The critical value of investigative journalism

[basilio]

With the Channel 9 takeover of Fairfax Australia will almost certainly lose the investigative skills that opened up the sexual abuse acandels and the banking scandels. Both of these investigations resulted in Royal Commissions that have (theoritically) been critical in addressing huge problems in our society.

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald will continue to operate but there is little confidence that joint investigative reports with the ABC will be part of the new operations. If there are such activities they will be the crime tabloid type that commercial TV goes for.

Is this loss of independent questioning journalism a problem ?

Paul Keating perspective on the issue.

The Fairfax takeover is a great pity – Nine has the ethics of an alley cat
Paul Keating
The cross-media rule gave Australia 30 years of media diversity. This merger was inevitable as soon as it was removed

Thu 26 Jul 2018 05.59 BST First published on Thu 26 Jul 2018 05.59 BST


The kind of merger announced today between Channel Nine and Fairfax was bound to happen the moment the cross-media legislation introduced by the Hawke government 30 years ago was suspended.

The so-called cross-media rule gave Australia 30 years of media diversity, especially between Australia’s major television networks and its capital city print.

Those barriers in the wholesaling of news underwrote diversity of opinion, guaranteeing an altogether better informed and livelier public debate.

The absence of those legislative barriers, in the media free-for-all the Turnbull government is permitting, will, because of the broadly maintained power of those outlets, result in an effective and dramatic close down in diversity and, with it, opinion.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2...e-has-the-journalistic-ethics-of-an-alley-cat

 

[basilio]

Talking about the role of investigative journalism.
The Guardian has been investigating the business behaviour of the One Nation candidate in Longman. Two questions.
1) Should this person be able to be a candidate for public office ?
2) If this investigative journalism didn't happen how would the public know?

One Nation candidate received $66,000 payout three weeks before selling debt-laden company
Longman candidate Matthew Stephen told workers they hadn’t been paid due to dispute with construction firm

Ben Smee

@BenSmee
Thu 26 Jul 2018 19.00 BST Last modified on Thu 26 Jul 2018 22.14 BST

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The One Nation candidate in Longman, Matthew Stephen. His former company Aus Tile QLD received a settlement from Laurie Lindner Constructions in August 2016. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
The One Nation candidate for Longman, Matthew Stephen, sold his tiling company on paper, and disclaimed its debts, less than three weeks after his firm received payment of $66,000 from a long-running legal dispute.

Stephen had previously promised unpaid workers and other creditors they would be reimbursed from that settlement.

Guardian Australia has confirmed Aus Tile QLD agreed the $66,000 settlement deal with Laurie Lindner Constructions in August 2016, in relation to the 2014 refurbishment of the Darwin Hilton hotel.
https://www.theguardian.com/austral...three-weeks-before-selling-debt-laden-company

 

[Darc Knight]

Yes, after listening to Alan Jones in full flight over the last two days, I am very concerned that any contraction of Media ownership is an assault on democracy.
With Macquarie being very right wing and Nine Chairman being Peter Costello, this can't be good for the SMH/Age etc independence.

Not a good day for democracy.

 

[McLovin]

Fairfax should be left independent. You have to shudder when you see the breadth of media that NEC will end up owning. And, anyone who thinks this is about owning the FXJ mastheads has rocks in their heads. NEC wants Domain. The newspapers will be left to die on the vine. Why is a supposedly free market government legislating to create monopolies?

NEC is not a news organisation. On the six o'clock news last night the lead item was that house prices "had fallen to levels last seen in the GFC". Even the mailboy would have seen the glaring error in that headline. Then the next item they had was the CEO of NEC saying how much they value quality journalism. The A Current Affair came on.

 

[sptrawler]

I have to agree with the sentiment, even though Fairfax has an left wing bent, it is required to create an alternative to the right leaning media. As usual the apathetic middle won't care either way, but to have balanced outcomes, both sides have to be aired.

 

[SirRumpole]

The last reasonable journalism program on Nine was Sunday with Jim Waley and Laurie Oakes, and that's been out of production for 10 years.

A Current Affair is a tabloid production with little value. I can't think of any great investigative stories that they have broken, they just get out the cheque book and go after the professional victims.

Not that Fairfax means anything to me either, I gave up reading the SMH years ago.

The media ownership laws are a farce, another example of the hold big business has over the Liberal Party.

