When two junior employees bump into each other in the corridor and start chatting about their manager’s overbearing manner, it’s typically considered gossip. But what about when two managers have an off-record catch-up to discuss an under-performing employee? Both scenarios meet traditional definitions of gossip – the information being shared is about other people, the […] … learn more→

It is a truth almost never acknowledged, that university communities are absolutely, totally, tragically addicted to gossip. I was reminded of this truth when the identity of the new ANU VC was announced last week. It was goodbye to the much celebrated and respected Brian Schmidt and hello to the much celebrated and respected Genevieve Bell. Everyone I talked […] … learn more→

Gossip gets a bad rap – from tabloids full of salacious celebrity gossip, to the badly-behaved teens of television programmes like Gossip Girl. But while it might get dismissed or reported as unsubstantiated rumour, gossip is a key part of politics and the way the world works. Gossipy women are over represented in popular images of gossip. […] … learn more→