Ita Buttrose memoir incomplete on media figure’s misfortunes

He also speaks bluntly and politely of former communications minister Paul Fletcher, the Member for Bradfield on Sydney’s north shore, when he was a safe seat: “His communication skills were not good. When we met, he didn’t show much interest in anything we were doing. I often wondered if he was watching the ABC.”

Then she spills the tea: “It was clear Paul Fletcher didn’t want any kind of relationship. In fact, it soon became clear that he and Prime Minister Morrison’s office were leaking like a sieve.” This includes, Buttrose writes, when he learned of Fletcher’s letter of complaint about the matter on Twitter. Four Corners It’s on the Canberra Bubble where veteran reporter Louise Milligan investigates the behavior of two ministers. Buttrose republishes the letter in its entirety, and it is a useful reminder of the level of control Fletcher and his political friends sought to exert.

One of the nice things about Buttrose’s book is his enthusiasm and support for journalism; This must have driven the government of the period crazy. I love and admire the decision to reprint the entire correspondence, and writes to Fletcher: “This is not the first time that your correspondence with the ABC has been made public before we were given the courtesy of reading it. Your letter and its publication contribute to a pattern of conduct that goes far beyond normal investigation and may well be construed as political interference.” The full letter is even harsher (and worth buying this completely incomplete book just for a lesson in how to respond to idiots) – and Fletcher never spoke to him inside the Canberra Bubble again. Besides, who doesn’t love a woman who hides the bills?

Buttrose left out some other difficulties: Stan Grant’s name does not appear and how he was hung out to dry after repeated racial abuse is not taken into account, but he himself acknowledges the reality of indigenous dispossession and discrimination. When he calls the ABC’s junior staff – and I’m paraphrasing this – his embarrassing misstep goes unnoticed. a handful of snowflakes.

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I wouldn’t say there’s much self-reflection – any keen follower of the ABC will see how Buttrose has turned his position as chairman into a five-day-a-week job, more of a manager than a chair, without acknowledging how he’s deprived real chief executive David Anderson of oxygen.

I love her advocacy on disability, aging, and menopause; All of this requires a realignment of the sensibility of the Australian media – and some of the biggest changes we’ve seen in the way the media cover some of these issues are down to Buttrose speaking openly about his own disability.

But a truly great memory is one in which you confess both failure and success. I look forward to the second edition, with apologies where necessary.

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