her scathing, bitter verdict on mothers with children in tow who spent two days or more standing in the rain in the Innisfail town square last week." Darryl Mason

"In the current environment, with anything related to Islam being painted as violent and ugly, it is sometimes easier for those of us who don’t feel the urge to hate the faith and all its followers to presume every attack is part of some agenda. Conspiracies often make excellent self-fulfilling prophecies." Irfan Yusuf

"Many regard journalism as having undergone a revolution over the last 20 years, in which ‘straight’ grassroots fact-reporting has declined in favour of opinion writing. Both political colours have been part of this shift. Albrechtsen and stablemates like Greg Sheridan – who has also been embarrassed by some exposures of questionable journalism – still appear loud and proud on their opinion pages. So opinion is clearly good business, even if quality is found wanting. Either that or The Australian believes winning the culture war necessarily means dispensing with some of the ‘civil liberties’ of journalism. In any case, controversial writers can always hide behind the subjectivity inherent in the world of ‘opinion’." Martin Spalding

"The Left may be criticized for missing a sense of humour. Well, Richard Neville’s recent culture jamming of John Howard’s website has proven to be one of the best japes in years. Jammin’ may refer to dancing in Jamaican patois, but our own brand of creative jamming is in the spirit of another Marley line – “forget your troubles and dance!” Whatever your jammin’, diving into the media fray to rock the system from within has a lot to recommend it." Stephen Smith

"As most of you who received my email on Monday now realise, JOHN HOWARD'S APOLOGY was an act of satire and culture jamming. Its impact was way beyond expectation, as was the variation in feedback. Many of you wanted to believe in John Howard's U-turn, and said he 'stood taller' after the speech. Others replied he had 'sniffed the wind' and was cutting his cloth to ensure his political survival. It made them hate the PM even more. A seasoned activist emailed from London, 'this speech proves John Howard is smarter than Tony Blair'. To heighten its impact, I asked a student to design a site that closely resembled the official page of the Australian Prime Minister, as well as his personality ­ oodles of grey." Richard Neville

Equipped with the ethical guidelines for good journalism, there is no reason why citizens with all sorts of expertise and experience can't worm their way into the closed club of media-politics-business and seek and get answers now hidden because the questions are never asked. Their accountability would come from the fact that their reports and pieces are themselves open to scrutiny and corrections from other readers through comments. And that before they become citizen journalists they must earn the trust and respect of other readers and contributors.

"The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today [14 March 2006] released a discussion paper on reform options for Australia 's media industry."

"These are violent times. Some believe that we are experiencing a new kind of conflict: “culture wars,” such as those between Sunni and Shiite Muslims or tribal groups in Africa and Asia, or indeed Islamists and Westerners. However, the deeper reasons for some of these conflicts may well be more traditional." Ralf Dahrendorf

"OK, all you Margostanis out there, listen up! I haven’t had time to work on a continuation of Sharia for Complete Bankers, but I am working on it. In the meantime, here are my allegedly halal thoughts on some issues making the press. Enjoy!" Irfan Yusuf

"Claims that the fossil fuel industry had unprecedented access to confidential Commonwealth government processes and the silencing of senior climate change scientists require an independent investigation." Greens Senator Christine Milne, in response to last night's 4-Corners program, "The Greenhouse Mafia."

"I’ve been on some forums with Muslim “leaders” before. I remember a forum on Channel 9’s Today Show which took place some 20 days after the London bombing. I was on there with Sheik Fehmi, one of the few imams who can speak English. There was also a lady from the Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia (MWNNA) who sadly didn’t get much of a chance to speak. The rest of the crowd were an embarrassment." Irfan Yusuf

What I really want for this diary is an ''outside in'' button, so people can post their comments to the public, not just me through email.

Welcome to my Canberra diary. I'm allowed to say what I think whenever I like, and lucky you can interact if you like. The downside for this indulgence is that all the words stay forever so I can be judged for my sins.