SMH editor Fray stands by McGurk reporting
Sydney Morning Herald editor Peter Fray today told Mumbrella he stands by his paper’s reporting of the McGurk affair despite an inquiry describing a key claim as nonsense and an outspoken attack on the coverage from 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph.
The Sunday tabloid, owned by News Ltd, took the unusual step of dedicating a full page to the attack on its rival’s coverage of Michael McGurk’s murder.
Jones focused on an article which was featured on the SMH’s front cover in September regarding a secret tape recording McGurk had of businessman Ron Medich alleging corruption in the NSW government.
The scoop led to an inquiry by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. ICAC commissioner David Ipp handed down its findings on Friday which found that the claims that the tape could bring down the government “deserves to be described as nonsense”.
So Medich said he lied to McGurk. Does that necessarily mean he’s now telling the truth or did he lie about lying? I haven’t read anywhere where there has been proof he’s now telling the truth, Medich has simply said he was making it up.
Is that how the system works?
I agree. The whole ICAC conclusion that Medich was lying rests the reliance that he told the truth that he was lying.
Kate Mcclmont from AustraliasworstJournalist.com
This journalist deliberately perpetrates stories which are errors of fact, but has her own brand of sarcasm and seeks to be malicious. Even with the opportunities to verify facts, she fails to do so and plagiarises the tabloid media, thus continuing the errors. To do so when she know they are incorrect, smacks of gross dishonesty. You are unlikely to be contacted as she can better fabricate a story if she is not deliberately informed that it is false.
Vote and have your say…..thankyou.;.
Could not agree any more