The Australian


Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Shame Crikey shame

Crikey readers task us to task over Sinclair Davidson article yesterday on the CRU emails. Oh, and Derryn Hinch blasts The Oz.

Happy birthday Perth Sunday Independent

The Independent was a dream of Western Australian mining entrepreneurs Lang Hancock and E A Wright, who imagined it would be slammed down on the desks of quaking Canberra moguls on Monday mornings, remembers Perth insider Welsh Pool.

The rocky romance between Rudd and The Australian

Kevin Rudd’s close relationship with The Australian editor Chris Mitchell helped get him into office, says Peter Hartcher, but the honeymoon is now well and truly over.

Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Tabcorp’s miserly meat raffle

Tabcorp looks like a silly sausage after its new spin on the old meat raffle, has The Australian abolishes the paper’s Climate section, deep pathos at NIDA and more tips from our readers.

National newspapers fall off a cliff, bury news

Australian newspaper buyers have punished the national papers, The Australian Financial Review and The Australian in the latest audit period, but basically spared the rod on their state-based competitors.

Crikey Says: Fairfax MIA on book imports

While The Australian afforded the issue of book reform appropriate and extensive coverage this morning, the Fairfax broadsheets were missing in action. It’s an absence Australian public life can ill-afford.

The Newspoll numbers The Australian won’t print

The Australian appears to have decided to not publish the results of an opinion poll on voting intention in the wake of last week’s outlier that had Malcolm Turnbull gaining ground on Kevin Rudd.

The pollsters paradigm: the power of Newspoll

The Oz’s Newspoll has became the political poll of choice, often encouraging The Oz in its agenda setting. Yet, when last week’s poll indicated a substantial drop in Rudd’s popularity, Newspoll didn’t try to establish if it was an anomaly, writes Richard Farmer.

Pot boils over at the Financial Review

Crikey’s story on The Australian Financial Review’s internal culture of bans and back scratching has stroke a note with many disgruntled insiders. The favouritism and cushy cliques continue…

Newspoll and The Oz: a predictability problem

Last week’s negative Newspoll results in The Oz about Rudd’s leadership demonstrates how it’s not merely politicians who try to sell us narratives.

News International to drop freebies to airlines, hotels

In a move that strikes fear into the hearts of The Oz execs, News International in the UK, will stop distributing bulk copies of newspapers sold for a nominal amount to hotels and airlines, which give them to clients as complimentary offerings.

CPRS conspiracy theories: The Oz dons a tin-foil hat

The government is facing one of the greatest policy challenges in recent times, but instead of thoughtful, insightful and informed commentary from the national broadsheet, it’s reporting straight from the grassy knoll? suggests Sophie Black

Mark Day: News does have content worth paying for — we just haven’t figured out what it is yet

Mark Dayleaps into the The Oz’s “Stacks-on ABC’s Mark Day” Day: Scott is wrong to dismiss paywalls on the grounds that much of News Corp’s content isn’t worth paying for: it is, and when Rupert works out what and why, he’ll let you know.

Court reporting in 140 character tweets

A new method of live court reporting is being pioneered at the Federal Court in Sydney — by Tweeps. Journos are tweeting court news, which lawyers, judges and officials are following. Where will the courts draw the line?

Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Libs give out Oz party bags

The Australian gets pride of place in the Liberal Party show bags, Harry Connick Jr does blackface too, Jessica Watson was sailing in murky waters, more SA MP biffo, the LNP’s preselection for Wright starts to sweat, and more tips-offs from readers.

Oz exclusive: Rockpool chef Neil Perry loves the food at Rockpool!

The Weekend Australian had a rather self-indulgent Q&A with chef Neil Perry, owner of Sydney restaurant Rockpool, about where to find his favourite meals, ingredients and other chefs. The shock answer to all three? Rockpool. Perry ended up having to defend himself on Twitter: he’s just keeping it real.

Guy Rundle: The return of Friday Drive-Bys!

Q & A is madder than ever … the week of iSnack 2.0 … The Oz continues its cruel attacks on its own staff.

No good Newspoll for Turnbull

Yesterday, The Oz published the latest Newspoll, claiming a drop in support for Labor (see Crikey’s take here). Except, The Oz missed the big scoop: the Coalition is looking even worse than it did during Kevin07, says Tim Gartrell.

Kevin Rudd spruiks the G20; let’s hope it’s not another APEC

Kevin Rudd’s priority has been to sell the American foreign policy establishment on the benefits of the G20 as the “driving centre” of a new global framework. But will it become just another pointless talkfest?

Robes of office not in Costello’s size

The Australian’s newsroom is recovering from a severe irony bypass this morning after a satirical press release quoting Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle paying out Peter Costello sent scoop-hungry scribes into a frenzy.

Guy Rundle: The Australian can’t tell its left from right

The thinkers that The Australian chose for its left series weren’t leftists, they were labourists – submitting their intellectual abilities to the pre-ordained goal of selling a stunningly unambitious political programme.

Happy Days in the White House, starring President Fonzie

The Oz jumps on the “let’s beat ‘em up” bandwagon with support for a tougher, leather-clad Fonz in the White House.

Guy Rundle: Don’t mention the war around Switzer

As the Bradfield preselection hots up, prize candidate Tom Switzer must be getting a little nervous about one thing: will anyone ask him about the war?

Tips and rumours: Weird and wacky world of TV news execs

What difficulties do TV execs face when they dump their wives for work experience students? Plus, The Oz slogan seems very familiar…

The Australian’s civil war over Telstra’s amigos

Good to see some diversity in News Ltd’s national rag The Australian on the issue of telecommunications.