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Ex-Fair Go frontmen's spat escalates

Each time it looks like ex-Fair Go frontmen Brian Edwards and Kevin Milne are going to kiss and make up, one of them takes a fresh jab.

The latest comes from Mr Edwards – via his partner Judy Callingham, who posted this pic to the Brian Edwards Media blog:

Ms Callingham quipped: "Seems my old friend and former journalism student Kevin Milne is losing his spelling ability along with his hair!"

Ouch. Mr Edwards has recently accused Fair Go reporters of being out of control, with reporters guilty of a "vigilante mentality".

Mr Milne, now retired from the show and pushing a carpet chain, has sprung to the programme's defence.

Paywalls inevitable?
In media news elsewhere, Martin Simons, CEO of NZ Herald publisher APN, hints to Stoppress that paywalls are on the way, saying: "I believe it's an inevitability for society that consumers will have to pay for content."

Good luck with that. People will pay for exclusive information that helps them in their job, saves them money – or, to be blunt, that they can put on their expense account. General news is a tougher sell.

Evidence is mixed across the Tasman, where a recent analysis said News Corp's The Australian has gained 30,000 digital subscribers – its print edition has a circulation of 128,000 – but lost 35% of its traffic since introducing its paywall around six months ago.

NBR has gained traffic since its paywall was introduced, thanks for asking – and see our latest brag list of organisation-wide subs, about to be updated to 100-odd – here).

Day of the vest
Lastly, a disturbing picture from  the Twitterstream of Labour MP Jacinda Ardern which reveals a certain gut-embracing menswear trend in the opposition caucus (vesty boys L-R: Leader David Shearer, deputy leader Grant Robinson, Iain Lees-Galloway).

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Comments and questions
6

Kevin Milne has listed his credibility stocks on the sharemarket, coming a bit of a "hired gun" in doing so.
As one of the poster has remarked, he's become a "huckster". I think that's a bit unkind. I would frame him in the context of his new-found vocation: a 'capetbagger' roaming from town-to-town in the Deep South, post American Civil war.

Just to be absolutely clear about this - Kevin and I are old friends and this was a lighthearted jab at the spelling in the ad. That's how site readers took it, offering their own spelling atrocities. Nothing is "escalating".

Stop wrecking the narrative.

Hey, Chris, the Herald's going tabloid. You've now got options :)

The vests look fine, but all those blue shirts are a worry...

Good to see the Labour boys going Blue!

C'mon John, you're winning them over!