Reading anyone?

This week I’m doing something a little bit different. Last night I had dinner with a group of girlfriends and as we meandered through a variety of topics it dawned on me that I have read quite a few really interesting articles recently. I promised the girls I would email them links to the various bits and pieces I was banging on about and then I thought if I’m doing that for them I may as well share them more broadly here. It may not fly and if it doesn’t I promise this will be the last time I burden you with a bunch of URLs.

But if you are after some reading material I promise you could do worse than click through to these.

News about news

It’s been a pretty eventful few weeks as far as news goes. This is particularly relevant and worrying to me as an employee of a large print publisher but equally as an avid and loyal consumer of journalism. Quality, independent journalism is a vital function in any democracy; it keeps governments and individuals accountable. Diminishing the freedom and impartiality of our press by any measure will leave Australia immeasurably poorer. The commercial conundrum that print publishers are fighting is the reason widespread job losses are on their way. It is sad, not least because, mostly the journalists who lose their jobs will not do so because of their own personal failings. It will be because the commercial structures they supported, ultimately, haven’t supported them.

If there is any positive from the forces that are currently rocking print media it has been the abundance of terrific journalism in their wake. Fortunately for you this means you need not rely on my unsophisticated dissection of the media and instead you can rely on these authoritative sources. If you want to know more about the state of Australia’s newspapers these are my must-reads.

Why does independent journalism matter?

Malcolm Fraser on why democracy should not be up for sale. Ever.

What happened at Fairfax?

Paul Barry's take on Gina Rinehart

Former editor-in-chief of The Age shares his take on Gina-Fax

Mothering matters

Onto a very different topic I read two thought-provoking blogs on parenting. In the first a mother of three small children, whose husband travels a lot, admitted that she occasionally regrets having children. It was thoughtful and sad rather than callous and cruel. In the second piece author and journalist Sarah MacDonald responds with a kind and considered message to the author of the first piece. She promises parenting will get easier and less labour intensive as her children emerge fromtoddlerhood. I loved every word and I loved that she responded with empathy, compassion and thought. Sing it for solidarity.

I regret having kids.

It gets better! Sarah promises.

Bookmark for when youhave 30 minutes clear

This is a loooong, almost academic, piece about juggling family and work from a Princeton professor who worked in the Obama administration. It is worth every minute of your time. Its headline Why Women Still Can’t Have it All is defeatist but her views are frank,interesting and insightful. I haven’t quite formulated my thoughts on it – other than to recommend it highly - but when I do a post will follow.

Did this REALLY happen?

I’m a tad ashamed to admit this but I have been following the Baden-Clay murder case in Brisbane quite closely. Ok, obsessively. The whole thing is unimaginably sad and tragic…and I can’t pull my eyes away from every printed detail. This is the latest.

I didn’t watch the Grant Hackett interview on 60 Minutes butfrom everything I read afterwards I felt quite uncomfortable about it being broadcast. David Penberthy hit the nail on the head in his analysis here. He put words to my discomfort perfectly.

So that’s my week in reading. Have you read anything great lately? A book, a magazine, a blog post? Please share!