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==Early life==
==Early life==
Marr attended [[Sydney Church of England Grammar School]] and subsequently graduated from [[the University of Sydney]] with degrees in Arts and Law.<ref name=WhosWho>Who's Who in Australia – entry on David Marr</ref> Marr worked for a time as an articled clerk at the law firm [[Allens Arthur Robinson|Allen, Allen and Hemsley]], before turning to journalism. Marr is homosexual.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/akerman.htm Media Watch and Piers Akerman], [[Media Watch (TV program)|Media Watch]] web site</ref>
Marr attended [[Sydney Church of England Grammar School]] and subsequently graduated from [[the University of Sydney]] with degrees in Arts and Law.<ref name=WhosWho>Who's Who in Australia – entry on David Marr</ref> Marr worked for a time as an articled clerk at the law firm [[Allens Arthur Robinson|Allen, Allen and Hemsley]], before turning to journalism. Marr is homosexual.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/akerman.htm Media Watch and Piers Akerman], [[Media Watch (TV program)|Media Watch]] web site</ref> David Marr has not however presented himself to Australia or the world generally as homosexual, his contribution being in arts, law and critical media, specifically questioning throughout his career core issues of integrity and truthfulness in Australian cultural life.


==Publications==
==Publications==

Revision as of 14:05, 5 July 2010

David Marr
Born (1947-07-14) 14 July 1947 (age 77)
Sydney, Australia
EducationThe University of Sydney (BA, LLB)
Occupation(s)Author, journalist

David Ewan Marr (born 14 July 1947 in Sydney) is an Australian journalist, author, and political and social commentator. His areas of expertise include the law, Australian politics, censorship, the media and the arts. He writes for The Sydney Morning Herald and appears as a semi-regular panelist on the ABC television programs, Q&A and Insiders.

Career

Marr began as a journalist working for The Bulletin magazine and for The National Times newspaper, before being appointed editor in 1981–82.[1] During this period, he oversaw the publication of the articles by David Hickie that detailed long-suppressed allegations of corruption against former NSW Premier Robert Askin. The first article, headlined "Askin: friend of organised crime" was famously published on the day of Askin's funeral in 1981.

Marr was a reporter on the ABC TV program Four Corners (1985, 1990–91), a role in which he won a Walkley Award and the presenter of Radio National's Arts Today program (1994–96). From 2002 to 2004, he hosted the ABC TV program Media Watch.[1] He currently works for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a frequent guest on ABC TV's Insiders program. During his term as presenter of Media Watch, he played a key role in exposing the ongoing cash for comment affair, which Media Watch had first raised in 1999, concerning radio commentators Alan Jones and John Laws. In 2004, the program's exposé of Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) head David Flint – who had written fan letters to Jones at a time when Jones was being investigated by the ABA – played a significant role in forcing Flint's resignation.

In 2002, Marr demonstrated on Media Watch that conservative newspaper columnist Janet Albrechtsen had misquoted a French psychiatrist, Jean-Jacques Rassial, and claimed that she had done this deliberately to make it look as though violence and gang rape were institutionalised elements of the culture of Muslim youths.[2] Albrechtsen did not deny the misquote, but responded by accusing Media Watch of inherent left-wing bias, and of deliberately leading a witch-hunt against contrary views. When the Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan, appointed Albrechtsen to the board of the ABC in February 2005, Marr publicly questioned whether she was qualified for such a position in light of her prior breach of journalistic conduct.[3]

Early life

Marr attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School and subsequently graduated from the University of Sydney with degrees in Arts and Law.[1] Marr worked for a time as an articled clerk at the law firm Allen, Allen and Hemsley, before turning to journalism. Marr is homosexual.[4] David Marr has not however presented himself to Australia or the world generally as homosexual, his contribution being in arts, law and critical media, specifically questioning throughout his career core issues of integrity and truthfulness in Australian cultural life.

Publications

Marr has published several books including a critically acclaimed biography of Australian writer Patrick White, which won The Age Book of the Year award and the New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction. More recently, Marr wrote, along with Marian Wilkinson, Dark Victory, an account of the 2001 Australian election campaign in the wake of the Tampa affair.

His books include:

Awards

  • Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate, for 'Do Not Disturb: Is the Media Asleep?'
  • Victoria Premier's Literary Awards 2006
  • Walkley Awards 2004 (jointly), 1991 and 1985

References

  1. ^ a b c Who's Who in Australia – entry on David Marr
  2. ^ "Janet Albrechtsen's View". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2002-09-09. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  3. ^ Caldwell, Alison (2005-02-24). "ABC critic appointed to board of directors". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  4. ^ Media Watch and Piers Akerman, Media Watch web site
  5. ^ Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd, Quarterly Essay 38, Black Inc. Books, 7 June 2010
  6. ^ We need to talk about Kevin ... Rudd, that is, extract of Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd, Sydney Morning Herald, 7 June 2010
Media offices
Preceded by Presenter of Media Watch
2001–05
Succeeded by

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