Thursday, June 21, 2012

Two For The Road

MRS RINEHART has moved mountains of dirt in her mining career, so sweeping the sludge from Fairfax newsrooms will be a piece of cake -- especially as some who should top any necks-for-the-axe list appear eager to execute their own swan dives into the soon-to-be proprietor's gully trap. Showing the way is Ross Gittins, who has said:

“The independence of Fairfax is the most valuable commercial asset and could be easily lost if no sufficient respect was paid to protect the freedom of journalists as reporters to report without fear or favour, and as commentators to call it as they see it. I’m not particularly keen on the idea of anybody telling me what I’m allowed to say about the mining industry."

Asked what would happen if no guarantee was forthcoming, Gittins replied: “I would have to reconsider my position.”
 There is one of those 1900 jobs that won't need to be cut by fiat. And here, possibly, is another: Silly Readers Editrix Judy Prisk admits to a flutter in her matronly breast at being reminded of a newspaper in America whose staff voted to put it out of business rather than be saved by Rupert Murdoch.


The story that so moved Ms Prisk is here and should be a source of comfort to all sensible Australians. It is not just our own precious luvvies who exist in that special little world where, the more people decline to buy their journalism, the louder grow their assertions of its magnificence.

Gittins and Prisk should make a nice matched pair as they clean out their desks. Some months ago, Gittins was caught cold borrowing the vast bulk of his column with, at best, oblique attribution. Having been called to account, his exoneration was then justified by Prisk.

They will look just the perfect pair marching out the door in lockstep.



15 comments:

  1. Wecome back Professor, I missed you very much.

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  2. Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.June 21, 2012 at 9:25 AM

    "I’m not particularly keen on the idea of anybody telling me what I’m allowed to say about the mining industry."

    Ross Gittins, I'm not particularly keen on the idea of anybody telling me what I'm allowed to say about the Labor Government, or 'climate change', or union corruption, or the electorate held to ransom by non-independent 'Independents', or lies being told by so-called 'independent' journalists, or feminazis wrecking families in the Family Court, or academics who prostitute the name of impartial research etc etc. No siree - let's hear it now against the Pinky Finky Report and similar press muzzling attempts before you start squeaking about your problems. Independence is a two-way street. You want freedom to blow off your opinions (and who says yet that Mrs. Rinehart will not offer you this if she decides, as is her right, to continue to employ you?) but you and your ilk want seriously to restrict my freedom to promulgate my opinions, even in small places to a limited audience. You've had it easy for a long time now to get your viewpoints out. Maybe you'll have to turn to blogging. How sad.

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  3. How quaint of Ms Prisk. She would rather protect the deadbeats at Fairfax, not the quality of product. I sincerely hope that the door doesn't hit her on her way out.

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  4. This is what I missed about Bunyip,his sticking it to these useless spaces.
    Gee, I sure am glad your back, mate, even if we have to put up with Numbers wearing that large piece of timber on his shoulder.

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  5. It is good to have you back Professor. I think some of the "thinkers" at the Age and Silly are having a lend of us. Do they really want us to believe they have never never been influenced about their writing.They start to squeal now their precious jobs are at risk but have no problems in trying to restrict our freedoms to say we have a dud government.

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  6. Perhaps Gittens meant that he would then be " particularly keen on the idea of anybody telling me what I’m allowed to say about the mining industry"!

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  7. LOL, this is what happened after that in stand was made against Murdoch...

    "After a change in corporate leadership, Cowles Media decided to close the paper in September, 1982. After the local Newspaper Guild members voted to oppose a deal to sell the Courier Express to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation,[1] the September 19, 1982 issue was the last issue published.[2] This left Buffalo with only one daily newspaper, the Buffalo Evening News, now known as the Buffalo News"

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Courier-Express

    Lefties are predictable.

    It is better to shut down an enterprise and ensure no-one has a job rather than letting someone from the wrong political class get their hands on their "Heritage".

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  8. A couple of things struck me from this story. They were quacking on about excellence whilst defending "last-in, first-out". This struck me as lazy time-servers defending the status-quo to save their own sorry asses. I'll bet they thought they would stare Murdoch down.
    Secondly is the glib comment from reporter Richard Roth "Roth, now senior associate dean for journalism at Northwestern University’s Qatar campus, has very mixed feelings about its aftermath. “I lost a lot of sleep about that over the years, in part because a lot of people who were my friends there never did find other job,” Roth said.
    In other words, I've got a job ... too bad for those who don't. I am sure the families of those who had long stints on the dole really appreciate Roth's "Solidarity in Insomnia"

    However I dips me lid to Steve (comment #5 appended to the story) ....

    "Better dead than read. I suppose"

    The Irish Lion

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  9. Nothing like a spell on the Dole to cure a bad dose of " warmist soshalizm" .you even forget about the PARDEE! And they forget about YOU

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  10. Steve, a commenter at CJR best summed it:

    "Better dead than read. I suppose."

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  11. Walter Plinge of Coffin BayJune 21, 2012 at 3:50 PM

    The reader comments following "the story that moved Ms (sic) Prisk" are a delight. Clearly Prisk didn't read those.

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    1. Maybe she did ? Having the absolute crap mocked and bagged out just makes it all the more poiniant, more noble.

      Love the ~strums guitar to the theme of MASH ~
      "The game of life is hard to play
      Your gonna loose it anyway ... " Dig ..

      Gold !

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  12. No one would have any problems with any newspaper columnists/journalists if they base their opinions on "the facts, the whole facts and nothing but the facts". What is unforgiveable is the "picking and choosing', the deliberate ignorance and invention of the facts, and the rewrite of history strictly to fit the agenda. Knowing that the ordinary "punter" does not have immediate access or the time to do the relevant research, it is the jounalists' highest ethical reponsiblity to ensure that he/she always have all the facts right and complete, and then let them speak for themslves in relation to the opinions/reporting being published or broadcast. The crisis for modern journalism is that the "new media" now has the capacity to call "charlatan agenda journalists" to account very quickly. Journalists therefore have to work much harder than in the past, and they are not doing it.

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  13. Had the delightful Prisk lambast me for inciting a 'lynch mob' over the Gittins debacle....the tumbrels are heading to Fairfax ....

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  14. The Gittens threat to pack up and leave the field of play might usefully be likened to a demand from an ageing spin bowler that all incoming batsmen will promise to not stand in front of the stumps.

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