ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A French Quarter man who feels he shouldn’t have to pay for journalism has asked this masthead how the ‘bastards’ get away with everything.
The bastards that Oliver Smith, a 49-year-old freelance designer, is referring to are local, state and federal politicians, he says.
He spoke at length this morning with our reporter about his lack of faith in the nation’s fourth estate and his unwillingness to support it.
“I already pay 20 cents a day for the ABC,” he said.
“Why should I have to pay any more? I don’t want to give money to Murdoch in any form. In saying that, I don’t really want to give Nine Entertainment’s newspapers any money, either. Who else is left?”
“The Guardian is OK and does some of the best investigative journalism in the country but it’s largely backed by a consortium of millionaires in this country. Don’t tell me there’s not a bit of influence there. The Overell family that own your newspaper are domestic terrorists and if I had any courage whatsoever, I’d wait out the front of your offices with a snub-nose .38 in my raincoat pocket and brain Clancy when he left for the pub at 2pm,”
“Either way, I’m not prepared to pay for any journalism because I don’t think it’s good. I also don’t want to have to read a whole article to know what it’s about. Some of them are really long. Journalists should be investigating the government on all levels and holding them to account. Not writing about bloody reality television! I just don’t understand.”
When asked if he saw any correlation between not paying for journalism and the current standard of news he’s consuming, Mr Smith said he did not.
“Journalism should just be good – like it was in the old days. I would pay for journalism if I thought it was good. I think the ABC’s good and I already pay for that.”
More to come.
