Sad tales from the opening of Melbourne’s new Fairfax buildingMargaret Simons was at the “soft opening” of the new Age building in Melbourne. What’s a “soft launch”? It is the launch you have when the Board is dysfunctional and the Chairman doing the honours has been forced out.
The Age
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Playing both sides of the Hockey field
Joe Hockey has been out locking in the support of Liberal moderates, The Age is still trying to slash funding for journalism awards, Fairfax pull stumps on “the best paper that Colac has ever had” are more hot tips.
The Age slashes commissions for real estate advertisers to staunch bleeding
The Age has taken the desperate measure of cutting commissions for real estate advertisers in an effort to protect its deteriorating balance sheet, a sign of how dire things have become inside the paper.
Marieke Hardy reaches for the phone book
With all the talk of Kindles coming to Oz, The Age are releasing a 20 episode fiction story written by Marieke Hardy to be sent daily to your mobile. How will the publishing experiment play out?
Former sub-editors battle The Age for back pay
Past and present subs at The Age have launched legal action after learning that they have been underpaid for the last ten years. That’s a pretty major mistake.
The unslanted state of the Australian media
The Australian media is pretty much neutral when it comes to slanted reporting, apart from a new notable exceptions, writes Joshua Gans. So how did everyone react to the news?
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Politicians singing gospel?
Which politician has allegedly produced a CD of gospel songs, and where can we get a copy? Also, what got Press Gallery journos and political staffers ‘frothing at the mouth’?
Voting on The Age’s new business-sport-tabloid hybrid
Malcolm Farnsworth looks at the shrinking importance of the business section in The Age and perhaps a hidden agenda for the sports section.
Fairfax print earnings slump 66%
“Fairfax Media well positioned for recovery in advertising markets”, said the headline on the company’s press release today — but it was all about spin, not discussion and explanation for what was a very, very bad six months.
Many unhappy returns for newsagents
News Limited has just purchased a multi-million dollar circulation software package that is giving The Age enormous problems and angering newsagents across Victoria.
Media briefs: AFP and media broker deal, Kyle and Jackie O dodge a bullet
AFP and media to broker deal … Kyle and Jackie O dodge a bullet … Headline Watch: Viscous or vicious? … Majority of tweets inane drivel? …
Circulations wrap: calm down Rupert, things aren’t that bad here
While Fairfax and News Ltd papers are suffering nasty falls in ad revenues, recent figures of Australian newspapers show small, but not fatal falls in some cases and small rises in others.
Goodbye free news
The free content gravy train has come to an end in Australia, says Gary Sauer-Thompson, with News Ltd and now Fairfax moving to charge for access to their websites. But could this be a boon for bloggers and spawn the creation of more local news sites?
Fairfax to charge for online news
Hot on the heels of Rupert Murdoch’s announcement that all News Corp news sites will soon be charging for online content, Fairfax Media boss Brian McCarthy has announced plans to erect a paywall on both The Age and Sydney Morning Herald websites.
ASIO willing to leak to spin the news their way
Why are security agents prepared to break the law to cultivate the media, rather than simply doing their job and letting the headlines take care of themselves?
Elections slip out of newspapers
Australia’s newspapers have a problem: over the last three decades, there’s been a marked decline in front-page coverage of federal elections, according to research released yesterday.
Are we making excuses for terrorists?
Some in the media are portraying the Somali terror suspects as youths who have been failed by Australian society. Tim Blair disagrees.
John Howard on the good, the bad and the well-read
In yesterday’s lecture on ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly’ of Australia’s media, ex-PM John Howard warned of the importance of a “sceptical” media.
Spend $2million for 100,000 sales: an Age reader offer
The Age is desperate to shore up dropping sales figures and it’s taking desperate steps — giveaways and reader promotions — to try and halt the decline.
Rudd’s essay: an economist’s take
The Prime Minister’s latest published essay prompted this detailed response from economist Steve Keen.
Crikey Says: The Age v China
The Age should move beyond cheap headlines and suggestions of sinister connection to Asians.
