A Media Monitors restructure will see redundancies in Melbourne and New Zealand. Plus, the politics and economics of the Huffington Post/AOL merger, how the social media world reacted to Super Bowl ads and other media news.
February, 2011
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Federal department rewards dead wood. The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) has bungled the large housing program in the Northern Territory, SIHIP, and now it is going to reward those who continue to stuff up things in the department. It now realises it has too many Executive Level 1 ( […]
Video of the Day: Volkswagen harnesses the Force
The ‘big hit’ ad of the Super Bowl commercials this year was Volkswagen. While usually these advertisements first appear during the game, this one appeared on YouTube several days beforehand, giving it time to grow viral. It now has 16 million views on YouTube alone.
Does Israel believe that Egypt deserves democracy?
Truly free speech in the Arab world threatens Israel because a wide diversity of views will be more loudly heard and necessarily incorporated into the political mainstream, writes Antony Loewenstein.
Political snippets: Determination showed through
The thing that came across to me from last night’s Four Corners profile of Julia Gillard is just what a determined and dedicated player she is of the political game.
Crikey Says: Crikey says: buzzwords won’t cut it
Just under six years ago an unconventional news website called The Huffington Post was launched in the US. Yesterday it was sold for US$315 million.
It’s time to take EPG data seriously
The best way to ensure customer retention is to become an integral part of the user experience. The value of Tivo is derived from this very notion, explains Dan Barrett.
Arianna Huffington, a woman of questionable SEO morals
Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington Post, made her site so successful thanks to shameless — and successful — attempts to link-bait headlines. What was once looked down on by old media organisations has now been embraced wholeheartedly, and it’s thanks to Huffington, says Jack Shafer.
Looking at Rembrandt looking at himself
W H Chong has been twice to the National Gallery of Victoria’s self-portrait exhibition, Naked Face. To illuminate the structure of a Rembrandt self-portrait, Chong sketched the picture and superimposed his illustration onto Rembrant’s. “The looking is the question, the painting is the answer.”
Reflections from a tortured man: Charlie Sheen’s bartender
What’s it like serving drinks to Charlie Sheen? A little intense, writes Robert Schwartz, who had a couple of amusing run-ins with the infamous Hollywood bad boy but now, some years later, Schwartz is no longer laughing…
Reviewing The Daily
Amid much fanfare last week Rupert Murdoch, flanked by some of the top executives from Apple, launched News Ltd’s newest masthead, an iPad only offering called The Daily. Dave Gaukroger takes an in depth look at News Ltd’s vision of the future of online news.
The best ads from the Super Bowl
With air play costing up to $3 million per 30-second message during the Super Bowl screening in the United States, the unleashing of brand new advertising is a yearly tradition. Check out the 20 best from yesterday’s game.
healthcare A season of disasters, including for community-based health services
In the wake of floods and other disasters, debate about the flood levy, looming budget cuts, and questions about the future of national health reform, there are concerns that a vital but often neglected part of the health system – community-based services – is in grave danger, writes Professor Alan Rosen.
Floods at the forefront first day back
Crikey media wrap: Today MPs across the nation will dust off their suitcases and pull on the blazer for the return to parliament. The first sitting will be only condolences, but thanks to the flood levy it’ll be a busy few weeks ahead.
Will Australia become the next Gasland?
Drilling for coal seam gas is thriving along Australia’s east coast amid community backlash over the risks involved with the industry. The closure of NSW parliament until after the election means the issue may be put on the backburner, writes Sophie Cousins.
Terrorism in India, Rudd at CHOGM, feeding time at Baghdad Zoo
WikiLeaks has stepped up its release of government cables, including news that counterterrorism experts in India were warning the US that it was falling short in fighting terrorism.
AOL buys HuffPo
For the princely sum of US$315 million, AOL purchased independent news website HuffingtonPost today. HuffPo founder Arianna Huffington will now be president and editor-in-chief of Huffington Post Media Group, a combination of all AOL and Huffington Post content.
My name is Annabel Crabb and I’m a pollaholic
When you’re a political journalist, being obsessed with Newspoll and other polling comes as part of the territory. But Annabel Crabb is renouncing her long time devotion to the poll, saying last year should have taught journalist and this year she’s going “Polled Turkey.”
Wikileaks I confess: I’m a member of Anonymous
On the weekend, a report claimed that senior members of Anonymous face arrest because “they left clues to their real identities on Facebook and in other electronic communications.” Anonymous is a little more clever than that, notes Bernard Keane.
Garnaut to Australia: at least try to keep up
Australia is one of the world’s top three drags on climate change action, according to the Gillard Government’s climate advisor Ross Garnaut. Inaction by Australia is to “exercise a veto over effective global mitigation”, reports Matthew Knott.
Commodity price blame: it’s not our fault, says Bernanke
As food and energy prices continue to soar, the damaging game of blame and counter-blame between the US and the developing world continues, with neither side prepared to admit that their policies are contributing to the commodity price surge, writes Business Spectator’s Karen Maley.
Do banks actually pay economists to make comments like this?
The newsagency AAP has reported the ABS retail sales figures for December as rising “only timidly” adding that “economists say” the Christmas trading period was impacted by the Queensland floods, writes Richard Farmer.
