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”.
Following the ICAC findings, Jones wrote a full page column in the Sunday Telegraph on the issue and on the SMH’s reporting of the news story written by journalists Kate McClymont and Vanda Carson.
Jones wrote:
“Where do the journalistic standards of some now stand?
“And it raises legitimate questions about editorial supervision.
“Did the editor ask about sources, or was the editor prepared to run with an incorrect story seemingly designed to damage individuals and damage the NSW Government?”
Fray today hit back at Jones, telling Mumbrella that he “will be judged by a higher authority than me. He is entitled to his views. I disagree with them”. He added:
“Mr McGurk told a Herald journalist he was going to be murdered and that fear was sadly realised. Given the circumstances of his death it was in the public interest to reveal Mr McGurk’s claims that he had a tape recording that could bring down the government. The fact that Ron Medich was lying to Mr McGurk, rendering such claims fanciful, does not diminish the fact that Mr McGurk believed his tape recording contained serious allegations of public corruption.
“ICAC Commissioner David Ipp said Mr McGurk had rightly believed Mr Medich’s boasts on the tape were true, and he said that the Herald’s journalists had accurately reported what Mr McGurk had told them. He said it was important for the allegations to be cleared up publicly.”
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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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?
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I agree. The whole ICAC conclusion that Medich was lying rests the reliance that he told the truth that he was lying.
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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
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