1900 editorial staff from The Age and the SHM will lose their jobs.
By JAMILA RIZVI
Fairfax media (publishers of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Canberra Times) have announced that they will close two of their printing plants and cut 1900 jobs over the next three years.
This also means that around 150 of the editorial voices you are used to hearing from each day, won’t be there in the future. The move is expected to save the company close to $250 million in the immediate term and then around $200 million a year going forward.
Never one to miss a good business opportunity, mining magnate and Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart has revealed she is buying up big at Fairfax.
Rinehart has so far refused to rule out intervening with the way Fairfax reports news. And now the Government is (quite rightly) getting nervous – calling on the mining magnate to demonstrate her commitment to journalistic independence.
The Australian reports:
The Gillard government has demanded mining magnate Gina Rinehart sign up to Fairfax’s charter of editorial independence, declaring she was not entitled to “trash” the nation’s oldest newspaper company…
Senator Conroy said Ms Rinehart wanted to turn the company into the “mining gazette. She is entitled to representation but what she is not entitled to do is trash the brand for all the other shareholders,” he told ABC radio.
“If she was to directly interfere and breach that charter, it would actually lead to a crisis of confidence among the readership, and if the readership deserted, the share price for every shareholder would decline.
Rinehart’s latest spending spree will see her share in the company increase from 12.5 to 18.7 per cent and opens the possibility of her gaining multiple seats on the Fairfax board. It is understood that her intention is to reach a 19.9 per cent share in the company – the largest possible amount she can own without embarking on a full takeover bid.
The restrictions on what Gina can and can’t buy (because, you know, she can afford to buy a lot) are the result of media ownership laws. Those laws exist to recognise the significant power of the media as a driver of public opinion and debate. They operate to restrict how much of that public influence a single person or organisation can have.
Australia’s media ownership laws are notoriously weak and are the subject of Government plans for reform. But what is incredibly alarming for some, is that
And the changes just keep on rolling over at Fairfax. The company has also said that they are going to switch away from the traditional broadsheet style (big, luxurious, covers your whole coffee table, impossible to read on a bus) and switch to a more compact format (usually referred to as ‘tabloid’).
Fairfax is also sending all of their online content behind a pay wall. That means no more free online news from Fairfax – you’ll be subscribing the same way you would to a magazine and you’ll have log-in each day to access stories.
Taken together, all of these developments are big, big news in the media world, as well as incredibly distressing for the people whose jobs are on the chopping block and their families.
It reflects the growing popularity of online media outlets over the old fashioned, hard copy publications. More and more Australians are logging onto their laptops or skimming their iPhones for the news headlines, rather than opening the paper.
How do you consume your news? Do you still subscribe to a newspaper that is delivered daily to your home? Or are you a creature of the online world? Does Gina Rinehart’s growing influence over Australian media bother you? Do you think Australia’s media ownership laws are sufficient?
Comments
83 Comments so far
uXLIrF Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic article.Thanks Again. Fantastic.
loading...
I’m so upset by this – the Age has been a rock in my life for a very long time. I’m very adaptable to change but just not to this. What a big black hole in our society this will create. I’m sorry for the journalists who have lost their jobs and the great personal cost to them but this is also a tragedy for everyone.
A tabloid can’t replace a broadsheet and neither can anything online -. I don’t understand how our media laws couldn’t be tight enough to prevent Gina Rhinehart being able to interfere with a media voice she is diametrically opposed to.
I don’t own a t.v. so I’ll probably invest in a tablet and rely more on the ABC and SBS online- but they don’t do the same sort of feature articles and analysis as in the big broadsheet stories. And its expensive and not the same.
This is a big black cloud with no silver lining.
loading...
I am more sad than I should be that they are changing the format of the newspaper! I love the big spread out everywhere newspaper and its been a constant in my day since childhood. Saying that I usually only buy the newspaper on weekends as don’t have time to sit down and read it during the week. My father and grandmother have everyday subscriptions though.
loading...
But if all content goes online what does that mean for the some 2000-3000 word investigative journalism pieces that a tangible print newspaper can afford? Seriously, who the hell wants to read 2000+ words on a computer screen, iPad or various other mobile and tablet device. I’d rather plunge metal spikes through my eyes. I’m a writer myself, and I always print any lengthy research papers, articles or the like that I find online. But, I don’t think I could be effed going through that hassle when I just want to read an article I used to be able to read in an actual newspaper that only cost $2.30.
