Journo to discuss revised news book

THIS Saturday offers a chance to join ABC Statewide Drive Host Prue Bentley in conversation with journalist Eric Beecher to discuss and launch his newly revised edition of The Men Who Killed the News.

Formerly chair of The Wheeler Centre, Beecher owns Private Media which publishes Crikey and The Mandarin and his upcoming hour-long discussion with Bentley happens at Ballarat Library from 1.30pm this Saturday 11 April.

ABC Alumni and ABC Friends Ballarat are co-hosting the conversation that is free to attend and will explore some of the concerns held by both groups around ensuring professional, impartial journalism will be able to keep reliably informing public opinion amid challenges.

“Public interest journalism is under threat from a collapsing business model, an erosion of trust, a deeply partisan world and now from the imminent threat of AI,” Beecher said.

“What can be done? Does it matter? How can any of us respond?”

Beecher worked at The Age, The Observer in London, and the Washington Post, also serving as the youngest ever editor at the Sydney Morning Herald and receiving a Walkley Award for Journalistic Leadership.

Ahead of Beecher’s visit, spokesman for ABC Friends Ballarat David MacPhail said he “laments the loss of regional publications and the rising power of social media platforms that may not publish any original journalism and allow the dissemination of false and provocative material”.

“If we can’t trust our media it becomes difficult to trust governments and democracy is threatened,” MacPhail said.

Copies of Beecher’s newly-launched edition will be available to purchase at the event, the second in a series celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ABC Friends.