Men’s lifestyle site EFTM has launched an app for Android users following the launch of its iPhone app last year. EFTM editor Trevor Long said the move is part of a direct to consumer strategy, moving away from Facebook being such a dominant supplier of traffic. “For years I, like many others, had spent a lot of time and money building large audiences on our Facebook pages,” Long said in a statement.    "Facebook made it very clear that it could wipe out my audience in an instant, disconnecting us from our passionate and growing audience that had specifically asked for our content. “While that was Facebook’s right, it was an alarming reminder that we don’t own that connection to audience.   “I decided there and then that I needed a more direct strategy.  That included using our email database more, but also I wanted to find a way to ensure readers know when new content was published - something that they might have found out previously via posts on Social Media.�

Gaming media network GAMURS is looking to recruit an Australian editor for its Gamepur outlet. Gamepur focuses on game walkthroughs and tips alongside news and feature articles. It was founded in 2010 and is part of the GAMURS network. The job advertisement is available on Seek

General manager of Foxtel Lifestyle and Selling Houses Australia co-host, Wendy Moore is joining The Australian Women’s Weekly as editor at large. Previously Moore was an editor at Home Beautiful Magazine for 11 years.  Each month Moore will write an exclusive column for The Weekly’s Good Life section where she’ll cover the latest home renovations, styling and make-over tips, and in her first column she’ll take us inside of her own home.  Nicole Byers, editor-in-chief of The Australian Women’s Weekly said: “Lockdowns and working from home has given us all a renewed focus on our living spaces and how to make them as functional and enticing as possible. A familiar face to many of our readers, I’m delighted Wendy is joining The Weekly team to share her deep understanding of the latest interior, decorating and home trends in our pages.” In the past Moore has overseen brands like Better Homes and Gardens as general manager of homes and food at Pacific Magazine, she’s

It is now a year since we lost a remarkable colleague. Graeme Philipson was a poet, an author, an IT journalist and commentator. During his long career as an acute observer of the ICT sector, Graeme published thousands of news items and opinion pieces. Graeme’s commitment to our industry included long term involvement with the Australian Computer Museum Society and participation in a research project in the Business School at the University of Sydney: gathering oral histories from ICT pioneers, particularly previous Pearcey Foundation awardees, in order to identify factors contributing to past success in innovation in Australia. Graeme had also developed histories of the ACS and of ICT companies and individuals. Graeme had been commissioned by the Pearcey Foundation to write a definitive history of Australia and Australians in the digital age. The source material for this work included biographies and oral histories from people who had led us through the IT revolution. Graeme laid

As Homer Simpson once said, “Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.” It seems that whatever topic you’re interested in there’s a Substack newsletter being run by a journalist that covers it. Founded in 2017, the platform has proven to be incredibly popular with journalists, especially since 2019.  Users are operating Substacks either as direct income streams, ways to supplement the work they do at media outlets, or as supporting content for other projects such as books or podcasts. Initially it seems as though newsletters are adding a new dimension to the media with journalists owning their own content and delivering it directly to their engaged readers. Influencing spoke to three journalists who are operating their own Substacks - James Hennessy, Anthony Klan and Tim Burrowes about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. All three are doing them for different reasons but still share many of the same beliefs and ideas about w

Information Age, a technology website run by the Australian Computer Society, is set to introduce product reviews.    Journalist Casey Tonkin will drive the new initiative and explained he would be looking for products that would appeal to his audience of IT professionals.   “We’re hoping for a blend of general consumer tech plus a bit of office productivity,” he said.   Information Age has a large subscriber base of more than 120,000 IT professionals and Tonkin feels the reviews will add value to its readers.   “Hopefully it will give them something extra to look forward in the newsletter and inform their working life, and maybe have a bit of fun along the way,” he said.    Tonkin works alongside editor Roulla Yiacoumi at Information Age and the publication also employs freelancers like 2021 Gold Lizzies winner David Braue, Nina Hendy and Roslyn Page.   His best advice to PR professionals pitching stories to Information Age is to “make it as interesting

Technology giant Samsung has dumped long-term Australian public relations partner Edelman, moving to Ogilvy PR. Samsung’s head of corporate affairs in Australia, Shaneez Johnston, in a statement, thanked Edelman for its work with the technology company. “We are very grateful to the Edelman team and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank them for their partnership,” said Johnston. CEO of Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health, Richard Brett said he was excited to partner with the company. “We are beyond thrilled to be Samsung’s new communications partner here in Australia. The entire agency is delighted and honored by this new opportunity.” In this role their core responsibilities will be to deliver earned media results around Samsung’s Australian products and services, including traditional media, stakeholder relations and integrated earned media-led campaigns increasing brand affinity with Australian customers. Ogilvy PR takes up its role on 1 February. �