The Bulletin - gone

[Grave Danger]

After 128 years of publication The Bulletin magazine has ceased to be.

Laurie Oaks: “It’s obviously very sad and upsetting. We all knew it was in trouble and hoped that an alternative solution could be found. It’s been in trouble for a long time, for as long as I’ve been involved."

 

[SmokingGun]

Great article by Crikey on The Bulletin's axing:

http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts...d-depression-succumbed-to-private-equity.html

 

[mr tickle]

dissappointing to see go

 

[Dont be a lemon]

I can't say I was ever a huge fan. Apart from the political columns, it was too middlebrow for my tastes.

Still, a loss all the same. No doubt the money ACP spent on it will be redirected to shitty celebrity gossip magazines

 

[Dont be a lemon]

....

Union blames media ownership changes for Bulletin's death

The journalists union has blamed the Howard government's changes to media ownership rules for the demise of Australia's oldest magazine, The Bulletin.

ACP Magazines announced the end of publication today, saying there is no prospect of reversing years of losses associated with a declining circulation.

Federal secretary of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Chris Warren, says the private equity firm which now controls ACP is only interested in short-term profits.

"Instead of The Bulletin being owned by an Australian company, it's now controlled by overseas private equity," he said.

"It's only interested in money and not really understanding I think the important role that many of the assets within that company play within the broader Australian culture."

The MEAA says Bulletin journalists will be out of work if they do not find alternative jobs in ACP within a week.

Moorhouse anger

Meanwhile, Australian writer Frank Moorhouse has condemned the decision of ACP to axe The Bulletin.

Mr Moorhouse says the move is a "failure of cultural citizenship".

"It's quite a serious failure of cultural responsibility on the part of commercial responsibility," he said.

He says the decision to axe the historic Australian magazine comes as a great surprise.

"It's certainly dramatic - it's part of the Australian literary tradition ... it began Australian literary writing with Henry Lawson, [Banjo] Patterson," he said.

"I think every writer with any talent has appeared in The Bulletin."

He says the decision to close the magazine down was a "remarkable failure of managerial vision".

"There are some things that large organisations do because they have values other than the bottom line," he said.

"Yes, you've got to have readers, but sometimes large organisations have a responsibility in culture in the media and the arts and - large organisations can certainly afford it - sometimes to continue with things that aren't as commercial as other parts of their empire."

However, he does not think the closure serves as a warning to other publications.

"I think The Bulletin's pretty unique - I don't think it's conclusive what the future is of quality newspapers and hard print," he said.

"Certainly there's a restructuring going on and whether magazines are going to part of a multi-platform ... where you do it online [as well].

"That's why I blame lack of management vision and talent because they are unable to see what would seem to be a remarkable potential to maintain The Bulletin as a multi-platform, national culture outlet."

Ironically, Mr Moorhouse has an article published in the last issue.

"I feel a bit spooky about it being in the last issue," he said.

"It's like the door of history got closed behind me, and I just got through the door of history."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/24/2145859.htm