Crikey has an annual set of media awards that it released today:
Newspaper of the year: Herald Sun
The award this year, with some reservation, goes to the Herald Sun. Once you go beyond its cover, the Hun‘s news pages are often thin and overflowing with cute animal yarns. But the paper remains the biggest-selling in the country by consistently dishing up the crime and footy scoops its readers expect. Its election campaign coverage was not feral like the Tele‘s and its Ted Bailleu tapes splash helped bring down a premier. The opinion pages have variety and vigour, its weekend features are strong and it campaigned on important issues such as domestic violence.
Columnist of the year: Katharine Murphy
There was no shortage of strong contenders in this category, where the key to success is being lively, informative and unpredictable. David Penberthy continues to deliver well-written populism while never becoming nasty or overblown like some of his News Corp counterparts. Peter van Onselen scores points for taking on both sides with gusto — even if he sometimes veers towards the self-important and self-referential. The AFR‘s Joe Aston regularly broke news in his Rear Window gossip column and amused readers by taking on his fellow hacks — including his Fairfax colleagues.
Fairfax’s BusinessDay team — including Ross Gittins, Adele Ferguson, Elizabeth Knight and Michael Pascoe — helped readers make sense of the big business stories with informed but never fawning commentary. The Age‘s Caroline Wilson was a must-read on the Essendon saga, even if you disagreed with her crusading stance.
But the gong goes to The Guardian‘s deputy political editor Katharine Murphy. Unshackled from word limits and weekly newspaper deadlines, the former Fairfax scribe shone this year. While others in Canberra churned out endless leadership speculation, Murphy went her own way with thoughtful, beautifully written pieces.
Worst columnist of the year: Chris Kenny
No, it’s not Andrew Bolt. While many readers despise his views, Bolt is the Right’s most effective communicator. By contrast, Piers Akerman looked like a goose for decrying the “weirdly feminist” Peppa Pig and Gerard Henderson never got the blood pumping with his columns. If only Hendo would unleash the wry humour and cheekiness he shows in Media Watch Dog.
The Australian‘s Chris Kenny is a former senior staffer to Alexander Downer and Malcolm Turnbull, but instead of insider insights he seems to reheat a predictable attack on the “love media” every other week. Slogans may make for effective political campaigning, but not great column writing. C’mon Chris, show us a bit more variety in 2014!
Crikey, do these guys even read online media? Once again, blogs remain unmentionable, despite being more innovative, more interesting, more intellectually advanced and closer to the truth on most matters.
There is no blog category in the Crikey gongs so I’m going to create and award it to MB. With no funding, no insider bullshit, no pandering to special interests, greater humour and tremendous chutzpah, MB has been more right about business and the economy than the rest of the tired and lazy journos offered praise above put together. Indeed Business Day, which is singled out for “informed” business coverage, has completely remodeled itself upon MB but still can’t get it right.
Nor is MB shrinking:
MB can probably also lay claim to being the most influential Australian business media outlet in the world with a very focused audience of fund managers attending every night from New York and London.
Congratulations to MB for winning this prestigious award!
