4 ms·

Does the Herald Sun (which seems to be the source of this sparse article, but which I cannot read because their website is trash) give more details than this?

Does the Herald Sun (which seems to be the source of this sparse article, but which I cannot read because their website is trash) give more details than this? > There are calls for popular video app TikTok to be banned in Australia. The passive voice here is obnoxious, who is calling for it?

teruakohatu 6y ago
These days "There are calls" means the journalist read someone say it on Twitter.
- skissane 6y ago
  Or the journalist read themselves say it on Twitter
vmception 6y ago
A lot of Australian media is written in a passive voice. Everything is too touchy of a topic to ever confront. It is very frustrating if you're actually out of the loop and are trying to figure out what anyone is actually talking about. Who/What/Why/When/Where and How are frequently just missing from editorials, but there IS a controversy, related to something, like immigrants, or Tik Tok, immigrant apps.
- qtplatypus 6y ago
  In part this is due to our very shit liable laws. Even if something is the truth you can still be sued.
  - vmception 6y ago
    > Even if something is the truth you can still be sued. and lose?
    - qtplatypus 6y ago
      Yes https://www.shandtaylor.com.au/publications/is-truth-a-defence-to-defamation https://www.shandtaylor.com.au/publications/is-truth-a-defen... Not only does everything in your story has to be true but also you have to show every implication in your story is true as well.
      - vmception 6y ago
        Tragic This is the black mirror episode
        hnick 6y ago
        It means you can't use weasel words to say one thing and imply another. I personally think 'truth' applies to more than just the letter of what is said and that's in keeping with the concept of 'the spirit of the law' so I don't see a real problem. The US seems stricter on these matters and takes things more literally, so the legislation reflects that.
wp381640 6y ago
The source in the original article is a federal MP. News Corp are the government mouth piece, they're definitely briefing this as part of the increasing tensions with China.
- catalogia 6y ago
  I think I'm meant to assume Senator Jenny McAllister is calling for a ban, but the article doesn't actually say she's calling for a ban.
  - mr_toad 6y ago
    Politicians often call for things that they know will never happen.
    - catalogia 6y ago
      Of course, but the article doesn't say which politicians (if any!) have called for a ban.
monkeycantype 6y ago
The Herald Sun is one of Murdoch's mouthpieces. There may be a source, but with the Sun I believe the use of the passive voice allows the editor to hide that the source of the article is the article itself, and perhaps, the article should be written as: 'This article is calling for the ban of Tik Tok which is a competitor for your attention. It may be that a ban is in the national interest, but that's not of interest to us. Our editorial policy is to provoke strong emotional reactions that drive sales and our political agenda, not critical thinking. '
enjeyw 6y ago
The Herald Sun is a Rupert Murdoch publication, which means that it has a comparable relationship to the conservative political party in Australia as Fox New has with the Republicans. I would recommend viewing all its content from this frame of reference.
- shakna 6y ago
  It's also helpful to see who else is reporting this story, as they all seem to be of the same expected level of journalism: Herald Sun, Sunrise, UK's Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph. Not a single slightly reputable Australian media company appears to have picked this one up, yet. --- To give the benefit of the doubt, the Herald Sun said an unnamed MP spoke to them directly, which is certainly within the realm of possibility. But the Herald Sun has been known to have to retract articles for quoting quotes that never happened.
- quicklime 6y ago
  The Herald Sun is Melbourne’s leading trash tabloid newspaper. With headlines like “Chinese Virus Panda-monium”, they were stoking racist sentiment long before Trump did. Another example of how openly racist they are is when they published and defended this cartoon of Serena Williams: https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e062f6c7325e5b96b12c306e91e1e25e?width=1024 https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e062f6c7325e5b96b12c306e... And just today, the Daily Telegraph (the Sydney paper with the same owner) reported the closing of the Victorian border with the headline “Mexicans Shut Out” (Victoria sits on the southern border of New South Wales): https://twitter.com/echewy/status/1280285466521034752 https://twitter.com/echewy/status/1280285466521034752 Definitely view their content from this frame of reference.
  - lachstarx 6y ago
    None of those things are racist... It's part of Australian culture to have a laugh and poke fun at things. You need to view these things in an appropriate cultural context. Painting an entire group of people as racist makes you kind of a bigot tbh. Not a good look.
  - hnick 6y ago
caf 6y ago
Elder's Law: when journalists lapse into the passive voice, they are up to no good.
RileyJames 6y ago
> Committee chair Senator Jenny McAllister said she hopes TikTok will comply with the Australian government’s request for their cooperation in a probe into the platform. > “I think Australians will expect to hear from them,” she told the Herald Sun. > “Part of the job of this Committee is to get all of those stakeholders in the room and create a forum where we can have a really good discussion about what are the boundaries, about what is and isn’t acceptable on these types of matters.” That seems to be the substance / source of the article. Outside of those quotes, there's 4 paragraphs of background regarding India's decision to ban it, and Scott Morrison (Australian Prime Minister) recent announcement regarding a big cyber security funding announcement (part of wider national defense announcement).
Leary 6y ago
The Herald Sun, I think the Herald Sun is calling for the ban.
_-___________-_ 6y ago
It reads like a plant, to test public opinion for an action before taking it.

