Bad news! A glimpse of the future? PIC MONTAGE: Jezza
For many grey nomads, sitting under the awning reading the newspaper from cover to cover is one of the many great joys of the Big Lap.
But, it seems that – for those travelling in parts of regional Queensland – that simple pleasure is about to become a distant memory.
News Corp has confirmed it will stop delivering its titles to some areas of the state after September 26. The media giant is to cease physically distributing eight mastheads including The Courier-Mail, The Australian, and The Daily Telegraph, due to the ‘very high cost’ of distribution.
The ABC reports that towns further west than Charters Towers in the north, Emerald in central Queensland, and in some parts of the state’s south-west will be affected. Distribution will cease in the regional centres of Longreach and Mount Isa.
Charleville in the state’s south-west will remain unaffected, after News Corp organised a cheaper, alternative freight arrangement.
It all means that residents of, and visitors to, impacted towns will no longer have access to a physical daily newspaper covering state, national, and international affairs.
It’s been a rough period for anyone in the regions who loves their newspapers. Last year,125 New Corp papers were either closed or became digital only. They included historic titles such as the Queensland Times, and the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin.
Longreach newsagent Rob Luck said the latest announcement was a hammer blow to local residents and to travellers to the area … many of whom he believes would have been happy to pay extra.
“Tourists regularly say, ‘Why aren’t the papers dearer? How come they’re the same price as in the city’?” Mr Luck told the ABC. “Those people that want to buy it, yes, will buy it.”
The newsagent said News Corp’s decision to ‘geographically discriminate’ against western Queenslanders ignored the company’s ‘social responsibility’.
Federal minister and local Member, David Littleproud, was equally unhappy.
“There is an elderly cohort in our community that have no interest in trying to get on to an iPad or a tablet to do this,” he told the ABC.
Mr Littleproud said the preference of digital over physical news would be ‘a cancer’ that would ‘grow across society.
“We’re first to cop it,” the minister said.
Experienced traveller Jeremy Mark said it felt like the beginning of the end.
“I know the younger people have been gravitating towards digital media, so I guess the writing has been on the wall,” he said. “But, for me, you just can’t beat the feeling of coming into a town after a few days or weeks in the bush and then getting hold of the paper and catching up on everything … joy.”
Ahh, newspapers. Don’t read them and you are un informed, read them and you are misinformed. Your choice 🙂
Just like watching the news on TV
Lights, Camera, Bulls..t
Too true, Ray! You’re better off just getting one of the locally-produced, independent papers, such as Cunnamulla’s South Western.OK, it’s not daily, but far more interesting and honest!!
Newspapers either in the city or country are doomed. I doubt if anyone under forty has ever bought a newspaper. I havent bought a newspaper since I retired. I just use digital media.
One of life’s small pleasures, reading a newspaper. I stopped buying our local Fraser Coast Chronicle before they stopped distribution because of the poor journalistic efforts of their reporters. Very few local and regional topics were covered and the paper was full of snippets and clips pulled from overseas wire services. Most involved semi sensational rubbish that was of no interest or of no use to our local inhabitants. I now trawl the internet news services first thing each morning to bring myself up to date with current affairs. Alas, it’s still not the same as a broadsheet hot off the presses, smelling of ink and smudging your fingers. I suppose it’s called progress.
I will miss it , getting a paper, when in town, and waiting between appointments, or waiting eating lunch. It won’t be long before it is done and dusted in our area too.
Our local paper is the absolute best. The express in FNQ
Every week it is chock a block full of local news, events, stories and issues you would never ever know about. It is amazing the leg work the jornos must do
Some regions are trying to rebuild local community newspapers after Murdoch took the Libs taxpayer funded handout and closed 128 regional/rural papers. He knifed local jobs, businesses/council promotion, community news and events. Communities are banding together with enterprising locals working to get online and hardcopy print up and running.For instance the Burnett region now has http://www.southburnett.com.au where a husband/wife team generate local news and info.Other inland areas are doing the same. if you find local media contact them to tell what are your likes, dislikes, impressions, wants and needs you found visiting their areas..Get involved, start discussions and get locals/councils.business involved in attracting travellers for mutual benefit. Even in tough times good journalism pays in customer interest, loyalty and patronage. If you see a local paper anywhere buy it and support these communities If you can contribute with news, articles, stories, comments, notices, local history and attractions, sports, events images even better. We all support local communities, their media is a vital compoenent in that.
