The Conversation launches push into coverage of creative industries, funded by Screen Australia
Academia-meets-journalism site The Conversation is to expand its coverage of the creative industries with a new dedicated arts and culture section set to launch on Monday.
The new section, partly funded by Screen Australia, will cover all aspects of the creative industries. According to Screen Australia, the $50k of funding is because “arts journalism is under pressure”.
Paul Dalgarno, who has been with The Conversation since before its launch two years ago, will edit the section, having shifted his focus from technology to the arts.
Dalgarno said the section will cover everything from “high arts to pop charts” with articles by informed academics on all aspects of the creative industries including media, film, television and advertising.
Poor old Fairfax has to compete with Government funded ABC and SBS streams of journalism (plus they generate the most valuable journalism -video), and also the not for profit (more like “for loss’) Guardian group too. Add The Conversation as another largely government funded (got an extra $2m in the last Labor budget), and now even more so with Screen Australia backing, is the death of that paper group on the left, as long as these remnants of Labor policy continue. Latin American semi and full blown dictators do the same to the private sector media when it goes against them.
I feel sorry for the for profit sector – crikey, and News.
I totally disagree with Mr Colman’s comment. They have had every opportunity to develop strong arts coverage on a commercial basis and they haven’t done so.
Will The Conversation write a critical article about Screen Australia, about its Board and its management or will it swallow its press releases whole? Given it is really the only show in town when it comes to financing Australian feature films, TV mini-series and documentaries it seems pretty ludicrous to have such a direct financial nexus. There has to be a more arms length solution if government is to support digital arts research and criticism.
Hey Briony,
Why don’t you ask some of the pople on this list how much they pay for their banner ads? Then do some calculations in excel on how many people would need to see that article in order for you to get the costs back for creating that content.
That’s right. It doesn’t work. In the B2B space yes. In the consumer space? No.
Ditto above. State media, what next? State control of the entire arts sector. Hang on a sec.
State controlled media is always biased. It must be, it’s the nature if it. But I feel sorry for the independent operators who have to compete. Their taxes fund their competitors. Competitors who don’t need to earn money from customers, they just take it at the point of a gun.
So…taxpayer funded Screen Australia is now funding left-wing activism sites, which are little more than a salon des refuseés from The Age and Canberra Times.
Charming.
While needy Australians miss out, the old Labor-Greens mates network continues to plunder what remnants of the national wealth they can get their hands on.
Mr Hockey – please take note for the next time Screen Australia has its hands out.