David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.


26 July 2018

Vale Fairfax : Nine Entertainment takes 51%


This from Paddy Manning at The Monthly Today, just in :
Vale Fairfax 
Nine’s takeover ends a 177-year history

Good afternoon, 
As I file, the remaining Fairfax Media journalists are dragging themselves to their nth sombre briefing from CEO Greg Hywood, as they have been doing for the best part of a decade. They will be hoping against hope that they will be able to keep doing the job they love, and contemplating what that might mean under new management at Nine. The death of Fairfax has been pronounced so many times that we are nearly numb to it. But today’s announced Nine takeover, if it completes, really will mark the end of a 177-year history, and is a heavy blow for quality, independent journalism and for media diversity in this country. The fact that the takeover is the entirely predictable consequence of a shabby, last-minute deal on cross-media ownership laws late last year, and that the prime minister has welcomed it, is just more salt in the wound. READ ON

 Also from The Monthly, this essay by Eric Beecher, July 2013 :
The death of Fairfax and the end of newspapers

 Rot from within (Young Warwick; The Rivers of Gold...) and attack from without. (Including relentless attack on the ABC network.) Sad, bad, serious!
FIAPCE  
- 5 December 1990 -   
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