It’s a Harto-off. News Limited newspaper the NT News‘ headline today said all that was needed when it came to the resignation of companyCEO John Hartigan: “Top media boss goes out in style”. That might be an understatement. Readers of The Australian and The Daily Telegraph were treated to a John Hartigan bonanza today, locked in a battle of who could praise the long-serving CEO the most.

The Daily Telegraph:

  • 1858 words
  • Three stories (which included a front-page lead and editorial).
  • Four separate headlines including an “A LEGEND RETIRES” page label.
  • Two journalists by-lined (Joe Hildebrand and Nick Tabakoff )

The Australian:

  • 2075 words
  • Three stories
  • Three headlines
  • Seven journalists on the case

A shame such commitment to newspaper space and resources weren’t dedicated to the News of the World phone hacking scandal …

SMH online in chaos. Kudos to a couple of eagle-eyed Crikey readers who sent in the following screen shots from The Sydney Morning Herald website yesterday and today. Firstly, at about noon today the SMH somewhat reverted back to its Black Saturday bushfire home page of February, 2009.

Then, an educated spelling of what we think is the University of Sydney:

And then, when you test a page, best not make it live:

Front page of the day. European economic crisis — check. International markets in turmoil — check. Hollywood blockbuster currently in cinemas in headline — check. You have got to give it to the UK Independent, they know how to make a front page:

Thurlbeck rejects request to help phone-hack probe

“The News of the World‘s former chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck, has rejected a request by Metropolitan police officers to help in their phone-hacking investigation.” — The Guardian

Nine debt problematic for shareholders

“Nine CEO David Gyngell has talked down comments about debts that surround Nine Entertainment Co.” — TV Tonight

Unrest at Wapping spreads to The Sun after arrest

“Only three months after the closure of the News of the World, the future of Rupert Murdoch’s other mass-selling British tabloid, The Sun, is threatened by an unprecedented crisis.” — The Independent

Mexican blogger decapitated; cartels’ war spreads

“The moderator of a popular Mexican social network has been murdered, allegedly for tipping off the authorities about the local drug cartel. Nicknamed ‘Rascatripas’ or ‘Scraper’ (literally ‘Fiddler’) on the network Nuevo Laredo en Vivo, the 35-year-old appears to have been handcuffed, tortured, decapitated and dumped beside a statue of Christopher Columbus one mile from the Texas border.” — Wired

 

Eddie Murphy quits as Oscars host; Academy in crisis management

“Eddie Murphy has quit as host of next year’s Oscars ceremony a day after the show’s producer, director Brett “rehearsal’s for fags” Ratner, stood down after a series of controversial slurs. This leaves the Oscars, Hollywood’s most prestigious stage-managed show — an annual round of back-slapping with an audience of over 40 million viewers in the US and hundreds of millions worldwide — without a producer or a host just four months before the event.” — Cinetology

Telegraph, Mail, Mirror and Sun agree to cut Beatrice

“The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and the Sun have agreed to take down pictures taken of Princess Beatrice while she was on holiday in the French Riviera. The princess complained to the Press Complaints Commission through her lawyers Harbottle and Lewis that the pictures were taken in a place where she had a reasonable expectation to privacy.” — journalism.co.uk

Notes from the NY Times newsroom on getting names wrong

“Getting people’s names right is one of the most basic tasks of reporting and editing. Of course, it’s not as easy as it may seem to outsiders — scores of stories, hundreds or thousands of names, every day, all day long, on an unforgiving deadline of right this minute. We’re bound to slip once in a while.” — New York Times