The compact goes tablet. Try as I might, I could find no irony in the announcement by The Courier-Mail this week of the appointment of a tablet editor (the respected veteran Neal Maynard, who has been online editor). The irony is its website is one of the clunkier, less user-friendly and certainly slowest sites in the Australian media landscape — which is quite some achievement. Just this week, the C-M “broke” a story on aviation security that had been doing the rounds online (and even in print) for a month. And yesterday it was itself virtually the last daily newspaper in Australia to report on the Kevin Rudd media conference that happened in its own backyard.

It is not an overstatement to say that regional papers such as the Toowoomba Chronicle and Sunshine Coast Daily provide cleaner, easier, better online products and appear far better placed to take the next step and swallow the tablet. With Rupert’s new-found love for the iPad, it will be fascinating to see how the C-M goes about taking its tabloid (sorry, News prefers to call it a compact) newspaper kicking and screaming into the 21st century. — Brisbane media watcher Terry Towelling

Overington not unread, just undemocratic. For a while there it looked like Caroline Overington was just unpopular — her rather erratic Media Diary on The Australian website features a sad-looking ‘0 comments’ on each and every item. But last week Overington — “two-time winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism,” as the site boasts and prolific Twit — explained the situation:

Where are your comments, you want to know? Until I’m convinced that posting comments without real names and contact details is a good idea, I won’t be posting any. No offence meant smile

No offence taken, Caro. Though we’re wondering just how much information you’d like before you agree to post any response? Her Oz blogging colleagues such as George Megalogenis, Samantha Maiden and Jack the Insider clearly don’t see any issue — they’ve amassed hundreds of comments between them. So what’s a blog without comments? One insider suggests maybe Caroline didn’t like the feedback she was getting. — Jason Whittaker

We hate Abbott the most: The Australian

“The Australian has been more critical of Tony Abbott than The Age. The Herald Sun in Melbourne appears to be treating well the hometown favourite Julia Gillard but all newspapers around the country have been mostly negative of both leaders in this election campaign.” — The Australian

Seven’s Sunrise King won’t switch channels

“Adam Boland will remain with the Channel Seven family as a consultant when he steps down from his role as director of morning television later this year.” — TV Tonight

After 30 years, Mary Hart leaves the red carpet

“After almost three decades of imbuing Entertainment Tonight with one of the perkiest dispositions and some of the shiniest teeth in television, Mary Hart said on Thursday she will leave that syndicated pop-culture program at the end of its coming 30th season.” — New York Times

Want to dine at Restaurant Vogue?

“Condé Nast is taking some of its best-known magazine names and parlaying them into the restaurant business in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.” — Wall Street Journal