“This is my Thelma and Louise moment,” Margo Kingston says and bursts into laugher.

She’s finally done it and gone solo. Her Webdiary has gone live at its own site (webdiary.com.au) this morning after a simmering dispute with the Sydney Morning Herald boiled over.

“Fairfax
are cutting down on journalists at the same time as they are buying a
dating agency,” says Kingston. “I believe Webdiary is a firm example of
former Fairfax values.”

When it started, the Herald
thought it had hidden the outspoken political correspondent away in the
Webdiary. Instead, it has become one of Australia’s liveliest political
sites. And no matter what your views of Kingston, no-one can doubt her
commitment to what she calls “having a go from the grassroots… trying
to do new journalism in a way that breaks out of the model the powerful
have captured.”

Kingston says she’s seeking to build a direct
relationship of trust between readers and journalists, cutting out
editors and sub-editors to build a space for debate and reporting. Her
first aim is to consolidate her core readership. “It’s a huge challenge
without the pull of the Sydney Morning Herald,” she says. “I’ll be happy to retain 25%of the readership. I need the most engaged contributors.”

The
new site opens with an explanation of the split with Fairfax. “I feel I
owe readers an explanation,” Kingston says. She hopes to harness their
energy to build the new site. “Why would readers want to contribute?”
she asks. “The answer is direct accountability and getting empowered to
shape Webdiary.

“My dream for Webdiary is to be part of a
network of online publications by journalists committed to their role
in a democracy. We need to help each other to get at the truth.”