Tag Archive for 'independent media'

More developments in online independent media

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 4 months ago
in Blogging, Media, Politics, Sociology and The Web
. 20 Comments

Last week, I noted the sad end of the Road to Surfdom and mused about the future of independent online media. While some things come to an end, other things begin, and I thought it would be a useful postscript to note both the expansion of Overland’s web presence and a new initiative from the folks at Australian Policy Online, Inside Story. Both are very worthwhile additions to the online discussion of public affairs in Australia.

It’s been noted before in comments here at LP, but continuing the Tim Dunlop theme, it’s also worth highlighting the initiative of commenters at the former Blogocracy in establishing Blogocrats. It’s a very powerful reminder of the importance of community in the blogosphere and online media more generally.

End of the Road for Surfdom; and the future of independent online media

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 4 months ago
in Activism, Blogging, Books, Writers & Writing, Media, Sociology and The Web
. 79 Comments

It’s sad to read that Tim Dunlop is closing down The Road to Surfdom, one of the original Australian political blogs, and one that’s been a great contributor to commentary and discussion over a sustained period of time. It’s not wholly unexpected, but it’s still sad. Tim, the other Surfdom bloggers who won’t be continuing to blog individually, and the joint itself will all be very much missed.

Tim has some reflections on the role online media plays and its value and potential vis-a-vis the mainstream media which I think are clearly heartfelt and incredibly important, so I’m going to take the liberty of quoting his last post at some length. In particular, I want to endorse Tim’s sentiments about the necessity of supporting and growing the independent online mediaspace, and I want to point out how those comments have direct implications for the sort of work we do at LP, and how that work could be enhanced. But more of that later.

Continue reading ‘End of the Road for Surfdom; and the future of independent online media’

Too early to tell

Published
by
Phil
1 year, 6 months ago
in Blogging and Media
. 18 Comments

Crikey’s Eric Beecher was quoted in this Sally Jackson piece as saying online media will not be able to bridge the quality gap that’s being created by the long emergency we’re seeing in the usual MSM outlets.

Mr Beecher warned that Fairfax’s decision this week to sack staff at its flagship broadsheet newspapers — The Sydney Morning Herald in Sydney and The Age in Melbourne — would blow a hole in this country’s traditional quality media that all of the new media’s bloggers and websites would not be able to fill. He said that included the online publications he was involved in, such as Crikey and Business Spectator. “What’s at risk here is the role of well researched, serious journalism to act as a check and balance in the system of democracy,” he told ABC. “Online media can replace part of it. The four websites I’m involved in employ 30 or 40 full-time journalists, which is quite a lot in independent media terms, but compared with 300 or 400 journalists on big daily newspapers it is fairly small.

I don’t necessarily think he’s wrong but I do think it’s way too early to tell, after all we’re still in a period where a thousand flowers have yet to bloom.

But he warned that few observers had predicted the current threat to quality journalism.

Odd, I distinctly remember seeing Philip Knightley speak on this exact topic a few years ago here in Sydney, and he wasn’t the only esteemed MSM survivor to sound a warning, it’s been said for years.

Continue reading ‘Too early to tell’