And then theres the matter of leaving our cultural footprint behind. Currently newspapers, books, etc are our window into the past. They can be dug up hundreds, if not thousands of years later and can tell us what people were doing in years gone past. But the rapid pace at which technology evolves and is changed means previous technologies are rendered unusable. So what window into the past will we offer our future generations, aside from a defunct storage disc or drive that’s not accessible??
loading...
2 things to check out: http://longreads.com and the instapaper app
but be careful as when you read whats on offer you might think that the word investigative no longer belongs in your sentence above – seriously the local journalists are hopeless at investigation – talking to government media offices and regurgitating their media releases is not investigation….
loading...
Um, what is incredibly alarming?? Now I’m incredibly alarmed….
loading...
I am so in love with the concept and quality behind http://www.TheGlobalMail.org but it seems like it hasn’t made as big an impact as it should have. I really hope it will eventually get the build up and following that it deserves, after a shaky start.
If you haven’t yet heard of it and, like me, are frightened and disgusted by the state of news media in Australia, please google it and check it out.
loading...
I absolutely love this paper too! Such great articles and covering both mainstream and offbeat topics.
loading...
[i][/i]
loading...
I have a browse around most of the online news every day.
Ahhhh – but Sunday, well, Sunday wouldn’t be Sunday without all the papers plus supplements, would it? It takes me about three/four hours to read them all and I love it. I have newspapers and bits all over the lounge-room, and it’s BLISS!
loading...
I am a little confused.I made a light hearted comment re the employment of a sub editor for mm from the axed fairfax employees and the comment was deleted .It was in no way intended to be rude or disrespectful at all.
loading...
I once made a (OK sarcastic) comment about employing as subeditor at Mamamia and it was deleted. I didn’t think it was offensive or particularly rude, but it was obviously interpreted that way.
loading...
Well I wont take it too personally then .After reading some of the down right abusive comments towards other commentators on previous post , it left be feeling bewildred as to why such a simple comment would “break the rules “.I am not concerned about the comment no longer being there as such , it was hardly thoughtful contribution to the conversation , it was just a light hearted jib at the need for a subeditor.
loading...
I have way too much to say on this topic. I started to write a reply here but it got too long, so I moved it over to my blog.
These changes really upset me, I just hope the way forward is better for the media and that standards don’t degenerate further.
loading...
Pingback: Farewell Old Fairfax « Amyspeak
The only news site I pay for is the New York Times, and I can’t see paying for anything else in the near-future. Fairfax has lost me over the past few years and this just cements it.
loading...
All the dailies I read are online – the Guardian and the Independent in English, Liberation and L’Humanite in French. Then I read Le Canard Enchaine and Marianne as weeklies. I also follow the ABC and SBS in Australia. I do miss being able to sit down with an actual tangible paper over my coffee of a morning but that is the price of progress, I suppose. And it is also not possible for me as I am so adverse to the paper options I’ve got here – the Courier Mail or the Australian. No thanks!
To the point of media in Australia, the concentration of media ownership in this country is a disgrace. Table 3.1 on page 60 of the recent Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Media and Media Regulation (the Finkelstein Inquiry) was damning. On the basis of newspapers, Australia had the highest concentration of media ownership of all the countries surveyed.
Almost unbelievably, the top newspaper company in Australia controls 58% of the market. The top two companies control 86% of the market together. And the top four companies control 99% of the market. These figures are so far ahead of the other countries, it is embarrassing.
Equally embarrassing is that Australia has only a 41st in the Press Freedom ratings, owing primarily to the concentration of media ownership and the impediments that creates in terms of a free press.
loading...
There is absolutely no way I would pay to read articles online – from Fairfax or anyone.
I can understand WHY they thought that was a good idea but they really should just increase their advertising. Forcing people to subscribe will only diminish their readership – the opposite of what you want to do if your aim is to gain more money from advertisers…
There will always be alternative online news sources – and if the “local” content is being written in New Zealand then alternative sources will likely be preferable!
Goodbye Fairfax.
loading...
maybe mm could employ a sub editor from the fairfax ? I am sure there would be a fair few applicants
loading...
i would pay for news that is well researched and non bias. Australia is losing that more and more everyday.
I like the herald but now I think I will ditch my subscription
loading...
