Media Week: ABC news changes; journalism or PR?
In this week’s column, the ABC news boss quits, a major news organisation believes its job is to make South Australians feel better about themselves, pop-up radio, and much more.
ABC news boss jumps ship
The ABC’s director of news, Kate Torney, has resigned, ending a 20-year career at Aunty.
The national broadcaster announced this morning that Torney would leave the ABC in September to become CEO of the State Library of Victoria.
The ABC’s head of news gathering, Craig McMurtrie, will be acting director of news until a permanent appointment is made.
ABC managing director Mark Scott said today Torney had made some extraordinary achievements with the news team in her six years in charge.
“The process of gathering and distributing news has been transformed,” he said.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull seemed bemused by her departure, saying she was widely regarded as someone who could succeed Scott as managing director.
Not everyone in the ABC has been thrilled, though, with the way news is being managed from Sydney following last year’s budget cuts.
Heads were shaking in the Adelaide newsroom this week, for example, when the national GST story on Monday ignored one of the big developments from SA – Premier Jay Weatherill’s support for an open discussion on increasing the rate of the GST.
Yep, the national story missed the key bit of news.
To make matters worse, Weatherill’s views – which put him at odds with many of his Labor colleagues – were first revealed on 891 ABC breakfast radio.
Journalism as therapy
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There’s a saying in journalism (origin somewhat shrouded) that rings true to most serious reporters: “News is what somebody does not want you to print. All the rest is advertising.”
It seems that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, owner of The Advertiser and Sunday Mail, has a different view – at least in the ranks of its management.
The company sent Adelaide staff a memo last Friday which asserted a rather curious view of the news business.
“It is part of our role in society to focus on the positives – confidence breeds confidence,” the memo says. “The more we focus on the positives, the more we can build consumer and business confidence – that is a good thing for all of us.”
The memo is pushing a new “brand positioning” for News Corp’s South Australian publications – “Inspired by South Australia”.
They even gave over the front page of the Sunday Mail to this branding exercise, as well as a lift-out of inspiring local stories.
The idea of journalism as a source of jingoistic inspiration – particularly given SA’s economic challenges – wasn’t received with universal joy by reporters.
But to help them get into the spirit, the company says it is putting up inspirational posters around the office.
And they’re encouraging staff to share the company’s story – Amway-style – with their loved ones.
“If you agree with our vision, we’d love you to be an advocate for this campaign if asked about it by your friends and family.”
And at the other end of the scale…
Australian journalist Peter Greste spent 400 days in jail in Egypt for reporting fearlessly for news organisation Al Jazeera.
A massive lobbying campaign resulted in his release, and since he’s been back in Australia he’s proven to be a passionate advocate for press freedom.
Next month, he’ll be speaking at the SA Press Club. He’s familiar with Adelaide, having spent some of his early career in the Channel 10 newsroom.
The event is on Friday, August 7, at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley Street.
To book your ticket, go here.
A new friend
NSW Premier Mike Baird has shown himself to be a very adept media performer since he took over from Barry O’Farrell in controversial circumstances.
Often touted as the most popular political leader in Australia, Baird is developing an even-handed public profile which goes against the grain of the current hyper-partisan environment.
He’s also having a go at building a social media presence, posting some home-spun videos to Twitter – known as #bairdseyeview.
Stay informed, daily
In his latest video, filmed after Tony Abbott’s leaders’ summit in Sydney, he invited South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill along.
The pair captured headlines this week, first with Baird’s proposal to increase the GST rate, and then Weatherill, in response, supporting an open debate on the issue.
In the video, Weatherill looks thrilled to be there, perhaps hoping some of Baird’s mojo will rub off.
At the end, Baird declares sunnily: “New friend!”
Pop-up radio
Congratulations to our friends at the Adelaide Show Podcast, who this week celebrated their 100th episode.
The show, presented by Steve Davis and Nigel Dobson-Keeffe, consistently attracts engaging South Australian guests – and defends Adelaide’s honour against those who would take cheap pot-shots (there’s a regular segment known as the “Adelaide Visa Council” – you don’t want yours cancelled).
It also holds an unusual record, according to Davis.
“It might be pity, it might be curiosity, but either way we love the fact that all bar one South Australian approached to give up two hours of their life to be part of our show has said yes,” ‘ he said.
“‘We don’t chase celebrities or high-profile people, we actually seek South Australians with stories that interest us personally because, after all, this is a ‘hobby’ so I never want it to become a grind like my days in radio when you were often told who to interview, like it or not.”
Naughty corner
Two of this column’s pet annoyances came together this week in one inglorious mash-up – the non-exclusive claimed as an exclusive, and the flagrant pandering to a news organisation’s own commercial interests.
As this column reported last week, The Advertiser had written a “news story” about the end of real estate advertising competitor Domain’s print lift-out for South Australia (which was only ever meant as a “pop up” marketing tool).
On Monday, days after the Tiser reported it and this column had a crack at the Tiser over its self-interested article, The Australian’s Media section wrote an “exclusive” on the matter. You can read the self-serving tosh here.
Top of the class
Today Tonight reporter Hendrik Gout’s skewering of Tourism Minister Leon Bignell’s travel expenses over the past year was vastly entertaining. It also led the news agenda with other outlets – eventually – scrambling to cover it.
Gout used every device in the current affairs book, including funny music, cut scenes from Around the World in 80 Days, comedy accents, and vox pops with bemused punters in Bignell’s southern suburbs electorate.
You’ll probably get angry when you watch it – but you’ll also crack a smile. Good, old-fashioned current affairs TV.
Media Week is published on Fridays.
