Occasional Papers
The Century of Networking
New technologies are transforming the way we learn, entertain ourselves, and communicate with each other. The next century will be a ‘century of networking’ as people are put in touch by means unheard of even in the recent past. In this John Bonython Lecture, Rupert Murdoch reflects on the coming century of networking. In contrast with pessimistic views of technology taken by writers such as George Orwell, Mr Murdoch sees technology as offering exciting new possibilities. For Australians and new Zealanders, technology helps overcome the tyranny of distance, and gives their highly-educated, English-speaking workforces more opportunities to do business with the world. In politics, technology reduces governments’ capacity to control the flow of information and so protects freedom. Mr Murdoch stresses the role of entrepreneurs and free markets in bringing the benefits of the information age to audiences, consumers and citizens.
