Mumbrella video hangout – Colleen Ryan, author of Fairfax: The Rise and Fall
Mumbrella held a video hangout discussing the tumultuous recent history of Fairfax, which is back in the headlines after the publication of two books on the topic.
Much of the coverage in recent weeks comes from two recently released books on the company’s strategic direction Fairfax: The Rise and Fall and Killing Fairfax by Pamela Williams.
Oh the shear joy that is schadenfreude…
Two questions for Colleen:
1. Why are you not on Twitter?
2. Do you think Greg Hywood has done a great disservice to Fairfax shareholders and employees by suggesting there will be no newspapers in five years? He’s hardly instilling confidence in the company’s products.
For the last week in print at The Age, the first 24 pages have been dominated by a single full page DIAC ad and a bunch of smaller ads, most of which were for Fairfax products.
Is The Age doomed to run on government welfare, while running in-house advertisements?
How is this a sustainable business model?
Thanks, Colleen.
Hi Colleen, am I right in saying that you resigned from Fairfax so as to give you the freedom to write the book that you wanted to write, free from any obligation to your employer? If that is the case then I wonder how Pamela Williams managed to write the book she wanted to write while remaining – albeit nominally – on Fairax’s payroll?
And the journalist Paddy Manning was effectively shown the door for criticising Fairfax in Crikey and yet Pam Williams can bring out a book – launched by two moguls, James Packer and Lachlan Murdoch, no less, who are avowed enemies of Fairfax – and remain in her position. Double standards?
A class act as ever.
Colleen Ryan. The best editor the AFR has had in 30 years.
Thanks for that Mumbrella and thanks to Colleen for an illuminating discussion. I agree with her when she says that Paddy Manning should never have been sacked but Tim I think that you are wrong when you cannot compare the two as Paddy wrote for a rival publication. As a former Fairfax reporter I can only guess the level of incandescent rage within the boardroom at TV and print images of Pamela squeezed between Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer, both of whom would wish Fairfax was reduced to a shadow of its former self. I think that as barbs go that trumps a single article in little old Crikey don’t you?
Hi Mufti,
I see what you’re saying. The impact of the book is far greater than Paddy Manning’s single piece.
And I think Fairfax probably now realises management made a mistake by agreeing to publication of the book from a staffer (and indeed to running an extract). But they did so, and Paddy didn’t get permission.
I agree the board would likely be unhappy (although I note that for all the hyperbole, the share price hasn’t moved, or has even nudged slightly upwards), but I think that anger should be vented on whoever gave the go ahead, not on Pam Williams.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Tim: I think you’ve missed a bit here. Corbett and Hywood are probably gutted by the tone of the book and the instances of reporting in it that show them up. The tone is consistent with Packer’s “Hatred. Hatred. Hatred.” comments. There are many instances of reporting that would make them squirm, but take these as starters: the revelation that Corbett tried to suck up to Packer as late as last year and can’t yet bring himself to say he won’t be having JA on board under any circumstances; Hywood sucking up to Packer as late as last Xmas when he evidently went to Aspen with him; Rupert Murdoch making a pointed remark about Hywood’s commercially dumb (and frequent) comments to the effect that the newspapers were virtually extinct.
With more cuts and another poor profit result on the way, these guys are probably very jumpy. Pam needs to stay at home.
Williams should be dismissed immediately for disloyalty.
As for Manning, he is just a green propagandist.