Tasmanian Times

Tasmanian Times is a forum of discussion and dissent — a cheeky, irreverent challenge to the mass media’s obsession with popularity, superficiality and celebrity.

It is in the tradition of dissenting Tasmanian journalism, drawing inspiration from the first great Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, John West (b. 1809). West earlier had a strong association with The Examiner, founded in 1842. He successfully used its columns as a vehicle of dissent to promote the abolition of the transportation of convicts to Van Diemen’s Land. 

West wrote this in his History of Tasmania (1852): 

“The newspapers of this hemisphere were long mere vehicles of government intelligence, or expressions of the views and feelings of the ruling powers. Malice or humour, in the early days, expressed itself in what were called Pipes — a ditty, either taught by repetition or circulated on scraps of paper: the offences of official men were thus hitched into rhyme. Thus, the fear of satire checked the haughtiness of power.”

Amen to that.

Tasmanian Times could not exist without the goodwill of many people. Sue, Tom, Richard, Rachael, Richard, Mike, Allan, Harriet, James, Margaretta, David, Bob, Peter and Mike are owed particular thanks.

And it could not exist without the extraordinary goodwill of its readership. Donations to Tasmanian Times and the support of a limited number of advertisers have enabled its continued development and growth.

Thank you.

Founder/Publisher/Editor

Lindsay Tuffin  has been a journalist for more than four decades, working throughout Australia and in the UK, from roles as a parliamentary reporter to editor. He is passionate about the search for truth and justice, ideas, running and conversation ...  always with wine and food. There is a strange joy in bearing witness to a truth about this world. For in bearing witness to the truth about others you discover yourself. And that is my joy ... and my life.

Contributing Editor

Bob Burton is a Hobart-based researcher, website editor and freelance journalist. He is a contributing editor of CoalSwarm, a wiki-based database on coal issues. He has written for a wide range of publications from the British Medical Journal to newspapers and magazines in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. He wrote Inside Spin: the dark underbelly of the PR industry (Allen & Unwin, 2007) and, with Nicky Hager, co-authored Secrets & Lies: the anatomy of an anti-environmental PR campaign (Craig Potton Publishing, 1999).

Consulting Editor

James Dryburgh is a writer passionate about truth and helping the world’s muffled voices to be heard. He has worked as an English teacher and environmental planner and has lived in Scotland, Spain and Latin America.

Responsibility for election comment on Tasmanian Times is taken by Lindsay Tuffin, 9 Phoenix St, Howrah, 7018.

Balance is appeasement. Fairness is truth.