Intellectual dishonesty is pure poison – A Crikey weblog

Category Archives: Fairfax

Fairfax’s new “Daily Life” website – because women are different from normal people

February 21, 2012 – 12:07 pm

You’re a media company concerned that the way you report news and current debates tends to skew towards a male perspective. And to skew towards male readers. You’ve become aware there are “female” voices out there, and “female” readers, in – shockingly – significant numbers, and you’d like to direct them to your advertisers. What [...]

By Jeremy Sear | Also posted in Posted | Comments (19)

I don’t know if it’s news, but I know what I like

December 30, 2011 – 10:09 am

Kitten photo + ammunition in long-standing war between those who prefer dogs or cats as pets = HITS! At least, that’s obviously what Fairfax is hoping for with this one in the Xmas-New Year quiet time: Kudos to them for not making it their lead story, though. ELSEWHERE: For its click-bait, News runs with “Fans [...]

By Jeremy Sear | Also posted in News Ltd., Posted | Comments (9)

Just making it up as they go along

May 14, 2011 – 7:44 am

Greg Jericho has written another excellent post pointing out some breathtaking dishonesty in the budget reporting. Starting with the News Ltd tabloids: You’re rich enough on $150,000 a year, says Treasurer Wayne Swan Despite the quote in the article being: Mr Swan, who has been accused of triggering a new class war with his decision [...]

By Jeremy Sear | Also posted in Herald Sun, News Ltd. | Comments (30)

Firfax utsources suburbs

May 5, 2011 – 11:19 am

Big news within the news industry is Fairfax’s announcement that they will be outsourcing subediting of their major mastheads to AAP subsidiary Pagemasters. This is on the heels of News Ltd’s decision to centralise its subediting, and suggestions that it plans to do away with local subeditors in Tasmania, managing subbing for titles like the [...]

By Dave Gaukroger | Comments (11)

Fairfax’s autoplay video ads backfire; will be abandoned

April 18, 2011 – 10:30 am

Good news – Fairfax’s obnoxious autoplay (and full sound) video ads are to be abandoned: Fairfax Media is understood to be preparing to scrap its policy of running autoplay videos within a fortnight, after a consumer backlash led to an advertiser boycott. Last week, media buying agency UM announced it would no longer buy video [...]

By Jeremy Sear | Comments (14)

Queensland flood thread

January 11, 2011 – 10:12 pm

Obviously what’s happening up north is a serious tragedy, with repercussions that will extend well beyond when the waters eventually recede. And it’s the only thing the news media are talking about. So – have they done a good job, passing on vital updates to save lives and helping other Australians understand what’s going on [...]

By Jeremy Sear | Also posted in ABC, News Ltd. | Comments (111)

Where have I seen that before?

November 10, 2010 – 10:32 am

All across the Fairfax titles today their Digital Life section is running a story about laptop computer usage damaging men’s sperm count, in fact most of them seem to have two different versions of the same story. One version is titled Laptops damage sperm while the other is Is your laptop cooking your testicles?. Both [...]

By Dave Gaukroger | Comments (9)

Fortunately, those are not the only two options in real life

July 7, 2010 – 10:22 am

The Age asks its readers which party’s refugee policy they prefer, but gives them only two options: Obviously, with the two big old parties both chasing the “illegals are swamping us!” mob, the real alternative is the third option, advocated by the Greens, of (gasp) treating refugees humanely in accordance with the refugee convention to [...]

By Jeremy Sear | Also posted in The Age | Comments (42)

How dare they commercialise this story before we get a chance to!

February 11, 2010 – 4:52 pm

The story is no longer that someone on a Sydney beach was – DUH DUH DAAAAH – attacked by a shark this morning: no, now it’s that we would’ve got an interview if it wasn’t for those darned meddling TV networks! Sulks The Age: They’re the real victims in all this, after all.

By Jeremy Sear | Also posted in The Age | Comments (23)

What a difference disclosure makes.

February 11, 2010 – 9:38 am

There has a great deal being written about the new My School website and parents’ response to it. The federal government, unsurprisingly, has declared it a resounding success, while some education professionals have loudly denounced the way that this information could end up being abused. It’s a topic that will be approached from vastly different [...]

By Dave Gaukroger | Comments (18)