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Editor's note
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In recent months, the ABC has been under almost constant attack, mostly from the Coalition government and conservative elements of the media. Then yesterday, its managing director, Michelle Guthrie, was unceremoniously sacked half-way through her term. As the broadcaster’s former Head of TV News and Current Affairs Peter Manning writes, it was a bad match from the start – Guthrie seemed to lack the political smarts to deal with an increasingly
hostile federal government, and the necessary editorial experience to lead such a large, diverse and changing media outfit. Moreover, budget cuts hit hard and, as Denis Muller explains, Guthrie failed to defend the journalism strongly enough, further chipping away at already faltering staff morale.
Still on the ABC fallout, in a special episode of Media Files, a podcast about the media, Monash University’s Margaret Simons and former ABC staff-elected director Matt Peacock talk to Matthew Ricketson and Andrew Dodd about what Guthrie’s sacking might mean for the ABC – particularly in the lead up to a federal election.
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Amanda Dunn
Section Editor: Politics + Society
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Top story
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Rolling cuts, plummeting morale and a hostile government - Michelle Guthrie had much to contend with as managing director.
Wes Mountain/The Conversation
Peter Manning, University of Technology Sydney
A former senior manager with the ABC laments the poor choice of Michelle Guthrie as managing director, leaving her - and the organisation - in an invidious position.
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Former ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie looking toward a different future earlier this year at the ABC’s first Annual Public Meeting.
JOEL CARRETT/AAP
Andrew Dodd, University of Melbourne; Matthew Ricketson, Deakin University
ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie was sacked today, despite being less than halfway through her five-year term. The major question is: why? Today on the podcast, we explore the possibilities.
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Health + Medicine
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John Boffa, Curtin University
The NT has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.
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Rebecca English, Queensland University of Technology
If toothbrushing is forced form a young age, kids can become resistant to dental care practices. Make it fun.
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Cities
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Rachel Ong ViforJ, Curtin University; Gavin Wood, RMIT University; Melek Cigdem-Bayram, RMIT University
Until now most people have eventually owned a home. But two trends – falling ownership and a growing aged population – will put the budgets of retirees and government under real pressure.
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Science + Technology
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Mitchell Cunningham, University of Sydney; Michael Regan, UNSW
Humans are poor at remaining vigilant over time. That's bad news for the safety of partially automated cars, which sometimes need the person behind the wheel to quickly take over control.
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Wayne Petherick, Bond University
The 'illumination hypothesis' – suggests that criminals like enough light to ply their trade, but not so much as to increase their chance of apprehension.
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Arts + Culture
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Julie Shiels, RMIT University
A new Science Gallery Melbourne exhibition offers a set of reflections, calculations and speculations that engage with ideas about the perfect body, mathematical precision, quantum physics and a post-human world.
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Lisa Harper Campbell, Flinders University
Stephen Sewell's play questions truth, humanity and what constitutes our individual and collective worlds.
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Business + Economy
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Christopher Standen, University of Sydney
The NSW government will spend more than $23 billion on toll road, and recoup just $4 billion by selling it.
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Politics + Society
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Andrew Dodd, University of Melbourne; Matthew Ricketson, Deakin University
ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie was sacked today, despite being less than halfway through her five-year term. The major question is: why? Today on the podcast, we explore the possibilities.
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Rick Sarre, University of South Australia
After a spate of sewing needles being found in strawberries, the federal government has moved quickly to tighten penalties for those who sabotage fruit. But it is unlikely to be a strong deterrent.
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Denis Muller, University of Melbourne
One of the reasons the managing director failed was that she did not understand the journalism she was overseeing, and that weakness filtered down the ranks.
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Sue Richardson, University of Adelaide
For our country to have a sustainable future, we need to ensure all Australians have access to quality education and healthcare and take steps to reduce inequality.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In a blunt statement, the ABC board has announced the end of Guthrie's tenure as managing director, declaring it was "not in the best interests" of the organisation for her to continue leading it.
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Education
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Emma Rowe, Deakin University
Increased funding to Catholic schools won't necessarily make them more accessible for low-income families.
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Featured jobs
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Featured events
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