Comments on: Politically homeless: where will the press gallery hacks go?

By: Andrew Elder

Andrew Elder — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:54:52 +0000

Tablet devices were designed for this sort of non-dilemma, and I am surprised that an online-only media outlet didn’t explore that in greater detail. Drmick is right, most of that stuff could be phoned in.

How to create more room? The Canberra Times has no business taking up space in that building, taxi vouchers should be more cost-effective than rent. Phil Coorey and Peter Hartcher should camp in Rudd’s office full time, which will free up considerable space for their egos alone.

US media outlets don’t deposit all of their Washington journos at the Capitol or the White House: they have specialists who cover the Pentagon (Defence) and the State Department (Foreign Affairs). If you are running a media outfit that has 20 employees in the press gallery, and they are all writing the story du jour (polls? Thomson? Has the PM fallen over again?) then at least 19 of them are redundant.

By: Hamis Hill

Hamis Hill — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:45:39 +0000

An old caravan parked out the front would do for accommodation.
Evict them all into the equivalent of stocks in the market place and let the passing populace pelt them with the ordure they regularly produce.
One small step for closed circle sustainability.
They would soon find more appropriate accommodation.
Problem solved.

By: Andybob

Andybob — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:36:55 +0000

What is the rationale for space for journalists inside Parliament at all ? Who is a “journalist” and who is simply a member of the public who wants to write about the proceedings ? Why can’t news organisations inhabit offices outside Parliament ?

By: grubbidok

grubbidok — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:17:19 +0000

I’m all for space being shared and allocated in an individual meritocracy. Wouldn’t bode well for old media hacks though - and good riddance to them. I still prefer the newspaper experience, but it’s the content, not the medium, that’s meant I’ve not bought a newspaper for 2 years.

By: zut alors

zut alors — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:38:26 +0000

It’s heartwarming to know Bernard Keane has some space in which to file copy.

It’s within living memory when Crikey founder, Stephen Mayne, wasn’t even permitted to set foot inside the Budget lockup. The Smirk had an unnatural fear of him.

By: spudandbeanie

spudandbeanie — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:11:49 +0000

Well, it’s obvious from the comments here that the press gallery are held in high esteem (ROFLOL). Totally agree with drmick above.

By: Bobalot

Bobalot — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:01:44 +0000

It will be a great day when most of the current press gallery end up at the local Centrelink office.

By: Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:55:48 +0000

Why can’t they use their laptops?

By: drmick

drmick — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:28:02 +0000

You are joking aren’t you?. The rubbish they generate could be phoned in; and they are all the same. A phone booth is too big and grand for the inaccurate, pre digested kaka they generate. They should all get out and good riddance.
Nothing to see or read here; that’s for sure.

By: Gavin Moodie

Gavin Moodie — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:58:18 +0000

This raises a difficult issue, not very important in itself outside the press gallery, but symbolic of more general problems of resource allocation.

I favour the department allocating space according to whatever measures it adopts, perhaps size of audience. The capitalist alternative would be to auction space, which would at least be more rational than the current mess.

By: spudandbeanie

spudandbeanie — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:44:15 +0000

I personally don’t think the CBR press should be housed in Parliament House full stop. If their employers rented office space in Canberra outside of Parliament House it might break the ‘gossip gaggle’ that exists and we may get some actual news.

By: rossmcg

rossmcg — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:33:55 +0000

“But sticking with the status quo isn’t an option.”

Why not? the main stream media has been resisting change for decades so what makes you think they will embrace it now. Maybe the new people might find they will do better if they don’t hang around with dinosaurs. We all know what happened to them