Media in Moreland

As Noel Counihan well knew, the People's Republic of Moreland has a proud history of hosting good old-fashioned shitfights and blues in the name of liberty, socialism, and having good old-fashioned shitfights and blues.

But these days Moreland-specific media is relatively minimal.

The Moreland Leader is the primary media agent. It is owned by News Limited and maintains a devoted online presence in addition to its print run of 67,000.

Reportage usually covers local issues of popular concern, local political developments, or PR for schools and community groups. Like many local newspapers, the Leader has been something of a launching pad for career journalists, as few contributors stick around longer than a year or two.

Happily for The Leader, Moreland Shriek is prepared to countenance its ongoing existence.

Why? Because the 'Leader loves the City of Moreland'.

The same surely cannot be said of The Leader's rival organ, the Fairfax-owned Moreland Community News. With a circulation of just 34,500 and no online presence, the Community News' heart clearly lies somewhere other than Moreland. The good folk at Fairfax labour under the delusion that the Community News is 'respected for its comprehensive and accurate coverage of the local news and community events'. Moreland Shriek humbly submits that nothing could be further from the truth: the Moreland Community News is widely considered to be a second-rate rag primarily concerned with peddling classified advertisements.

Digital media activity in the hyperlocality of Moreland is sporadic. The Republic of Moreland was a pioneering blog, but has recently fallen silent. Now muppinstuff maintains a similar focus on sustainable lifestyles and local events, while the Newlands Community Alliance is more specifically campaign-driven.

Moreland's virtual public sphere, like its corporeal public sphere, has a certain political bent. In the coming weeks will take a closer look at these blogs and the curious beasts who run them.

Update: M.Shriek has been blessed if entirely surprised to learn that the Moreland Community News no longer exists. They should have learned to spell Gowrie right. You don't mess with the Good Folk of Gowrie Station, lest they became the Rampaging Mob of Gowrie Station.