The AFR stepping stone?

Dr Mumbo has been enjoying The Australian’s slow-news-weeks-busting daily double-page “Summer” section.

Mainly because of what he’s been learning about the newspaper’s staff.

Following ABC critic Chris Kenny’s confession of being a secret late night caller, comes a cracker today from Chip Le Grand on what he says when he’s asked about how to get a job on the newspaper:

“Sometimes I’d actually tell them the truth: that if you really want a job on The Australian, go and write for the Australian Financial Review for 20 years and we’ll poach you.”

After self deprecatingly sharing his own fluky route into the newspaper, Le Grand also offers the following sobering (for journalism students) observation: “Most are smarter and better qualified to do this job than I was. Most will never get the chance I did.”