If Gina R was a far left pro gay marriage, pro save to trees, pro asylum seekers, pro free death row prisoners, pro everything politically correct, would the more right wing feel they could bang on about what a crime it is that she is taking over the world?
loading...
yes
loading...
I wouldn’t subscribe to an online newspaper – I live in regional NSW so buy both SMH and The Courier Mail (almost daily) … with the way the papers are written you would think nowhere else exists in NSW outside the bubble of Sydney. I hate watching the news on tv as it’s the same stuff recycled over and over throughout the day. The days of journalism have been gone a long time.
And I agree with the earlier comment re Mamamia being relationships, babies etc – I’m only new to this site and am only giving it until the end of the month … if the content persists re celebrities, babies and relationships then I’ll be switching elsewhere as the Australian media is saturated with dribble and so far, this is more of the same (except a couple of articles which were food for thought and inspired debate eg Magistrates Letter article)
loading...
Mamamia is not a news site.
loading...
Yes, thank you for your input. Very helpful.
Currently, apart from a couple of rare stories, Mamamia is reminding me of Dolly Magazine mixed with Woman’s Day mixed with No Idea. Er – New Idea.
The intelligent, mature aspects are lacking…
loading...
Thank you! Your complaint was about your expectations of MM not being met and your disappointment of the MM article and subjects being covered. No need to be sarcastic when it’s obviously not a hard hitting news site and was never the main focus.
loading...
“does Gina Rinehardt’s growing influence bother you” >>> clearly her influence has some way to go if the media can’t spell her name?!
loading...
I don’t understand why this is such a shock to people. Digital is the way to go. I’ve worked in digital for years and laughed when people didn’t think digital would take over magazines and newspapers. Yes, it’s awful people losing their jobs no doubt about it. Yes, it’s awful that journalism is losing integrity when fair fax will be losing even more fact checkers. Yes, it’s awful that Gina will gain further control ;and she will). But anyone who works in print media has been ignorant or naive to think there wouldn’t be a day when they might lose their job as most people are going online now, free or otherwise. I’m lucky that I got into this area and built my skills to the point where I have easily found work. I went back to uni and did a masters degree and got more digital experience. I get paid very well and love my work. Word of advice – If you’re studying journalism take on additions web or online related courses. It’s always a great backup to have under your belt. I’ve never ever been without work in the digital space and recently got promoted again to a senior management role after a short time in a new job. Im not embarassed im proud that when people laughed at me focussing on digital and the web space, i pursued my passion. Digital is taking over and there is nothing we can do about it. Magazines need to fix their online content and advertising. Journalism integrity is something else though…I’m very sorry so many staff will lose their jobs, I have friends who work at Fairfax and it’s an awful situation but it was going to happen.
loading...
Sorry for typos. Exhausted and on phone. Night.
loading...
If you have a library card you can access newspapers via “databases” for free.
loading...
Speaking of journalism, where has Rick gone? It is so noticeable that he is gone away somewhere. A crucial element has been missing from Mamamia since he left. Also where is Lauren the Canberra correspondent? I miss her too
I just had a look at the articles being featured on this site right now – The Voice (pop culture), Same-sex Marriage (marriage), Nigella Lawson (cooking), a mother Murdering Children (mothers), Husband Hunting (marriage) and the most commented article being Mia’s controversial article about birth plans (mothers).
I’m not a mother, I’m not married, I don’t cook (much) and I don’t watch The Voice. But I read. Everything. I am an avid media consumer. I like to think I have a voice and an educated opinion at times but it seems to not matter at all. It seems marriage and babies are the most important thing in life for a female to be doing if you look at what emphasis is being placed on it by Mamamia. I don’t feel like I matter when I come here. Dare I say – I don’t actually feel “good enough” to be included. And I’m surprised because I never thought that I would feel this way about my beloved Mamamia.
There used to be really cool, varied and interesting posts on here. I remember how Rick used to sum up the really important issues of our time with a cheat sheet and for a short period of time he put the news up at 7am every morning. I loved how the posts about motherhood and marriage were interspersed in amongst it all but now that it seems to be mostly marriage, babies and first-world middle-class problems featured. Where has the diversity gone? Why don’t the Mamamia Cares articles ever get on the featured area? I feel like an alien when I visit here some days.
I have been reading and participating in this site since its inception when Mia blogged from her home. But Mamamia is slowly morphing in to the similar offerings you can get from other aggregated women websites that are targeted at stay at home mums.
