Comments on: Murdoch, MailOnline and other accelerating disruptions

By: Jake O'Neill

Jake O'Neill — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:59:31 +0000

I think the ‘digital first’ to ‘digital only’ trend is just the beginning. Print publications are now looking at alternatives as online ad revenues just aren’t enough (Look how long it took the Mail Online to reach profit and at the numbers it needed).

The trend for free publications, Time Out et al. may grow but surely there will eventually be a divide between what can still work in print and what doesn’t need print in the digital age?

By: Sybil Nolan

Sybil Nolan — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:15:51 +0000

Misha, your view re online advertising may be correct. I am simply pointing out that what George said will probably leave many readers not familiar with the Age or its history with the impression that the Age’s journalists have only relatively recently turned their hand to quality journalism online. Not so!

By: Gary Lord

Gary Lord — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:13:50 +0000

Also worth noting that Fairfax media’s online success in Australia is largely driven by Murdoch dominating 70% of print newspapers (plus TV etc). Govt ABC has been largely gutted and neutered. So intelligent readers have little other choice for local content. Here on Queenland’s Gold Coast I cannot buy a local, state or national newspaper that is not owned by Murdoch. Even the free weekly in my letterbox is Rupert’s!

By: Misha Ketchell

Misha Ketchell — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:59:45 +0000

Sybil, I still thin the Age came to digital late. It took a long time to realise the threat to its advertising business. It failed to buy online businesses in real estate, cars, jobs etc and failed to translate its classified revenue into online revenue. And the editor of The Age never had control of digital. Having a website doesn’t mean you’ve come to digital. I worked there from 1999 to 2004 and no one really got digital then.

By: Sybil Nolan

Sybil Nolan — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:53:50 +0000

Insightful article, but not at all correct that Melbourne Age came to digital late! The Age’s website was one of the first. Experimentation began in the mid 90s with plain text, and the Age Online followed a couple of years later. Within a few years, there was intense contest between online and newsroom editors at the Age over which of them should be allowed to publish exclusives first.