Should we be afraid of Gina Rinehart? Or would Fairfax benefit from a strong proprietor after years of drift? What, if anything, does this mean for the future of independent journalism in Australia? Join Margaret Simons, Stephen Mayne and Tim Wilson to chew over the issues.

Presented by the Centre for Advanced Journalism in partnership with ReadingsAustralia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, has taken a stake in Fairfax Media, publisher of The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Financial Review. Rinehart has made no secret of her political views, and many assume she is interested in media ownership because of the power and influence it brings.

Stephen Mayne is a Walkley Award-winning journalist, shareholder activist and the founder of Crikey. He is now a member of the Australian Shareholders’ Association board, and he publishes the online Mayne report.

Tim Wilson is Director of Climate Change Policy and the IP and Free Trade Unit. The Australian recognised him as one of the ten emerging leaders of Australian society and he regularly appears on Australian and international television, radio and in the print media.

Margaret Simons is Director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism at Melbourne University. She is an award-winning freelance journalist and the author of ten books and numerous essays and articles. She also writes for The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Griffith Review, The Monthly and other publications.

This is the first event in the New News program, a series of events about the future of journalism.
It will explore how to make the most of the opportunities – and deal with the challenges – of new media. It is about journalism as an act of engaged citizenship.

Free event, no need to book.

More about New News…


New News is not an industry talkfest, nor an academic conference. It is an ongoing series of conversations, designed to provide our community with occasions to talk about journalism, why it matters and how to do it better.


Presented by the Centre for Advanced Journalism in partnership with leading industry organisations, New News events will include big keynotes, but also casual meet-ups. Sometimes we will move fast, to provide a chance to talk about the issues of the day as they happen. Other times, we’ll spotlight broader topics, including during the Melbourne Writers Festival later this year.

Our events will be engaging, optimistic and creative. They will reach out to all citizens who are concerned about the future of journalism. For more info, visit www.caj.unimelb.edu.au