Yesterday they sacked the editor. Today they sacked the CEO. But the problems at Fairfax will get worse, not better, unless and until someone sacks the company’s board of directors, writes Eric Beecher.
Smh
Media briefs: Roasts at Ramsey farewell … AAP hires a firer
A craven cur … AAP hiring someone to do their dirty work … Foreign journos bashed in China … The news on the Wal-mart death … Cutting back on anchors.
Bonuses for going backwards: questions for Fairfax
Fairfax executives face the company’s AGM tomorrow. What questions should shareholders be asking? ‘Broadway Betty’ makes a few suggestions,.
Steve Keen: An invitation to Gerard Henderson
Gerard Henderson personally attacked Associate Professor of Economics Steve Keen in today’s SMH. Here, Steve Keen responds.
Beecher: Gawenda’s right, Fairfax ruined by incompetence
In his lecture, Michael Gawenda has revealed in public what most insiders have known privately for years — Australia’s premier newspaper publisher was (and largely still is) run by people with no experience of or love for newspapers, writes Eric Beecher.
Fairfax slash n burn style just won’t work
One thing all the international punditry agrees on is that the cost-cutting spiral is no way to approach the challenges presented by this extremely difficult climate, writes Jonathan Este.
Oz, SMH not letting facts get in they way of a good story
Both the Oz and the SMH yesterday published stories that used facts creatively or not at all. Michael Pascoe investigates.
Union buster Iemma writes for scab Herald
NSW Premier Morris Iemma contributed a by-line article to the weeked edition of The Sydney Morning Herald while journalists were on a picket line striking to protect hundreds of jobs and quality journalism, writes Alex Mitchell.
Shushing The SMH on Kim Walker
The Sydney Morning Herald has lost its bid to use Freedom of Information to access and publish an internal Sydney University report, writes Alex Mitchell
Where was Graeme Samuel as Firepower spread its lies?
ASIC should be blasted for its failure to stop Firepower, writes Crikey founder Stephen Mayne.
Briefly Business: ANZ maintains dividend … SMH swallows food prices spin
ANZ maintains dividend despite profit fall … SMH swallows food prices spin.
Fairfax: Where Bob Irwin is more important than Bob Mugabe
An experiment conducted by economists at the London School of Economics shows how Fairfax is sacrificing their upmarket brand for short term, populist stories, writes Steven Johnson.
Media briefs and TV ratings
SMH campaigns for a more traditional NRL Grand Final … Cricket’s scheduling shake-up all about ratings … Last night’s TV ratings.
Politicians honour Year of the Family
2007 has truly been the Year of the Family Man in Australian politics. In many cases, a loss to the party has resulted in a big win for working families, writes Jane Nethercote.
The King is dead, let’s assassinate the King
And now the worms turn. Perhaps not today – they’re a bit distracted by the Liberal Party rabble – but soon enough. The journalists who have been bagged by Coalition toadies and would-be Liberal candidates as being a bunch of doctrinaire Howard-haters will start to show their true colours, writes Michael Pascoe.
Election 04: The newpapers’ choice last time round
Ahead of Election ‘04, no mainstream newspaper endorsed the ALP. Or more precisely, no editorial recommended Mark Latham for Prime Minister. With the stumbling block of Latham removed, and the less volatile Rudd in his place, last Sunday’s papers revealed a different mood.
State of the planet
China power plant emissions to rise 60% by 2017 … Climate change to take just years … The big thirst: the great American water crisis … Approach Arctic fishing with caution
Gilbertson’s foresight vindicated by BHP’s Rio move
One man who couldn’t help but feel more than a little vindicated following BHP’s long awaiting move on Rio is former Billiton boss, Brian Gilbertson, who was sacked by BHP Chairman, Don Argus, in early 2003 after going behind the board’s back and approaching Rio regarding a merger, writes Adam Schwab.
Gerard Henderson buys a crystal ball
Gerard Henderson is a former Howard staffer and executive director of the Sydney Institute. He is also a columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald. It is here that at the end of every year he has lots of fun with what he perceives as silly utterances by public figures – mainly journalists – over the year.
Nifty Neville blows Wind Hydrogen
After less than two months on the ASX, what a curious little company Wind Hydrogen Ltd is proving to be, full of sound and green promises, but looking more speculative by the day, and none too rewarding thus far for the investors talked into punting $12 million on the IPO, writes Michael Pascoe.
Timbercorp’s connection to Austock and ABC Learning
On Tuesday, Crikey investigated the close links between brokerage house, Austock, and major client ABC Learning Centres. It is worth nothing that ABC isn’t the only client with extremely close ties to the broker. Timbercorp, the listed agribusiness investment manager is also closely intertwined with Austock, writes Adam Schwab.
The Perpetual redemptions start to flow over Gunns
Perpetual chairman Bob Savage has defended his company’s status as the biggest shareholder in Gunns by claiming that his customers weren’t at all worried about the controversial investment. But that was before the wide public recognition of the fact resulting from this week’s AGM, writes Stephen Mayne.
Luvvies at 10 paces: high drama in Sydney theatreland
A major rift is opening up between the country’s flagship theatre company, the Sydney Theatre Company and the broadsheet newspaper regularly condemned for blindly supporting it, the Sydney Morning Herald. Nicholas Pickard reports.
Reality check: Talking and walking heads to the tune of Benny Hill
Those talking heads at the National Press Club barely made it this morning. If it wasn’t for our old favourites, the websites of the ABC and The Australian, the performance of Peter Costello and Wayne Swan would not have made the five most read list on any of the 10 media websites we survey.
