Friday, June 10, 2016

Will newspapers become the new craft breweries?








Sharing wasn’t the Australian way, so it was scrapped.















Brendan McNeill said...

I imagine newspapers were once written by journalists who reported the facts with a minim of interpretation. Commentary was largely confined to Editorials, or articles that were clearly opinion pieces.

Newspapers were monopoly gate keepers of news and information, but in NZ at least the journalism was for a very long time relatively apolitical.

However, over the years newspapers have succumbed to sensationalism, become unashamed advocates for a range of identity groups and causes, and in many instances self-appointed public moral guardians. Sugar in your tea anyone? Or perhaps a sherry?

On balance, we can be thankful that their monopoly has passed, largely because they have been defunded by the very public they were supposed to serve.

Andrew Denholm is a brave man. If he is investing his own capital, then some would say foolish. I’m very surprised that anyone would invest in this business with a view to obtaining a reasonable return on their capital. I’d love to see him explain the commercial value proposition.

That you Karl would take a subscription is understandable. However, I doubt that anyone under 35 will bother, and for that reason alone (as they say on dragon’s den) I’m out.

Karl du Fresne said...

CORRECTION: In the original version of this post I wrongly referred to the Times-Age as a Monday-Friday paper. In fact it publishes six days a week. I have now corrected it.

Bogo Mipps said...

Isn't the Gisborne Herald also a privately owned daily newspaper? Or did something happen while I wasn't looking ...

Karl du Fresne said...

You're right. I should have stuck the word "major" in there. The Gisborne Herald still describes itself as family-owned. It has traditionally been associated with the Muir family (Jeremy Muir is editor), although for a long period it had a tie-up with the New Zealand Herald stable (indeed may still do - I'm not sure). From what I see of it on my occasional trips up that way, it's an excellent paper that understands the importance of local news. Papers like that thrive and survive by being making themselves an indispensable part of the community.

Richard McGrath said...

Great to see a local take control of the Times-Age. I wonder if another local enterprise, Webstar, could take over the printing job?