IS HERALD GRANT REFUSAL WORTH FRONT PAGE ?

 

I am not sure why Andrew Smith, the owner, publisher and editor of the Fremantle Herald and Perth Voice, believes the fact that his company did not get a Federal Government grant is worth a large comment on the entire front page of today’s Chook. Is it really THAT important to the readers of the Herald and the Freo community? I doubt it.

Rumours that Smith will now publish front page comments by any Fremantle individual and company that did not receive the grants they applied for are malicious nonsense of course. ; >)

But far more important to me is the fact that Andrew Smith “had sought funding to train ‘citizen’ journalists for online publishing” So-called citizen journalism is basically amateurs doing the work for free for which professional journalists should get paid, so does that really deserve a government grant, I wonder?

Journalists are being sacked in droves by the big media companies, which are all stream lining their operations, hence there is very little difference in the reporting of the West Australian, Sunday Times, Perth Now and Channel 7, all owned by the same owner, where journos are sharing the same newsroom, and the same articles and photos are shared and published in all of the publication on-line and in print.

But to put Andrew Smith’s lament in perspective though, from 186 applicants across Australia for the new innovation fund grant, not one from WA received one, so that is indeed a worry as it feels far too much like election pork barreling.

Roel Loopers

REPORT THE FREO FACTS

 

 

It would be nice if the West Australian would get their stories about Fremantle right.

Yesterday they published a lament by Silverleaf Investments about the Woolstores shopping centre development, with a photo that was supposed to be the new development, but isn’t.

Today they report about angry locals who are upset by the removal of the Moreton Bay fig tree- Christmas tree, and claim it will be replaced with a London Plane tree, when in fact it will be replaced with another mature and healthy Moreton Bay fig.

There was lengthy community consultation about this, and it did not at all come out of the blue that the two last fig trees, which were removed yesterday, were very sick and a danger to public safety, so there is really no need for a beat-up story in our only daily newspaper.

Please facts over fiction, West Australian, you are journalists, not politicians!

Roel Loopers

RECLINK CUP A FUN DAY AT FREO OVAL

 

 

The RECLINK CUP is on again this year, this Saturday September 9 at Fremantle Oval, so get out there for an afternoon of fun while supporting a good cause.

Fremantle Councillors, Freo celebrities, and all who can-barely-kick a footy will be playing a match of AFL between Musicians vs Media on the oval. There is also live music and entertainment, so come along!

Roel Loopers

 

FREMANTLE ON THE RIGHT DEVELOPMENT TRACK

 

Kate Emery’s article in today’s West Australian with the headline Kings Square Boost for Freo is good and positive and something Fremantle Council deserves.

Emery writes that contrary to a fall of development approvals in WA by nine per cent Fremantle had a record of building approvals to the sum of $ 313 million last year, largely due to the $ 270 million Kings Square redevelopment project by Sirona Capital and Fremantle City.

In Emery’s article the CEO of the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce Olwyn Williams rightly points out that Fremantle also  needs more medium density residential development and better coordination with the State Government.

While Kate Emery mentions the WGV development in White Gum Valley and development in South Fremantle, it needs to be stressed that residential development also needs to happen outside of the CBD, to make sure there is affordable, student and social housing.

The Heart of Beacy project at the TAFE site will be a good and substantial start in that direction, and the options on the present Works Depot site at Knutsford Street are limitless if the City approaches the development of the area with creativity and an open mind and does not get side tracked into too much One Planet philosophical details, which would make development more expensive and less affordable.

There is no doubt that Fremantle is on the right track to attract more residents, more office workers and more businesses to the port city, but flexibility is a key requirement to move forward.

Roel Loopers

 

 

WEST INACCURATE ABOUT FREO PARKING

 

 

It is pretty annoying when journalists only tell part of a story, as is the case with the article about parking by Kate Emery in the West Australian today.

Emery reports that the Town of Claremont no longer issues parking fines for first-time offenders and then goes on to write that Subiaco and Perth recently introduced free or discounted parking, without mentioning  Fremantle.

She does however point out that Fremantle issued the second-most parking fines of 29,280 after Perth 89,476 and Vincent coming a close third with 24,072 fines.

Why did Kate Emery omit to mention that there is first hour free parking in Fremantle and that local residents can park for free till 11am every morning and from 3pm every day of the week?

The West never corrected their inaccurate article about the City of Fremantle wanting to have alcohol-free sections in pubs either. A rubbish story that they continued by publishing letters to the editor about it, although Freo City had issues a media release stating the West got it wrong.

Not great journalism but who cares when you have a monopoly hey!

 

Roel Loopers

FREO CITY PAYS BACK PARKING FINES

 

Good to see a bit of investigative journalism by the Fremantle Gazette‘s newest cadet journalist Leah Roberts making a bit of a difference to those who received parking fines from the City of Fremantle for parking in Mouat Street.

