Tag Archives: Australia

#ozleak: Australian journalist live tweets newspaper’s legal battle

Back in August 2009, Australian police arrested four people in terror raids – a planned operation reported exclusively by the Australian newspaper.  But the police claimed copies of the newspaper were available in Melbourne before the operation had taken place, citing that an “unacceptable risk”. We noted on this blog:

Australian police have attacked the way the Australian newspaper reported its planned terror raids, claiming that the newspaper’s exclusive was available before the operation had actually taken place early this morning.

It was a stunning scoop, which won journalist Cameron Stewart a prestigious press prize. But the legal implications continue. In brief, the Australian newspaper (part of Murdoch’s News Limited) has acquired an order prohibiting publication of a report into the source of the leak by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI). Crikey.com.au reports that the report is “apparently highly critical of Stewart and the newspaper” and identifies a possible source.

This organisation, as the excellent Crikey explains, “is responsible for countering corruption in the Australian Federal Police and the Victorian Office of Police Integrity”. The Victorian Office of Police Integrity now seeks to overturn the order.

Today [Thursday] Crikey.com.au’s Margaret Simons has been tweeting live from the Australian Federal Court using the hashtag #ozleak: “OPI is seeking a court order to issue an edited report giving details of Oz articles, opi investigation. oz opposes”.

Before reading the tweets, look at her comprehensive back story here: The murky legal battle behind The Oz’s terror raids scoop. An extract:

The aftermath of [Cameron’s] story, which won a Gold Quill in the recent Melbourne Press Club awards, is shaping to be one of the most sensitive and controversial episodes in recent journalistic history, as well as a case study in relationships between journalists and their sources and the rivalries between police forces.

Good background can also be found in the MediaWatch report: ‘The Australian v Victoria Police’.

The Content Makers: How much are freelance journalists getting paid?

A useful exercise is taking place on the other side of the world: Margaret Simons, a freelance journalist, media blogger and lecturer is investigating freelance rates in Australia. So far she has gathered over 100 responses to her first post, ‘Journalists should not work for free – so tell me what they are paying’. She promises to write up the results soon – we’ll link to them on this blog, when she does.

Full post at this link…

Here was the original plea:

[1 Australian dollar = 0.56 British pounds]

I think it would be useful to find out what different freelancers are getting paid by our mainstream publications. Here’s what I know:

Fairfax broadsheets start by offering .60c to.70c a word these days, but can be pushed higher if they want you badly enough. Section editors are adept at getting around the bean counters’ rules.

The Monthly still offers its $1 a word, which was princely when that magazine started, and still handsome.

I hear the RACV magazine pays well for both words and photos.

What do others know? Let’s share the market knowledge. Contributions to margaret@margaretsimons.com.au. Anonymity will be preserved.

#cop15: Fairfax paper defends decision not to publish Guardian’s Copenhagen editorial

As noted yesterday, the Guardian persuaded 56 newspapers around the world to run its Copenhagen climate summit editorial, but no major titles from the US and Australia.

Australian media blogger Margaret Simons commented that Melbourne-based The Age’s explanation for not running the editorial was rather different from the Guardian’s. Contrast and compare:

The Guardian deputy editor Ian Katz:

“Another Kyoto holdout is also unrepresented: both the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age dropped out of the project after climate change convulsed Australian politics, demanding, they felt, a more localised editorial position.”

The Age:

The Age was invited to take part in the global editorial but declined. Editor-in-chief Paul Ramadge said yesterday: “We applaud The Guardian’s global initiative. At The Age we decided it was important to put our own views – to be consistent and partly because of the nuances of the debate in Australia.”

Answering a letter from one its readers today, the Age (owned by Fairfax) argues it did not ‘pull out’:

The Guardian reports that two Australian newspapers, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, pulled out of this historic initiative because the election of Tony Abbott as Opposition Leader has recast the debate about climate change in this country. Fairfax Media, please explain.

Peter Stroud, Keilor East

■ EDITOR’S NOTE

The Age did not pull out of an agreement to publish the editorial written by The Guardian. We expressed support in principle for the project but decided it was important to put our own views in a page 1 editorial.

kate publisher: Are journalists abandoning print media?