Yep..Murdoch took away all the regional newspapers to “modernise” Australia.
He became an American citizen and couldn’t care less about the country people.
People in the bush loved their paper to read on a Sunday morning relaxing with a cup of tea on the verandah. The kids jostling over the comic liftout section.
And where’s the newspaper now from behind the seat to light the campfire…??
Murdoch does not care. Lesson 1.
OH NO! What are we going to do when we run out of date rolls again?
I read all my news in the digital format.
We only ever buy newspapers when travelling out west or to regional areas. We mostly buy it for the puzzles as our daytime competitive fun. Sad I know. Crosswords mine, suduko is his, both do target master and grandson claims the comics and the word search puzzle.
We need to move on. Newspapers are full of Adverts, Poor Journalism, Sensationalised Headlines that have nothing to do with the content, Terrible spelling & Grammar and then you have to throw into the “recycle bin”. Digital = less expensive, easier to read, no waste and pick what you wan to read.
I haven’t bought a News Corp. Paper for many years so it won’t affect me.
Thats ok Bill…try picking up the digital news in an outback shearing shed, a stockcamp and a multitude of other locations in regional and bush Australia where they dont have the luxury you take for granted…!
Cheers.
Many newspapers are available on-line. I subscribe to several. One advantage is you can increase the font size for easier reading.
But what am I going to use when the toilet paper runs out?
News Corp CEO will still claim there large salary while the forget about the people in regional areas. If this happened in the city you would hear the outcry in Birdsville, these companies only pick on the regional areas as there is not enough people to complain.
Our Gympie Times went after 150 years without a wimper from our local National Party member, who along with his Liberal mates is bankrolled by Murdoch. All those who enjoy/ enjoyed reading the local paper should remember this come next election
Great result. The less Murdoch rubbish we have to see the better off we are.
yep …
I haven’t bought a News Corp publication in a long tim – The Saturday Paper does it for me – there is a weeks reading in the quality journal
They are sometimes good for getting the camp fire going.
If the journos could use the proper words it might be missed.
They call every truck a B Double, gaol is spelled jail, Brakes are spelled breaks, every caravaner is a Grey Nomad, Caravans are sometimes trailers. Sometimes I think I am in America.
The online version is much more convenient and less messy: no ink to smear on everything I touch.
So now when I go to the “Hatched, Matched & Dispatched” I won’t know if I’m dead or not.
Whilst I love The Grey Nomad and are happy to kick the tin for its production I also like to skulk away sometimes with a peice of actual paper and feel the pressures release.We here on the Central coast get a Chronicle of local information including a small dispatched section. viva the choice!
We don’t read Murdoch propoganda. Have seen bumper stickers: “Is that true or did you read it in Murdoch media” … altho we note he has this week now changed his mind on climate change. His editors now have to scramble to do a U-turn!! We follow media on-line and it mostly works. Altho vast tracts of Aust have no phone/internet!!!
Oh dear – Rupert has chosen yet again to prioritise huge profits over serving the community. No loss really, his right wing Trump loving views aren’t worth reading anyway.
You can’t wipe with a Tablet.
I am 71 YO and in my days newspaper was not only for reading but also for wrapping fish n chips, breakable crockery, padding the budgy cage and often softer than the post war toilet paper….
Unfortunately any printed media is doomed and will disappear within the next decade. Better get used to reading e-news, e-books and e-scams if you want to stay connected with your immediate and global community.
The ‘New paper’ is made of a starchy substance mixed with natural fibre. It’s printable and 100% bio degradable but no substitute for the overwhelming section of soft tissue we now hoard in massive quantities.
Wouldn’t read Murdoch’s gutter press anywhere in the world even if I was paid to! Sensationalist, extremely partial, deceitful fact free zones and unethical journalism. Good riddance!