Crikey

This internal Lonely Planet email from Global Publishing chief Piers Pickard has just landed, care of a tipster, who writes, “…comedy gold, especially given the millions LP has sunk into the website over the past few years.”

From: Piers Pickard
Sent: 19 November 2009 18:07
Subject: If you find things that shouldn’t be in our books
To: Everyone at LP - Global

Hi everyone,

I’ve just found an awful and embarrassing review in one of our books.

In our current Czech & Slovak Republics guidebook, we say this:

INTERNET RESOURCES

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) Supposedly a fantastic site for travellers, but we’re a bit dubious.

This book was published in April 2007, so that’s what travellers have been reading for 2-and-a-half years now. It’s disgraceful.

I’m thankful to say that it’s come to my attention because the next edition is in-house, and the editor has raised it to their manager.

So I want everyone in the company to know that if you EVER see anything in one of our guidebooks like this, or anything that you think is offensive and doesn’t meet our high editorial standards, please let me know immediately.

If you can’t get in touch with me, tell Martin Heng. Failing that, tell anyone in editorial and we will fix it.

Thank you,

Piers

Piers Pickard | Global Publisher
Lonely Planet (Australia)

Crikey can confirm that the offending page does exist:

The background to Piers’ missive is an interesting one, insiders say. One of the conditions of the BBC buying 75% of the company in October 2007 was the development of proper editorial principles to fit with those of its public broadcasting mothership. Insiders say the Czech and Slovak guide, published before the takeover, represented the last gasp of larrikinism at the Footscray-based publisher, with Pickard’s obsession with “professionalism” gathering inexorable momentum ever since.

There remains significant dissent in the online division over the Lonely Planet website, which internal critics have described as sub-optimal and which has been blamed for the company’s record dip into the red in the last financial year. Staff turnover in the digital department is said to be vigorous.

Meanwhile, UK Tory leader David Cameron and James Murdoch have declared war on the BBC’s 90 million pound takeover as an example of an unwelcome taxpayer-funded intrusion into the private sphere. Three weeks ago it was revealed that founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler’s put option on their remaining 25% stake in the business had been extended, as rumours swirled the public broadcaster would soon cut and run under renewed political pressure.