The Post goes daily; The Advisor goes bust
August 9, 2008
If you haven’t seen it, the first ‘daily’ edition of The Phnom Penh Post hit the streets Friday. It’s 24 color pages, published Monday through Friday, and costs 2,500 riel. Grumblings about sloppy printing aside, the paper looks good. There’s six pages of national news and another three of business. In addition, there’s world news, a travel page, classifieds, comics, and more. At least some of the Cambodia news stories appear on The Post’s web site, and Mongkol says you can download the entire paper as a PDF.
In other media gossip, the weekly magazine The Advisor has reportedly printed its last issue. The Mekong Times may not be far behind.
August 9, 2008 at 7:06 am
PDF download of the PPP sounds great — too bad the register function doesn’t actually work in Firefox…
August 9, 2008 at 7:08 am
ahh sorry it does — note to self — finish coffee before commenting on blogs
August 9, 2008 at 11:41 am
At this point, “The Advisor” is on hiatus. Bust may a little strong…
EAS as a resource for expats is still running.
http://www.expat-advisory.com
We will be uploading the past issues of the Advisor as pdf files next week
August 9, 2008 at 3:40 pm
The little brats over on K440 are gloating over this.
August 9, 2008 at 9:42 pm
The Post’s clever decision to offer free PDFs of its issues won’t be good news to the Cambodia Daily or the Mekong Times. Mr Krisher can’t be too pleased about this!
August 10, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hubris precedes nemesis.
August 11, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I keep hearing these rumours about the Mekong Times. Can anyone say how strong the sources on this are or where they come from? Employees? I see a couple of them have started doing a fair bit of freelance for Asia Life.
August 11, 2008 at 8:11 pm
If you would combine the popularity of the Daily with the in-depth articles of the Cambodge Soir and the PPP, the features of the Advisor (for the weekend edition), and the layout team of the Mekong Times, you’d have a decent newspaper.
Now, not quite.
And where’s the f**kin’ local sports section?!
A What’s On guide that’s not just about the inbred expat world, but actually about stuff by Cambodians for Cambodians?
Hello?!
August 12, 2008 at 11:42 am
The Phnom Penh Post has definitely made some dramatic improvements – now all that is needed is an improvement in the content!
For an ongoing critique of the Phnom Penh Post see http://www.orble.com/cambodian-news/
T. McGee
August 12, 2008 at 1:16 pm
For the record, I’m allowed to freelance under my contract with the Mekong Times like all other employees. As far as I know, we’re still very much in the race but then I’m only a lowly sub-editor…
If you check us out today (Tuesday), you’ll our copy is actually cleaner than the Post. $12 million well spent?
August 12, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Good on you, Sam. I for one would be really sad to see the Mekong Times bow out, and I am confused about the recent speculation on blogs about it being on its last legs since it picks up strong stories regularly and certainly has good Khmer readership.
I saw very little mention about the recent exclusive it secured with Hun Sen, but I doubt any of the other contenders could muster that up – absolutely not the Post or the Daily.
Just more expat gossip, probably. I really hope so.
August 12, 2008 at 10:26 pm
McGee: why scold the Post for using unidentified sources when you don’t even identify yourself? This mysterious anonymity can’t help but lead to interesting speculation about your identity.
August 13, 2008 at 8:26 am
Sam: $12 million? What does that refer to?
August 13, 2008 at 11:17 am
@Tommickx: Next month will see the launch of a new Khmer language based social networking site, along the lines of MySpace/Facebook, etc. A few local pop stars will be helping to launch it, and it will contain a large online collection of Khmer literature and learning resources for students.
Check local media around mid-next month for more details.
August 13, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Firstly, I find it hilarious that there is “interesting speculation” about my identity. Just because you care so much Alvin, I’ll tell you a little about myself: I am not in any way affiliated with the media industry in Cambodia; and I currently reside in Australia but have previously lived in Cambodia.
Secondly, if you genuinely can’t see the difference between the Phnom Penh Post (who is writing the “news” for a profit) using unidentified sources, and me (who is critiquing the “news” as a hobby) using a psuedenym, then you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed. However, if you were just trying to be provocative then fair enough.
T. McGee
Author of http://www.orble.com/cambodian-news/
August 13, 2008 at 1:56 pm
As promised earlier,here are the first four archived copies of The Advisor for your persusal and enjoyment. More to follow, your favorite writers are still contributing to Expat-Advisory.com! http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/the-advisor-not-dead-just-resting-vt5896.html
August 13, 2008 at 3:42 pm
McGee: Given that the Post’s competitors aren’t better in terms of quality or quantity, it’s an open question why you choose to ignore them. After all, your blog is named “Cambodian News” and not “News about the Phnom Penh Post”. What’s up with your solo vendetta?
August 13, 2008 at 8:39 pm
$12 million is how much the new owners have to relaunch the post – or at least that’s what’s on the media grapevine. I would also like to say what a shame it is about the Advisor. We’ll certainly miss it as an insert and I think it says a lot that the only detractors are anonymous bloggers too addled to attempt such an endevour.
Cheers!
August 13, 2008 at 10:15 pm
As I stated in my previous comment, I no longer reside in Cambodia. Due to Bernie Krisher’s luddite perspective towards all things of this day and age, the Cambodia Daily is not available online and is therefore very difficult for me to access outside of Cambodia. Most other wire coverage of Cambodian news is inconsistent and often lacks any sort of detail. I have recently subscribed to the Cambodia Weekly (the Cambodia Daily’s weekly PDF send-out of their news) but I do not receive it until at least a week after the news has been written – thus making the Phnom Penh Post website my initial contact point for English-language Cambodian news.
The Phnom Penh Post’s website is quite impressive and has finally enabled more international access to Cambodian news. They definitely have the potential to be the main international focal point for Cambodian news – all they have to do is fine-tune their journalistic practices and produce better quality news. I’m just trying to encourage them to do that.
T. McGee
Author of http://www.orble.com/cambodian-news/
August 13, 2008 at 11:07 pm
The new PPP has certainly upped the bar and I’m enjoing it immensely, mainly because with its in depth features and new inky feel, it actually feels like a proper newspaper. And with that war chest I can only see it improving in quality – unlike the Daily or the Mekong Times AKA the Daily Lite.
I’ve been here for seven years now, which has been plenty of time for the Daily to get its act together. Yet we still have what looks like a student union newsletter full of syndicated stuff we can all read online, plus two pages of national news much of which is translated from the previous days Khmer inkies and where is the Daily’s website? Even the Post’s detractors would have to admit that their website is pretty darn professional.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter what I think as the market will decide. Competition is a good thing, you know.
The Advisor wasn’t really in the same market, was it? In fact, i’m not sure what it was meant to be. Having said that,I enjoyed some of the interviews and the original artwork was outstanding.
August 14, 2008 at 12:10 am
I get a feeling there is still a fortnightly mindset in the way the Post is reporting, but that should gradually adapt.
Still, there isn’t much new in there when it hits the stands right now, but it certainly does look good. More Khmer (or at least Cambodia-orientated) sports coverage would be good, and less wire copy in the lifestyle section.
It still has a long way to go to match Rasmei Kampuchea as far as coverage and network, but of course, Khmer media is just for the so many million Cambodians who read newspapers, and who cares about that market.
So let’s keep it to the 10,000 or so foreigners who seek/sought out the Advisor, Daily, Post and Times.
Of the surviving English-language publications, the Mekong Times does the Khmer interest news angles the best. The agricultural coverage in the Mekong Times rocks.
August 20, 2008 at 12:07 am
PS More about the Khmer-language MySpace/Facebook please, Kit. I really like the way Khmer-language internet interface is developing and any new additions are welcome, I am sure. Is there a website you can read about it on already? Is it Camerado helping out or someone else? Who is marketing it? Which stars are at the launch? Don’t just make a big announcement like that and leave everyone hanging! At least give the name – it must be protected by WTO IP rights – technically at least?
Cheers