“The question begs to be asked – if even journalists and former journos no longer buy newspapers, how much longer will the public continue to buy them when they can access virtually the same content online free of charge?” asks blogger ‘Kate Publisher’ in response to The Australian’s article on Sunday featuring avid Twitterer and media academic Julie Posetti.

Those age and society groups who are not online should not be forgotten in discussions about print’s future, argues the post.

Full post at this link…

Mumbrella.com.au: Aussies won’t pay for online news either

According to a poll of more than 18,000 Australians released today by Pure Profile, only five per cent said they would be willing to pay for ‘high quality articles’, reports Mumbrella, the  Australian media and marketing site.

“A further seven per cent said they would be willing to pay if there was no advertising. Ten per cent said they would not pay because the quality of online news was unimportant to them, while the vast majority – 78 per cent – said they would simply refuse to pay for online news.”

Full post at this link…

Related: Readers prefer subscriptions to micropayments – according to paidContent:UK/Harris survey

#FollowJourn: @marshagoldcoast/multimedia manager

#FollowJourn: Marsha Graham

Who? Multimedia manager at Hot Tomato Broadcasting Company

What? Currently working as multimedia manager for 102.9FM Hot Tomato, Australia. Her job as part of the Multimedia team at Hot Tomato is to provide people with the entertainment and information they would normally get from the station, in digital formats like the website www.1029hottomato.com.au, and social on sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Where? @marshagoldcoast and www.marsha.com.au

Contact? mgraham [at] hot-tomato.com.au or me [at] marsha.com.au

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips every day, we’re recommending journalists to follow online too. They might be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to judith or laura [at] journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

Journalism Daily: More on online sub-editing and public interest journalism

A daily round-up of all the content published on the Journalism.co.uk site. You can also sign up to our e-newsletter and subscribe to the feed for the Journalism Daily here.

News and features:

Ed’s Picks:

Tip of the Day:

#FollowJourn:

On the Editors’ Blog:

News.com.au: Fairfax ‘open’ to paid content talks with its rival

In the wake of news that Fairfax – Australia’s major newspaper owner – has posted a net loss of $380 million for the year to June 30, its managing director has said he he would be ‘happy to talk’ to his rival, Murdoch’s News Corporation, about paid content plans.

Fairfax’s newspapers includeThe Sydney Morning Herald, The Age in Melbourne, and The Australian Financial Review.

Full story at this link…

Pagemasters editorial outsourcing spreads to the US and Canada

Editorial outsourcing firm Pagemasters has announced a partnership with the Canadian Press to provide a range of production services, including design, sub-editing and headline writing, to titles in the US and Canada.

The new division, Pagemasters North America, will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Canadian Press, which already provides pagination services to Canadian daily newspapers including The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.

The move by Australian Associated Press (AAP), the national news agency of Australia, which owns the editing company, follows a contract with Telegraph Media Group announced in January to provide sub-editing services for the Daily and Sunday Telegraph’s weekend supplements.

In a previous article in The Sunday Morning Herald, Pagemasters managing director Bruce Davidson commented on how useful a time zone difference is for the editing process: “The Telegraph can deliver pages at the end of their day, and when they come in the next morning we have completed the work.”

In today’s release, Davidson said: “The launch of Pagemasters North America is a major development and I believe one which has the potential to lead to significant changes in the editorial production model for US and Canadian newspapers.

“We will be heavily involved with The Canadian Press in setting up editorial production centres in North America, working closely with newspaper publishers as they grapple with the radical changes sweeping the industry.”

#FollowJourn: @mumbrella/Tim Burrowes

#FollowJourn: Tim Burrowes

Who? Previously editor of B&T magazine.

What? Now runs Mumbrella – a website dedicated to Australia’s media and marketing industries.

Where? @mumbrella or Mumbrella.com.au.

Contact? tim [at] focalattractions [dot] com [dot] au

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips every day, we’re recommending journalists to follow online too. They might be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to judith or laura at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.