The nation's most left-wing daily newspaper The Age is facing an investigation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Victorian Office of Fair Trading following complaints made about deceptive and misleading self-promotion on their web-site.
Former chemicals, construction and casino czar cum company chairman of Fairfax Media, publisher of the Age, Ron Walker was known for these kind of "sharp practices" when he was a young crook on the make. He was routinely denounced by the left-wing newspaper before he became its chairman, particularly in the days when he was active within the Liberal party, probably its most effective fundraiser in history.
These days they are extremely polite to the gent, publishing his letters to his friend the editor Andrew Jaspan in a near in cognito fashion and subjecting those who dare criticise his many projects to Star Chamber style inquiries without aid of legal counsel.
Walker's company website repeatedly makes false claims about the extent and generosity of their sponsorship programme that the left-wing newspaper would be the first to condemn had anyone else been guilty of such dishonesty.
FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS
Spring Carnival? Nuh uh. We understand that one is firmly in the turf of the Herald Sun. Always was. Oh, and the Aged have just rationalised their form guides down to almost nothing, so any claim to horse racing cred is a poor joke.
Australian Tennis Open? - Sorry, that's another Herald Sun exclusive. The Age was shown the door in 2006.
World Swimming championships? - So last year, baby.
INFLATED CLAIMS ABOUT COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIPS
Actually, it looks more like a list of the charities they've given comp ad space to. Big deal. When we asked an insider about The Age giving away free space, he remarked "Big deal. Who doesn't?" It is considered unusual to boast about doing it and pretending it is a form of Spanish.
EXAGGERATIONS ABOUT BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS
Ahem.
The VANA dinner and awards night? Really? They get their logo on the program by offering to present an award and poke some cash at their most important distribution channel. If they didn't they'd be out of business.
Southern Cross Station? They didn't renew their contract in 2007. Anyway, it was just an ad spend, guys.
DECEPTIONS ABOUT ARTS & CULTURE SPONSORSHIPS
Dymocks Book Events? An advertising partnership. A d v e r t i s i n g.
Comedy Festival. Their biggest partnership. Word on the street is that it's very shaky - the numbers this year were well down from last year's already poor numbers (which were down on the previous years: is there a pattern here?)
Melbourne Museum? They claim to be "principal media sponsor" of the Museum. But they're not any more. They have their name on one gallery, but the rest of the place is Herald Sun territory. Exclusively.
Australian Open Ticketing Program? Guys, get over it. It's over. They hate you. You're history. Didn't they see the big Herald Sun logo on the TV side at centre court? Or the Australian Open's site which list the Herald Sun as their Official Newspaper.
Game on.
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