All the latest in media and privacy news. The media section of The Australian has started publishing a daily morning email newsletter called “First Draft”, a wrap of all The Oz’s most recent media and marketing stories. It’s exciting news for media junkies, perhaps not so great for those concerned for privacy. Because when you head to the sign-up page to enter your email address there’s this warning underneath:

News Digital Media as publisher of The Australian collects your personal information to assist us in providing the goods or services you have requested, to process your competition entries, and to improve our products and services. We or any of our Australian related companies may be in touch by any means (including email or SMS) at any time to let you know about goods, services, or promotions which may be of interest to you. We may also share your information with other persons or entities who assist us in providing our services, running competitions or with other companies who provide prizes for competitions or reader offers.

This company is part of a global media and entertainment company. We would like to share your information with these overseas-related companies so that they can contact you with special offers. If you would prefer us not to, please contact our privacy officer at:

Privacy Officer
Phone: 02 9288 3212
Fax: 02 9288 3139
privacynwn@newsltd.com.au
2 Holt St, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010

So they will offer your details to third parties and if you don’t like it you have to opt-out and contact their privacy officer, not just simply tick (or untick) a box upon sign-in, the more standard practice. Sure, The Oz wants to be able to spruik its readers to its advertisers. But considering the time and effort put into the digital strategy of the organisation it seems troubling that one of the biggest media organisations on the planet are exercising such restrictive and controlling direct marketing practices. — Amber Jamieson

‘Excitment’ at Nine for 2012. An unfortunate spelling mistake occurred, albeit briefly, in Channel Nine’s promotional video for its 2012 line-up …

Front page of the day. Today’s Gold Coast Bulletin takes an ice pick to Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes …

The Department of Corrections. The November 19 edition of The Times of India apologised for mistakenly reducing the cost of its paper …

NYT launches group digital subscriptions

“The New York Times is ready to start extending sales of its ‘all access’ digital subscriptions across tablets and smartphones to companies and organisations with more than 50 employees.” — Paid Content

Manning hearing date set, accused in WikiLeaks case

“In a first step toward a court-martial after 18 months of captivity, Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, the Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking government files to WikiLeaks, will appear before a hearing at Fort Meade in Maryland on Dec. 16, his lawyer, David Coombs, wrote on his blog.” — New York Times

Neutrino fever produces media storm

“The internet is hungry for news about neutrinos, and it is being fed — even if that news is, well, old. The saga of those Einstein-defying neutrinos appeared to take a dramatic turn today, with a flood of news stories reporting that a second experiment in the same lab showed that the subatomic particles are obeying the speed limit after all.” — New Scientist

Why arts journalism is the poor city cousin

“From this month, the ABC will no longer have a separate arts unit: a move that means the loss or redeployment of staff and the axing of specialist programs Art Nation (on ABC1) and Artworks (Radio National). Much has been said about the national broadcaster shirking its charter responsibilities to Australian culture, but the problem goes further than simple scheduling changes.” — The Australian