Kinglake Ranges News continues to be Murrindindi Shire’s number one online news outlet with over 5,000 more readers than any other local media outlet. (August-October 2018).
Whilst others publish 100-page plus print editions, most of which is advertising (65 pages of 100 pages in the edition published 7 November) – it’s still not news – Kinglake Ranges News continues to deliver the news that matters most to Murrindindi Shire.
Our nearest competitor, The Local Paper‘s editor, Ash Long said in an email on 30 September, 2016 that “I seriously question whether you need to become a cadet journalist. It is an entry level position. You are already much beyond that,” Long said.
“You already have many of the skills required to be a first-class reporter.”
Kinglake Ranges News was then created for two reasons.
The first was to complete a University degree that required a WordPress ‘blog’ and secondly as Ashley Lawrence Long claimed that he “made no money from his Local Paper,” and could not afford to pay basic journalism rates (0.99c per word and $250 per photograph), when Geelan asked to be paid for his work.
Long stating that “…cadetships are awarded to applicants who have degrees.”
Based on these statements, it can be reasonably concluded that advertising in The Local Paper is sold free of charge.
Several senior journalists since 2016 advised Geelan to move away from Long as quickly as possible so as to “not destroy your reputation in the [media] industry and future employment prospects.”
All data is provided by independent third parties, such as Google Analytics and not Geelan Media.
Kinglake Ranges News will be launching some brand new features for 2019. Details to follow.
Whilst being competitors in the ‘media market’ for ‘eyeballs’ (clicks) the Alexandra Standard, Yea Chronicle, Whittlesea Review and Mountain Monthly have been both amicable and supportive throughout.
Annual data will be published in early 2019.
