The Australian yesterday published an extensive piece by editor-at-large Paul Kelly in which the newspaper’s former editor responded to the current issue of Quarterly Essay, penned by Robert Manne. Subtitled, Bad News: Murdoch’s Australian and the Shaping of the Nation, Manne’s essay argues that the News Limited national broadsheet has had a negative influence on Australian democracy. It’s an argument Paul Kelly rejects in no uncertain terms. Under the headline ‘Robert Manne throws truth overboard’, Kelly writes, “There is another possibility beyond the realm of Manne’s mind - that The Australian has struck an effective balance of strong editorial independence within a global corporation headed by a strong chief executive committed to newspapers.”
Both Paul Kelly and Robert Manne will be appearing together at the Wheeler Centre next Wednesday evening for a moderated panel discussion exploring the themes of both the Quarterly Essay and Kelly’s response published in today’s Australian.