Wednesday 16, April  2025 |  When this election campaign, Epitome predicted we would hear Sweet Fudge All about tech or innovation. And so far… Yep, sweet fudge all. The only real story of note came from The Australian Financial Review last week, when Ronald Mizen and Kylar Louissikian cited Coalition sources as saying that the now-Opposition tended to strip bare Labor’s National Reconstruction Fund and spend it all on building nuclear power plants. Awesome. Although nobody really blinked, because nobody really understands what the hell the National Reconstruction Fund is anyway. Well, finally, somebody showed they care with Denham Sadler yesterday quoting the CEO of Science and Technology Australia as saying this would not be a smart move. “The country’s future prosperity depends upon our ability to create an Australia made by Australian ideas. The NRF is a crucial part of what will drive the country’s economic complexity and underpin investment in innovation

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald have scooped the top honours at the Lizzies this year, winning the Gold Lizzie for Best Title.  It was a successful evening for the mastheads, winning the Lizzies for Best Consumer Technology and News Coverage, while Technology Editor, David Swan, took home Best Technology Issues Journalist.  “I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this newsroom and for its work to be recognised so strongly at The Lizzies. Awards aren't why we do what we do, of course, but to be recognised by your peers in such a way is gratifying.” Swan told Influencing.  “There would be a ton of reasons not to be a journalist. The hours can be rough, as can the pay, and every year, it feels like we're doing more with less. Ultimately, the results - shining a light on injustices, informing our readers, telling stories that need telling - are essential work, and I'm so glad that work can be recognised through these awards. “The awards are also a great reminder of how vib

Influencing can exclusively reveal investigative and digital forensics reporter Kevin Nguyen is on the move to London to work for the BBC as a senior reporter on the BBC Verify team.  Nguyen—who recently won Best Technical Journalist at the 23rd Annual Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards— has departed the ABC News Verify team to take up the opportunity to work with the global broadcaster from mid-May.  Confirming the news to Influencing, Nguyen said “The BBC Verify team is the gold standard of social media verification work in the world. These investigation teams are very specific in what they’re trying to achieve.  “I think the BBC News Verify exists as this global pillar of confidence, as a hub of best practice journalism. Journalism is a process and not every newsroom has that luxury of executing that process and really the team I’m about to join never loses sight of that [process.] “For example, it’s better to be right than first and that’s what I’m

  With just over two weeks until federal election day May 3 the party political machines are in top gear and today both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are spruiking their messages in Melbourne. We take a look at how the main news outlets are covering the campaign today - Wednesday - and the leaders will also be facing off at the second leaders’ debate tonight which will air on the ABC.    The news outlets all have the story on a security scare when PM Albanese was confronted by a protester in a hotel lobby last night, with the Daily Mail’s Harrison Christian reporting, “A disturbing photo has emerged of one of the right-wing figures who confronted Albanese in a Melbourne hotel lobby on Tuesday night. Daniel Jones has posted images online of him toting various firearms, including a rocket launcher”.   The Melbourne man allegedly took credit for a video in which Mr Albanese was confronted in the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday, sparking security concerns. At the nati

Professor Jackie Huggins. Professor Jackie Huggins AM FAHA has begun her tenure as the ABC’s inaugural Elder-in-Residence with an interview on ABC News Breakfast this morning and in an online feature by senior reporter Miriam Corowa. Professor Huggins is a Bidjara and Birri-Gubba Juru woman and an eminent Australian with a distinguished career working across the community, government and non-government sectors and as an author and historian. In 2001 she became a Member of the Order of Australia for her work on reconciliation, social justice, literacy and women's issues. She also has a long history with the ABC, starting when she worked at the Toowong, Brisbane headquarters when she was just 16. The Elder-in-Residence role was created last year in response to the Listen Loudly, Act Strongly report and is for a two-year term, with an option to renew. Professor Huggins will support First Nations employees and provide cultural guidance to the management and leadership teams acr