The perils of public media funding and other news and views

The Perils of Public Media Funding - Project Syndicate

In many media markets around the world, publicly-financed news organizations are little more than government mouthpieces. If even a fraction of these outlets' budgetary windfalls were redirected toward independent news sites and broadcasters, journalism would thrive and the public would be better informed.

Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier - The New Yorker

Jane Mayer explains how the former spy Christopher Steele compiled his infamous “Russia dossier,” a secret report on Trump’s ties to Russia.

China’s Economy Is Not Normal. It Doesn’t Have to Be. - New York Times

What some take to be the Chinese economy’s weaknesses have, in fact, been strengths. Unbalanced growth isn’t evidence of a looming risk so much as a sign of successful industrialization. Surging debt levels are a marker of financial deepening rather than profligate spending. Corruption has spurred, not stalled, growth.
At least so far. The central question isn’t whether China might continue to confound norms so much as what, precisely, is required for it to do so. And that, as ever, hinges on whether the Chinese government can strike the right balance between state intervention and market forces.

Missing the Forest for the Xi - Project Syndicate

For the past month, Western commentators have been wringing their hands over Chinese President Xi Jinping's strengthening hold on power, which contradicts the long-held assumption that China would eventually embrace Western democracy. But just as China's economic-development model has proven the West wrong, so, too, might its political model.

[By Jim O'Neill, a former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and former Commercial Secretary to the UK Treasury, is Honorary Professor of Economics at Manchester University and former Chairman of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance.] 

Using artificial intelligence to investigate illegal wildlife trade on social media - Eureka Alert

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity conservation and is currently expanding to social media. This is a worrisome trend, given the ease of access and popularity of social media. Efficient monitoring of illegal wildlife trade on social media is therefore crucial for conserving biodiversity.
In a new article published in the journal Conservation Biology, scientists from the University of Helsinki, Digital Geography Lab, argue that methods from artificial intelligence can be used to help monitor the illegal wildlife trade on social media.

Italian election results expose eurozone inadequacy - Financial Times

Until prosperity is better distributed, Europe will remain vulnerable to upheaval

'Hate is a strong word': Andrew Barr backs away from condemnation of media - Canberra Times