Mood:
quizzicalTopic: big media
We notice a substantive journalistic aspect of the big big splash last week on the 'public transport friendly' metro announcement. It seems to us that the big metro train line announcement at least initially got alot bigger and friendlier coverage in the Herald before the doubts settled in over contrary transport expert advice and then the joker card trumping all namely double booked water storage tunnel (below).
The front page reportage was leavened with some analysis the same day by the ever sharp (and haughty) Andrew Clennel:
19 March 08 'Public transport premier' eyes history
But no mention of something even closer to home at Fairfax - namely the first station out of the CBD would service their own staff in the traffic peninsula known as the new Fairfax offices at one Darling Island Pyrmont. Clennel omitted that particular govt service to their door, and likely along time before the greater North West?
We feel a nostalgia for this sector where the rebirthed City Hub found a home in about 2003, before moving to nearby Ultimo, with chronic congestion on Harris St, and around the Fish Market ramp to Anzac Bridge. Fairfax would have good reason to be grateful.
Indeed it took AC's equivalent over at Sydney Daily Telegraph Joe Hildebrand to spoil the Iemma Govt party with a fairly humble Friday column which took off in the nightly tv news same day virtually cancelling the PR benefit of the Herald go big front pager:
21 March 08 Iemma's tunnel vision goes to water | The Daily Telegraph
PREMIER Morris Iemma and Palnning Ministter spruik the tunnel that deputy premier John Watkins earlier promised to use as a water reservoir.
That's a competitive free press.
Certainly Premier Iemma is Mr Available this last 5 days filling the air waves with wholesome personal schmooze via Emma Griffiths ABC tv news last night kicking the footy in the park, Clennell in the features on Saturday, and anyone else presumably. Similarly Jones on 2GB, and Glover on afternoon Drive show mid week. Anything is better by way of contra distinction than bleeding out in PR terms after Orkopoulos child predator conviction/Scimone-Gong in ICAC/Costanomics on energy/fatal health system/construction incompetence in Bathurst/bus on the rail line (a one off but oh what a metaphor).
We also notice in the Herald graphic that a station will be in Rozelle which I think we can assume leverages the Sydney University developer stalking (led by Prof Richmond Jeremy!) of the public's Callan Park with the help of new Environment Minister Verity Firth, also on the Senate of the Uni (along with 702 announcer Adam Spencer):
Saturday, 15 March 2008Verity Firth MP and the ALP Right 'development at all costs' agenda for the Inner West
Mood:down
Topic: nsw govt
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
blue
These images above show the business section for the same dated weekend business sections "Easter Weekend Edition March 21-23, 2008 [page] 35".
But the bottom one (if memory serves) was circulated on Friday 21st, and the top one on Saturday 22nd March 2008. The front sections of both editions were different. The Good Weekend and Spectrum (and presumably advertising sections like Domain and Drive etc we didn't bother to check) were all the same.
We only ask because, though we support the Earth Hour initiative also sponsored by Fairfax publishers of the Herald, it's been a long running question in Sydney about the wasteful nature of the bumper weekend edition. The long weekend duplications just rub salt into the wound.
We notice the Weekend Australian did not publish on Friday 21st or indeed Monday 24th March of this Easter Weekend. At least as best we can tell (via our local corner shop). We think this is a more responsible course, or just one edition for the 4 days.
