June 2011

Not the Hoi Polloi

OK, it’s not Newspoll or AC Nielsen or Essential….it’s not even a Morgan poll. But the Failed Estate is proud to unveil results of its first ever readers’ survey. We polled your attitudes on party politics, economics, refugees, climate change and the media. Here are the (dubious) results.

On political leanings, five per cent of our respondents characterised themselves as former bleeding hearts turned grumpy conservatives. This is a category your host can identify with, except he is so old he has gone full circle from wet liberal to flinty conservative and back again – left, right, left. (more…)

By Mr Denmore, ago

Not in it for the Money

Why go into journalism? The industry that employs you is in decline, the on-the-job training is virtually non-existent, the business model is broken, the hours are long, the work involves endless and mindless churning of pregurgitated material, and the pay is lousy. Most of the population rate you just above used car salesmen and now the major media companies are farming off jobs to sweatshops.

Yet people are spending more time with news than ever as the technology that enables the creation, distribution and reception of news grows every more sophisticated. It’s just that no-one can work out how to make money out of it. (more…)

By Mr Denmore, ago

The Empty Checkpoint

What is news anyway? Young journalists are told it’s what’s new, noteworthy or unusual. It’s something that prompts an “oh, really?” response. You usually know it when you see it.  But to be deemed as news, events needed to pass a certain bar. These days, though, they must be setting the bar particularly low. (more…)

By Mr Denmore, ago

Hands Up: It’s a Stitch Up

Hands Up: Gillard Faces Armageddon, Apocalypse The Australian Denis Shamandham The Gillard government is under intense pressure tonight after (insert name of industry lobby group here‘ – ed) released a damning survey which highlights the cost to consumers (‘unspecified, check tomorrow and multiply by four’- ed) of its contentious carbon Read more…

By Mr Denmore, ago

Journos in Jarmies

Over at Club Troppo, Don Arthur has run a  post titled ‘The Blogosphere’s Delusions of Grandeur’,  regurgitating the now ritual meme that pits the apocryphal self-aggrandising blogger in pyjamas (usually venting about the meeja) against the hard-working professional investigative journalist risking everything for his readers. (more…)

By Mr Denmore, ago

Readers’ Poll

‘The Failed Estate’ has been going now for eight months. So we thought it was time we found out a bit more about our readership. Please help us by answering the five questions on the right-hand side of this post.

We are asking you about your native political affiliation and your views on a carbon price, boat people, economic management and your media habits. This is truly scientific polling, as you will see.

We plan to use your answers to these questions so we can give you the news that you truly want. That, of course, means omitting key facts, pursuing an ideological agenda, calling for free markets while standing up for rent seekers, seeking leftist conspiracies by bearded academics on government grants and pursuing unnamed ‘elites’ whose interests are strangely contrary to those of our advertisers. Other than that, it’s pretty straight.

If our comprehensive questions on the right do not cover the gamut of your caffeine-fuelled media-driven shallow emotional life, please vent in the comments section below.
(more…)

By Mr Denmore, ago

Changing the Frame

Meanwhile, in another media universe…     ‘Geo Gina’: Iron Woman Robs Australians Blind The Australian, June 2, 2011  Outrage is growing in the Australian community at the involvement of multi-billionaire Gina Rinehart in campaigns protesting against action on climate change and efforts for citizens to earn a fairer share Read more…

By Mr Denmore, ago