It is with some optimism that I say farewell to 2012 and wish all our readers the best for the festive season, as well as the year beyond.
Many commentators are tipping improved conditions in 2013 and I would agree that the signs are looking promising.
After a volatile and difficult for year for many in Western Australian business, driven largely by world events, we have discovered that we are, after all, not immune from what happens across the globe.
However, I believe many businesses in WA have been preparing for tough times since the GFC briefly hit us in 2008-09 and were better placed to adapt quickly to changing circumstances than they might otherwise have been.
No better example could be seen than Fortescue Metals Group which was seen as very vulnerable when the iron price plummeted earlier this year. It acted quickly, and quite dramatically, to shift direction and change market perceptions. It was no surprise to me that when FMG secured a new financing deal it was one our best read online stories of the year.
But as much of a headline grabber as FMG founder Andrew Forrest might be, it was WA’s other major mining magnate, Gina Rinehart, who can lay claim to attracting the most readers to our site in one article.
This article, entitled Gina Rinehart the whole story, was simply a reproduction of a piece she had written herself. Some lines from it about the price of labour in Africa had been grabbed by the national press and taken badly out of context. Readers clearly wanted the whole story and, judging by their comments, were surprised to find her views were so different from those presented in the headlines elsewhere.
Another story earning a strong reaction from readers was this week’s ‘revelation’ that the federal budget was unlikely to be in surplus. Reader comments show that few were surprised by this announcement and damned the whole political pretence that had led to this moment.
Anyway, it has been a challenging year for all of us, the media included, as we face a massive structural change. We will continue to innovate and be a leader in the market to bring you important and relevant information that helps you grow your businesses.
Our Daily Business Alerts will be back Monday January 7th.
Good luck and best wishes,
Mark Pownall
Executive Editor