teruakohatu 6y ago

These days "There are calls" means the journalist read someone say it on Twitter.

skissane 6y ago
Or the journalist read themselves say it on Twitter

vmception 6y ago

A lot of Australian media is written in a passive voice. Everything is too touchy of a topic to ever confront. It is very frustrating if you're actually out of the loop and are trying to figure out what anyone is actually talking about. Who/What/Why/When/Where and How are frequently just missing from editorials, but there IS a controversy, related to something, like immigrants, or Tik Tok, immigrant apps.

qtplatypus 6y ago
In part this is due to our very shit liable laws. Even if something is the truth you can still be sued.
- vmception 6y ago
  > Even if something is the truth you can still be sued. and lose?
  - qtplatypus 6y ago
    Yes https://www.shandtaylor.com.au/publications/is-truth-a-defence-to-defamation https://www.shandtaylor.com.au/publications/is-truth-a-defen... Not only does everything in your story has to be true but also you have to show every implication in your story is true as well.
    - vmception 6y ago
      Tragic This is the black mirror episode
      - hnick 6y ago
        It means you can't use weasel words to say one thing and imply another. I personally think 'truth' applies to more than just the letter of what is said and that's in keeping with the concept of 'the spirit of the law' so I don't see a real problem. The US seems stricter on these matters and takes things more literally, so the legislation reflects that.

wp381640 6y ago

The source in the original article is a federal MP. News Corp are the government mouth piece, they're definitely briefing this as part of the increasing tensions with China.

catalogia 6y ago
I think I'm meant to assume Senator Jenny McAllister is calling for a ban, but the article doesn't actually say she's calling for a ban.
- mr_toad 6y ago
  Politicians often call for things that they know will never happen.
  - catalogia 6y ago
    Of course, but the article doesn't say which politicians (if any!) have called for a ban.

monkeycantype 6y ago

The Herald Sun is one of Murdoch's mouthpieces. There may be a source, but with the Sun I believe the use of the passive voice allows the editor to hide that the source of the article is the article itself, and perhaps, the article should be written as: 'This article is calling for the ban of Tik Tok which is a competitor for your attention. It may be that a ban is in the national interest, but that's not of interest to us. Our editorial policy is to provoke strong emotional reactions that drive sales and our political agenda, not critical thinking. '

enjeyw 6y ago

The Herald Sun is a Rupert Murdoch publication, which means that it has a comparable relationship to the conservative political party in Australia as Fox New has with the Republicans. I would recommend viewing all its content from this frame of reference.

shakna 6y ago
It's also helpful to see who else is reporting this story, as they all seem to be of the same expected level of journalism: Herald Sun, Sunrise, UK's Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph. Not a single slightly reputable Australian media company appears to have picked this one up, yet. --- To give the benefit of the doubt, the Herald Sun said an unnamed MP spoke to them directly, which is certainly within the realm of possibility. But the Herald Sun has been known to have to retract articles for quoting quotes that never happened.
quicklime 6y ago
The Herald Sun is Melbourne’s leading trash tabloid newspaper. With headlines like “Chinese Virus Panda-monium”, they were stoking racist sentiment long before Trump did. Another example of how openly racist they are is when they published and defended this cartoon of Serena Williams: https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e062f6c7325e5b96b12c306e91e1e25e?width=1024 https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e062f6c7325e5b96b12c306e... And just today, the Daily Telegraph (the Sydney paper with the same owner) reported the closing of the Victorian border with the headline “Mexicans Shut Out” (Victoria sits on the southern border of New South Wales): https://twitter.com/echewy/status/1280285466521034752 https://twitter.com/echewy/status/1280285466521034752 Definitely view their content from this frame of reference.
- lachstarx 6y ago
  None of those things are racist... It's part of Australian culture to have a laugh and poke fun at things. You need to view these things in an appropriate cultural context. Painting an entire group of people as racist makes you kind of a bigot tbh. Not a good look.
- hnick 6y ago

caf 6y ago

Elder's Law: when journalists lapse into the passive voice, they are up to no good.

RileyJames 6y ago

> Committee chair Senator Jenny McAllister said she hopes TikTok will comply with the Australian government’s request for their cooperation in a probe into the platform. > “I think Australians will expect to hear from them,” she told the Herald Sun. > “Part of the job of this Committee is to get all of those stakeholders in the room and create a forum where we can have a really good discussion about what are the boundaries, about what is and isn’t acceptable on these types of matters.” That seems to be the substance / source of the article. Outside of those quotes, there's 4 paragraphs of background regarding India's decision to ban it, and Scott Morrison (Australian Prime Minister) recent announcement regarding a big cyber security funding announcement (part of wider national defense announcement).

Leary 6y ago

The Herald Sun, I think the Herald Sun is calling for the ban.

_-___________-_ 6y ago

It reads like a plant, to test public opinion for an action before taking it.