Editors' Blog | Journalism.co.uk » the australian

Sydney Morning Herald: The Australian to reveal paywall details this week

Rachel McAthy — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:12:03 +0000

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that News Limited (the Australian arm of News Corporation) will officially announce its paywall for the Australian this week, after it outlined plans for a ‘freemium’ subscription model for its online content back in June.

It had already been announced that the model will offer access to some content for free, but others will require payment.

According to the SMH report the site will charge $2.95 a week to access all content across the website and its phone and tablet apps.

It will be the first paywall for a general newspaper in Australia, an experiment that has achieved mixed success overseas by newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, the Financial Times and The Economist.

It will follow the approach of News Corp stablemate The Wall Street Journal. Some stories will be able to be read for free while others will need a subscription to be read, most likely to be its analysis and specialised sections.

At the World Editors Forum last week, three publishers – including the New York Times – outlined their paywall strategies and lessons they had learnt along the way.Similar Posts:

#cablegate: WikiLeaks essential to a strong media, Assange argues in new op-ed

Joel Gunter — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:47:46 +0000

Just hours after the arrest of Julian Assange in London, the Australian has published an op-ed piece by the WikiLeaks founder in which he places the organisation squarely among the media firmament:

“Democratic societies need a strong media and WikiLeaks is part of that media”, argues Assange. “The media helps keep government honest. WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and broken stories about corporate corruption.”

The piece begins with a quote from a young Rupert Murdoch, who said in 1958: “In the race between secrecy and truth, it seems inevitable that truth will always win.” A particularly poignant statement, given that WikiLeaks is now in the fight of its life: trying desperately to stay online amid sustained cyber attacks; facing possible prosecution under any law the US attorney general can find to fit the bill; and press coverage of the leaks diverted by the arrest of its founder and editor-in-chief for alleged sex crimes.

The attacks on WikiLeaks have come thick and fast from many fronts, but, as Assange points out in his op-ed, the newspapers that published secret diplomatic cables by its side are not suffering anything like the same treatment:

WikiLeaks is not the only publisher of the US embassy cables. Other media outlets, including Britain’s the Guardian, the New York Times, El Pais in Spain and Der Spiegel in Germany have published the same redacted cables. Yet it is WikiLeaks, as the co-ordinator of these other groups, that has copped the most vicious attacks and accusations from the US government and its acolytes.

Assange goes on to claim that his organisation has coined “a new type of journalism”, which he calls “scientific journalism”.

We work with other media outlets to bring people the news, but also to prove it is true. Scientific journalism allows you to read a news story, then to click online to see the original document it is based on. That way you can judge for yourself: is the story true? Did the journalist report it accurately?

His call for journalism to adopt something more akin to a scientific method are not new. It echoes comments he made back in July, prior to the release of Afghanistan and Iraq war logs and the US embassy cables:

You can’t publish a paper on physics without the full experimental data and results, that should be the standard in journalism. You can’t do it in newspapers because there isn’t enough space, but now with the internet there is.

As he has done for many years in defence of his own organisation, Assange raises the issue of the Pentagon Papers as he closes his piece:

In its landmark ruling in the Pentagon Papers case, the US Supreme Court said “only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government”. The swirling storm around WikiLeaks today reinforces the need to defend the right of all media to reveal the truth.

See the full article on the Australian at this link…Similar Posts:

Australian editor-in-chief’s lawsuit against journalism lecturer stirs debate

Rachel McAthy — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:36:51 +0000

Last week Journalism.co.uk reported on a legal debate brewing in Australia, after journalism lecturer Julie Posetti was threatened with legal action by the editor-in-chief of the Australian, Chris Mitchell, for comments she posted on Twitter which he claimed were defamatory of him. The tweets related to comments allegedly made by a former rural affairs reporter for the Australian, Asa Wahlquist.

At the end of last week, Mitchell’s lawyer had sent a letter of demand to Posetti asking for an apology. While Posetti and the Australian declined to make further public comment at this stage, Mitchell was quoted this weekend as saying he wished he had pursued action against other writers, in an editorial by the Australian’s environment editor Graham Lloyd.

And while debate continues about Mitchell’s decision to take action against Posetti, Australia’s Crikey has a topical look at why editors “rarely sue for defamation” in this piece by Mark Pearson, professor of journalism at Bond University.

The reality is that any media outlet worth its salt is in the defamation business. The columns of newspapers, news websites and the broadcast news outlets should be laden thick with defamation every day if their journalists are doing their jobs properly.

Similar Posts:

Australian journalism academic asked by newspaper editor to apologise for tweets

Rachel McAthy — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:31:22 +0000

Australian journalism lecturer Julie Posetti has received a letter from the lawyer of the Australian newspaper’s editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell, asking for an apology for tweets which he claims were defamatory of him.

Journalism.co.uk reported earlier this week that Mitchell had threatened Posetti with legal action for defamation following tweets posted by Posetti in relation to comments made by former reporter for the Australian Asa Wahlquist about working at the title.

Posetti has since confirmed on Facebook that she received a “letter of demand” from Mitchell’s lawyer. The Australian reported on its blog that Mitchell has invited Posetti to visit the offices of the paper to “observe its operations for herself”.

