Instinct and live data ‘the new weapons in an editor’s arsenal’ says News Corp’s Michael Miller
Live data and insights combined with instinct “are the new weapons in an editor’s arsenal,” says News Corp Australasia’s Executive Chairman, Michael Miller.
Addressing the Melbourne Press Club today, Miller said the industry needed clear priorities as it enters a “new era of media opportunity” and emphasised the need for Australia’s media outlets to speak with a ‘united voice’ to counter the power of Google and Facebook.
Miller: “The shape and strength of the Australian media’s future rests in our hands”
“With apologies to the editors in the room, while gut instinct once told you all you need to know, today, insight from data provides live and accurate measures of what audiences are consuming.
This is my rebuttal:
Australia’s media outlets need to speak with a ‘united voice’ not only to destroy the power of Google and Facebook, but also to remind us plebs (aka readership/audience) that they are the only power worthy of influencing our thoughts and feelings.
It’s not fair! The new guys (Google n Facebook) shouldn’t have the ability to persuade us on how we spend our money, think about political issues and vote at elections. Australia’s media outlets have worked so hard, for decades, for its status and thus deserves to hold that premier position. Now and forever?
Nothing should ever evolve! In the 1980s Australia’s media outlets used to advertise cigarettes. However, It’s a crying shame that smoking kills.
The internet, like it or not, has given choice and liberated Australian folk from a media habitat once exclusively controlled by Australia’s media outlets.
Besides, half of all newspapers and TV news today is old viral videos, pictures/status screenshots from social media, and sad stories regurgitated from crowd funding websites. It’d be an interesting experiment to see Australia’s media outlets boycott reporting anything sourced from social media or crowd funding to see just how long it could hold out. Australia’s media outlets of today are dependent on social media. So it’s a classic love hate situation for them?
Kudos for wanting to support local industry, but as Nike says “Just Do It.”
Yes, Australian media does “give a voice to those who so often are without one,” but Facebook doesn’t?
And before getting high and mighty about copyright, how about a copyright law that pays average joes handsomely for every use of their original social media content. What do you think about that concept of equilibrium Australia’s media outlets?
Oh, dear Isn’t it a bit late now. To use that old cliche: the horse has bolted. But before it bolted newspapers, TV and radio revelled in rivers of gold for decades. They thought they would be be able to dip into them for ever. They failed to understand that a locomotive was headed their way. And what we are getting as a result is a plurality of media that makes it hard to support notions of giving legacy media special support.
By instinct and live data, does he mean bribing police and phone tapping?
Too soon?
NOW he’s talking about using data to deliver better content and services to readers?!? This is a conversation that should have been had 5 years ago.
“…and publish less negative headlines about rival newsrooms being ‘gutted.’
This guy is incredible. Doesn’t read own papers, esp The Oz which would be half empty with attack stories about ABC or Fairfax.
Hypocrite is too kind a description.