Tag Archives: media

Feb 26 2009
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Journalism

Face off on Facebook

Until today, I was a member of a Facebook group called “the BNP are nasty racists and shouldn’t be here” (For non-British readers, the BNP is the UK’s ultra-right wing party). The group was set up a couple of years back to protest against a BNP presence on Facebook and it eventually gained hundreds of members. While casually flicking through my notifications today, I noticed that it had changed its name to “the BNP are nice and should be on here“.

I clicked on the link to find out which joker had changed the name of the group. My boyfriend suspected that Facebook had asked moderators to change its name for some reason. But when I saw the group, I realised that not only had its name changed, but also its description, thus altering its philosophy completely. It now was a pro-BNP group. Worst of all, I was still a member! I promptly left the group (along with many other members) and posted a warning to my Facebook friends via my status update.

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Feb 11 2009
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Journalism

Inside Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet guides have been a faithful companion to scores of backpackers over the years. Even in the digital age, a guide by Lonely Planet or one of their rivals, features prominently on most travelers packing list.


More than three decades on from the first edition of South East Asia on a Shoestring and the basic format of the Lonely Planet guide has remained largely intact (with a few tweaks). But its publishers are changing – last year founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler sold the company to the BBC, though Lonely Planet’s HQ remains here in Melbourne.


Last week, I was privileged to get the chance to get a look inside of Lonely Planet’s Footscray offices to find out more about the company’s latest projects. My guide Matthew, from Lonely Planet’s digital division, has recently exchanged rainy London for Melbourne and is working on lots of exciting initiatives following the BBC’s purchase of the company.


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Nov 30 2008
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Journalism, News

Black, white and dead all over

The supposed decline of the print newspaper industry has commanded many column inches in the UK and around the world. Just after arriving in Melbourne, I attended journalism union Media Alliance’s conference on the future of journalism and wrote a story on it for Press Gazette.

A report launched alongside the event confirmed that the trends that have sent print media in the US and UK into decline are gathering pace in Australia. A keynote speech from US media expert Phil Meyer suggest that a leaner, more technologically driven industry will emerge from the ashes of the old one. This raised questions about how journalists would adapt to the changing environment.

In a discussion on the economics of journalism, Ivor Ries, head of research, EL&C Baillieu Stockbroking, predicted that newspapers are in for “ten years of hell”, but that things would improve once titles work out how to make money from the internet. Old mastheads were seen by most participants as the best place for this innovation, but one speaker said that if these titles can’t come up with the goods they should be bought out by someone who can.

There was also some debate on how journalism schools and the employers should prepare new entrants to the industry. Continue reading →

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Mar 24 2008
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Exclusives, Features, Journalism

Spice up your cuttings with a work place …

I spent January of last year working on the Indian newspaper New Indian Express. You can read a full account of my experiences at my blog Deadlines and Dosas. I also had a piece on overseas work placements published in Press Gazette.

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