Roberts wrote last week about a Notre Dame University student complaining she had unfairly received a fine because parking signs had been changed in the West End street, but her complaints were initially dismissed by the CoF parking department.

Since Leah Roberts’ article was published in the Gazette last week Freo City had a change of heart because proper process had not been followed. Forty motorists have been advised they either do not have to pay their fine or can ask for their payment to be re-imburst.

Good job Leah Roberts!

 

Roel Loopers

 

 

LOOPY’S LOVE FOR FREO

 

 

I thought I recognised that ugly mug in the Fremantle Gazette today, so now people can read all about Loopy’s love for Freo.

 

Roel Loopers

UNFAIR ROE 8 ATTACKS ON FREMANTLE HERALD

I am disappointed to hear that the Fremantle Herald has received a lot of negative calls and emails regarding the Liberal Party wrap around they published a few weeks ago, which promoted the Perth Freight Link/Roe 8 highway project. People even told the Chook to no longer deliver the paper to them.

The Fremantle Herald is a very important institution for our city. It is so iconic that it should be heritage listed and it does not deserve the unwarranted attacks by narrow-focussed people.

It also published a wrap around by the Labor Party against the Roe 8/PFL project, so that pretty much balances it out.

Simple fact is that a small community paper like the Herald only can operate because of advertising revenue. Without substantial ads it can not pay staff and delivery people and we all would miss out on our only independent local paper.

Unlike our major daily newspaper that tries to brainwash us with right-wing opinion pieces by Andrew Bolt, Miranda Devine and Paul Murray the Chook is nowadays quite balanced, after a period of being extremely negative about the City of Fremantle.

Newspapers do not endorse the companies that advertise with them. An advertisement in the Herald for a cafe or restaurant does not mean it recommends you go there or that the food is great. If the Herald only published advertisement from companies and products they endorse, they would not survive. It’s as simple as that!

Fact is that the Herald does not get several pages of advertising each week from major department and retail stores, because we don’t have any in the Chook’s distribution area, so our local paper is struggling to survive, as many of our traders are.

I love Fremantle because of the many passionate and caring people and I am very impressed with the Beeliar Wetlands daily protest they have kept up, but to say that the Herald cannot publish ads of political parties you don’t agree with is very Hanson/Trumpish and it is a very unrealistic stand to take.

The Herald deserves a fair go and our support because without it Fremantle would be poorer for it.

Roel Loopers

PUBLIC OUTRAGE ABOUT FREO CHOOK MURDER REPORTING

To its credit the Fremantle Herald today published 15 letters to the editor that expressed outrage about the insensitive gossip tabloid ‘journalism’ written by Herald owner Andrew Smith about the murder of Reuben Stack in East Fremantle.

Last week’s front page article was a mix of rumours, innuendo and an opinion piece that had very little substance. It is laudable that the newspaper published so many letters, but to his discredit Chook owner Andrew Smith did not have the grace to respond and apologise for his highly inappropriate article.

Many Fremantle people have been bewildered about the Herald, which was our favourite paper. It was always controversial, a bit quirky, informative about upcoming events and reporting on those that happened, but that has all changed. We realise it is difficult in this age of immediacy to remain relevant as a weekly paper because of on-line papers, bloggers and social media, but the free range Chook standards have dropped to a level where I sadly hear many people say they no longer read it. I hope that can be reversed.

A unique city like Fremantle deserves and wants a unique community paper the Fremantle Herald once was. I for one hope that they will go back to becoming the talk of the town again and have that very Freo spirit and reporting they had years ago. The Fremantle community rightly expects from the Herald that they scrutinise Council, but also that they support what is happening in our city and by doing that support our local businesses.

Roel Loopers

KAZOOM IS FREO’S PARMI KING SAYS WA TODAY

Nice for a change to read a good food review for two Fremantle institutions. Reporter Shaun Turner of WA Today gave himself the difficult assignment of testing Parmigiana all over Perth and it was good news for Freo.

Fremantle CHEF NIMROD KAZOOM, who is well known for his excellent food stalls at markets, got 5 out of 5 for his Chicken Parmigiani at his pop up restaurant at the Laneway Festival and the South Beach Hotel got a 4.5/5. However the Ocean Beach Hotel  in Cottesloe received just a 1/5 for their parmi, so not all is that upmarket in the Western burbs.

Nimrod also caters for weddings, functions, etc. and does far more exotic and creative dishes than just parmi, so Google him and check out his website: http://nimrodkazoom.com if you are looking for top quality catering.

Read the full review by Shaun Turner here: http://m.watoday.com.au/entertainment/your-perth/parmigeddon-the-five-best-and-worst-parmigianas-in-perth-20150501-1mfx1q.html

Roel Loopers