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The Australian closes Climate Spectator just days before landmark Paris climate summit

Climate SpectatorThe Australian has announced it is closing niche climate news website The Climate Spectator just days before the UN Climate Conference in Paris kicks off.

In a note to subscribers News Corp justified the decision arguing: “Like every business in today’s media landscape News Corp Australia continues to re-position and rebalance its organisation to meet the changing behaviour of its audience and advertisers… sadly this results in some product changes across the organisation including from today ceasing publication of Climate Spectator.”

The Climate Spectator was part of suite of news website that came with the acquisition of Australian Independent Business Media by News Corp in 2012, but has sat somewhat uncomfortably within The Australian’s portfolio.

The Paris summit is pegged as a landmark event in the climate change community with the express aim of achieving a legally binding universal agreement on climate.

In his farewell note editor Tristan Edis said he was sadden to see the publication close but noted the other voices emerging in the space: “I should also acknowledge Peter Hannam, Gregg Borschmann, Tom Arup and Lenore Taylor, who do such a very good job covering the area on a regular basis (apologies to those I have missed).

“The Conversation has also added a new insightful set of voices, even though I often cursed it for taking away several learned voices of friends and long-time colleagues I would have preferred to have been writing for Climate Spectator exclusively.

“In short, others will capably fill the space left by Climate Spectator.”

The note from editors to subscribers thanks them and asks that “they continue the journey at the nation’s leading business news websites Business Spectator and The Australian.”

The move comes just weeks after Michael Miller and Peter Tonagh took the reins at News Corp and amid a fresh round of redundancies at the publisher. 

Nic Christensen 

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