News Corp CEO Robert Thomson takes aim at Fairfax’s ‘inevitable’ exit from print
News Corp CEO Robert Thomson has placed emphasis on the value of the printed newspaper in an address to The Daily Telegraph staff, while also taking a swipe at rival publisher Fairfax Media.
According to a report in The Australian, Thomson emphasised the importance of the printed newspaper at time of “much upheaval” when “lesser media companies are contemplating” an exit from print.
Thomson: “There is a vast cauldron of crap content out there”
The comments follow on from comments in May by Fairfax Media CEO, Greg Hywood, that was is “inevitable” the company will close its weekday metro masthead print editions in favour of “weekend only, or more targeted printing”.
The Australian reports Thomson also focused on the low quality of digital content, arguing it cannot compare with the journalism produced by the company’s news brands.
“We have to confidently exert the values of all our platforms and our people,” Thomson was quoted as saying by The Australian.
“There is a vast cauldron of crap content out there. It’s ladled out liberally by distributors and recyclists who are not environmentally sound but are the news equivalent of strip-miners.
“That is why we have to work so hard to protect our intellectual property and assert…our values and the primacy of acts of creation.”
Thomson’s comments come on the heels of News Corp’s financial results which revealed its global profits slid by almost 30% in the 2016 financial year, thanks to a dramatic drop in profitability in its news operations around the world.
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Hywood’s “strategy” in general and his failure to sustain product in particular will go down as one of the great corporate debacles. For which we cannot blame “Mr Hambly”, but rather the man who pulled the wool over woolworths.
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“The Australian reports Thomson also focused on the low quality of digital content, arguing it cannot compare with the journalism produced by the company’s news brands.”
Tele, NT News – God help us if that’s the quality end of the market.
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“Thomson also focused on the low quality of digital content, arguing it cannot compare with the journalism produced by the company’s news brands”
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha he’s a comedian to boot!
High quality like racist cartoons, nutbar conservative commentary masquerading as “news”, or just lots of right-wing propaganda?
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An instructional poem about running NewsCorp newspapers in 2016…
Protection of our IP is a must!
Learn from the readers to gain their trust.
Make sure the editor is gnarled and bossy.
If all else fails, consider a glossy.
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“We have to exert confidence” – but that’s the thing, they are exerting false confidence. It’s total denial, much like their mastheads’ stance on climate change. Not being honest with themselves, their shareholders, or their readers, as usual.
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