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*A video version of this column is available in the player above
IS SOCIAL MEASURES THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM?
There are many people on social media who like to trash ‘old’ media and state “I don’t watch TV news, I don’t read news websites, I get everything from social media”.
It’s a narrative that many are trying to push, including X owner Elon Musk.
In the early hours of Nov. 6, after Donald Trump won the election, Musk posted a simple message to his 207 million followers: “Now you are the media.”
The problem with this statement is that if traditional/mainstream media disappears overnight, where do the stories that drive conversations on social media come from? Some people may not watch the news or read a newspaper, but stories from these outlets are posted everywhere and discussed. While social media is a great tool for breaking breaking news (usually by journalists working for media outlets), it can’t replace investigative journalism by journalists who actually break news.
In November, Axios CEO Jim VandeHei countered Musk’s narrative when he was honored with the National Press Club’s Fourth Estate Award.
“I hate this damn debate about, like, ‘Oh, we don’t need the media,'” VandeHei angrily told the crowd, as reported by Fox News.
“Elon Musk is sitting on Twitter every day, or X today, saying, like, ‘We’re the media! You are the media!” My message to Elon Musk is: “Bulls—. You are not the media,” he said to applause.
“You having a blue tick and a twitter handle and 300 words on your mind doesn’t make you a reporter any more than me looking at your head and seeing you have a brain and telling you I have a great set of tools makes me a goddamn neurosurgeon, right? Like what we’re doing, what journalists are doing, what you did in Mississippi, what Al Jazeera is doing in the Middle East,” he said, referring to other award winners in the room.
Maybe I’m out of touch, but I absolutely agree with him. I love social media and get A LOT of my news from social media, but the idea that it’s a substitute for quality journalism is ridiculous in my eyes.
MORE PROBLEMS AT NINE AS ANOTHER LEADER IS FIRED
There were rumors that something was happening at Nine today and those rumors have been proven true with the Daily Mail announcing that David ‘Sluggo’ Richardson has been sacked.
Richardson led Nine’s Darwin newsroom after a long career as a journalist, most notably for Today Tonight.
According to the story, Richardson was axed from the network on Monday after Nine received a formal complaint following the Christmas party.
Sluggo is eccentric and very likable, but times have changed. It’s an interesting time in the industry in a changing world.
Nine declined to comment.
BIG CHANGES IN SEVEN NEWS
Expect big changes for the 4pm news. and next year’s new midday news bulletin. De Ceglie says he sees an opportunity to try out our different ideas and formats in these time slots.
I hear that various format options are currently being considered with the inclusion of more discussions on topics of the day.
This style of show can work very well with a daytime audience.
In the meantime, the topic of a night show (which pleases me to no end) was discussed. Although nothing has been ordered at this stage, it is clear that De Ceglie is keen to do something with news and chat. An alignment with Seven’s digital newspaper The Nightly would make sense, but don’t take it as a foregone conclusion.
Until then, The Latest will continue to be hosted from Perth.
SUNRISE STAFF EXCITED BY NEW HOST
Seven announced today that David Voivode will replace Matt Doran as co-host of Weekend Sunrise.
INSIDE MEDIA understands the news has gone down extremely well with the morning show’s staff, who like Woiwod. In fact, cheers could be heard on Level 5 at Seven’s Sydney headquarters when Woiwod popped into the Sunrise office after the on-air announcement.
Woiwod takes on his new role this weekend alongside Monique Wright.
Congratulations David!
GOODBYE CLIVE
Some sad news today with the passing of former Seven News presenter Clive Robertson. The national icon died of cancer aged 78 and was previously married to A Country Practice star Penny Cooke.
Since the mid-1980s, Clive has turned television news on its head – and become a national ratings hit – with his unique style.
I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Clive on the radio a few years ago and it was an absolute joy. He followed the news and media and even contacted me to offer some advice on how we formatted the TV Blackbox titles.
He was a goddamn legend!
THE STORY OF THE WEEK
The story of the week has to be Anthony Albanese’s strange decision to play tennis the day after a Melbourne synagogue was bombed. Much criticism was leveled at the Prime Minister for his delay, calling it a terrorist attack.
The photos were on every news website, but the best headline has to go to The Nightly, which went with them TENNIS ELBOW. The same headline appeared in several posts the next day. We can’t say for sure that they were inspired by the ever-growing Seven publication, but at least great minds think alike.
INSIDE MEDIA is published every Monday and Thursday night.
Rob McKnight is the co-owner of TV Blackbox and can be contacted via email at [email protected]
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