© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY
Read more about the article When our watchdogs let us down
When "Freedom" means a billionaire's right-wing front organisation hijacking your paper's front page

When our watchdogs let us down

December 9, 2021 Opinion by Greg Ray The sight of those nonsensical black and yellow advertisements for mining magnate Clive Palmer's political spoiler organisation on the front page of my local newspaper is upsetting, I admit. When I saw them the first thing I wondered was, why does the newspaper accept advertising from that dreadful troll club? I've heard of instances, in the past, when newspaper owners stood on their dignity and refused to publish certain ads, arguing that they were harmful, misleading or beyond the pale in some other way. Might this not be one…

Continue ReadingWhen our watchdogs let us down

Milton Merrilees, Newcastle press photographic legend

Among numerous fine photographers to be employed over many decades by the Herald and Sun daily newspapers in Newcastle, NSW, the name of Milton Merrilees stands out among the best. An extremely dedicated newsman and a passionate photographer, Merrilees was popular with workmates and the public alike, establishing a reputation as a gentlemanly but tenacious photo-journalist. He began working as a cadet photographer in 1937 and was pictorial editor for the Herald and the Sun when he retired in 1979. With a career that spanned the years of World War 2 he saw tremendous changes in…

Continue ReadingMilton Merrilees, Newcastle press photographic legend

Newspapers, families and skeletons

It's interesting to see how much newspapers have changed in Australia. And interesting too, to reflect on how much is lost when small papers close. From the point of view of historical or family researchers, old newspapers are a tremendous storehouse of information, from important stories to bits of trivia that help flesh out pictures of people in the receding branches of family trees. While access to many old papers is difficult, Australia's amazing Trove resource offers much more than many people might imagine, as I discovered this week. It started when it suddenly occurred to…

Continue ReadingNewspapers, families and skeletons
×
×

Cart