Graham Cassidy

[Nick Carroll]

I wonder what the surf media would do if they had to pay their way?

Sorry to break your heart, mate ... they do.

People send me boardshorts from time to time which is very nice of them, and really no kind of a big deal. The last lot of free stuff I got was from Quiksilver; I was going over to Hawaii to compete in the Molokai paddle race and rang up the Australian head of ops, Craig Stephenson, and asked him to give me some good training gear, and he and his crew obliged. I wouldn't have asked another company, and generally feel very embarrassed by the process, but Quik were sponsoring paddle races in Oz, so I felt they would kind of enjoy helping me to suffer. None of it was even a drop in the bucket to that company and they did it without any expectation of a return.

But as far as travel expenses to cover stories ... the mags pay that stuff, and if they can't, you don't get to do 'em. This may not be true in every journalistic case, and it's certainly not true of all the editorial content in surf mags, particularly here in Oz, where many photo feature pieces are gleaned directly from corporate photo shoots. But it is true of the ideas-driven features (ie ASL 205's Highway) and of most content in the US mags, where the travel budgets are just Fantastic.

[botters]

Nick ... it was an eye-opener when I worked in the UK. I was astounded at the money available for national newspaper editorial budgets. In fact, money was often not the deciding factor, it was beat the opposition to the story at all (or any) costs. This was (and still is) because there is so much competition in the print media in the UK. The downside is this leads to the silliness and libel cases that we all hear about.

Here, I reckon our lack of huge circulations because of our relatively small population means much tighter budgets ... less money to go around.

Wouldn't it be great if there was an Aussie surf mag that didn't rely on advertisers because it sold enough copies to pay the bills. One way could be to have an online only subscription mag ... now there's an idea.

[oldman]

All this degree crap ... why can't journos be put through like the old days, as apprentices? (I didn't go through this way, and wish I had). We're not **** "academics" or professionals. At our very best, we're craftsmen.

Don't get me started Colnarra. I think that most degree courses at uni would be better handled as apprenticeships. Too many to mention. The end product of an apprenticeship is someone who is capable and has a real handle on what is involved, and invariably they will pick up the gems that come from experience being passed down. I think the workplace is missing that.

By the way, wtf is going on in here? A man goes away for a week and a reasoned, rational debate breaks out....you blokes should have a good hard look at yourselves.

Sorry Rockin Ron, we generally try to steer clear of reasoned and informed debate.

My experience with the surf industry is similar to Rockin Ron, Laurie and others. The surf industry hype just washes over me, and although I have bought mags in the past, I invariably feel dirty afterwards. It's aimed at the teenage market mostly, and they are welcome to it.

[Beanpole]

I think its a bit rough that this thread has kind of slipped into focusing on the ethics of journos. The PR world is focused on misinformation far more than any poor old surf journo. Everyone can see that a surf journo is motivated primarily by trying to wring a living out of surfing without hurting anyone much in the process. Thats why they don't make much money.
PR is by definition a sell out.
Now we know what happened to Cassidy.
Its a pity we don't see more of Phil Jarrett these days.. Now he was a good read
I think he's in publishing isn't he?

[snakes]

My experience with the surf industry is similar to Rockin Ron, Laurie and others. The surf industry hype just washes over me, and although I have bought mags in the past, I invariably feel dirty afterwards. It's aimed at the teenage market mostly, and they are welcome to it.

Target market. Think about it for a moment.

Most surfers haven't progressed past teenage mentality until well in their 20's anyway. By then they are moving onto marriages, mortgages & children, so therefore they are no longer relevant to advertisers, let alone magazine editors.

snakes

[Poorboy]

Clif, your boardies are either made in China or India as the two main textile manufacturing countries, your leggies, grips and board bags in China, as well as your wetties.

Well i'm happy to say that even though our materials come from China Poorboy Legropes are made in our factory in California as for the grips they are being made in Mexico so no real surprises there.
I'm stoked that this thread has so much to say and it would be nice if a mag like stab could say what they want. I still buy every issue i can find as it doesn't seem to get high distro in this part of the world.
In a former life I tried working in the publishing world and lost the passion for the same reasons we are all talking about the mags are run by the advertisers and there's not alot of freedom of speach thats why these forums rock cause the opinions come out clean and true.
Cheers

[snakes]

HEY'ZGUY'ZWATSGOINGONINTHISFONGEDUPGRAMHAMCASSIDY/MEDIATHREAD?

p.s pay backs a bitch eh snakes

p.p.s my new mobiles got i-mode...my life will never b the same

snakes

[munch]

there's not alot of freedom of speach thats why these forums rock cause the opinions come out clean and true

Gotta agree with youse on that I would like to thank the don for it also

p.s not sure clean bit though

[wobbo]

anyone watch dateline tonight , the story about the al- jazeera journo who got sentenced to 7 yrs prison in spain for having close contacts with the taliban.

seems our new terror laws will make it illegal to critize the govt. or have contact with "unfavourable" persons or groups as defined by ..... the govt. goodbye what free speech we had.

[Beanpole]

Anyone see Sid get an award in theSMH business section today for the Most Dodgy PR Act of the Year?

[buzzy]

Shame you didn't come out of that barrel wanto.

