Comments on: McManus out as Herald Sun ‘streamlines’ its politics http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/29/mcmanus-out-as-herald-sun-streamlines-its-poltics/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jason http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/29/mcmanus-out-as-herald-sun-streamlines-its-poltics/#comment-39243 Jason Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:04:22 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/29/mcmanus-out-as-herald-sun-streamlines-its-poltics/#comment-39243 I don't have time to track down the quote, but I'm almost certain News' Australian chief John Hartigan spoke out semi-recently about 'politics that matter' and getting away from the day-to-day political debates and focusing on political issues that readers (40-plus parents, presumably) really care about. Which is fine in theory. But in practice probably means pulling journalists out of Canberra and ignoring some of those supposedly insider-political issues that really DO matter, even if you have to explain to people a little harder why they do. I also note McManus is married to the Sydney Morning Herald's Cynthia Banham, isn't he? Who I imagine is still in some sort of treatment program for her Bali burns and presumably isn't leaving her Canberra post as diplomatic correspondent. So that could explain it, too. I don’t have time to track down the quote, but I’m almost certain News’ Australian chief John Hartigan spoke out semi-recently about ‘politics that matter’ and getting away from the day-to-day political debates and focusing on political issues that readers (40-plus parents, presumably) really care about.

Which is fine in theory. But in practice probably means pulling journalists out of Canberra and ignoring some of those supposedly insider-political issues that really DO matter, even if you have to explain to people a little harder why they do.

I also note McManus is married to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Cynthia Banham, isn’t he? Who I imagine is still in some sort of treatment program for her Bali burns and presumably isn’t leaving her Canberra post as diplomatic correspondent. So that could explain it, too.

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