I feel sad. But on to this article that I feel passionate about –
A fundamental change in our society is happening on so many levels – namely one woman who has been proven to be very far right in her politics is slowly chipping away at controlling the entire Australian media. She will be our next Rupert Murdoch. I wish more people realized what it really means to the fabric of our society that ONE extremely wealthy woman with little to no compassion for others wants to shape how we think about our world. Gina knows Government policy is formed on public opinion and public opinion is formed from the media offering.
The media is so incredibly ubiquitous that there is no way that it wouldn’t have an impact on the sort of world my family (nieces, nephews and god-children) are going to grow up in. I may not be a mother yet, but I care that 1984 is coming true. Big Brother is here and its god damn scary that he is watching our every move. CCTV is everywhere you go these days. Doublespeak is already happening and we get told everyday what to think not how to think.
Ok rant over. And please bring Rick back.
loading...
Hey Just Saying,
I read your comment with real interest and thank you for taking the time to write it in such detail.
The irony isn’t lost on me that you chose to leave your comment about MM being too focussed on relationships, the Voice, cooking and motherhood on this post which is (deliberately) about none of those things!
It’s worth noting that apart from me, the editorial team at MM (there are 4 of us all together) are now all unmarried and without children. None of them can sing or cook (that I know of).
We do actually look very carefully at what we post each day and try to ensure that we have a balance for all the hundreds of thousands of people who come to Mamamia each month. I can’t tell you how hard we work to do that!
We don’t necessarily achieve that balance on a single day but over a couple of days or so, we usually do.
As for Lauren, she has had to stop writing for a while due to personal circumstances (nothing serious). But that doesn’t mean we are any less committed to covering political stories – in fact one of the drawcards for me in hiring our new managing editor, Jamila Rizvi, is her political connections and nous. She is a former dep chief of staff and press sec for Kate Ellis.
Yes, Mamamia will continue to evolve.
We will try new things and we will not be able to please everyone all the time! But we hope we can take our current readers along for the ride while attracting new ones to the site at the same time…..
loading...
Thanks Mia for responding to me in such detail. I do really appreciate that you read my comment and took the time to respond.
I have a confession to make –
It’s not that I don’t care about relationships and all the other stuff. In fact, I probably care too much and the irony isn’t lost on me either that I gravitate towards articles that deal in logic and rationale. I think I do this so that I avoid the fact that I am not part of the happy wife and mothers club that can sometimes exist on here. I certainly don’t begrudge anyone’s happiness, it can just be hard some days to pretend to fit in when you know deep down you really don’t.
I actually think I am dealing with this phenomena in this article http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/savvy-auntie/201201/my-secret-grief-over-35-single-and-childless
Its called “My Secret Grief: Over 35, Single, and Childless” A friend sent it to me recognizing the symptoms of what the author outlines. She sent it because I casually mentioned to her that I spend way too many nights crying for no reason and that I feel like I just go through the motions of my life everyday.
When I read it I cried uncontrollably for a few hours because it felt like I could have written it myself and changed a few details. But a huge weight lifted off my shoulders as to why I am so sad all the time when I have absolutely no reason to be. And no I’m not depressed. I was clinically depressed a long time ago and I would recognize the symptoms. Its more of an overwhelming sadness – just like grief is and it hits you at the oddest times.
I’m mid 30′s and I feel like at at the rate I’m going I will never meet anyone unless I am prepared to move to a country town with a higher ratio of single men to women or even a town with an equal ratio, I would be happy with that! If there were any eligible single men for me to be too picky about I could shoulder the fact that its me that is the problem. The fact I have met less than 4 single men in my age group in the past 18 months surely indicates to me that something is not right.
And also at this point I have taken on board so many peoples advice and done something with it. When I do become proactive and “get out there” about it I get told, just relax, it will happen when you least expect it, etc etc. And then when I relax, and then absolutely nothing happens for ages, I get told, put yourself out there and start dating!
So for you MM commenters that are just itching to want to give glib advice please hold your breath, I can tell you right now that short of actually moving to Nar-Nar-Goon trust me when I tell you that I have tried it. I’ve contemplated writing a book about my experiences but Bec Sparrow tells me Australian authors on average earn only like $600 a year. So computer says no on that one.
Oh and sorry for turning a news story in to a relationship post, Rick would have absolutely hated that! Hahaha.
loading...
