picture from ABC TV
John Hartigan, CEO of News Ltd took the big stick to citizen journalism as the Rupert campaign against the evil alliance of Google and the blogsphere picked up speed. Apparently John’s not too concerned about the fate of his charges, in fact he was doing his best to be positively upbeat about the future for News Ltd, which is understandable given he is the CEO. Citing market figures that suggest a relatively flat business scenario for newspapers in this country he went on to claim that the Australian newspaper industry was naturally better placed to survive and avoid the fate recently bestowed on similar businesses in the US and the UK. The word from John is that there are simply too many newspapers in the UK and the US newspapers have stupidly failed to keep pace with TV for local news. Furthermore newspapers in Oz have an enviable market reach and revenue base so everything’s hunky dory in the land of News.
But John doesn’t merely want to rest on his laurels, he wants to move forward. He made a big deal of the upsurge in sales for News after the recent Victorian bushfires but as Christine Johnson observed over at Crikey, the big iconic image that John cherishes came not from a News Ltd photographer but from a CFA fireman’s phone. He also waxed lyrically about the number of food recipes “printed” from News Ltd sites, perhaps indulging his audience who probably were less than enthusiastic about their Press Club luncheon. Powerful stuff!
I’ve read Andrew Keen’s book, “a thought provoking and sobering book” according to the front cover, and it isn’t hard to see why John would subscribe so enthusiastically to Andrew’s views. Andrew and John both see the amateur as evil incarnate, destroying asset value and cultural institutions left right and centre. John used the expression “all eyeballs and no insight” and at one stage described bloggers as being “of such limited intellectual value as to be indiscernible from massive ignorance”. Ouch.
Now coming from someone who presides over the Daily Telegraph and the Sun Herald, notable journalistic and ethical mastheads that they are are, I have to take such criticism with a small truck load of salt. Of course their history of breaking important news speaks for itself, whereas us lonely little bloggers can only sprout platitudes from our moralising soapbox. Of course the vast sums of money required to pay for the quality journalism exhibited by News Ltd probably explains why they consume forests on a daily basis to bring us newspapers chockers with full page advertising.
Really, John’s rant displayed more nervous bravado than inspiration. He took the opportunity to talk up his darlings especially the Punch and food.com.au but somehow performed the small miracle of divorcing his internet offerings from the wider internet. In short anything from News Ltd was good for the READER because News said so, the rest are a pack thieving clones. Oh John where do you get such gems?
He spoke of Journalism 2.0 and I was just about on the edge of my small seat, watching as I was in the relative comfort of my home study. John’s going to reinvent the Parish Pump and simplify people’s lives by removing the burden of choice. He about alleviating the suffering of the poor and bringing them little rays of escapist sunshine, all the time backed by the proven judgement that News demonstrates day after day. Most people are bored with the politics of politics so John is even thinking of getting rid of the News Ltd press gallery, perhaps redirecting these talented folk into more pressing local concerns like food and humour.
I could go on but frankly I’m bored with it already. John barely mentioned concerns about the so-called 4th estate even when he was handed the subject on a platter by one of his own journalists. He completely dodged the question about protecting unreliable sources and while he attacked the politicians for the “spin game” he seemed to think we are all oblivious to the self serving nature of his own speech. But hey, that’s just this blogger’s opinion, have a look at some of the others.