Mitchell’s offer is contained in a legal letter send to Posetti yesterday, as part of the defamation proceedings that have become known as ‘#Twitdef’.

The letter, which has also been published by the Australian, adds that it is “immaterial” whether or not the quotes within the tweets were said.

The fact is they were published by you on an occasion which does not attract a defence and it is obvious from the above facts and email they are patently false.

In the circumstances, our client offers you an opportunity to correct the record by publishing (in agreed manner) a correction, and perhaps meeting with him, to discuss the matter.

Similar Posts:

Mumbrella: ‘The Australian shows it’s easy for a paper to go overboard’

Judith Townend — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:53:51 +0000

Down under, a fascinating media battle continues to play out: between News Corp’s Australian newspaper, the newspapers’ critics and the Victorian Office of Police Integrity (OPI).

In fact, via regular Crikey updates I’m truly hooked, but every time I come to summarise the plot for a UK audience I get put off by its numerous layers. However, I think it’s worth attempting, and directing you to more thorough pieces on Australian media sites.

I’ve previously written about the so-called ‘OzLeak’ case, which Margaret Simons has been steadily reporting for some months on politics site Crikey.

It involves a journalist’s source, an award-winning scoop about a police terror raid by the Australian, an inquiry by the Victorian Office of Police Integrity (OPI) and the attention of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI). Eventually the Australian prevented publication of the OPI/ACLEI report on its scoop with a court order.

ABC’s Media Watch has a run-down of useful links at this link

Since my last update, the situation has got even more tricky. The Australian has published more attacks on the OPI and Victoria Police’s chief commissioner Simon Overland. The Murdoch-owned Australian newspaper has also turned its attention to Simons’ journalistic activity, accusing her of receiving “inaccurate leaks” from Victoria Police and the OPI that discredit the Australian and its reporter Cameron Stewart; a charge she denies.

Fortunately for us observers, trying to make sense of all this, another independent Australian media site, Mumbrella, steps in to provide a little more commentary and summary:

“This appears to be a story that is of more interest to journalists than the public, and it feels a little like whoever writes about the issue ends up being sucked into it,” writes Tim Burrowes. “Certainly Simons is now involved in her own tussle with The Australian.”

Drawing on his own journalistic experience, he says the newspaper has got caught up and gone “overboard” in its coverage of the OPI.

So far, those outside the story probably see one of two sides. Either, the paper is cynically pursuing its own agenda to prosecute a private war. Or it is subjecting a powerful figure to long overdue scrutiny. It is, I suspect, neither of those two things, and both of those two things.

Once you’ve got something, it’s hard to let go. Particularly when you take it personally. That’s the nature of investigative journalism.

But I don’t think this is a story that would have got anything like the column inches if The Australian wasn’t directly involved, and the senior editorial staff were not heavily invested in it.

Is there a story there? Yes. But has The Australian gone overboard in telling it? Yes.

I’ll try and update when there are further developments. In the meantime, I’ll be following Australian media news with interest.Similar Posts:

News.com.au: A last-ditch effort to find journalism’s worst cliches

Judith Townend — Wed, 19 May 2010 09:03:44 +0000

The Australian newspaper has reported on journalism’s worst cliches:

Journalist Chris Pash has spent nine years scouring newspapers and websites to find the media’s favourite hackneyed phrases.

And at the end of the day he has this to say: journalists must never again write the words “at the end of the day”.

In the past 15 months alone, Pash says the term appeared in 21,268 articles carried by Dow Jones Factiva, a global database that collects the output of about 25,000 major newspapers, magazines, newswires and other written news sources.

“I suspect at this point in history it is the most popular cliche in journalism globally,” he says. “It is all-pervasive.”

The seven most overused cliches: 1. At the end of the day; 2. Split second; 3. About face; 4. Unsung heroes; 5. Outpouring of support; 6. Last-ditch effort; 7. Concerned residents

Full story at this link…Similar Posts:

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

Judith Townend — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:50:52 +0000

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’.Similar Posts:

What’s Murdoch’s ‘cool new toy’ for accessing media content?

Judith Townend — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:46:49 +0000

Australian media is busy speculating over Rupert Murdoch’s new idea for content access.

Margaret Simons of the Content Makers, reports how Caroline Overington, senior writer and columnist with The Australian (part of Murdoch’s News Limited) let slip that Rupert Murdoch’s pay wall plans might include a ‘cool new toy’ for accessing media content.

Simons reports from the Media140 conference:

“Overington said that News Limited had many wonderful plans of which they were very proud, and they could not be unveiled yet, but she believed they would lead people to pay for content.

“Then in the closing stages of the session, she referred to iTunes, and how people had turned to paying for music that they could get elsewhere for free because of the entry of a ‘cool new toy’ in the iPhone.

“She added: ‘That’s kind of what we are thinking about.’

“So what is it, I wonder? Some kind of deal with Apple, soon to release its new electronic reader? A competing product? Very intriguing.”

An update, pointing to coverage of the Apple Tablet negotiations, with more speculation on the ‘iRupert’ at this link.