Lol. Yes he would! What an incredible comment and a fascinating article. Would you like to write something for us based on it? Could be anon.
Contact us jamila@mamamia.com.au if you’re interested.
M xx
loading...
Hi Just Sayin, I absolutely get what you’re talking about and it’s awful! I’m a little older than you, and I’m in a similar situation.
It’s not just you by any means. I have so many gorgeous, wonderful girlfriends in the same position.
I actually have a son, but I’m single now and this whole dating thing seems like a giant rubik’s cube that I just can’t figure out.
I actually blogged about it here: http://shimmmergirl.posterous.com/blokes.
My friend said ‘oh you’re so brave telling the whole world how lonely you are’. I didn’t think I was doing that. I’m just trying to explain what it’s like to be single and a certain age right now.
Mia, I actually think it would make a really interesting piece, because it would be great to know there are others like us.
It would also be wonderful to have some inspiration on how to remedy the situation.
One of my favourite things is when a married friend says ‘oh, there are heaps of single guys out there.’ So you reply ‘great, who are they?’. They look a little mystified and say ‘actually, I don’t really know anyone, but there’s that nice man who works in IT. He’s a bit odd, but he’s been single for ages’.
Hang in there Just Sayin’. It’s not just you and it has to get better.
loading...
Hi Just saying. Bec is spot on about the paltry amount of money most authors make in terms of royalties. She told me the same thing – but don’t let it put you off writing. If books were only written because of the royalties authors thought they might make, there would be very few books at all! Bec also told me that writing opens doors. People will listen to what you have to say. And these are exciting times – your words don’t need to be printed to be published!
loading...
I must admit my interest in the articles Mamamia has been posting lately has waned considerably. I don’t mean any disrespect to the Mamamia team, but it increasingly feels like an online New Idea/Woman’s Day/Cleo magazine to me and I don’t buy or read any of these publications as I have zero interest in their content. I would estimate, if I have the time, I will look on average at one story a day, and even if my interest was initially peaked I’m often disappointed by the lack of depth or – dare I say it – a substandard, poorly edited offering on the subject at hand. Having said that I always enjoy Bec Sparrow’s articles, even if the topic isn’t within my sphere of interest. Rick brought/brings a certain chutzpah to Mamamia, as well.
My reaction to the above – that is, not being particularly interested in what’s on offer here – has largely been, ‘I’m obviously not the target audience they’re catering for, which is clearly a subset of women that I don’t identify with’. I’m OK with this and I’m not ‘down’ on Mamamia for going in this direction. I’ve accepted that’s what Mamamia is about and I’m not who they’re aiming to reach. Cool with it. I have no doubt Mamamia does cater for a large number of women (and some men) who relate to the content they choose to publish and that’s their prerogative, of course.
Mamamia will doubtless expand and as we see changes in the delivery of traditional media, a la, Fairfax (my partner is a Fairfax employee – yikes!) and News Limited, Mamamia will no doubt lead the way in some regards. I’ll probably always pop in as a ‘guest’, but I will also look elsewhere to find those articles that really interest and engage me, e.g. New Matilda, The Monthly, etc.
What Mamamia should be commended on is their commitment to social justice issues and taking a strong stand on certain issues — that I really admire.
loading...
Just Saying – I agree with everything you’ve said there.
loading...
If you’re going to comment on accurate reporting, perhaps you should consider reporting things accurately yourself.
Your article reads as if Ms Rinehart only committed to buying more Fairfax shares after the announcement of the job losses. She bought the extra 2% of shares on Friday, and since she does not have a seat on the board she couldn’t possibly know about the job losses then. You make it sound as if she is opportunistically buying shares on the back of such bad news.
The reality is that Fairfax is doomed if they don’t change the way they do business. Falling sales, falling share price and falling revenue from all areas all point to poor management through a most profound and fundamental change in the way news is reported. Then there’s the distinct lack of balance in the articles, which are very much swayed to the left. It’s fine for editorial bias, but bias in reporting should not occur, ever. I’d be much happier to read about the facts, and then decide for myself, with the editorial pages clearly publishing opinion. When we are subject to opinion in news we are not getting the full story.
Fairfax only have themselves to blame for the mess they are in, and for Ms Rinehart to be interested in a takeover. So now they have to cop it sweet.
loading...
If she couldn’t have known yet because she wasn’t on the Board, then how did I know already? There was no shock for me yesterday – that “news” was old.
loading...
