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Kudos to Fairfax for page one euthanasia story

A common positioning in any debate about the future of newspapers is that they will evolve away from breaking news. The Age and Sydney Morning Herald today on page one publish a story which I feel reflects that evolution. It’s a story about an Australian Doctor with a terminal illness who traveled to Switzerland to die.

James Button’s story about Dr John Elliott and his desire to die with dignity is compelling reading – his words are appropriately sensitive while dealing with a highly emotive and often misunderstood topic.

While coverage of euthanasia is not new, such page one prominence in an Australian newspaper is.

I don’t know if Fairfax, publisher of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has made a conscious decision on less time sensitive lead stories or whether this is a one off. I hope it’s the former and that they are adjusting their offering in response to changes in consumer habits in terms of accessing news.

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