The Editor Of The Age Talks To Jon Faine About Striking Columnist

Catherine Deveny Strike Update: it’s still going. Paul Ramadge, the editor of The Age, recently spoke to Jon ‘Faino’ Faine from 774 ABC Melbourne about the state of his paper, and exactly what’s happening with smart-mouthed underpaid columnist Catherine Deveny. Thanks to The Australian, here’s a quick transcript of the interesting parts.

Caller Anthea from Mt Eliza: I just wondered when you’re going to get rid of Catherine Deveny.

Jon Faine: Because?

Anthea: I just don’t think she’s right for The Age newspaper. I just think she’d be more suitable for a student newspaper or The Big Issue.

Paul Ramadge: No columnist in the recent history of The Age does this. Hate her or love her is the result for Catherine Deveny. She knows that and to a great extent she is the agent provocateur of the columnists in The Age. She’s not appearing in The Age at the moment, I can tell you.

This is indeed true. Even when Defamer Australia mentions The Dev, I get a stream of emails from people who either adore her, or want her to disappear from their paper forever. But at least she makes you feel something, people!

Jon Faine asks Ramadge exactly why Deveny is not appearing in The Age at the moment.

Ramadge: Well, there are some discussions about is there a contract or not, and those are ongoing and it’s not fair to go into any more detail than that.

Faine: Do you want to keep her?

Ramadge: Well it’s a discussion at the moment, an ongoing discussion.

Faine: Is it about money only or is it about what she writes?

Ramadge: It started and it still sits on the issue of money.

Faine: Anthea, it seems they’re trying to keep her.

Anthea: I don’t like what she writes and I don’t think she represents to me what The Age stands for.

Faine: Well, just don’t read it then.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I love Jon Faine.

If you head to The Australian and read the whole transcript, you’ll see Jon Faine question Ramadge about the fact he was recently offered a 7 day subscription for the price of a weekend one (”Seven days a week for the price of Saturday and Sunday. Paul, is that how you’re getting subscribers now?”)

MORE: Why readers of The Age are switching to The Australian