David Marr to join the Guardian Australia
The Guardian has announced the appointment of former senior Sydney Morning Herald journalist David Marr to its Australian operation, which is due to launch later this year.
Marr’s appointment follows The Guardian’s poaching of Lenore Taylor and Katharine Murphy from Fairfax in February.
“I have long admired David Marr as an immensely talented writer who can turn his hand to anything. His deep insights, journalistic skill and stylistic brilliance make him a thrilling addition to Guardian Australia,” said Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of Guardian Australia.
The well known author and commentator left Fairfax himself last July. His appointment to The Guardian Australia has been rumoured for months.
David Marr said: “Discovering the Guardian in London in the 1970s was one of the reasons I decided to become a journalist. I’ve been reading it in print and online ever since and I’m looking forward to writing for one of the news organisations I most admire.”
The Guardian Australia will launch later this year and and aims to grow the British newspaper’s large Australian online audience, which according to The Guardian is its fourth largest market.
Nic Christensen
… and cue the Abbott bashing…
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….and the warmist worrywort routine. Graham Redfearn, climate alarmist extraordinaire, will be pushing his end-of-the-world nonsense at the Guardian as well.
What is they say about a fool and his money? Graeme Wood should look it up and have a bit of a think about an operation that will be competing for 15% of the market with Fairfax, the ABC, The Drum dummies and all those latter Margo Kingston’s pushing their little blogs.
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Good – Abbott deserves a bashing to counter the free ride he’s been getting from the rest of the msm.
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Wow, what a signing! Quality penning great articles; I might well read it.
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@Bob, the Guardian has always sat on the progressive side of politics, so it’s natural that they’d certainly point out holes in Coalition policy.
Bashing won’t be necessary, the policies of Abbott and Co. will be horrifying enough.
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I approve
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..of course, Fairfax has nothing to fear here. They said so, it must be true. I mean, why would they worry about a former senior Fairfax journalist signing to an alternative?
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thats my subscription sorted
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@Angus, given that Redfearn reports (accurately, as far as I can tell) the peer-previewed findings of the overwhelming majority of climate change scientists, rather than parrot discredited laymen or shock jocks, I question your definition of ‘alarmist.’
If 99 out of 100 doctors you visited told you to give up smoking 10 packs a day to avoid future health problems, would you call them ‘worryworts’?
Or would you go to the Dr Nick from The Simpsons doc down the back alley who tells you that the whole smoking/cancer thing is a commie hoax and to keep puffing away?
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Finntastic: Congrats on getting the talking points right about ciggies and 99% of scientists etc.
The tragedy is that vast quantities of public money are wasted on negligible changes in temperature while parrots like you shriek their memorised lines from the peanut gallery.
Mind you, Redfearn is perfect for the Guardian — a publishing enterprise that is losing so much money it’s trust fund will be entirely depleted in 17 years. Doesn’t worry editor Russbridger, however. he’ll be gone by then, having swanned about the world at the trust fund’s expense and encouraged lots of editors to follow his disastrous lead.
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@Angus, your tinfoil hat must have slipped off.
Where Marr goes goes quality writing. Infuriating, opinionated, acidic sometimes, but always quality. Too much quality for some, which only makes it even better.
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@Angus,
You evidently believe the 80% of Australian media that is sided to the right. The media with the corporate and many would say “greedy” agenda.
Do you ‘worship’ on Sunday’s, like Abbott and dear little Christopher Pine by any chance?
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David Marr left Fairfax last year (and very vocally) because he didn’t agree the way they planned to make over 350 editorial staff redundant. I admired the way he stood up for everyone even at the cost of his own job. Well done Guardian for snapping up such a great journalist!
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Why is the term “great journalist” only given to those holding similar views to the one providing the accolade. To me Marr does what both left and right leaning journalists do.They ignore facts that don’t suport their view and they misrepresent information to make it fit their own biases. In my view a great journalist is impartial and objective. When was the loast time Marr was accused of that.
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I wonder if he’ll be writing stories/investigations or be taking a more managerial type position?
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Excellent choice, David is indeed a talented respected writer. Just hope Guardian Australia finds space for one of the best, under rated investigative jurnos around in Peter Wicks.
His non de plume ‘madwixxy’ should be read as mad about his work of course, as is easily discovered at http://wixxyleaks.com/
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Surry Shills: Marr left because he pocketed a humungous payout. Principal had everything to do with it, not principle.
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@ Angus I wish I could pun like you too, it would make me feel really clever. Still like a twat, but a clever one.
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Finally! (Potentially) Real news to read in Aus! The first couple of comments in response to this article only demonstrate how needed an alternative to the self-serving propaganda of media organisations in this country is required! What a delightful thought to engage with news with actual journalistic content again! Bring it on!
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when is the bloody thing launching – how long does it take. I look forward to his first essay detailing everything wrong with everything.
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Can’t arrive soon enough as far as I’m concerned. Might remind Fairfax of what they used to be and get some balance back in Australia’s journalism.
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Angus is a treasure, isn’t he.
Delusion that strong usually requires a Holt Street address.
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Looking forward to the arrival of the Guardian. Perhaps now we will have some balance in reporting in our print media.
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Can we be spared Polly Toynbee on the Oz site?
David is a big Julia fan it would seem but I think he’s backed the wrong horse after doing the snow job on Rudd in The Atlantic Monthly. Misogyny speeches might go down well overseas in in the inner suburbs but most people just wanted Gillard to get on with the job.
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I’ve always enjoyed reading anything you’ve written, including your biography of Patrick White. Keep up the good work and best wishes from
Ian Edwards
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The Australian media has been highjacked by the Liberal Party’s conservative agenda and many of us are desparate to find balanced investigative journalism. This doesn’t mean being pro-labor but giving an intelligent voice to those of us lost in a sea of right wing bias and stupid, fearful hysteria peddled by too many opinion makers parroting their political propaganda. Our media has engorged itself into apathy with its love affair of our dear leader in waiting being Tony Abbott. To, The Guardian – our household welcomes you and good luck!
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Looking forward to Guardian Australia restoring some balance and quality journalism to the Australian media. Murdoch, Fairfax and the ABC have become the mouthpiece of the IPA and LNP. If we are unfortunate enough to have an Abbott government, we will need more honest reporting and journalists that have not sold their souls to the Mad Abbott’s Tea Party.
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