Business of Media
Pulitzer 2023 winners include Hernan Diaz, New York Times and AP
This year’s Pulitzer winners include Associated Press, the New York Times and authors Barbara Kingsolver and Hernan Diaz, reports AP.
The Associated Press won two Pulitzer prizes for journalism on Monday, in public service and breaking news photography, for coverage of the Ukraine war that included images of Russia’s siege of Mariupol.
The New York Times was also honored with an international reporting award for its coverage of Russian killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Additional Pulitzers were given for work surrounding the US supreme court’s decision overturning the Roe v Wade abortion standard, the government’s policy of child separation at the border and welfare spending in Mississippi.
The Washington Post’s Caroline Kitchener won for “unflinching reporting” on the consequences of the abortion decision, including the story of a Texas teenager who gave birth to twins after new restrictions denied her an abortion. The Post’s Eli Saslow won for feature writing.
The Los Angeles Times won for breaking news for its stories revealing a secretly recorded conversation with city officials making racist comments. The newspaper’s Christina House won for feature photography, for her images of a 22-year-old pregnant woman living on the street.
Post-budget booze ban infuriates journos
An almighty row has broken out between National Press Club CEO Maurice Reilly and the fun-sponges in charge of events at Parliament House, reports The Australian’s Yoni Bashan.
The dispute hinges on the service of alcohol during Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ post-budget address, slated for Wednesday in the Great Hall, and whether dignitaries can be trusted to appropriately manage their consumption.
Hosted by the National Press Club, the annual lunch draws a crowd of several hundred VIPs to Canberra, often including the prime minister and members of cabinet. Traditionally, two bottles of vino are left on each table so folks can refresh themselves during the telecast, when the waiters aren’t available.
Never previously an issue, some sour-mouthed bureaucrats now have concerns over the practice in light of the Jenkins review, which probed parliament’s boozy work culture (prompted by the alleged assault of Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins). Thus the NPC was informed over the weekend that wine bottles can’t be left on tables during Chalmers’ address; no less than a department secretary was engaged to deliver this bitter news.
“The Department of Parliamentary Services is no longer in a position to leave bottles of wine on tables for service at events,” wrote top banana Rob Stefanic, in an email that found its way to Margin Call. “I have conferred with the Presiding Officers who concur with our position. I hope that you appreciate our position – it is important that we are an exemplar of excellence with regard to responsible service of alcohol.”
Brands embrace Eurovision – and the spending power of its 180m viewers
The wind machines have been tested, dance routines perfected and wardrobe malfunctions eliminated. At this stage, there is not much you can do about the singing or the song choice, reports The Guardian’s Zoe Wood.
So as one pageant in Britain ends, another begins, with the Eurovision song contest semi-finals kicking off in Liverpool on Tuesday. Whether you consider it a cringeworthy affair or the World Cup of music, it is one of the most-watched shows on the planet, with 180 million people expected to tune in.
Viewers may watch expecting to hear some cheesy songs but these days the sponsors are big cheeses, too – including the cream cheese maker Philadelphia – as the business world embraces Eurovision’s inclusive message and the spending might of that huge fanbase.
Service for Melbourne-born Barry Humphries will be in NSW
Legendary comedian Barry Humphries’ state funeral will be held in Sydney, after his family “declined” an offer for a service in Melbourne, reports News Corp’s Shannon Deery.
Humphries died aged 89 last month after complications from hip surgery stemming from a fall earlier this year.
But despite Humphries being born and raised in Melbourne’s leafy east and his most famous character, Dame Edna Everage, putting Moonee Ponds on the world map, his official farewell will be in NSW.
The Herald Sun can reveal that while the Andrews government offered to host the state funeral, the family declined, choosing instead to accept the offer in Sydney.
Government sources said that if there were divergent views among the family, that was a matter for them and their privacy should be respected.
Television
Axed: Frankly
ABC has axed chat show Frankly, hosted by Fran Kelly after just a single season, reports TV Tonight.
An ABC spokesperson confirmed, “Frankly will not be returning this year,” while production sources advised TV Tonight it had been axed.
With guests including Adam Goodes, Sandi Toksvig, Wil Anderson, Colin Hay, Shaun Micallef, Natalie Imbruglia, Tim Minchin, Myf Warhurst, Magda Szubanski, Richard E. Grant, Joel Creasey, the show was largely well received, with many viewers even asking for it to be longer.
“That’s the constant comment! People stop me in the street. There’s probably only one person who I’ve spoken to out of hundreds, who hasn’t said it needs to be longer. If you check Twitter, everyone says it needs to be longer,” Kelly told TV Tonight last year.
Belinda Russell breaks silence on ‘disappointing’ Weekend Today exit
Nine presenter Belinda Russell has broken her silence following her abrupt exit from Weekend Today earlier this year, reports News Corp’s Christine Estera.
In March, Russell revealed she would no longer co-host the program and provided no reason for her sudden departure.
Now, in a new interview with Stellar, Russell admits it’s “disappointing” to no longer be fronting the program, but she chooses to remain positive.
“It’s going to be a bit of a knock to your confidence and self-esteem but you do then think, well, what’s next? You’ve got to trust the universe and back yourself,” she told the magazine.
Last month, Nine announced Jayne Azzopardi and Clint Stanaway as the new hosts of Weekend Today, with Sophie Walsh joining the team as news presenter.
And there are no hard feelings for Russell, who remains at the network, presenting the weather on Fridays and Saturdays, filling in for weather presenter Amber Sherlock.
Stranger Things season five production suspended
Stranger Things has suspended production for its fifth and final season for the duration of the writers strike, reports News Corp’s Wenlei Ma.
The series creators Matt and Ross Duffer tweeted, “Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike.
“We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then – over and out. #wgastrong.”
Production for the final eight episodes of Netflix’s signature series was due to start this month. The much-anticipated chapter was to wrap up Stranger Things’ epic story of the battle between good and evil, waged between a ragtag group of kids in Hawkins, Indiana, and the Upside Down monsters in an alternate dimension.
Australians tuned in to coronation but preferred Queen’s funeral coverage
While King Charles III was crowned the UK’s monarch, it was the Seven Network that was crowned the ratings winner for its coronation coverage, but none of Australia’s television networks were able to attract the same level of viewership as for the late Queen’s funeral last year, reports Nine Publishing’s Nell Geraets.
Millions of Australians tuned in to watch the pomp and pageantry on Saturday evening, with every network except SBS broadcasting the royal occasion. But Seven took the cake – or the coronation quiche – pulling in an overnight audience of 739,000 across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
The last major royal affair that saw a significant number of Australians glued to the television was the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on September 19 last year. Though both marked historic shifts within the monarchy, there was a significant gap in terms of viewers.