News Limited’s Campbell Reid: Guardian Australia plan is like Australian edition of Playboy
News Limited’s most senior editorial executive has compared The Guardian’s strategy of launching in Australia with that of the now defunct Australian Playboy.
“Why do I need an Australian version of The Guardian when I can have the Fleet Street version,” Reid asked a trade press briefing on News Limited’s paywall strategy.
“As a consumer if I want to consume The Guardian, I’m portraying a whole lot of things when I say this. It’s like the Australian version of Playboy.”
“Having said that, anyone who is … giving jobs to journalists … is a good thing.”
Amen.
Someone’s feeling threatened.
Look, I tried it and as is often the case with these kludgy paywall attempts, the ‘user experience’ sucked in terms of trying to log on and get in. I’m no dummy when it comes to getting in and out of sites as I read about ten newspapers or magazines daily.
The end result? I haven’t read a single story nor been to any of the News Ltd sites since trying to access in the limited way they offer. There’s too much great content out there to occupy my eyeballs instead of wasting time knocking on the door.
At last we may get a balanced view
I agree, I dont want to read the Aussie Guardian, I want to read the Guardian. just switched to The Independent.
And the Daily Telegraph is like the London Sun – a comic book – and The Australian is like China’s Peoples’ Daily – a propaganda sheet.
If the Guardian is like Playboy, then The Australian is like a darkly violent smut mag that should be refused classification altogether!
I would be threatened too – Another place to get news without paying. It has worked for the BBC having more local content mixed with the international content.
Here’s the answer, Mr Reid: because someone thinks that there is a large chunk of the Australian population crying out for high quality Australian news coverage that they simply don’t get from slanted News Limited, Fairfax or the ABC. The media here have completely poisoned Australia’s political landscape – would be good to see a shakeup from an independent voice.
The most remarkable aspect of this, is that it shows that News still have absolutely-no-idea-watsoever about how digital news works in the 21st century.
If they don’t know why people will read the Guardian in Australia, then they’re about to get a nasty insight into why this is nothing like Playboy Australia (or Top Gear Australia, etc.)
The Guardian is another rational voice and is very welcome in Australia where shock jocks, tabloids and idiotic breakfast television shows dominate public discourse.
have to agree with AdGrunt.
Mr Campbell is mistaken if he thinks readers concentrate only on publications that may support their viewpoint,
Phew. What a relief. Now I can have some alternative to those hideous daily shots in The Australian of the Addams, sorry Abbott family as the editorial staff valiantly try to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse and convince the Aussie public this odd specimen of humanity is our true leader.
AN interesting read with lots of links in the Media Oxpecker of the Alternative News Weeklies (street press) organisation. http://www.altweeklies.com/aan.....id=6994241 It’s on paywalls and the transition from banner advertising as well as other revenue issues.
CONGRATULATIONS GUARDIAN TAKING ON ALL THESE MURDOCH
MONKEYS . I HOPE THEY ARE EXPOSED AS TO HOW THEY HAVE LIED
TO US FOR TOO LONG.
FAREWELL TO BOLT , AKERMAN ,JONES, DAILY TELEGRAPH,
THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEWS LIMITED JUNK
ALL WE WANT IS HONEST REPORTING WITH NO BIAS
Your days of fact-impairment and political activism for the sake of a regime change to a Abbott led Murdocracy are going to be challenged. We already have the Independent Australia giving us proper investigative stories you lot in Fairfax, News Ltd and the ABC have buried to protect your beloved Abbott. You just might have to start telling the truth for a change.
Who needs Murdoch.
I’ve got “Mumbrella”, ” http://www.independentaustralia.net/ “, ” http://nofibs.com.au/ “,
” http://theaimn.com/ “, ” http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/default.aspx “,
” http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/ “, ” http://www.theglobalmail.org/ “.
And the list goes on.
Why bother with some old man’s newspaper and some boy who refers to Playboy.
I would be very doubtful if any News Ltd. or Fairfax media transfers into on-line media successfully, mostly older generations read newspapers, and will never take up on-line news as a substitute, especially the “Australian” it’s days are numbered, along with foxtell, they will never keep up with technology and the younger generation, a case in point, fraudband . Thank goodness for IA and now Aussie guardian, Times they are a changin’
Well I’ve got news for you Campbell Reid, we don’t want to read, listen or see your crap anymore. We’ve had enough.
I have been checking out the Adelaide Addy for a bit of local news in Adelaide, obviously won’t be soon.
Rupert and co the world is changing.
Guardian is refreshing, no doubt needs to expand but hey on day 2/3. I’m patient. then of course everything else I read daily from IA, Margo Kingston, ABC, OS news,Fairfax (but weaning myself off), Global Mail, bit of the Convo and whatever- there’s my informed day gone! We finally have so much choice!
Reid has no idea, dinosaur.
I am very glad The Guardian is here in Australia.
We now have access to another opinion and coverage of news tempering, hopefully, the outrageous bias of THE national daily The Australian!
The Aus hits at anyone elses bias while peddling its anti climate science, anti ABC rhetoric to a national audience.
The Guardian’s appearance in Australia may help promote a democracy that The Australian is continually undermining!
T Dix
Hobart