Crikey has been making the running on the big story of the escalating conflict between Age journalists and their editor Andrew Jaspan over the increasing pressures to conform reporting to the paper’s manifold commercial “partnerships”. Fairfax management have now apparently taken the side of Jaspan, despite repeated speculation that his tenure was shaky, and effectively junked all the fine words in the charter of independence wrested from the company in a bitter fight after the disastrous attempt to privatise the group by Warwick Fairfax in 1988. Blogger of record on these sorts of things, Derek Barry, has a very comprehensive round up of the story at Woolly Days.
5 Responses to “Media watch, independent media edition”
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I wonder if these Commercial “partners” are offered bed & breakfast or is it just a quickie under the ceiling mirror? Can the Corporate Press become any more sordid in their attempts to navigate their way from the old to the new world of communication & info technology? The journos w/ any integrity should get out & start up some blogs…or work King’s Cross (can’t be much sleazier).
Yeah this is the way of it. And probably one of the most important issues vis a vis free speech in the 21st century. In fact the surprising thing isn’t that Jaspan’s doping this it’s that there resistance. Truly. I have been to interviews where editors’ve straight up told me that they do ‘commercial journalism’ ie journalist=copywriter.
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Might as well be a copywriter. Pays better.
It is too bad that Margaret Simons’ article, that is mentioned via Whooly Days, seems not to be freely available to other than subscribers. Still, that is the way they keep their show afloat.
Same for Andrew Jaspan who looks to be doing his best to keep Victoria ,a two paper state, when “shareholder value” now rules the newspaper roost.
Wow! The 7.30 report just dropped a huge bucket on, our Ron, “in who we should all believe”. Apparently it is bad for chairman, to use worker day information, to make a profit.
How long will this madness continue?
http://www.livemint.com/2008/04/16000816/8216Hindu8217-seen-in-ta.html
Apparently, Fairfax is interested in buying into an Indian newspaper.