I like the size of the tabloid sheets, easier to handle on a cafe table. As long as the quality of writing in the Canberra Times continues I am happy for a change in the size of the layout sheet. I prefer to read news in newspapers than online and prefer books over e-books. When the time comes that everything is presented online I will be able to adapt as long as quality wriitten products prevail.
loading...
Pingback: This Post has No Title But It’s About a Mixture of Things | Website of Megan Burke
I think that, as consumers of news, we are all to be blame for the job losses at Fairfax. The digitalisation of society over the past decade has led to a demand for news which favours immediacy over quality.
This trend has far more worrying implications than just job losses, as the ‘dumbing-down’ of journalism in Australia leads to an ill-informed and ignorant society.
Ultimately, it’s up to us to demand a higher standard of news.
loading...
Oh this makes me so sad. My favorite part of the weekend is luxuriating over my Saturday SMH. It just won’t be the same in tabloid style. So much worse are the job cuts- I buy the SMH because I think it is the best, it has brilliant journo’s and columnists and is a thouraghly enjoyable and in depth read cover to cover. I’ll be devastated if that changes
loading...
It’s weird, but I have a real aversion to paying for things online.
I haven’t paid for a newspaper in…actually, I don’t think I ever have, because I used to read my parents’. Then when I moved out of home, I turned to online content.
The weird part is that if they started charging for online content now, but also let me buy the paper…I would do the latter. Even if they were exactly the same price, making online far more convenient.
loading...
Probably because we are all paying above the odds just to have online access. Having to pay for it too….
We’re paying twice.
Part of the problem is… We pay to access the internet, we look at the online content. 90% comes from the same sources. It’s the 10% which is different.
If the costs represented the actual costs….
I hate it though. We are all going back to losing a voice.
loading...
Interestingly enough, I happily pay for online content which is very specific and very focussed….
But the type of content I pay for hasn’t been taken over by the corporates yet.
loading...
I first learnt about this on Twitter – proof that we look to online mediums for connected, personalised news rather than traditional media.
I will miss the huge, tangible nature of the SMH, but I understand that we live in a modern world. We no longer write with ink and parchment, or use horses and carts!!
The job losses are really sad, I have friends studying to be journos
loading...
I avidly read my rss feeds from the newspapers like some kind of junkie. My hubby implores me not to because of how upset and frustrated I get at the state of the world and especially politics. I also know how poor the quality of the information and analysis is because he is a senior public servant. For this reason I would not pay for the papers. I ditched the news ltd feeds when they retreated behind the paywall and will do the same with fair fax. I’ll be left with a bunch of awesome blogs and the craptastic abc. Hubby will get his wish and I will get to see if ignorance ( of current affairs) is bliss….interesting times
loading...
I’m a Fairfax journo & a shareholder. I bought shares [at a *much* higher price than they are now] when I was a struggling uni student as I believed in the company’s integrity.
I have been feeling sick all day at the this news.
I can understand the paywall, I can’t understand the job cuts. As for Ms Rinehart’s tactics…
loading...
Online content, you don’t a printer anymore….
The death of the journalists though… Yes that is a problem.
loading...
You can’t understand the job cuts?
It’s pretty simple, there’s not enough income being generated to cover the costs.
As for Ms Rinehart’s actions, have you ever considered that she may be sick of biased reporting? Have you considered that a lot of conservatives will not buy the SMH or The Age because of that bias? That means you’re ruling out 60% of the population. It’s not rocket science, yet apparently the Fairfax board don’t quite understand it.
It’s fine for opinion to be published on an editorial level, but when news is reported with the sort of bias that Fairfax has been showing, then the risk becomes ostracizing readers. Fairfax has turned it into a fine art.
It’s pointless denying that bias is a substantial cause, and talking to your journo colleagues isn’t going to do it either. You need to look at the demographics of who buys the newspaper.
loading...
“Have you considered that a lot of conservatives will not buy the SMH or The Age because of that bias?”
Why do they need to, when they already have the Telegraph / Herald Sun / Australian? And why does 100% of the media need to cater for what you describe as 60% of the population?
loading...
They don’t have to cater for anything, what they need to do is stop the left wing bias. Like I said elsewhere on this blog, if it is opinion then be loud and proud, but general reporting with a bias in either direction is just wrong.
loading...
