My name is Paul Ransley.
I’m the creator of The Salty Senior — a weekly newsletter for Australians over 60 who suspect the world’s gone slightly mad and want their suspicions confirmed.
I embarked on this project because I was frustrated by news coverage that seemed designed more to generate outrage and clicks than help ordinary people understand what was actually going on.
So, I sift through newspapers, websites, broadcasts and reports to find information that matters to the last generation that can read a street directory. I look beyond the political and corporate spin to curate what I think are the most important stories. Where possible, I provide the original sources.
The Salty Senior exists for those of us who want relevant material, context, and the occasional well-aimed poke at absurdity – delivered bite-sized with dry humour and sharp elbows.
Disclosure
I create some content and images with the help of AI – because robots don’t demand overtime, annual leave, complain about co-workers or “go to the lav” every five minutes.
AI is a handy tool. I use it to get the job done quickly and easily. Be assured that everything you read here is selected, checked, shaped and edited by a real person with real-world experience and a fairly advanced allergy to spin. AI is the assistant. The cynicism, sarcasm and occasional bad taste are still entirely human.”
Why listen to me?
I spent more than 30 years as a journalist before moving into finance for another 15 years.
Along the way I’ve covered recessions, inflation, housing booms, market crashes, government promises and enough corporate spin to make a carnival ride look restrained.
I’m old enough to remember when banks had tellers, politicians resigned over scandals, and electricity bills could be understood without an accountant peering over your shoulder.
The result is a weekly news review written from the perspective of someone who has seen a fair bit of life and still retains a healthy sense of humour.