Any kind of new so-called alternative voices are welcome in the closed Aussie media environment. New Matilda started in 2004 and aims to provide a centre-left outlook on Australia and the world. This week's editorial paints a typical picture of John Howard and his seeming inability to feel compassion towards refugees who desire better lives in supposedly open Australia while he expresses compassion towards victims of natural disasters and terrorism over "there" in faraway lands.
The online publication has been very uneven. Speaking to the soft Left voter within, the editors appear generally unwilling to publish writers operating outside the establishment media or academia. Furthermore, this attitude rarely allows any serious examination of political life beyond a two-party system. Perhaps I'm being unfair. I'm happy to continue supporting attempts to highlight the failure of mainstream media in holding business and government accountable. Truly brave indy publishing is something like US-based Counterpunch, though whether Australia can support something like this is debatable. And now we have until May to wait for The Monthly, "a new national magazine of politics, society and the arts." Pray for guts.
The online publication has been very uneven. Speaking to the soft Left voter within, the editors appear generally unwilling to publish writers operating outside the establishment media or academia. Furthermore, this attitude rarely allows any serious examination of political life beyond a two-party system. Perhaps I'm being unfair. I'm happy to continue supporting attempts to highlight the failure of mainstream media in holding business and government accountable. Truly brave indy publishing is something like US-based Counterpunch, though whether Australia can support something like this is debatable. And now we have until May to wait for The Monthly, "a new national magazine of politics, society and the arts." Pray for guts.
4 Comments:
Thanks Suki, well worth a free subscription, to check it out. Perhaps we'll end up meeting finally, post the Counterspin life...
Yes, I was yawning at the editorial too. How totally second to last election!
Surely the Left still has something to say? Doesn't it?
Thanks Antony - I'm disappointed too in many ways, although I'm an accepted writer over at NM, some refugee issues articles.
In one case, an editor basically did an entire re-write of a piece I submitted, and even trespassed into doing his own research and exploration, making several phone calls. It was an appalling case of editorial lust and consequently, I'm rather wary of NM.
Jack
Project SafeCom
Welcome Jack to this space. Good to have you.
Jesus, sounds like your experiences at NW are causes for concern. I've been reading your work there, so keep it up, and as I said, some kind of alternative space is vital, but still, it could be way better.
By the way, feel free to spread the news about this in your networks, on Safecom etc...
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