Keep up the great work mate, News would not mention you by name without an agenda!

It’s usually the ones that can’t or don’t know how that complain and moan.

Keep it up Tim.

One point just to make clear, although I hope it came across in the original piece anyway, is that this is a difference of opinion, not a feud. Several people who’ve known John Hartigan point out that he’s still a journalist’s journalist, and more likely to be part of the solution than part of the problem. I agree.

Cheers,

Tim – Mumbrella

The world has changed. Here’s one specific reason why: There are a lot of smart people writing comments in here under this article. I know many of them to be smart because they have adapted with recent digital changes and become digitally visible and social – they offer the ability for me to listen and interact with them at will in places like Twitter. I have learned from them which people to take seriously, and which ones to ignore when reading the comments above. You see Harto- this is the blood that gives opinions (including bloggers opinions) value. Here’s the tipping point where opinions become content as good and as relevant as anything you can offer me in a newspaper, if not better.

No, I don’t know Harto… but if I did I would suggest three things to him:

1. Firstly, read this article, and the comments. (Are you here already?)
2. Join the debate in here, yes, in Mumbrella’s site, in these comments.
3. Become an accessible part of the digital community ongoing through Twitter or other means.

Why is this important?
John I don’t know you… yet people tell me you’re also a smart guy. This means that you know that you cannot expect people to trust movie reviews written by someone who only appears to have watched the trailers or someone else’s review.

So here’s a genuine challenge I’ll lay down to you John… allow the rest of us to witness that your views and strategies come from authentic practice within the digital medium (pt 3 above). This will enable people like myself who don’t know you, to be able to attach some value and credibility to your opinions ongoing.

Last thing, and this goes out to ALL CEO’s, MDs etc: None of you are too busy to do the above. You don’t know what you don’t know… So know it before it ruins you!

Iain. (eunmac)
* was that ranty? – I meant it to be constructive *
Ahh you all know where to find me and abuse back if I was

Another message of goodwill: nicely done, Tim, nicely done.

Got to feel a bit sorry for Hartigan though as the techtonic plates of information delivery crack and buckle around him.
Bit like Romulus Augustus in 476 AD telling Odoacer the Germanic barbarian that he didn’t like his haircut as the interloper took over the western Roman franchise.

He should have introduced himself as Anna not Pollyanna.

The fact is they are dead. It’s just they haven’t read it in their own newspapers. But it’s all over Twitter and in the blogs.

When I wor a little lad, my family read four newspapers a day. Both the mornings and both arvos. I would buy one of them on the way to school and one on the way back. Mum and Dad would buy the the other two and they would be passed round the family in the evening and read avidly. Likewise several magazines.

What was once a habit is no longer. Mum and Dad are where no newspaper is of any use and not one paid for newspaper has entered the our house for years. The kids certainly don’t read newspapers and I no longer miss them at all. Especially not the right wing ravings of the so called commentators in the News rags and the SMH.

As for the local rags (when they are actually delivered) few get past the recycle bin and those that do are barely looked at and are really intended for the bottom of the bird’s cage and to wrap the garbage.

And as for the old media’s websites – they are not worth the effort. Once the SMH was high on the list of my sites visited list but no longer. I can get more detail and better commentary from other sites, blogs and increasingly podcasts.

“The result of this deception
Is very strange to tell
For when I fool the people
I fear I fool myself as well!”