1 June 2006

New CT editor and his plans

| Kerces
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The Australian’s media section this morning has quite a good profile of newly-appointed Canberra Times editor Mark Baker.

It sounds like Mr Baker’s got some plans to shake up the paper a bit and and make “improvements across the board in the way the newspaper does its journalism”.

He has worked for the Age since 1971, including a stint as a foreign correspondent in which he was shot while in Bougainville.

He sees himself as a a journalist first and foremost, but does also like to write some opinion. He told The Australian that he has had some involvement in newspaper budgets before, one of the areas which reportedly has been troublesome at the CT lately.

“I am serious about quality journalism – serious, not in the sense of being deadly earnest – but quality first and foremost,” he said. “I loved my time on the road, but this job offers the one irresistible element; to do what I haven’t done before – to edit my own paper. I want to take it forward, to build it, and the Rural Press management, by employing me, is also saying ‘this is the direction we want to take the paper’.”

“I have had a strong message from management. We will cover the stories that need to be covered.”

This all sounds to me like good news for both the paper’s readers and its staff.

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I’m a big fan of the massive real estate guide – then again, I’m a home-owner, so it’s my way of checking how much my place is worth compared to how much I paid for it, so I can feel good about myself all over again (I bought in ’99, just before house prices went stupid).

I agree with all the sentiments.

Sunday I only get for Dilbert. Everything else in it us rather low brow. Think I’ll cancel my sub.

Monday its the
tv guide and the comics.

Tuesday is so thin you cannot use it to wipe your arse with. The comics are good butt.

Wednesday. The comics.

Thursday, mmmm the comics and the Gig guide but that has got thinner over the years.

Friday it is motoring and the comics.

Saturday has Panorama. Hate the bloat wear real estate guide. Did
I mention the comics?

Really about the only useful day is Monday. The rest of the days
I can get to read from the library at work.

SMH gives better analysis for national events.

Must get rid of Sunday.

A guy in Riverside Plaza (Qbn) last night was giving away great bales of Canberra Times’! Needless to say, he wasn’t having much success.

id focus on more reporting locally and less reporting by press release.

also, i hate my pocket being picked on a sunday.

less than 30 pieces of folded paper just doesnt cut it.

Ditto the Public Sector Informant. Why do public servants need to have their own special section in the newspaper to tell them about their workplace?

Here’s a tip: get rid of all the school kid supplements, like Personal Best. That stuff belongs in the Canberra Chronicle.

The question is going to be whether the tasmanians will fund it.

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