Journoz: Updates for Australian Journalists

"Human shield" story

From the CIA, no less. Find their report, Putting Noncombatants at Risk: Saddam's Use of Human Shields at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/iraq_human_shields/index.html.

Housing boom ... or bust?

The housing boom has not been good news for low income people, says the Brotherhood of St Laurence in a report at http://www.bsl.org.au/pdfs/Changing_Pressures_Feb03.pdf. It claims the low stocks of affordable housing are creating a housing stress crisis.

It's not over yet for the UN ...

... or so says Keith Suter at http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/items/00226.shtml. He believes the UN Security Council will survive the current crisis.

Human Rights Watch World Report 2003

The report, at http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/, provides an assessment of human rights practices in 58 countries. The period covered is from November 2001 to November 2002.

Coming, ready or not ...

The US has launched a new site to prepare its citizens for terrorist attacks. Ready.gov (http://www.ready.gov/) explains how to make an emergency kit, how to decide a plan of action and has sections on potential kinds of threat, e.g. chemical, biological, nuclear blasts, radiation and explosions.

Ethanol in cars

The Parliamentary Library has also prepared a Current Issues Brief on Ethanol in petrol at http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/cib/2002-03/03cib12.pdf.

Public/private partnerships

Good idea? Bad idea? The Parliamentary Library has prepared a Research Note at http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/2002-03/03RP01.pdf on the topic to explain what they mean.

Is the Government health rebate a flop?

John Deeble of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health argues that the federal government’s private health insurance rebate has failed at http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/items/00218.shtml. The full text of his remarks is at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/health-insurance/deeble_report.pdf.

Fitting out a digital newsroom?

If you have to create a multimedia newsroom and aren't sure what to do, have a look at the Online Journalism Review article Gear for the Multimedia Newsroom at http://www.ojr.org/ojr/lasica/1039552387.php. It describes phones, cameras, notebook computers, scanners, software and more.

Military news fix

Jane's, the defence, security and intelligence publisher, are now offering email alerts for free. These include Jane's News Briefs, a weekly headline and abstracts service that provides links through to live stories on janes.com, and Jane's Defence Weekly e-mail alerts, which appear as soon as new stories are posted to the Defence Weekly web site, handy if you need to keep on top of military and defence industry issues. Sign up for either or both at http://www2.janes.com/public/alerts.html, or just visit the main site at http://www.janes.com/, which has latest news.

The (parlous?) state we're in

Peter Mares has a think piece about the cost of going to war with Iraq at http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/items/00217.shtml. Mares, a broadcaster with ABC Radio National, spoke at a forum at the Perth International Writers Festival on 7 February.

And who'll be doing what?
The Parliamentary Library has a briefing on forces and likely tasks for Australia’s contribution to the war in Iraq at http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/cib/2002-03/03cib11.pdf

North Korea nerves

The Parliamentary Library has a Research Note on the implications of what North Korea is up to for Australian trade at http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/2002-03/03rn23.pdf.

Since war looks ever more likely ...

... you may as well be prepared. Reuters has a new site up for war correspondents. AlertNet at http://www.alertnet.org/ provides country data, info on relief operations and links to satellite images as well as news. As you'd expect, there is a link just for Iraq.

Oscar fever is upon us

The complete 75th Oscars press kit is now available at http://www.oscars.org/press/presskit/pdf/complete_presskit.pdf.

Canberra bushfires - the blame game

Jack Waterford, editor-in-chief of the Canberra Times ponders the rush to find someone to blame for Canberra's bushfires at http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/items/00211.shtml.

investigative journalism - RIP?

The Evatt Foundation is holding a public seminar on The Death of Investigative Journalism and Who Killed It? Speakers include Phillip Knightley and Four Corners reporter Chris Masters.
Venue: Seymour Centre, Sydney
When: Saturday 15 February, 6pm to 7.30pm
More info can be found at http://evatt.labor.net.au/events/10_20020309.html .

Changes in Academia - new report

DEST has just published a new report - 178 pages and available in PDF - on Changes in Academic Life: Implications for Universities of the Changing Age Distribution and Work Roles of Academic Life. There are sections on casual staffing, research and job satisfaction (or lack of it). You can get it at http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/otherpub/academic_work.pdf.

Back in business

My Web site, Guide to Internet information sources for Australian journalists (also known as OzGuide), has moved to its new permanent home. The new URL is http://journoz.com/. My Globalisation site has also moved - it's at http://journoz.com/global/. I will be migrating my Web log and adding other features soon. The site will continue to be free to users.

Down time

My Web site, Guide to Internet information sources for Australian journalists (also known as OzGuide, is currently down due to Web site reorganisation at its host. With luck, it will be back in a day or so. However, I will soon be moving the site so please always use this URL http://journoz.com/ to get to it - that way, when it does move, your link will still work. (The journoz.com link will get you to the old site until it moves too - provided it ever sees the light of day again, that is ...)