Note I have refrained from commenting on your trip to G-land and accompanying images. This is mostly out of jealousy. But seriously, I think you should develop the skill of standing up on your board instead of crouching all the time.

As for "ethical" surf mags, Lozza, well we tried that at Morrison Media, with Deep ... but couldn't get the big advertisers to support it. They didn't want to "seem old". Another lesson.

I must say I loved Deep. Sometimes I thought it risked tending toward excessive glorification of the 70's, but mostly I thought it avoided that. Best, I thought it was an "adult' mag with good production values. It's shame it went...it's market is growing as more guys between about 30 and 50 drift back to the sport/lifestyle on foamed up shortboards.

Those two Aussie longboarder mags are a great example of excessive sentimentalism. Those old longboarders must love being reminded of the good old days...great for them, boring for me.

When I look around me at most breaks I'd guess most people in the water are 25+. The surf industry might want to promote itself as a youth sport, but magazines seem to be targetting only a fractionof the demographic to cater to the industry advertisers. Maybe seeking out non industry advertisers is the go? I'd guess the demographics would be reasonably attractive.

[buzzy]

I might just add by the way (while we're on the subject of journalists and ethics) that all the so called sociological experts who provided commentary in the wake of the race riots really anoyed me. I must have read two or three articles in the SMH and similar press where self described experts observed that any boardriders acting in purported support of the bashing of surf life savers is a sham, and must ipso facto be a manifestation of racism, as in truth surfers and surf life savers are natural enemies. The contended that any surfer protesting the bashing used the bashing as a pretext to express underlying racism, and there was no genuine support.

Now, this observation that surfers and surf life savers are enemies would undoubtedly have been true in 1978, and was probably still true in 1988, but in my experience has not been true for a very long time. A very, very long time. I know NC is now a clubbie, and I am too. At my club half my regular patrol are boardriders just giving something back.

The untruth of the so called expert commentary annoys me on numerous levels. It annoys me because these pompous nitwits make a living out of peddling their pompous nonsense to students at a still impressionable age. It annoys me because, holding an apparently impressive title, and being published in the alleged reputable press, people tend to believe what they read in the absence of personal contradictory experience. And it annoys me because the so called reputable press has no interest in presenting balance on these issues; where was the opportunity for a representative of the SLSA or boardrider representatives to challenge this nonsense? Answer: don't care, doesn't fit our pre-tailored world view.

[Beanpole]

Very true Buzzy. I just read an article by Greg Sheridan in the Australian about a holiday in Bali. Not surprisingly he had a great time, five star. Surprisingly he had never been there before
This guy is their asian correspondent who has been to Indonesia hundreds of times over decades but never got around to checking out the most popular destination for Oz tourists, even after two bombings. Too mundane I guess.
I've known people who used to say with pride that they hadn't bothered to check it out. When they finally paid a visit they suddenly fall in love with the place and rave about it like he did.
This isn't a plug for Bali just an observation that certain sections of the community seem to think everyones interests and tastes are usually dumb. Fair enough I suppose unless they then try to explain events that involve those same people and places to the general public.
The veil of authority is lifted quickly when they try to write about something you happen to know about but its the other 90% you don't know about thats scary.

[filthbarrel]

"And it annoys me because the so called reputable press has no interest in presenting balance on these issues; where was the opportunity for a representative of the SLSA or boardrider representatives to challenge this nonsense? Answer: don't care, doesn't fit our pre-tailored world view."

I thought Andrew Fraser's article was somewhat different to the kind of sweeping generalisation you are making here Buzzy. Surf clubs get a good run and their voice is present and there is specific mention of close cooperation between surfers and the SLSC.

Murdoch press more accurate than Fairfax?

I find it can be sometimes. For mine the Fairfax broadsheets (SMH and The Age and Sunday versions thereof)these days tend to be overly concerned with an approach that suits the discriminations often found in the University educated liberal left and found inhabiting the AB demographic.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/co ... 37,00.html

Can you please direct me to the specific articles you are referring to?

[Nick Carroll]

I might just add by the way (while we're on the subject of journalists and ethics) that all the so called sociological experts who provided commentary in the wake of the race riots really anoyed me.

Ah yes but that's what newspapers are about these days mate. With some honourable exceptions, reporting takes a back seat to easybeat, overpaid commentary, and "lifestyle" journalism.

It's odd because at no time in human history would reporting from the field have been easier to accomplish, what with mobile phones, digital photos and laptops. But the papers (and their management) seem all too anxious to believe the theory that their reporting role has been suborned by online gossip centres and television. They shrink field resources, go inside their demographic shells, try to find ways to sell more advertising ... anything but devote more time, energy and skills to dedicated reporting.

The way these "civil disturbances" spring up, you'd have thought from the reporting that they emerged from some mysterious ether. During last year's riots the SMH seemed not even to know Macquarie Fields existed. Of course the suburb doesn't have any restaurants in the Good Food Guide, so perhaps in some ways it really doesn't exist.

Anyway a bit off the subject, but...

[collnarra]

yeah, but you gotta remember that the world, for the average SMH scribe, starts at Darlo, runs via Paddo, and heads to Bondi for a dip. That's it. That's their universe.

[Johnno]

All really a form of mind control for the masses................................