@HardBeingGreen When I stopped getting the printed "Age" newspaper a few years ago (after a lifetime since I was a kid), I kept reading the online version of the printed edition because I wanted to support the editors and journalists who put it together every day into a curated professional publication.

But since Nine took over, that professionalism has become badly eroded.

#theage

I’ve seen a few posts over the last couple of weeks about how to get away from the #Amazon environment. Many #mastodon users are likely already people who have fled from one evil empire or another. ;-)

I too have been trying to remove myself from Amazons ecosystem as much as possible over the last year, especially since a lot of my reading was done via #Audible and #Kindle and my reviews through #Goodreads

If anyone is interested these are my current alternatives to these services

My favourite Goodreads alternative:

#StoryGraph , A bit less cluncky than Goodreads and has an app that works, some insightful stats and graphs about your reading habits, and certainly better recommendations. And unlike Goodreads, this is being improved continuously

Website: https://app.thestorygraph.com/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thestorygraph.thestorygraph
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264

My favourite Audible alternative: #LibroFM

Just opened in #Australia this WEEK, #DRMfree #audiobooks from all over the world, and you’re supporting your local Australian #bookstores (picked by the user themself!)
Website: https://libro.fm/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fm.libro.librofm
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/app/libro-fm/id1057776523

My favourite Kindle alternative: #KOBO

Almost all the books Amazon Kindle has as well, plus that one especially nice feature that Kobo devices have #OverDrive built right in — allowing you to check out free library #ebooks directly from your device.

https://www.kobo.com

And touching on that last Overdrive bit, check with your library where you have access to. Via my #Maribyrnong #Libraries I have access to #PressReader (Thousands of Newspapers and Magazines) #BorrowBox and #Libby (ebooks for e-readers) and even to the Library Edition of #TheAge

I am VERY keen to hear others recommendations on better alternatives!

#books #book #audiobook #ebook #nomoreamazon #bookstodon #reading #mastobooks

Concern-ing
#AusPol #Dyson #TheAge

:ms_shooting_star: "Hello, Possums!" | #Aussie comedy legend #LarryHumphries—best known for his character #DameEdna—has passed. He's less well-known in the US than in Australia, Britain and Canada, but many of us not-straight US Americans have adored him for years.

#TheAge makes a proper introduction and shares some highlights of Humphries' career.

A second famous short clip follows in comments.

#comedy #character #actor #satirist #drag #artist #allthat

https://youtu.be/ZVyIiDAS9RU

@John the findings on #AUKUS are interesting. It turns out the majority support reported by #theage is not at all clear cut, especially when the cost of the subs is considered

RT Prof Jenny Hocking @palaceletters on Twitter:

"Journalists eviscerated by Paul Keating's piercing analysis now desperately trying to make it all about the Labor party not them... 'A cyclone through the labor party' ...their hyperbole continues."

#auspol #Media #SMH #TheAge #Nine #Journalism

"The complete lack of curiosity among Nine’s editors and journalists about Costello’s active role in the Liberal Party, while also serving as Nine’s chairman, raises questions about the credibility of Nine’s outlets, and the freedom of Nine’s journalists to investigate public interest stories without fear of reprisal.

"It is high time for Nine’s journalists to speak out. The long list of ‘mistakes’ that benefit the Liberal Party, the uneven coverage, and convenient excuses by Costello’s Nine continue to mount. "

#Media #SMH #TheAge #Nine

https://capturedstates.substack.com/p/the-many-mistakes-of-costellos-nine

The dry old National Press Club's weekly talk has been turned on its head as Paul Keating destroys a string of journalists who foolishly chose to put confrontational questions to him to stroke their egos, rather than do their job - seek information.

They really are pathetic, as are their mastheads.

