Paper review: Oz puts boot into ‘boring’ Shoebridge; Is Kindle the answer? Yes and no; Will readers pay for news? Yes and no
A definition of the word news generally accepted by trouble-making journalists is that it should consist of something that somebody, somewhere doesn’t want anybody to read.
If that’s the case, then a good diary column probably consists of items that would provoke somebody, somewhere to get somewhat cross with the author.
In which case, this week’s very entertaining diary column in The Oz’s media section qualifies.
Going in with studs showing, Amanda Meade leaves a string of journos groaning on the floor this week.
Arguably most entertaining is her description of Neil Shoebridge, who’s been editing the Australian Financial Review’s marketing section since it launched in 1951, or so it seems. Describing him as “prolific, albeit a tad boring”, she reveals that last week’s attack on PRs was recycled from a tirade he published in 2005.
Then there’s Crikey’s Glenn Dyer, who went to town on Rove McManus’s Roving Enterprises and the dreadful job they did on The Logies last week. Except that the company had nothing to do with The Logies.
Also in Meade’s sights is Northern Territory News editor Julian Ricci, who’s been running an anti drink driving campaign. She reports that he’s just been convicted of precisely that offence.
Mind you, she does show admirable restraint in her revelation that an Australian journalist has tested positive for swine flu. So many punchlines…
Sharing the back page of the media section is columnist Mark Day, who expresses plenty of scepticism about whether book reading device the Kindle is the answer to newspapers woes, saying:
“I can’t escape the feeling that if the Kindle is the answer it must have been a damn fool question.”
Mind you, he might want to have a chat with his colleague Stephen Armstrong (or Stepehn Armstrong, as the online edition of The Oz currently puts it), who reports in a lengthy piece that the Kindle is “welcome news”.
Still, newspaper owners will be delighted to read on the front page of The Oz’s media section a story headlined “Readers not averse to paying for online content” , which reports a survey carried out by Pricewaterhousecoopers.
That is until they read to their horror in today’s Sydney Morning Herald of a survey by, erm, Pricewaterhousecoopers headlined “Readers reluctant to pay for online news“.
By a funny coincidence, The Australian’s boss Rupert Murdoch said last week that he aimed to have readers pay for content, not that this will have influenced the varied choices of angles, of course.
And Murdoch will no doubt also be delighted to hear that News Ltd has regained its virtual Central Coast monopoly, via Cumberland Newspapers, after Fairfax’s closure of the Central Coast Sun Weekly.
Still, there’ll be no point complaining to the Australian Press Council about it (not that it’d be in their remit). Mark Pearson reports in The Oz that the self-regulatory body is facing cuts of up to a third of its budget by its hard-pressed newspaper company funders. However, the report does concede that the number is the opening point of a negotiation.
In an edition of the media section that focuses on journalists rather than its usual emphasis on the advertising world, the paper also shares the woes of News Ltd’s Michael Wilkins, who writes entertaingly about the nightmare of budget lock-ins.
More fun for journos is taking a year out to write a book, says the paper, which lists the 20 best-selling books by Aussie journalists. Top of the list is Almost French by Sarah Turnbull which has sold 191,000 copies. Intriguingly, the paper also reports that Kochie’s Best Jokes has sold 39,000 copies. Which means that a shockingly high 0.18% of the Australian population owns a copy of David Koch’s masterwork. But the motivation for such a project is clear, says writer Gideon Haigh:
“There are a lot of journalists who are better than the organisations they work for.”
Meanwhile, Mediacom CEO Anne Parsons has an interesting stat in her column – 32% of people working in local media agencies are not Australian-raised. Which, considering the preponderance of South London accents in some agencies, does seem a tad on the low side.
And media agencies are getting tough on clients, says Lara Sinclair. She reports how Ikon Communications fired a client because they wouldn’t offer a bank guarantee on payment for media.
Over at the AFR, Amanda Meade’s description of Neil Shoebridge is at least partly true – he’s certainly been prolific. In his column, he discusses a survey by Grey and Sweeney Research. It reveals, he says, that “more than 70 per cent of the people surveyed said they welcome any technological advancement that makes their lives easier”. Which does make one wonder if the other 30% do not welcome thigns that make their lives easier. Shoebridge is also sceptical that people might actually enjoy using the internet. He suggests:
‘Relaxation’ and ‘internet’ could be considered mutually exclusive.”
Still, Shoebridge does pick up a story about News Ltd that his rivals over at The Australian somehow missed. He reports that mags inserted for free with The Oz are from now on going to be distributed in capital cities only. He adds that media buyers are “waiting to be told the magazines’ new, lower ad rates”.
And Shoebridge reports an interesting rumour on Nine’s latest, delayed-yet-again plans for a digital channel. He suggests it could have a different genre each night: Sunday movies; Monday general entertainment; Tuesday biographies; Wednesday history; Thursday oldies; Friday scifi and Saturday documentaries.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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gosh -it’s like watching a boxing match from ringside *wipes blood spatter off face* i love this site 🙂
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Er, OK yes Neil has been around for a long time – but he only joined the AFR in 2002. I know that because it’s when I went on maternity leave – and I was doing that job. It also may offend previous prominent AFR marketing editors Paul McIntyre, Catherine Fox, Jan Chesterfield Evans and others…..
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I love Neil Shoebridge!
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Shoebridge is the king of recycling – admittedly he recycles his own work, but it explains why he is so prolific.
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Here’s the original quote by Alfred Harmsworth (aka Lord Northcliffe):
“News is something someone wants suppressed. Everything else is just advertising.”
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Without Shoebridge I would not be able to keep up with what Harold Mitchell is up to each week, or publicly listed ad companies STW and Photon.
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Yeah Shoebridge is the king of recycling, and basically writes every week about the TV industry and Harold Mitchel. There is very little news in his pages at all, and hardly any variation. He struggles to keep up with the trade media who do a much better job at reporting about the advertising, marketing and media industry.
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No particular declaration of interest here, as I’ve never met him, but actually, I do think Neil is a better operator than he is being given credit for above.
It’s the nature of the news cycle that there are busy weeks and quiet weeks. In the quiet weeks, he still has to fill the same amount of space (and there is a lot of it).
And remember he is writing for the AFR audience, which is about following the money – yes, there is a lot of emphasis on the media agencies and the TV networks, but that is still where the bulk of media investment is spent. He has good contacts with the three free to air sales heads and the major buying points, so of course he uses them a lot.
For any ASX listed company, the AFR audience is also the prefered outlet for news releases, so you will see exclusives there.
As to the topic of trade press PRs who think that when they want to talk to rank and file media agency staff or marketers, the Oz or Fin are the main answer, that’s another topic altogether…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella