Digital Culture Talks

In Australia, there are 3.7 million people who have never used the internet. On top of this, many Australians who do have internet access are not confident enough to do the basics. To become a truly leading, inclusive and global digital nation we need everyone to become confident internet users by 2020.

Helen Milner talks about her ambition of a 100% digitally empowered world and shares some transformative stories in the hopes of persuading everyone that we can't afford not to collaborate for Australia to succeed in 2016, the National Year of Digital Inclusion, and beyond.

In association with Infoxchange, Go Digi and Australia Post.

Journalist Jon Ronson joined us to discuss how to spot a psychopath and making Twitter more compassionate. Along the way he introduces us to corporate psychopath 'Chainsaw Al', the acceptable level of madness for daytime TV and shaming of Justine Sacco for a badly told joke. Honest and funny, Ronson explores how we can become a mob as he struggles between being funny and betraying his interviewees.

Warning: this audio contains language offensive to some listeners. It includes references to suicide, drug use and violence against women, if this content raises issues of concern you can call Lifeline 13 11 14.

Digital news means we’re never far from the headlines and journalists give up-to-the-second updates on breaking stories. Social media means readers watch news unfold and new services are replacing traditional newspapers.

Hear Sophie Black (Editor in Chief at Private Media), Tim Duggan (Content Director and co-owner of the Sound Alliance) and Paul Daley (author and journalist) discuss how journalists and publishers had to adapt to the digital age in order to survive in a faster than ever media world.

Rich media, e-books, new channels and other technological innovation have re-invented the book for the digital age. The discussion looked at digital-born books and how e-books and more traditional books now co-exist.

The talk featured Simon Groth, Manager of if:book Australia, Charlotte Harper, founder and publisher of Editia and Zoë Sadokierski, Vice President of the Australian Book Designers Association.

How do we promote a healthy social media culture within government organisations?

Join our panel of experts, including John Sheridan (Australian Government Chief Technology Officer), Mia Garlick (Head of Policy, Facebook Australia) and Craig Thomler (Managing Director, Delib Australia), for a debate on the role of social media in celebrating our public institutions.

Join Ed Summers, information technology specialist at the Library of Congress and independent developer, as he discusses how the application of information technology in libraries can make collection material accessible to all.

Expert panellists discuss how open data and collaborations are reinventing digital cultural collections. Speakers include Pia Waugh, a community leader for open government, Jake MacMullin, iOS and mobile specialist, and Trove Manager Tim Sherratt.