Media Crisis Hits Australia

One week after announcing a massive 47% rise in net profits, to $372 million; Fairfax Media (owner of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald) has sacked 550 employees across Australia and New Zealand.

The mass sackings included The Age's editor in chief, Andrew Jaspan. ABC Radio National's The Media Report has revealed that Jaspan had a "difference of opinion" with the management in Sydney. The sacking of Jaspan, who had served as editor for the last four years, has been seen by many as a first step in the further rationaliation of the newspaper.

Chris Warren, of the MEAA(Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance), has remained tightlipped on the possibility of industrial action. Warren instead used the opportunity to play Fairfax off against the Murdoch press. The problem with this, is that it not only unnecessarily promotes the idea that the Murdoch press is actually any kind of bastion for journalism. But it also ignores the fact that change is not needed by any single entity, but to the whole media landscape if we are to not only survive, but thrive out of the current crisis.

Wall Street Journal Crys Poor For Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch, the world's largest media mogul, whose empire takes in all media platforms and cotninues to grow across the globe is maybe best known for forcing governments to back down on media protection laws wherever he goes.

The Wall Street Journal, however, felt it most important to note that while Murdoch's combined salary, stock and bonus compensation rose 9% last fiscal year, to $27.1 million, his overall compensation dropped 14% due to accounting changes that slightly cut his retirement savings.

How Sad! ;)

While it is important we understand how much moguls like Murdoch are earning, especially in a time when the media is facing one of its greatest crisis and journalists are being sacked by the thousands throughout the western world. It is also important that these kinds of facts are backed up with the context that allows stakeholders to make valid decisions on the issue. But as both Wall Street Journal and its publisher Dow Jones are firmly planted under the Murdoch banner, it may be too much to ask.

Source article here

Tim Blair, Andrew Bolt...You are being Watched!!

Tim Blair and Andrew Bolt...Even their names repulse me. "No, they're not not Journos!" I scream, to anybody that cares. In fact they're far worse. They're right wing columnists at Murdoch's Sydney's Daily Telegraph and Melbourne's Herald Sun respectively. Nothing seems sacred for these two men, that continue to deny climate change or an Australian Aboriginal genocide even happened among other right wing conspiracies...Yet they continue to be employed by two of Australia's most highly circulated papers (yes, I'm disturbed too.).

Luckily, the people over at "The Blair/Bolt Watch Project" have been monitoring the ramblings of these two men so that we don't have to!!

http://blairboltwatch.wordpress.com/