Articles by Topic

editorial

16 Dec 2011

Happy Holidays! We'll Be Back In 2012

By Newmatilda.com

check youse later

New Matilda made it through the year and we'll be back after the summer hols. Star NM contributors join us in thanking you for your support in 2011

Today is our last day of publication for 2011. We’ll be back in early 2012.

Some people think that running an independent media outlet is a bit like a summer holiday. Little bit of reading in the morning, martinis for lunch, sashaying in the afternoon — with the publishing side of things a lucky side-effect.

Regrettably, that’s not the case. We’ve been operating on a fraying shoestring of a budget this year. We wish we had an oily rag. Our financial position is — and here we’re euphemising — stretched.

And yet, we’ve had a great year in publishing, and we wouldn’t have made it through without
the support of our readers — especially those who supported us financially.

NM is built on great writing and our thanks are also due to our many
contributors. We’ve featured the work of seasoned journalists with years
of experience — and we’ve worked closely with young and emerging
journalists. We’re proud of our strong record fostering new talent and
we’re looking forward to more in 2012.

Behind the scenes, we’ve been the beneficiary of all manner of advice,
support and kindness. We thank everybody who has helped keep New Matilda
online this year.

We still need readers who value NM to step up and become financial contributors. You can sign up here. It costs as little as $4.30 a month. We’re not kidding when we say every new supporter helps keep NM online.

You’ve heard us make the case about why you should become an NM supporter plenty of times. In the spirit of Christmas giving, we asked some of our contributors to explain why NM is so valuable and why you should sign up.

Here’s what they said:

Wendy Bacon

There are many reasons to support New Matilda. It publishes stories you won’t find elsewhere — like that great investigation into the Serco’s detention centre contract. It’s shown it will stick to its guns even when big players go on the attack, such as in its reporting of the NSW electoral campaign. It has fresh international reports from young reporters on the ground rather than regurgitated stories you’ve already read online. If, like me, you’re concerned about concentrated corporate media power, one practical step you can take is to support new media with fresh perspectives. Help build a more democratic media by making a regular donation to New Matilda in 2012.

Benjamin Law

New Matilda never fails to impress me as a showcase for brainy writing on the important stuff. It’s must read companion to your daily news and worth the price of admission alone for Ben Eltham’s muscular political commentary. The fact you get frequent doses of Ben Pobjie’s acid satire, Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons and a host of new and original voices you can’t read anywhere else? Total bonus.

Fiona Katauskas

1. Their Serco immigration detention contract scoop

2. Ben Eltham’s always excellent commentary on politics, economic and the yarts

3. Ben Pobjie and his chunky nuggets of gold like "the Asian century" — so called because its ears are slightly smaller than the African century’"

4. Other great writers like Antony Lowenstein, Adam Brereton and Zoe Krupka

5. All the other good writers too numerous to mention

Actually, make that SIX good reasons:

6. Coverage of things like Indigenous policy, West Papua and asylum seekers that you won’t see anywhere else

No, seven:

7. Their support and encouragement of young emerging writers in a world of shrinking media opportunities

Okay, EIGHT then:

8. The general civility of the commenters. (Good on you, readers!)

Make that nine:

9. The editors, Marni and Catri who, week in and week out, bust their arses to bring you an independent publication on a shoestring budget

And finally:

10. The fact that if you DON’T support New Matilda none of the this will be around anymore … and it’ll be too late to wish you had. DO IT! DO IT NOW!!

Senator Scott Ludlam

New Matilda is independent, uncensored, fiery and much needed — thanks for coming back to life!

Antony Loewenstein

New Matilda fits comfortably in the noble tradition of searching and independent journalism. At a time of growing corporate power and "insider" journalism, NM should be supported financially by anybody who understands that Fairfax, Murdoch and ABC are only giving us a small window on the world.

Ben Pobjie

New Matilda gave me a chance when I was an unknown writer with a strange line in incomprehensible similes. Now that I am a slightly better-known writer with a strange line in incomprehensible similes, they’re still letting me do stuff that I can’t do anywhere else, as well as breaking stories and providing perspectives on the world that won’t be found in any other Australian media outlet. And they do it on a shoestring, and with a great fiery passion. By becoming a financial supporter you’ll be helping me and other NM contributors keep doing what we do, and also giving chances to more as-yet-unknowns with something to say. I’m proud to be New Matilda for life — it’d be great if you could help us keep delivering.

Jake Lynch

You can tell as much about the vitality of democracy from the questions commonly missed out of political and media debate, as from those that hog the headlines. While newspapers and programmes alike blether on about the fortunes of Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Canberra, New Matilda serves as the conscience of Australian journalism. Its revelations about human rights abuses, from West Papua to our own asylum detention centres — accompanied by an enlightened policy of commissioning intelligent comment and analysis — have built up into a proud record, worthy of support from everyone who cares about values in public life.

So hop to it! Sign up here.

Thanks for sticking with us through 2011. Have a great summer break — and we’ll see you in 2012.

Marni and Catri

Discuss this article

To participate in the discussion Sign in or Register

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
ben.eltham
Posted Friday, 16 December 11 at 12:00PM

Yes and I thank everyone too! ben

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
Grumpy293
Posted Friday, 16 December 11 at 1:19PM

What’s with the happy holidays American crap? The last time I looked we live in Australia and it’s Merry Christmas plus not every one is on holidays.

It’s a very sad situation when we have to bow to American ideals and religious freaks to satisfy their demands.

To forbid Christmas carols and the Australian spirit of Christmas from our society in schools and groups is unconscionable.

If these radical groups do not like or appreciate our (Australian) ways and beliefs then they should go back to from whence they came from.

meski
Posted Friday, 16 December 11 at 1:33PM

I was going to say “don’t be grumpy’, but I see you’re the 293rd grump. It’s not about Christmas, or its exclusion, more that it extends beyond. Consider it a contraction of Happy Christmas and New Year.