#AusPol #AusPol2023
#Media #NewsCorp #Keating #NPC #NewsCorpse #Murdochracy #Media #SMH
#TheAge

Watch the fireworks here... https://youtu.be/Bg0pMSe4W4U

@AaronDodd
If you're reading #TheAge and expect competent journalism, you are not going to get lucky.

https://johnmenadue.com/news-organisations-urge-nuclear-war-by-australia-against-china/

Keating nails it. The warmongering by the Costello chronicles is irresponsibly mad. It needs to stop. #auspol #china #Australia #sovereignty #nuclearweapons. #SMH #TheAge

"Even so, in recent years the Coalition tightened up the repayment arrangements in ways that make the scheme less fair, particularly for those working part-time. But, as Warburton says, Labor can fix this."
https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/young-people-can-relax-about-their-student-loans-there-s-a-fate-worse-than-debt-20230307-p5cpxb.html

#TheAge #hecs #help #studentdebt #Australia #Taxation

@selzero

#FairPlay... #OK well... #Eurovision...

Back in the #LongLongAgo before #MTV had been invented; #Europe was #AtWar...

#GreatLuminaries of #TheAge decided that #IT was #MoreCruel and #Unusual for #TheNationsOfEurope to #ComeTogether and #SingIncomprehensibleSongs at one another, instead...

And, then there was #JustinBimblebottom...

#HaveABiscuit...

🧙⚔️ 🤖🐺🤖⚔️🧙 | ☕🎠🦹🦄🦹🎠☕

Justin Timberlake live at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAgPJE6-8iU

Today Emily Day, writing for The Age newspaper (Fairfax) compared the opinion of hating a football team with killing cyclists using a 4WD car for fun, as if they are equivalent and accepted opinions in Australia.

Absolutely shameful journalism, and a shocking reflection of Australia’s car culture that this might be considered funny. In 2032, 11 Victorians were killed by car drivers according to Bicycle Network.

It has since been edited out but the original exists at https://web.archive.org/web/20230109180150/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/myki-you-had-a-good-run-but-it-s-time-to-tap-off-20230109-p5cbcd.html

First shared by @liveable_melb

#theage #fairfax #emilyday #cyclists #roadviolence #visionzero #melbourne

Ah, love it when edgy news editors jokingly suggest killing me for fun "...whether cyclists should be allowed to exist peacefully or be target practice for urban four-wheel drivers.."

Emily Day, you can fuck right off

You'd be in a world of pain if you printed "catholics" or "indians" (random eg) but apparently some groups are fair game

#cycling #melbourne #theage

@PaulHeywood My view is #theAge skews slightly right, especially since #PeterCostello took over. If you look at the graph it could be slightly right and still be defined within the range of "centre".

'There are some very fine people on both sides of human trafficking" is not a sentence you hear very often.

#TheAge

@tofugolem @dangillmor
The world is screwed up because all media became main stream no matter how clueless and useless they were/are and those stenographers from #SydneyMorningHerald #TheAge #TheAustralian #HobartMercury etc are of particular lack of interest to anyone with half a brain.

It's that time of year when Victorian students get their #VCE results. "The Age" newspaper #theage always highlights the excellent results of private schools - that's what money can buy, folks. Stop private school subsidies and fund public schools appropriately

#Tokyo Vice review: #Japan’s underbelly exposed
#theage
https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/tokyo-vice-shows-japan-s-violent-underbelly-20221128-p5c1si.html

So what I personally find incredible interesting about the last #VicElection and even more so the fallout that came from it, is the huge blunders made by the #VicLibs and their propaganda machine at #SkyNewsAus and the #HeraldSun in particular, but also by many more media outlets and fringe parties.

And that is that they thought they could decide the debate and talking points of this election.

But the journalists over at #theage had done quite a bit of research in where the people of Victoria wanted to talk about:

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/what-victorians-want-to-hear-from-politicians-20220926-p5bl00.html?collection=p5bif8

For those who haven't read it, the picture shows the top issues: Integrity, Health, Environment, Transport, Cost Of Living, Education.

Looking at the 'winners' of the last election (The Nationals, the Socialists, The Greens, even the ALP a bit) these were the parties actually actively debating these issues and didn't keep themselves too busy with 'the steps the premier fell off.'

It actually gives me a bit of hope for the future that we might be discussing the citizen's agenda going forward and not pay attention to what Murdoch says the discourse would be.

Like what is happening now. Another attack on wokeness, battling against the Voice to Parliament.

I have discussions in my local - my #thirdplace - and these are not the discussions going on. But Cost Of Living and Rail-lines are.

#auspol