And Overington at Media140 courtesy of SlowTV.
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MSN UK signs up with PressDisplay to add newspaper e-editions to site

Donna Goddard — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:28:13 +0000

MSN UK will now feature its own version of PressDisplay.com, which provides an archive of digital editions of newspapers and magazines, according to a press release from earlier in the week.

PressDisplay, which is owned by newspaper distribution firm NewspaperDirect, features e-editions of titles including the Times, Guardian, Washington Post and the Australian.

The new feature on the web portal will be branded as MSN PressDisplay and will give users free access to the front page and two stories from any publication on the day of print. To access more stories and back issues, users will be required to register with PressDisplay and offered subscription offers, starting at 79p to buy a credit to view another article.

The service offers different packages for personal and corporate use including greater access to archived editions, for example, the £79.95 ‘Corporate Unlimited’ lets subscribers go back up to 60 days in the archive.

Titles can be searched by country, language or browsed alphabetically, and search preferences can be saved by individual users.

The service is compatible with iPhones, Blackberry and eReaders, the release said and also offers interactive features – such as the ability to comment on articles and share them via social networks or email.

“Together we have been able to deliver innovative features which give consumers access to a huge number of publications on the great NewspaperDirect interface. At a time when the survival of newspapers is being questioned we see this as a great outlet for newspaper content,” said Peter Bale, MSN executive producer, in the release.

MSN UK also recently launched its local news and information site MSN Local.Similar Posts:

Journalism Daily: Getting paid as a freelancer, Lionel Barber on paid content, Durrant’s departure

Judith Townend — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:19:49 +0000

Journalism.co.uk is trialling a new service via the Editors’ Blog: a daily round-up of all the content published on the Journalism.co.uk site.

We hope you’ll find it useful as a quick digest of what’s gone on during the day (similar to our e-newsletter) and to check that you haven’t missed a posting.

We’ll be testing it out for a couple of weeks, so you can subscribe to the feed for the Journalism Daily here.

Let us know what you think – all feedback much appreciated.

News and features

How to: be a successful freelancer (part three) – Negotiating the rate you want

Behind the scenes: An internship at Sky News (part one)

Paul Durrant steps down at Eastern Daily Press

Freelancer of the Fortnight: Mark Smulian, UK

Ed’s picks

Tip of the Day

Constructing the perfect press release

#FollowJourn

#FollowJourn: @timesjoanna/web development editor

On the Editors’ Blog

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Police attack The Australian newspaper over terror raids scoop

Judith Townend — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:12:03 +0000

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 (Tuesday).

Four people are in custody today with more arrests a possibility, the Victorian police commissioner, Simon Overland, said today.

The Australian defended its decision to publish in an article available here. The Australian does not accept that the paper was available for sale before raids were conducted, it reports.

MUmBRELLA: ‘Police attack Australian over publication of raids story’

Crikey.com.au: ‘Ethics aside, a big day for The Oz’Similar Posts:

Oh the irony… were the Australian’s subs trying to tell us something?

Judith Townend — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:19:47 +0000

Australian newspapers aren’t finding it as tough as many of their US and UK counterparts, John Hartigan, the chairman and chief executive of News Ltd, claimed in a speech on Wednesday. Roy Greenslade picked up on the Murdoch-owned Australian newspaper’s report that the nation’s print publications are ‘holding up well’.

But we feel he missed the best bit. As Crikey.com.au flagged up in its daily newsletter, there was something a little odd about a print headline in the paper on July 2 (helpfully highlighted here by Mumbrella.com.au – hat-tip @BlackAdder). This, courtesy of Crikey:

Also see Crikey’s comments on the speech / report here (registration required):

And links and commentary from Mumbrella here.

Oh, and you can ‘Marc the deth of newpapers with this stilish Crikey tee shiort. Avilable now fom the Crickley shop.’Similar Posts:

The Australian: Fairfax says earnings could fall by 28 per cent

Judith Townend — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:33:42 +0000

The Australian reports:

“Sydney-based Fairfax Media, publisher of newspapers including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review, said underlying earnings could fall to around $600 million, before depreciation, amortisation, interest and tax, and assuming no further deterioration in advertising markets.”

Full story at this link…Similar Posts:

TheAustralian: ‘Major gap’ in whistleblower legislation

Judith Townend — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:28:57 +0000

“A major gap in the proposed whistleblower protection legislation has been highlighted by the case of an army corporal,” the Australian newspaper reports.

The corporal is facing discharge for being obese after he spoke out to a major newspaper, the report continues.

“Queensland’s Sunday Mail last week broke the story about the unnamed 15-year army veteran appealing against his discharge after being found to be obese in a bodymass index test.”

The corporal “is now facing three disciplinary charges relating to talking to the media, which are expected to be heard today. But he would not get any protection under the current or proposed whistleblower protection measures.”

Full story at this link…Similar Posts:

Stuff.co.nz: Aussie censorship plan hindered by internet provider opposition

Judith Townend — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:42:39 +0000

Stuff.co.nz reports that the Australian government’s plan to censor the internet is ‘in tatters’: Australia’s largest internet provider is saying it will not participate in live trials of the system.Similar Posts: