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Two people have escaped injury when the plane they were in crash landed at Sydney’s Bankstown Airport this morning.
Police say the single-engine plane made the heavy landing at around 9:30am (AEST).
Fire crews have contained a small gas leak caused by the crash.
A spokesman for Bankstown Airport says the southern runway is closed for the salvage operation.
World number one Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the ATP Masters on Tuesday, dropping a 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (8-6) fourth round marathon match to Czech Tomas Berdych.
The reigning Australian Open champion suffered just his second loss to Berdych in 10 career meetings.
Berdych, the 16th seed, hammered six aces and won 67 per cent of his first service points in the two hour, 51 minute match on the hard courts at Crandon Park.
Federer won a succession of spectacular rallies to salvage the second set, but converted only two of 10 break-point chances in the match and committed 62 unforced errors, many on an unreliable backhand.
“I fought as much as I could,” Federer said.
“My game has issues at the moment. I’m definitely lacking timing. I don’t know where that comes from.
“It fuels my desire to go to the practice courts, because I don’t like to lose these type of matches.”
Federer held a match point at 6-5 in the second tiebreaker, but Berdych hit a forehand winner.
Two points later, Federer sailed a forehand long to give Berdych the win at 12.16am local time.
“After a match like that, the feeling is great,” Berdych said.
“I’m really happy the way I finish it.”
- AFP
Two days after the storm that rocked Perth, the magnitude of the clean-up confronting households, businesses and institutions is now starting to set in.
For some businesses the cost of the damage is yet to peak. Others are unsure whether they can continue operating from their storm-ravaged premises.
Clayton Arnold owns a furniture business in Osborne Park. His warehouse was damaged by hail smashing through the roof.
The storm destroyed some of his stock, and ruined the tools of his trade – his sewing machines.
“It (the storm) only lasted about 10 minutes but the damage could be anywhere up to $400,000,” he says.
With no work in the short-term, Mr Arnold yesterday told his 40 factory workers to take an early Easter break as he attempts to save his warehouse.
He remains optimistic and if the electrician gives the green the light, he hopes to re-open just after Easter.
Around the corner from Mr Arnold’s shop is an educational supplies store also hit hard by the storm.
General Manager Daniel Rohr says his shop was inundated with water.
“We practically had a waterfall coming down the middle of the store,” says Mr Rohr who describes the amount of water as being ‘ankle deep’.
The floor is destroyed and there is a horrible odour from the water damage. Up to half of his stock is ruined but the biggest concern is the state of the shop’s asbestos roof which the storm punched holes through, making the building unsafe to work in.
Mr Rohr has had to close the outlet and salvage as much stock as possible.
He will transfer the stock to a separate warehouse which he hopes to open this weekend.
Up the road, the news could be even worse for a furniture and homewares supplier. The force of the storm ripped off half of its roof, causing extensive damage to the showroom and stock.
Over at Crawley, glaziers are removing irreplaceable leadlight and glass from the University of Western Australia’s Winthrop Hall.
The greenkeepers are removing fallen trees and branches and the grounds are returning to some semblance of normality.
However the ground floor of the Education, Fine Arts and Architecture Library is still flooded with water and sand as the University considers just how to remove the debris.
Here too, the impact of cost of the storm is yet to be determined.
The US vice-president has sought to salvage peace talks between Israel and Palestinian leaders, despite an ongoing row over new Jewish housing in east Jerusalem.
Joe Biden says Israel’s decision to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem must not be allowed to delay indirect peace talks agreed to only this week.
“The most important thing is for these talks to go forward, and go forward promptly and go forward in good faith,” he said.
Palestinians are now threatening to boycott the talks unless Israel reverses its decision.
Palestinian leaders want a complete freeze on all construction of settlement homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
But Israel – while apologising for the announcement’s timing during Mr Biden’s visit – is refusing to back down.
London, Sep.19 (ANI): With an historic 7-0 whitewash of their one-day series against England firmly within their grasp, Australia’s cricketers head to Durham.
No team has ever swept a seven-match series, but Tim Paine, the stand-in wicketkeeper-batsman whose maiden international century led Australia to a 111-run victory and a 6-0 lead at Trent Bridge on Thursday, has played down the importance of the word whitewash.
“We’ll be talking about the seventh game and how we’re going to go about winning it,” Paine said.
The Australians have completely outclassed England all series and the home side have just one more chance to salvage a bit of pride.
England captain Andrew Strauss is barely able to contain his frustration following his team’s latest defeat.
“Sitting around in a team room having a chat about it is not going to solve anything. What is going to solve it is a couple of guys standing up and showing the necessary character to go out and turn things around,” Fox Sports quoted Strauss, as saying.
“Six-nil is bad enough, to be honest with you. We’ve got one more opportunity to show our calibre as a side. We need to take that opportunity,” he added. (ANI)
Cardiff (Wales), July 12 (ANI): Kevin Pietersen has told his shell-shocked England team-mates they must stand up and be counted today to prove they can handle an intense summer of Aussie pressure.
“We’ve put ourselves under a hell of a lot of pressure and it’s up to us to stand up and be counted now,” News of The World quoted Pietersen, as saying.
“We have to try and avoid being rolled over ourselves and being beaten by an innings. We need to make a big statement that we are going to fight and fight and fight for the rest of the summer.
Otherwise it will be a long one. This isn’t the most important Test match of the summer but we have to try and fight in order to make that statement,” he added.
England need to bat for 90 overs in Cardiff to salvage the opening Npower Test after an insipid display in the field over the past two days allowed Australia’s batsmen to run riot.
Pietersen, not out overnight alongside captain Andrew Strauss, stands between Ricky Ponting’s team and a humiliating sixth Ashes defeat on the spin for England.
With Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook already back in the hutch, the home side still need 220 more runs just to make the tourists bat again.
KP knows the Aussies will not let up if they spot any sign of weakness. He knows if the Three Lions do not toughen up soon they can expect more of the same over the next 10 weeks.
“It’s going to be very, very hard because they have some fantastic bowlers and if the wicket is turning then life won’t be easy. But I believe we have it in us. I’m not going to say we will do it or we won’t but one thing is for sure: The pressure is going to be here for the rest of the summer,” he said. (ANI)
Dhaka – The United States on Monday assured Bangladesh it will support efforts to develop an elite Bangladeshi naval commando force to counter terrorism, piracy, and maritime and coastal crimes, officials said.
“The United States government will assist Bangladesh develop this professional, elite force,” US Ambassador James Moriarty said while attending a graduation ceremony of a group of naval instructors in southern Chittagong port city.
A total of 40 Bangladeshi instructors successfully completed their course at the Bangladesh Navy Special Warfare and Diving Salvage Centre at the Chittagong Naval Base Monday.
They will train future elite naval commandos in the spirit of the “Nau (Naval) Commandos” who had fought against Pakistani enemies during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, officials said.
The US envoy reaffirmed that his government would continue support to Bangladesh’s efforts to counter terrorism, piracy, and maritime and coastal crime.
“A strong Bangladesh Naval Commando unit will protect the people of Bangladesh as well as help ensure regional stability, deter terrorists, and contribute to international maritime security and peacekeeping in the future,” said a press statement issued by US embassy in Dhaka.
“This training demonstrates the US government’s commitment to Bangladesh and to regional security by promoting military-to-military relationships throughout Asia and the Pacific,” it added.
Earlier, the US had proposed joint maritime patrols on the Bay of Bengal to counter piracy.(dpa)
London, April 6 (ANI): 11:45am on Tuesday is the most stressful time of the week if a new survey is anything to go by. early half of British workers in the survey identified mid-morning on their second working day of the week as the moment when they were most under pressure.
During the survey, researchers found most workers coast through Monday getting their brain in gear and catching up with gossip from the weekend through social networking sites.
However, on Tuesday, reality sets in and employees spend the first part of the day going through emails they ignored on Monday before planning the week ahead.
And 11.45am is the time when the work pressure is at it’s highest.
“Traditionally people associate Monday as the worst day of the week, but this doesn’t seem to be the case – coasting through Monday means we’re worse off on Tuesday – both in terms of workloads and stress levels,” the Telegraph quoted Graham Waters from health supplement Bimuno, which polled 3,000 adults, as saying.
“We lead such fast-paced lives that stress naturally runs side by side with this – especially when it comes to work.
“Tuesday at 11:45am seems to be the time in the day when the real workload for the week hits employees and as a result stress levels rise.
“The study also revealed Tuesday as the day when workers are most likely to work through their lunch break due to the realisation they have a busy week ahead.
“Work-related stress can lead to time off work so It’s important to make sure we’re all protecting ourselves to help minimise sickness and days off work,” Waters added.
In the survey, over 53 per cent admitted cruising through Monday and one in ten said they further delayed their tasks for the week by logging onto Facebook to view photos from their weekend antics.
Almost one in five workers said that they leave the office late on a Tuesday as they work after hours to salvage their week after a poor effort the previous day. (ANI)
A second salvage vessel has been deployed to the scene of a helicopter crash in the North Sea as efforts to locate its flight recorder continued. Skip related content
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Air accident inspectors are carrying out investigations off the Aberdeenshire coast where the Super Puma helicopter came down, killing its 14 passengers and two crew.
The accident happened on Wednesday afternoon as the aircraft returned from a BP oil platform. The eight bodies which have so far been recovered were shipped to Aberdeen on Thursday.
A search for the eight remaining bodies has been stood down, after police said there was no hope of finding any survivors.
The vessel Vigilant was chartered by air accident investigators and has been at the crash site since Friday morning.
It is carrying specialist sonar equipment which is being used to locate the wreckage and remove it from the seabed.
The second vessel was also commissioned as part of the salvage operation.
A spokesman from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said: “This is a complicated investigation which is drawing on expertise from different sectors and several agencies will continue working together.
“The investigation continues with work under way to salvage the wreckage and combined Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorder.”
Grampian Police have confirmed the identities of four of the eight men whose bodies were recovered.
They were KCA Deutag employees Raymond Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld and Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee.
Also identified were Stuart Wood, 27, of Aberdeen, who worked for Expro North Sea Ltd, and Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire.
The other men who died in the crash were KCA Deutag employees James Edwards, 33, of Liverpool; Nolan Goble, 34, of Norwich; Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus and David Rae, 63, of Dumfries; Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore, Aberdeenshire; Mihails Zuravskis, 39, of Latvia; and Brian Barkley, 30, and Vernon Elrick, 41, both of Aberdeen.
James Costello, 25, of Aberdeen, who worked for contractor PSN and Sparrow Offshore Services employee Alex Dallas, 62, of Aberdeen, also died.
The pilots were named as captain Paul Burnham, 31, of Methlick, Aberdeenshire; and co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa in Worcestershire. Both were employed by Bond Offshore.
Grampian Police said its work to identify the four other recovered bodies remains “of the highest priority”.
London, April 5, (ANI): British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has apologised following the humiliating admission that she claimed taxpayer-funded allowances for the cost of two porn films watched by her husband.
The 46-year-old has been fighting to salvage her credibility and future political career at a time when she is already under investigation by the Parliamentary watchdog for claiming the share in the house she rents from her sister as her “main residence”.
“I was angry and mortified that I had done it, that we had done it,” The Telegraph quoted her as saying.
“I thought that was the wrong thing to do and that’s why what we immediately did was apologise and pay the money back.
“It should never have got within a million miles of an expenses claim. That’s why I’ve apologised for it,” she added.
Jacqui further slammed reports that her marriage to Richard Timney was on the rocks as a result of the row.
She added: “We’ve got a strong relationship both personally and professionally – in terms of the work he does in my constituency office. And it’s still strong now.”
The adult films were viewed at 11.18pm on April 1 and 11.19pm on April 6, at her family home while Jacqui was staying in London. (ANI)
St. Lucia (West Indies), Apr.3 (ANI): England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has insisted that any rifts between players or between players and the team management have been sorted out. He sincerely believes the team is pulling in the same direction.
Ahead of today’s deciding fifth one-day clash, The Sun quoted Strauss as saying: “There was potential for us to go off the rails but that hasn’t happened. Losing the Test series was bitterly disappointing. But the guys have stuck together very well and that bodes well for the future.”
Strauss is desperate to salvage some silverware from England’s winter of discontent.
He believes victory over West Indies – and a 3-2 series triumph – would be a springboard for the Ashes summer.
“We will be judged by how well we have done on the pitch not how well we have done in our training sessions. That’s why this game is very important for us,” Strauss said.
England have won just two matches all winter – one courtesy of the mathematical bungling of West Indies coach John Dyson and the other was rain-reduced.
But Strauss says he is learning fast as captain and has identified ways his England team can improve and become tougher. (ANI)
London, Mar.29 (ANI): England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that while he accepts that there has been a fall in standards, the dreadful run of results associated with the team during the tour of the Caribbean, can only be blamed on England and no one else.
In an article for the News of The World, Pietersen said: “At the moment, being part of the England squad is a pretty damn lonely place to be. We don’t need anybody to tell us how dreadful we were on Friday or how it’s vital we salvage something from these last two games. We realise that every time we get together as a group. It’s our responsibility to put it right, nobody else’s. There’s nobody who can dig England out of this hole except ourselves.”
“Now, though, it might be that I have to change my approach a little. Everything that has gone on this winter has just intensified the pressure and the expectation and it’s become mentally gruelling and tough to keep doing the same things,” he adds.
“Look at Australia. They went through a huge period of self-doubt when all the legends and great players left the side and suddenly they didn’t seem so invincible. They lost a home Test series for the first time in years and were criticised heavily. But they regrouped, they dug deep and bounced back. That’s exactly what we have to do, starting today,” he concludes. (ANI)
Calgary (Canada), Mar.18 (ANI): Former US President George W Bush has said that he does not want spend his retirement criticizing his successor Barack Obama.
“He [Obama] was not my first choice for president, but when he won I thought it was good for the United States of America. I was deeply touched and I was deeply moved when I saw African Americans on TV weeping and saying, ‘I never thought it was possible,’” the Globe and Mail quoted Bush, as saying during a luncheon speech here.
“I want the President to succeed. I love my country more than politics. I’m not going to spend my time criticizing him. There are plenty of critics in the arena. He deserves my silence and if he wants my help he can pick up the phone and call me,” Bush added.
Bush also defended his decision to invade Iraq, saying: “risk takers,” not government are needed to salvage the world economy.
Bush was greeted with a standing ovation when he took the podium by close to 2,000 guests who paid 4,000 dollars per table.
“This is my maiden voyage. My first speech since I was the president of the United States and I couldn’t think of a better place to give it than Calgary, Canada,” he said to applause.
The invite-only event titled a “Conversation with George W. Bush” was banned to the press and organizers were coy about providing details leading up to the event.
But organizers had no trouble filling seats at the 195 tables.
For 43 minutes, Bush delighted the audience with stories about life as commander in chief and now as a civilian. (ANI)
Brussels – American economist and Nobel laurate Paul Krugman said Tuesday that Europe and the United States should at least double their fiscal efforts in order to salvage the global economy.
“The United States is not doing enough to fight the crisis, and Europe is doing a bit less than half as much as the US. So no, it’s inadequate,” Krugman said after a meeting with EU officials in Brussels.
The talks came just two days before EU leaders were set to meet in the Belgian capital to discuss how to pull the bloc out of recession and reform global capitalism.
US President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package amounts to 787 billion dollars (603.5 billion euros), equivalent to about 2.5 per cent of the nation’s annual gross domestic product (GDP), spread over three years.
The EU’s corresponding efforts total about 400 billion euros (521 billion dollars), or 3.3 per cent of GDP, over two years. About half of this amount is made up of so-called “automatic stabilizers” – non- discretionary public spending, such as for unemployment benefits, that naturally increases during a downturn.
According to Krugman, however, both sides of the Atlantic should be looking at stimulus packages worth 4 per cent of annual GDP, or about 600 billion dollars, each year.
“A lot of people berated the Japanese in the 1990s for being too slow and too inadequate, not recognizing the depth of their problems until much too late. We are all doing exactly the same right now,” Kruger said.
EU officials insist this is not the case.
“There is a slight difference between Professor Kruger’s opinion and ours,” said Guenter Verheugen, the bloc’s enterprise and industry commissioner.
“We think it is a little bit too early to judge whether the stimulus packages which we have produced are working or not,” Verheugen said. “We are not sure whether it would help just to inject more money into the economy.”
Officials in Brussels also note that member states have pledged to avoid spending their way out of recession by running up huge budget deficits.
In a joint letter addressed to the EU’s Czech presidency and to the European Commission ahead of the summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also denied any charges of complacency, saying member states have “successfully managed to stem the economic effects of the current global recession.”
“The European recovery program supports businesses in mastering the crisis … it creates new investment, strengthens demand, secures jobs, and provides considerable incentives to revitalize the global economy,” Merkel and Sarkozy wrote. (dpa)
Washington, Mar 13 (ANI): Researchers at University of California, Irvine, have found that circadian rhythms, our own body clock, regulate energy levels in cells.
According to researchers, the findings could provide greater insights into the bond between the body’s day-night patterns and metabolism. They said that the discovery could help create new ways to treat cancer, diabetes, obesity and a host of related diseases.
Also, Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, and his colleagues found that the proteins involved with circadian rhythms and metabolism are intrinsically linked and dependent upon each other.
“Our circadian rhythms and metabolism are closely partnered to ensure that cells function properly and remain healthy. This discovery opens a new window for us to understand how these two fundamental processes work together, and it can have a great impact on new treatments for diseases caused by cell energy deficiencies,” Sassone-Corsi said.
Sassone-Corsi had already identified that the enzyme protein CLOCK is an essential molecular gear of the circadian machinery and interacts with a protein, SIRT1, which senses cell energy levels and modulates aging and metabolism.
In the new study, Sassone-Corsi and his colleagues show that CLOCK works in balance with SIRT1 to direct activity in a cell pathway by which metabolic proteins send signals called the NAD+ salvage pathway.
In turn, a key protein in that pathway, NAMPT, helps control CLOCK levels, creating a tightly regulated codependency between our circadian clock and metabolism.
“When the balance between these two vital processes is upset, normal cellular function can be disrupted. And this can lead to illness and disease,” Sassone-Corsi said.
He said that the findings suggest that proper sleep and diet may help maintain or rebuild this balance, and also help explain why lack of rest or disruption of normal sleep patterns can increase hunger, leading to obesity-related illnesses and accelerated aging.
The specific interaction between CLOCK and SIRT1 and the NAD+ salvage pathway also presents a starting point for drug development aimed at curbing cell dysfunction and death, thereby helping to solve major medical problems such as cancer and diabetes.
Their study appears online in Science Express. (ANI)
Canberra, Mar.9 (ANI): After suffering a humiliating defeat by India, Pakistan women cricket team managed to salvage some pride after it defeated Sri Lanka by 57 in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Manuka Oval here.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan scored 161 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
Openers gave Pakistan a steady start with Nain Abidi and Bisma Maroof adding 47 runs for the first wicket.
While Sri Lanka, in its reply, managed only 104 runs with Shashikala Siriwardene making a watchful 58.
Siriwardene batted brilliantly but couldn’t manage a partnership as wickets fell at regular intervals.
For Pakistan Qanita Jalil was pick of the bowlers as she took three wickets from in eight overs, while Sana Jalil scalped two. (ANI)
Adelaide, Jan.27 (ANI): Australia’s cricket selectors have recalled batsman Michael Clarke and fast bowler Nathan Bracken for the final match against South Africa to be played at the WACA in Perth.
A Fox Sports report said that Australia will go all out to salvage some of its pride from an already lost the series in Perth.
Another defeat would see the Proteas move to top spot in the rankings for the first time since February 2007 after the two sides were locked together atop the one-day tree in March and April last year.
Clarke was out of the squad due to a thumb injury, while Bracken was suffering from a calf strain.
The two NSW players replace spinner Nathan Hauritz and pace man Ryan Harris. (ANI)
Washington, Jan 26 (ANI): Troubled singer Amy Winehouse’s jailed husband Blake Fielder-Civil has written an emotional letter to his parents, describing his ‘disappointment’ over his wife’s recent behaviour.
Fielder-Civil’s lawyers had filed divorce papers earlier this month after reports of Winehouse being involved with former rugby player Joshua Bowman in the Caribbean came out, reports Contactmusic.
The Rehab singer and Bowman have both denied being romantically involved, with the singer vowing to salvage her relationship with her husband.
But Fielder-Civil has now revealed his reasons behind his decision to break-off his relationship with the star, blaming Winehouse for talking about their sex life and allegedly cheating on him while he has been behind bars.
“Does anyone deserve this kind of treatment? Am I that bad? Amy’s words and actions have disappointed me a lot,” the letter, obtained by British tabloid the News of the World, read.
“The comment on my ability in the bedroom has caused a lot of humour among my fellow inmates. I must try harder with my next girlfriend!
“It would be all too easy to get into a war of words. The impulse to retaliate is strong but the need to act with dignity and respect is a must. I’ve taken everything on the chin and had my character assassinated but I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone. I know what I’m made of. I’ve made mistakes and I’ve been punished. In short, I want to be left alone,” the letter stated. (ANI)
Washington, Jan 12 (ANI): British comedian Russell Brand has offered his support to the charity that helped him overcome his drug problems.
Brand, a former heroin addict, credits charity Focus 12 for helping to beat his drug issues.
However, the charity faces closure after the British government stopped funding it.
And now Brand has extended his support by joining a campaign to keep the charity open.
“Thankfully, we have two high-level patrons without whom I don’t think we would have survived. Both are still very much a part of the charity and want to help,” Contactmusic quoted Focus 21 boss Chip Somers, as saying. (ANI)
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Tablet news: newspaper of the future?
On Media Watch this week, we looked at whether pay-walls on the net, and paid-for apps on tablet computers, might come to the rescue of the beleaguered newspaper industry. The Apple iPad, and its competitor devices still in development, are causing intense excitement in the industry.
“A game-changer”, Marc Frons of the New York Times called it on our program.
“It may well be the saving of the newspaper industry,” Rupert Murdoch told the National Press Club in Washington this week.
Why? Well because, in the words of The Australian’s editor-in-chief, Chris Mitchell, a newspaper app on the iPad feels “very much like a traditional newspaper, so instead of just seeing a line on a website that refers to a story and you click on that, you’re getting display, you’re getting headlines that are not designed for search engine optimisation but have puns and traditional journalistic values in them…” And, of course, instead of hopping from one story to the next across cyberspace, you’ll be offered, for a price, a whole package – news, sport, fashion, gossip, opinion, the lot, all nicely wrapped up as The Australian, or The Herald Sun or The New York Times. Or so the newspapers hope.
But who will pay for this? Who wants it? Is this just the fantasy of old newspapermen (and women), desperate to salvage a way of packaging the news that has had its day? It’s electronic, yes. It may be convenient, yes. It’s energy efficient and cheap to deliver, yes. It will (eventually) have audio and video as well as print and pictures, yes. But in the end, it’s someone else’s (Chris Mitchell’s, for example) selection of what’s important that day served up to us for a few bucks a week.
Media commentator Frederic Filloux was adamant. “The idea of paying for news for a young person” he told me, “is just stupid.” The people who might be persuaded to pay will be “elderly, affluent, educated people – that’s it.”
But this isn’t just the difference between paying and not paying. It’s the difference between deciding on your own news agenda, or buying someone else’s.
Old news junkies like me, brought up with newspapers, might well love the tablet computer. We buy two or three newspapers now. We might well prefer to buy two or three newspaper apps instead, downloaded automatically to a tablet that we can prop up against the coffee pot and read over breakfast. Especially if it’s cheaper. We’ll just have to find something else to line the birdcage with.
But a lot of news junkies haven’t consumed media that way for years. Tech savvy young people use search engines, and social media, and a host of filters and applications to fashion their own news intake, from a wide variety of sources – ‘mainstream’ websites, and blogs, and aggregators, and friends.
Chris Mitchell gave a telling definition of what he saw as The Australian’s core function – the one that would survive, no matter what the technology. “The core of the business,” he told me in The Australian’s conference room, “is your ability to dream up ideas to create news – the things that we chase each day. We sit here every morning and we have an hour-long conference and we decide this is something we’re going to allocate a lot of resources to. And I think that the core of the newspaper that is involved in that will continue to be involved in that.”
And The Australian takes the business of ‘creating’ news – of deciding what stories to chase, and what to ignore, of what news to emphasise, and what emphasis to put on the news – very seriously. That’s evident on every front page.
But news editors in any mainstream medium – newspapers, radio, TV, even online – are in the business of selection. They decide what they think will most interest most readers each day.
Yet the true beauty of the internet, for those who know best how to use it (and that emphatically doesn’t include me), is that it allows news consumers to dispense with the services of gatekeepers like news editors. And I seriously wonder how many of them – and they, after all, are the consumers of the ‘quality news’ of the future, the people who are educated now, and in 30 years’ time will be elderly and affluent as well – will ever want to go back. If you cut yourself off from their daily intake, by putting your journalism behind a paywall, aren’t you simply cutting yourself off your own future?
And in that media future, perhaps, even more than the front-line journalist, it’s the editor whose job will be truly on the line. Publishers and editors everywhere desperately hope the iPad and its cousins will restore to them a power that’s gradually fading. In the immortal words of The Castle’s Dale Kerrigan, as his son read out ads from the pages of the Trading Post (long since transformed into an online only publication), “Tell ‘em they’re dreaming.”