Signed -

Someone who’s likely been here at least as long as your family, mate.

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
Dr Dog
Posted Friday, 16 December 11 at 4:30PM

Thanks to all the nm writers for making work bearable by giving me somewhere to go to think about things that matter.

Merry Christmas to everyone like Grumpy293 who just keep giving so that normal people can mock them in posts. Happy holidays Grumps, viva la revolution, yours in solidarity or whatever greeting will result in another eruption of indignation.

Thanks to Marni and Catri, who put up with so much for what I assume is the financial equivalent of a packet of biscuits. You have had a great year if doing great things is what its about. The last six months have been particularly impressive with some real investigative journalism happening.

Charles
Posted Friday, 16 December 11 at 7:19PM

Yes, congratulations Marni and Catri. At a time when most Australian newspapers and magazines don’t bother stationing anyone outside of Washington, Jakarta and London, and when the commercial broadcasters cover the world from Los Angeles (!), New Matilda has printed reports direct from Lombok, Afghanistan, Burma, Tahrir Square, Lampedusa etc. this year. Some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable places.

And we’ve got there while the story was still happening, not after risk averse editors decided the story had got enough coverage in the British and American papers to make it the matter of legitimate concern for Australians.

Unlike the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age or News Limited papers, you’ll never read “The New York Times”, “The Guardian”, “The Times” or “Reuters” at the bottom of the reports you read on New Matilda.

And that enables Australians to form their own perspectives on the world. Which is something that is badly needed. Reports from the field by Australians and for Australians help voters to judge our country’s foreign policy and alliances. They help an often parochial country get some perspective.

To bring you those reports, many of the foreign correspondents you read every day have coughed up to get to those places. With more resources, we could cover the world better for you. Please consider supporting New Matilda.

Fröhliche Weihnachten, joyeux noël, buon natale, feliz navidad, god jul,
Charles McPhedran
Best of the Rest
Berlin, December 2011

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
ninetynine
Posted Friday, 16 December 11 at 11:18PM

Thanks for all the articles and I’m glad you’re going to keep going!

By the way, could you turn off the moderation queue for the paying members? I understand why you want to review every controversial post before it appears and besmirches your website, but your faithful ones are due the benefit fo the doubt… right?

Have a HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
That’s the best festive wish ever. Christmas sucks. It’s stupid. We’re all grown up and don’t believe in Santa, and the Xtians who do can keep it to themselves. But I very much believe in holidays. Thank you.

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
Jandamarra
Posted Monday, 19 December 11 at 11:48AM

Does that mean I still pay my subscription fees but get no analysis over your holiday?

LauraHamp
Posted Thursday, 22 December 11 at 10:24AM

Well done New Matilda… like the rest of the tame agenda-corrupt Australian media, you managed to avoid a single mention of The Expendable Project in 2011 (it started in September).

You know, that’s the project which has been publishing government cables and letters, which prove criminal abuses by the Howard regime. Little matters like, withholding vital primary evidence from Schapelle Corby’s lawyers, lying to the public, misleading parliament, engaging with the AFP to cover-up, and worse.

These are not allegations, they are there to be seen. And the Australian media know it. But…. silence. Not one column inch, despite the gravity. Silence from the government.

And here’s the rub: silence from New Matilda.

And the latest? The Australian establishment engage in a futile effort to close the website:
http://www.expendable.tv/2011/12/third-party-hostility.html
That lady is now out of hospital, fortunately.

But what if Expendable was actually being run from within the jurisdiction of Australia, and they had closed it? What if the crimes of a previous Australian government, against a single citizen, had been brushed under the carpet? Would you be satisfied with YOUR role?

What of 2012, when the Expendable film comes out? Are you going to blank that too, whilst it flies around the world, exposing this nation, and exposing the truth you refuse to even face?

Remind me again, what exactly is your mission?

Citizenmojo
Posted Friday, 23 December 11 at 9:23AM

Hoping New Matilda waltz’s into 2012 and beyond.

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
Frank from Frankston
Posted Saturday, 24 December 11 at 12:30AM

Well done NM.

But, while you were away, hundreds of people drowned off the coast of Indonesia. The victims bussed in via the good offices of the Indonesian Military.

None of this would have happened had the Howard/Ruddock policy settings been left alone.

One of the survivors said: “Everyone is coming because the border is open,” And: “Everyone is going (to Australia) and they are being accepted.”

“If Australia does not want asylum seekers to come to Australia, it is a better way to close all the borders and then no one will come.”

So, hands up any New Matilda readers who participated in the castigation of Howard and Ruddock’s policies. Do it now! Check your hands for blood - you may need to wash them.

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
Dr Dog
Posted Wednesday, 04 January 12 at 11:48AM

I did Frank, and will continue to do so. I have checked my hands and the hands of those around me and have discovered that no-one is clean. Indeed they are likely to remain bloody as long as refugees are treated like criminals.

Even if you are simplistic enough to accept that the policies of the Liberal party stopped boats to Australia that may well mean that refugees died elsewhere, unable to find safe refuge. But of course that didn’t happen in good old Oz so we don’t have to worry about that do we Frank?

It seems your arguement, Frank, is that the more draconian the policy the more effective it will be in stopping boats. I don’t know why you don’t go to the natural extention of your thesis and suggest simply shooting every illegal arrival.

A terrible thought, but all in the interests of deterring illegal arrivals in the future don’t you know.

This user is a New Matilda supporter.
p_perez
Posted Sunday, 15 January 12 at 10:36AM

Congrats everyone at NM for a great year of writing. I may not comment much, but I’ve enjoyed reading so much here.