The face behind the hashtag: @LindaDrummond and #SPCsunday success

@Anniepalooza @taupe_cat Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr… whatever it takes. Spread the word and make #SPCsunday a thing. — Linda Drummond (@LindaDrummond) February 6, 2014 By Linda Drummond @LindaDrummond 10th February 2014 I never thought that a conversation on Twitter would spread so far. Like many people in Australia, I watched the news unfold about SPC Ardmona […]

Then they came for the farmers… #SPC #leardblockade

[clear] By Alison Parkes  6th February 2014 Two recent issues have been in the news lately concerning rural and regional communities – the impending closure of SPC and the Leardblockade. People in capital cities, on social media and old media talk about thinks like SPC or live export or another mine as if they are […]

Independents, pirates, and a bullet train: new faces in #GriffithVotes @GriffithElects reports

By Jan Bowman @GriffithElects 31st January 2014 Independent candidate in the Griffith by-election, Karel Boele, comes across as accomplished, considered and energetic. He has studied mechatronics, physics, and strategic affairs. He has managed large financial projects in South East Asia, and he currently runs a business which provides advice on participatory democracy and on complementary […]

Twitter and the discerning citizen journalist

No Fibs relies on social media to broadcast our news. In particular, we are a Twitter experiment. The wonder of social media is that it enables us to disseminate news quickly – very quickly. Its inherent danger is that is also encourages citizen journalists to spread false information quickly – very quickly. As a citizen journalist […]

#CSG: Conspiracies, mouthpieces and independence: Mark Anning @1earthmedia reports

By Mark Anning On 28 July 2013, the oil and gas industry peak body – Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) – issued a press release, stating: “The recent coal seam gas episode of ABC 2’s Shitsville Express was a pleasant surprise – a balanced piece of reporting on coal seam gas.” Shitsville Express […]

Black Rain: Waiting for results in Tara – Rob Rimmer reports

By Rob Rimmer On August 2, 2013 Western Downs resident Steve Ansford made a complaint to Origin Energy’s local office at Chinchilla regarding mysterious environmental and health impacts occurring on his property at Upper Humbug Road, near Tara in Queensland. For the second day running, southerly winds appeared to have brought an overnight shower: drops […]

The intellectual grunt behind @Indigocathy Indi victory: @sarah_capper report

Image by No Fibs citizen journalist Wayne Jansson taken on election night, of Alana Johnson, Cathy McGowan and Mary Crooks.By Sarah Capper Sheila’s editor 20 September 2013 When Jeff Kennett lost the “unlosable” Victorian election in 1999, the Victorian Women’s Trust’s Mary Crooks wasn’t overly surprised. In the years leading up the state poll, in her […]

The sociology of how Cathy won Indi, by @ktbar0

[clear] By Kate Sleeman 12 September, 2013 Life in regional cities and towns is often perceived by our city cousins to be a step back in time; dull, slow, backward and socially conservative. However the election result in Indi has hopefully changed their perceptions and highlighted the power of real communities. They are beginning to […]

Greens increasing pressure on Thomson in Wills reports @takvera

By John Englart 4 September 2013 I was recruited by Margo to cover the election in the safe Labor seat of Wills (Seat Profile) in mid July. After writing 21 articles I suspect I have put in far more time and work than some of the candidates. We are at the point in Wills where […]

Latte-sipping city slicker @VanBadham gives thanks for rural independents and sees a new dawn for values in politics

By Van Badham  August 27, 2013 The tactical employment of demeaning stereotypes has always been popular in the Australian political discourse.  Just lump together some universally loathed behaviours – like vanity, self-indulgence or entitlement – dress them as communities you’re trying to discredit, and parade them like carnival villains. “Union thugs”, anybody? “Feminazis”?  “People smugglers”? “Asylum […]