The fate of journalism (Blogging the Melbourne Writers’ Festival II)

As I write the journalists of Melbourne’s famous broadsheet, The Age, are on strike, following news of cutbacks at Fairfax Media. And it was that theme that dominated tonight’s panel at the Festival, with me, Nick Davies, and Margaret Simons talking about new media and old. Jane Nethercote of Crikey did the chairing duties. And Age media columnist Matthew Ricketson made a short statement to the audience (which also contained more than a few Age journos) before we got started.

The central question was to do with finding new business models. Those that are emerging online, and Margaret spoke very well on this, aren’t (yet?) capable of sustaining to sort of staffing levels, both local and overseas, that a serious news outlet needs.

The key problem, for me, is the nature of orthodox free market corporatism.

Blogging the Melbourne Writers’ Festival

I’m one of what seems like hundreds of guests at Melbourne Writer’s Fest, which is on right now. Had my first session last Friday. It was the very first session of the festival actually. 10am on a very chilly morning. ‘Australia Felix’ was the topic. Judith Brett was my co-speaker, and Jeff Sparrow was the chair. And to my relief about 90 people showed up.

There’s a lot to be said on where Australia is at right now, and Judith and I were in basic agreement about this being a moment of momentous change. One where, as I argued, the burden of risk has shifted away from business and government and onto the shoulders of ordinary people.

But the best bit was the questions from the floor.

Why now?

Why write a book like The Land of Plenty at a time of great prosperity?

The answers are simple enough. The prosperity that Australia has seen over the past fifteen years hasn’t been spread evenly. The top 20 per cent earn about five times more than the bottom twenty per cent, and middle income earners, in particular, have been hard hit.

The economy is running on household debt, much of it caused by increasing day-to-day expenses, long working hours (Australians work some of the longest hours in the world, and take the least holidays) and a mining boom, not the fruits of economic reform.