Latest from The Conversation for July 29, 2019

Editor's note

Old media giants like NewsCorp and Nine/Fairfax will be disappointed. On Friday the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission made it clear it had heard their complaints about Google and Facebook and wasn’t inclined to help them. Yes, it has asked for powers that will allow it to stop the new tech giants gobbling up emerging competitors, but it has chosen not to proceed with a draft recommendation that would have set up an adjudicator to oversee disputes between the old media giants and their new distribution channels.

In an assessment of the 600-page digital platforms report for this morning’s Conversation, competition lawyer Caron Beaton-Wells says the Commission has decided to protect competition and the consumers of news rather than the firms that used to provide it.

Media academic Amanda Lotz says no one, “not even the tech companies”, is really to blame for what has happened to traditional newspapers and radio and television broadcasters. And no one can fix it.

Peter Martin

Section Editor: Business and Economy

Top story

Google will find it harder to expand, but there’s only so much the ACCC can do. Shutterstock

What Australia’s competition boss has in store for Google and Facebook

Caron Beaton-Wells, University of Melbourne

Google and Facebook will find it harder to take over firms that aren't yet competitors, but the regulator has offered little to the operators of traditional newspaper, radio and television outlets.

Understanding the forces that drive the online economy is crucial for consumers, and increasingly citizens. Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA

We can put a leash on Google and Facebook, but there’s no saving the traditional news model

Amanda Lotz, Queensland University of Technology

No regulation can fix the disruption of journalism by search engines, social media and digital content aggregators.

Fertility awareness apps assist women to track when they are at their most fertile each month. From shutterstock.com

An app to prevent pregnancy? Don’t count on it

Deborah Bateson, University of Sydney

A growing number of women may be looking to non-hormonal methods of contraception, in the form of fertility awareness apps. But apps are not likely to be as effective as other forms of contraception.

Having more money now means less money, and more dependence, later. Shutterstock

Voluntary super: a good way to increase women’s dependence on men

Helen Hodgson, Curtin University; Myra Hamilton, UNSW

Making super voluntary for low earners, as proposed by a Liberal senator would leave more women vulnerable in old age.

Arts + Culture
Wordslut: a new book aims to ‘verbally smash the patriarchy’, but its argument is imprecise Roslyn Petelin, The University of Queensland The book promises to help reclaim language used against women, exploring the origins of gendered slurs. But its use of contemporary slang and lack of an index undermines its credibility.

Cities

Poor housing leaves its mark on our mental health for years to come

Ankur Singh, University of Melbourne; Emma Baker, University of Adelaide; Lyrian Daniel, University of Adelaide; Rebecca Bentley, University of Melbourne

The difficulties for people facing housing disadvantage don't end as soon as their situation improves. They are at higher risk of poorer mental health years or even decades later.
Increasing tree cover may be like a ‘superfood’ for community mental health

Thomas Astell-Burt, University of Wollongong; Xiaoqi Feng, University of Wollongong

Cities around Australia have plans to increase their green space, but new research shows not all green spaces are equal. Good tree cover is better than grassed areas for residents' mental health.

Politics + Society

Young crime is often a phase, and locking kids up is counterproductive

Joel Robert McGregor, University of Newcastle

Australia should look to the New Zealand model, which has a strong focus on community, and recognises that the majority of young people grow-out of participating in crime.
Government pulls out all stops to prevent inquiry into Angus Taylor

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

With Centre Alliance's Rex Patrick having a change of heart, One Nation's vote now becomes crucial for Labor's motion to pass.
Mueller testimony does not produce smoking gun, but the issues it raised are far from resolved

Brendon O'Connor, University of Sydney; Daniel Cooper, Griffith University

While some have seen Mueller's testimony as a disappointment, Democrats may still initiate impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump in the House of Representatives.
VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the opposition’s tactics in question time - and Morrison’s views on the public service

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

A busy week in Parliament House has seen Labor adopting new tactics during question time, putting pressure on government ministers, while Morrison struggles to maintain order among his backbenchers.

Science + Technology
Consumer watchdog calls for new measures to combat Facebook and Google’s digital dominance Rob Nicholls, UNSW; Katharine Kemp, UNSW The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says the sheer dominance of Google and Facebook has distorted other businesses' ability to compete on their own merits.

Environment + Energy
The Albany pitcher plant will straight up eat you (if you’re an ant) Adam Cross, Curtin University Albany pitcher plants are more closely related to cabbages and roses than any other carnivorous plant.