I agree with you in principle, reporting should be free from bias. I don’t agree at all that the Fairfax papers have a left bias though. To simplify left = progressive and right = conservative is wrong. There are many people, e.g. traditonal Nationals and now Katter party supporters who are in favour of more protectionist policies (economically left) but who are socially conservative e.g. against marriage equality.
There are those free market liberals, liberals in both senses of the word, who are socially progressive and who may even support something like an ETS or an environmental policy like slowing down mining approvals or expanding national parks.
There are others, on both sides if the economic spectrum, who deplore Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. To say that Fairfax has a left bias when its editorial policies on these particular issues confuse the left/right label that people love to throw around is manifestly wrong.
loading...
The Australian, on the hand, is a paragon of unbiased reporting with no agenda what-so-ever.
loading...
I read The Age online everyday and like to buy the actual paper on Saturday and Sunday to read all the lift outs.
I probably will subscribe if I have to, to read online, as I find The Herald Sun to not be a good alternative. The bias against the government in that newspaper is pretty outrageous.
Gina’s growing influence over Fairfax is worrying. If she starts to influence the paper then that is it – I won’t be reading it. She also has a stake in channel 10 which is a bit of a worry too.
loading...
You know one of the reasons I like reading the magazine’s that come with The Age on the weekends is the quality of the articles. They are really well researched, cover the subject in depth and are a joy to read.
loading...
I do the same. I will pay for on-line if necessary. I also love The Guardian on-line and read it daily; my husband used to read the NYT but they have cut the free reads right back.
loading...
yes please cut back the use of bold, it makes for very distracting reading
happy to pay online to read news – otherwise how will quality journalism have a future ??
will still buy the hard copy weekend papers
loading...
Felt very sad upon finding out about the changes at Fairfax today. I am an online consumer of news Monday- Friday but have always enjoyed the physicality of reading a newspaper on weekends. There is something so much more relaxing than spreading out a newspaper versus staring at yet another screen.
And yet I found out about the changes today from twitter which is itself part of the problem I suppose. Twitter is where I go now for a scan of breaking news instead of actual news sites!
Thoughts with those who will lose their jobs.
loading...
While there is no doubt newspapers need to change the way they do things, right now it is a troubling future for young journalists. I am a new addition to a regional fairfa newsroom, only graduating last year, so it’s a tad scary to think many other journo grabs will be fighting one another for the scarce number of jobs. SMH and the age are often held up as the dream for young journos to achieve, so I wonder what it will be now. Noone really what’s to work at, or read, a paper that ends up being censored by a big business interest
loading...
As long as Mamamia doesn’t put it’s news behind a pay wall, I’ll be fine.
loading...
Very sad day. I switched a few years ago from the Telecrap to SMH because of the utter garbage that was in the Telecrap. Celebrity affairs should never be front page news, which the DT became and still is. Love SMH, please don’t change it. Rack off Gina.
loading...
Off topic but what is with all the bold text in most of the stories today? It’s a bit weird.
loading...
I’ve noticed this over the weekend too. I hate it! I hate that it makes me emphasise sentences in my head and it really distracts ms from being able to enjoy the article. My eyes end up jumping from bold sentence to bold sentence and I get to the end and realise I don’t know what the article was about!
loading...
Ditto!
loading...
Not all online content will be behind a paywall, they are reporting that a freemium model will be used so a certain amount of free content can be accessed each month,
loading...
I feel scared/sad for the journalism students. There’s lots of journalism courses out there, but jobs?
loading...
Agreed. I have two subjects to go before getting my degree and am very aware of my limited job prospects in journalism. Have decided to pursue a career in professional Awesomeness instead (it’s more realistic).
loading...
And if no story telling opportunities present, a career in professional awesomeness sounds great!!
loading...
How’s the pay?
loading...
Awesome, obviously
loading...
Hey Lucy,
I’m a journo student, studying part time as a postgrad and working full time in health research. I’ve heard a lot of journalism students worry about this. But I’m not worried.
Maybe because although the opportunities to work in traditional media are disappearing, the opportunities to tell stories are still around. Sites like Mamamia, for example? And the whole reason I chose to study journalism is because I love finding and telling stories. And discussing stories. It doesn’t need to be for a newspaper.
So I take heart in that
loading...
I like your optimism, fancesg!
I just remember how scared I was a couple of years ago, and now the situation is even more dire. The thing is, a lot of universities still push traditional media as the “only” media. And they shouldn’t because there are new avenues to explore, like the online sites.
Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do great
loading...
I’m a journo student with one semester to go. Initially I was quite worried. It seems there’s are so many places available in journalism courses yet so few jobs. However, I agree with what you are saying. The internet has revolutionised the media industry and opened up a world of possibilities for how information can be shared. It’s up to the next generation of journalists to utilise this technology and ensure quality journalism is not a thing of the past!
loading...
Em and Francesg, I wish you all the best! I agree that there are lots more journalism opportunities online these days and that’s great- but by and large, and as someone who has freelanced for 10+ years, very few on-line sites/publishers pay the sort of living-wage per word figure that traditional media does. I hope that changes- it HAS to change, for the sake of both journalists and journalism- but it’s a scary time to be making a living from writing. The other big change is that back when I sold most of my pieces to hard copy media only (yes, I’m a dinosaur) I retained rights (as is standard) and could often sell it again elsewhere… it was quite common for me to write a, say, parenting feature article and sell it to a mag in Aus, a newspaper in the US, then maybe a year or so later a different magazine in Aus. Nowdays, once a piece is on the internet, that’s it- you can’t sell it again.
We live in a time of flux. I’m not against change, but I hope the writer isn’t the one who ends up paying the price- and I desperately hope that excellent, independent, in depth feature writing will continue to exist when we’re all reading everything online in two minute grabs.
loading...
I think you are right. There is more news consumption than ever going on. Just because an old media company like Fairfax struggles is more due to it’s own inability adapt than the death of journalism. Company boards filled with old men who have secretaries to reply to emails is what causes newspapers to close. But look at mamamia, expanding and creating new jobs. If Mia decides to create a print edition I would be worried.
loading...
I stopped buying newspapers years ago. The Australian broadsheets are practically tabloidish these days compared to foreign papers, and I’m not even a fan of Le Monde, The Guardian or the NYT at this point.
When Wikileaks released the Afghan War Diary, Iraq War Logs and diplomatic cables, I really enjoyed reading the raw data without the spin. Then I read the Guardian and NYT coverage, and was appalled at how clear the spinning and twisting of the material to suit certain agenda’s was. I been growing slowly dissilusioned with newpapers for years, but that was really the final straw.
loading...
I love broadsheet newspapers. I love their size. I love the way the news is laid-out across such huge pieces of paper. I like the shapes the columns make on each page. I like the large format photos. I like the sheer physicality of wrestling with a huge broadsheet publication. I also like the amount of reading delivered by a broadsheet, and the quality journalism expected from a broadsheet. But I also have to be honest. I haven’t bought a physical broadsheet newspaper in years.
While there’s a part of me that feels sad that these broadsheet publication are coming to an end, I knew this would happen one day. With their online alternatives available at our fingertips, the writing was always going to be on the wall for the broadsheets. They will become another thing we can tell our kids about when we say “when I was your age”.
We’ve always paid for physical newspapers. Why should the online versions be any different? So long as the editorial and journalistic quality of Fairfax online remains the same, I will be happy to pay for my daily dose of Sydney Morning Herald. If at some point in the future the editorial direction of the Fairfax papers takes a dramatic shift to the right, I will stop reading the site and stop paying for it. But I’m sure new and interesting alternatives to the Fairfax media will also be available online by then.
loading...
Devastating news.
I’m a journalist (not Fairfax) and any job losses are bad for our shrinking industry. It’s hard enough getting a job as is.
Who do they expect to provide online content?
loading...
As a geek I read the tech section in The Age online. Almost every article is syndicated from overseas.
loading...
I would buy newspapers and even subscribe if it wasnt for the fact that when I roll up to the gym I get a free paper, if I buy a coffee at a few places I can get a paper or one for $1.
loading...
I read online and I have a ‘long weekend’ (Fri – Mon) subscription to The Age.
“Does Gina Rinehardt’s growing influence over Australian media bother you? ”
Yes. If she gets a Fairfax board seat, that will be the end of my Age subscription.
loading...
I get a student price for daily delivery of the SMH. During the week, basically the only part of the paper that gets read is the puzzle section (we’re a crossword family). Sometimes the front section and the financial section get read.
I WISH that there was a way to choose the sections of paper that get delivered each day to reduce the amount of wastage. Reading it online is such a poor substitute – it’s just doing more work on a computer, not taking a break from the computer.
loading...