When the buzz from above doesn’t match what employees are fed
BuzzFeed founder and chief executive Jonah Peretti on the letters page of The New Yorker, posted online yesterday:
Jill Lepore, in her insightful piece on journalism in the age of social media and fake news, writes, “Speculation is that BuzzFeed is trying to dump” BuzzFeed News (“Hard News,” January 28th). This speculation is incorrect. Whatever challenges we face in this difficult environment for digital media, BuzzFeed News remains a key part of the future of BuzzFeed. Its investigative reporting has freed men from prison, changed the way sexual assault is handled in congress, given the public incredible insight into the Mueller investigation, and detailed Donald Trump’s business dealings in Russia during the 2016 campaign. I’m excited to see what our journalists do in the years to come.
What will they do? BuzzFeed Australia political editor Alice Workman on Twitter yesterday:
Every single member of our news team has been sent a “consultation” letter (redundancy). We’ve been told BuzzFeed is “reducing its overall news footprint”.
The Sydney Morning Herald hawking its front-page splash on Twitter yesterday:
Scott Morrison says Australia risks tumbling into a damaging recession under a Labor government.
Quentin Dempster experimenting with English on Twitter yesterday:
Distressing that @smh should front page lead with such scare. By all means cover @ScottMorrisonMP ’s rhetoric but editorial judgement clearly required. Thought only @australian resorted to such beat-ups.
SBS’s Anton Enus is a bit clearer:
How did election spin become the front-page lead?
The SMH’s Bevan Shields replying:
It’s a speech, Anton. We are reporting what the PM will say. If reporting what a politician says is ‘spin’ than we will have to give up writing stories full stop.
Rudd squared. Papua New Guinea Post-Courier yesterday:
Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd’s namesake, Kevin Rudd Junior from Lufa district in the Eastern Highlands Province, wants to become a brain doctor. ... In March 7, 2008, then Australian PM Kevin Rudd visited Goroka general hospital in the Eastern Highlands province, and a baby boy was born a few minutes later at the hospital. The parents named the boy in honour of the visiting PM and Kevin Rudd Jr has since become a popular figure in the area.
Brace for excitement! Independent Warringah candidate Zali Steggall on Twitter yesterday:
I’m very proud to have former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery advising me on climate change during my campaign!
Scott Morrison with David Koch on Sunrise yesterday:
Koch: Can you guarantee no other Coalition MPs will resign?
Morrison: Well there’s no surprise about those things ... Labor Party members have resigned and said they’re not contesting for family reasons … we’ve got Tim Hammond in Western Australia, he’s a good bloke, he’s only served one term and he’s standing down for family reasons.
Present tense, PM? Tim Hammond on 6PR on May 2, 2018:
I have made a very personal decision that is most regrettably that I have to resign from that role …
Date of by-election to replace him:
July 28, 2018.