Cleo Clanger

Feel for the staff of Cleo Magazine who probably read today via the Daily Telegraph that they would lose their jobs as the magazine closes. Cleo came as part of the package when the James Packer sold out his publishing interests to the giant German Bauer Media Group in 2012.

First published 44 years ago with the venerable Packer favorite Ita Buttrose as editor (a shout-out to Ita who Whispers found themselves with in a Surry Hills post office queue just a few days ago), Cleo was aimed at an older female audience. Recently their Bachelor Of The Year awards have received plenty of publicity (aided by some self-important publicists who seemed oblivious to the rapidly changing world of media). Circulation has hovered around 53000 a year with a claimed readership of 173000 and a claimed 300,000 online readers.
But just look at Whispers'(thesocialshuttle.com) online readership (left : Google's figures) . Daily views are around 2300 with monthly views around 72000 which is not dissimilar to a monthly magazine or a local newspaper (and a shout out to our daily 300 approx readers who are in Russia). Of course it's very hard to compare and many factors influence readership but compared to a blog run by 1.5 (part timer) and a dyslexic cat who claims to be the sub-editor, something must give in these print publications and the large staff needed to run them.

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Meanwhile as the Happy Couple, Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall announce their engagement, Don Rupioni's beloved Sun Newspaper is under investigation for claims it was also involved in phone hacking. We couldn't help but notice a recent cover. As one irreverent wag from that august publication put it : "how dare they, that's our job"

Rupert Murdoch & Jerry Hall : so much to discuss

One of the madder tales doing the rounds and which is bound to be repeated ad infinitum is the rumour that billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch is dating the Texan model Jerry Hall. Jerry is pictured here with her former boyfriend Warwick Hemsley and with her daughter Georgia May Jagger during Sydney visits.
What could this newspaper obsessed mogul possibly have in common with fun loving Jerry?. Well according to Nick Davies in his best- seller Hack Attack about the recent hacking scandal, perhaps pillow talk could involve a discussion about how Rupert's tabloids hacked the phone of Bernard Doherty who was Mick Jagger's publicist when he was married to Jerry which provided a string of exclusive tales about the couple's divorce for the Murdoch newspapers.

exclusive : More Fallout from the Hacking Scandal

Mary-Ellen Field                                                                                            Mark Colvin

One of the lesser know victims of the tawdry hacking scandal in the UK was the Australian Mary Ellen-Field who guided the career of supermodel Elle McPherson, as reported in the Shuttle in 2011.
Elle became suspicious that messages between her and Field were ending up as gossip items in the media. She unceremoniously sacked Mary-Ellen who had helped McPherson build her reputed $65M fortune.

As has now been discovered Elle's phone had been hacked by News Corp tabloids and Field was innocent. When McPherson sued News Corp the case was settled confidentially and Elle was soon fronting a TV show produced by the corporation.

Field was left in the lurch and launched a lawsuit against News Corp.
Now she has been forced to withdraw after being unable to definitely prove a link between her sacking and the hacking of McPherson's phone. Faced with little help from her former employer (they breed those girls tough in the Shire) she has been left with a huge legal bill, her own and News Corps' costs.

At least Mary-Ellen can hold her head high. As we reported back in April 2011, ABC News radio's Mark Colvin was the first Australian outlet to interview Field over her dilemma.
London born Colvin, one of Australia's most respected broadcasters kept in touch with Field to see how her case was going and they developed a friendship.
And when Mary-Ellen Field discovered Colvin was under-going dialysis she offered him a precious gift : one of her kidneys. The transplant took place in December 2012.
Colvin is now recovering and will hopefully be back on the airwaves soon.
 As the saying goes : It's an ill wind that blows no good. Out of the shocking hacking scandal that has engulfed News Corp, one person has emerged as a heroine with dignity and every reason to hold her head high, albeit facing financial ruin.
Perhaps News Corp could finally show a smidgen of class and pick up Mary-Ellen Field's legal tab.