Prime Minister, this Asian Century is so last century

It’s not the first time Australians have heard about how important Asia is to our future, but when PM Julia Gillard released a road map China was the main focus. Stephen Kirchner says we still have some unfinished business in the region.

The future of print media

The dramatic increase in independent online journalism has put the survival of traditional media in doubt. Stephen Kirchner says the new media rules are good for free speech, but not so good for journalists.

Deutsche Bank this week issued a valuation for Fairfax that included a nil valuation for its metropolitan print business. It is easy to point the finger at the Fairfax management and board for this outcome, but that is far too parochial an explanation. Newspapers around the world are facing similar issues.

It remains to be seen whether print media can be transformed into new and profitable business models based on paid subscriber content. However, any such transformation faces a significant constraint that was disguised by the old model: few people are prepared to pay very much for what journalists write. It is a reality journalists are understandably reluctant to accept.