A report in Slate looks into why there has been so little looting in Japan since the earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear crisis. Looting is a common problem in most countries after major disasters, but observers have noted the lack of it in Japan since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit more than a fortnight ago. Moreover, the Japanese reaction has been typified by a…

A two-day conference being held tomorrow and Saturday as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival is taking a look at the impact of digital technologies and culture on the business and practice of news. ‘New News’ is a program of events - most of them at the Wheeler Centre - that will explore a dazzling variety of topics and feature some of Australia’s most…