 

[luutzu]

I have to agree with the sentiment, even though Fairfax has an left wing bent, it is required to create an alternative to the right leaning media. As usual the apathetic middle won't care either way, but to have balanced outcomes, both sides have to be aired.

Fairfaxes are known tree hugging hippies are they?

Well they're left of the Murdoch press so I get your point. But that's just market segmentation - you go where the other guy ain't.

So I don't think it wouldn't changed much, "quality" wise. Maybe easier to place an ad on both channel nine and the smh.

 

[McLovin]

Not that Fairfax means anything to me either, I gave up reading the SMH years ago.

The SMH and the AFR aren't what they used to be that's for sure. They still do have quality investigative journalism though, which News Ltd and certainly the FTA broadcasters do not have.

 

[basilio]

The last reasonable journalism program on Nine was Sunday with Jim Waley and Laurie Oakes, and that's been out of production for 10 years.

That was good journalism. I believe it had direct Kerry Packer support despite the fact that (inevitably) it didn't get big ratings. It was too intelligent for mainstream commercial television.

In the end the reality that it was too intelligent for mainstream commercial TV killed it.
Good analysis on Wiki.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_(Australian_TV_program)

 

[sptrawler]

I guess the other side of the argument is, if the merger doesn't go ahead, will Fairfax go the way of the dinosaur?

 

[SirRumpole]

I guess the other side of the argument is, if the merger doesn't go ahead, will Fairfax go the way of the dinosaur?

Former editor of The Age Mike Smith said on ABC breakfast that he was surprised that Fairfax still existed and that the takeover was its saviour.

Of course that says nothing about whether the quality of the papers would continue, just that they would still exist.

 

[Darc Knight]

I guess the other side of the argument is, if the merger doesn't go ahead, will Fairfax go the way of the dinosaur?

Why? While I don't totally agree with Luu's post, market segmentation would save Fairfax wouldn't it?

 

[basilio]

Why? While I don't totally agree with Luu's post, market segmentation would save Fairfax wouldn't it?

Fairfax media attempted to represent intelligent journalism with investigative capacities. This is in contrast to tabloid newspapers which are almots solely directed to celebrities, media beats ups, crime stories and cats up trees. If as expected Nine is not interested in the style of journalism Fairfax represented it will quickly show and remaining support for the paper will evaporate.

It will be interesting to see if another paper/outlet for intelligent and investigative journalism comes forward.

 

[sptrawler]

Why? While I don't totally agree with Luu's post, market segmentation would save Fairfax wouldn't it?

It has been reported on numerous occasions, that circulation has been dropping and online competition is making it difficult for Fairfax.
Rumpy's post, just below yours, seems to confirm they were struggling.

 

[Tisme]

Every now and then I glance a Courier Mail and page through, then regret my stupidity. They give out degrees for journalism don't they?

 

[Darc Knight]

So Turnbull gets the punt, Abbott or Dutton come in and privatise the ABC with Fairfax having turned right wing tabloid by Nine. Sheet!

 

[SirRumpole]

So Turnbull gets the punt, Abbott or Dutton come in and privatise the ABC with Fairfax having turned right wing tabloid by Nine. Sheet!

Nah, Billy boy will turf em out !

 

[sptrawler]

Every now and then I glance a Courier Mail and page through, then regret my stupidity. They give out degrees for journalism don't they?

Yes and I think you can get a degree in surfing, by the quality of our news, I would think the entrance requirement would be similar.

 

[luutzu]

Every now and then I glance a Courier Mail and page through, then regret my stupidity. They give out degrees for journalism don't they?

I don't think it's the quality of the journalist that's to blame. It's the editorial board and the owners.

As Murdoch reportedly told an editor he soon fired... if you want to save the world, democracy and all that... buy your own paper (not his exact word).

So journalists and editors who want to keep their job either tow the line or go work for RT and the China Morning Post (operations in the West. Definitely don't work for them on Russia or China).

The only reason the AFR has more quality reporting is because the business community reads them. Most of those readers doesn't want the bs and the tabloid, not too much.

 

[moXJO]

Fairfax was cutting wages and staff for ages. Really screwing staff as well. I think they might have offshored some work to nz
I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. Its only recently that they have had an uptick in sales and took out the number one spot.
They haven't been leaning as far left as some of the articles they were posting. If they sat in the middle and put forward honest articles, they would capture more market. Which is what I think they have been doing lately.

News is expected to be free these days. Which sucks for them.
AFR went to sht as well. I did enjoy reading it.

My concern is who will bas reference now?