Crikey » Media

Arts editor shits on theatre blogging, flame war ensues

Ben Eltham — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:05:08 +0000

The Global Mail opened its coverage of Australian arts on Monday with a curious piece from Stephen Crittenden about theatre blogging. Online writers haven't stopped talking about it since.

Latest circulation figures: read all about it … or not

Glenn Dyer — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:50:41 +0000

The latest 2011 circulation figures indicate that it was a mixed-to-good December quarter for some titles, an average half-year for others and another miserable 12 months for the majority of newspapers and magazines.

Statistics and damn lies: online job ads

Crikey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:50:34 +0000

There are two problems with this good news story: trend data, and data integrity, writes Michael Overell, on the RecruitLoop blog

Lachlan grabs Ten chair … Mills at Leveson … Textor’s tawdry tweet …

Crikey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:50:23 +0000

In a surprise, the Ten Network announced this morning that Lachlan Murdoch has been elected chairman. Plus other media news of the day from around the globe.

Drugs, sex and deception from Mr Apple

Crikey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:49:21 +0000

Old FBI documents about Steve Jobs, recently posted online, dredge up juicy details of the Apple co-founder's life -- including pointed observations of his personality and ethics and his use of psychedelic drugs, writes Dan Lyons.

Arts life after money: has the Australia Council ‘lost the plot’?

Ben Eltham — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:47:50 +0000

What happens when an arts organisation suddenly loses funding? For two small arts organisations that have recently lost their cash, after the crisis comes resilience.

NotW: the latest from the Levenson Inquiry

Amber Jamieson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:54:43 +0000

Heather Mills, the editor of the Daily Mail and a PR veteran all fronted up to the Levenson Inquiry on its 40th day of investigating phone hacking at the now-defunct News of the World tabloid.

Tweeting Rupert skips earnings grilling from analysts, hacks

Stephen Mayne — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:03:21 +0000

For the second straight quarter, News Corp’s executive chairman and controlling shareholder Rupert skipped the quarterly earnings call with analysts and journalists this morning.

Cartoon offends … Syrian journo killed … Fairfax v Gill …

Crikey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:03:02 +0000

Today's Port Douglas & Mossman Gazette apologised to its readers after running a cartoon last week that offended the township of Cooya Beach -- one of the Gazette's readership hubs. Plus other media news.

What’s in a name? Lots of money…

Crikey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:02:39 +0000

A snappy and memorable product name is critical to commercial success. It's not just the brand name, the recent Coca-Cola "share-a-Coke" campaign created a Pavlovian response in people, writes Moensie Rossier.

Televised Revolution: talkin’ Optus injunction blues

Crikey — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:33:31 +0000

This week the Televised Revolution team chat with Peter Black, Senior Lecturer in Law, about the NRL, AFL and Telstra's recent seeking of an injunction against Optus.

Fairfax’s new social network for media comment

Amber Jamieson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:10:58 +0000

In a new move for digital journalism in Australia, Fairfax Media today launched its invitation-only portal for politicians and interest groups to share quotes, documents and photos to be used in news articles.

Bolt, Day reveal why ACMA should move on Lachlan Murdoch

Stephen Mayne — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:08:03 +0000

Perhaps the most striking recent example of Australia’s supine cross-media ownership laws was the decision by ACMA to allow Lachlan Murdoch to remain as a director of News Corp while clearly influencing Network Ten.

News’ rogue lawyer … shameful presser … capital turns off ABC …

Crikey — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:07:46 +0000

Will Rupert Murdoch appear tomorrow morning in public (well, on a US conference call) to talk about the second quarter and first-half results for News Corporation after new claims of hacking? Plus other media news of the day.

It’s Groundhog Dog in Oz politics

Crikey — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:44:10 +0000

Just as Punxsutawney Phil's shadow is seen as a sign of how long winter will last, Labor ministers -- and especially the media -- religiously analyse Julia Gillard's shadow to try and determine the length of her tenure, writes Mr Denmore.

How to make a commercial for Uncle Sam

Crikey — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:13:08 +0000

Setting itself apart from a raft of comedy advertisements, one of the creators of the already-legendary Chrysler Super Bowl spot (starring Clint Eastwood) discusses how to make a commercial for the US federal government.

ABC podcast boom … Stevens arrives … trust in media …

Crikey — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:02:12 +0000

In today's Media Briefs: ABC podcasts: the audience grows ... Stevens lands with a thud at Fin ... Public trust in media rises but most think government is lying and more ...

Simons: Liu case tests assertion journos should never reveal sources

Margaret Simons — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:49:28 +0000

Are there any circumstances under which journalists should reveal their sources? The instinct in the profession is "no".

Brooker: Daily Mail has become ‘a chimps’ tea party of the damned’

Crikey — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:35:01 +0000

In addition to endlessly pumping out frothy puff pieces the Daily Mail, now the world's most popular news website, has spectacularly turned on its own readers, says Charlie Brooker.

Rinehart will lose, and take Fairfax with her

Glenn Dyer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:16:45 +0000

Is Gina Rinehart a media dilettante and not the threat that many suppose her to be? Or rather, is she a cheapskate and unwilling to stump up the sort of money (more than $1.7 billion) that would guarantee control of Fairfax by buying it outright?

Best ads from the Super Bowl

Crikey — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:16:49 +0000

Millions are spent not just on the airtime but on the production of epic advertisements that screened today during half time of the US Super Bowl. Mumbrella wraps up the best of them.

Special delight that is PR fail schadenfreude

Noel Turnbull — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:09:38 +0000

When things go wrong in the PR field, it is fascinating to map who most enjoys the resulting schadenfreude.

Global Mail born … Monckton TV … the FitzShameless …

Crikey — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:09:30 +0000

Welcome to the neighbourhood, Global Mail. After a few teething problems -- it didn't quite launch at midnight as expected, and the site crashed briefly this morning under the traffic load. Plus other media news.

How about a Rupert tweet on Sir Rod’s surprise gong?

Stephen Mayne — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:09:29 +0000

The fact that Rupert Murdoch has board approval to tweet away is surprising, if only because it is amazing that he still holds a leadership position at News Corp.

New Kid on the Block: Journalist Complaints? Get it off your chest

Margaret Simons — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:09:23 +0000

Journalist Complaints, launched just weeks ago, is an example of citizens taking the monitoring of the media into their own hands, in the absence of an effective regulator.