Media Watch host Paul Barry took the opportunity to fire some barbs at ABC management, noticeably leaving out a short-lived former director during his farewell episode.
The veteran presenter sent shockwaves through the broadcaster earlier this year when he announced he would be stepping down as host of the mainstay of ABC’s Monday night line-up after eleven and a half years with award-winning investigative journalist Linton Besser taking over. take next year.
In his final episode, Barry admitted that “several executives at the ABC had wanted to fire me” during his time on the show.
“But they left and I survived, as did the programme, and I have the ABC to thank for that,” he said.
Barry went on to personally thank two directors: Mark Scott and David Anderson, who booked his second stint at Media Watch but left out the middle one, Michelle Guthrie.
Ms Guthrie was unceremoniously dismissed in 2018 halfway through her five-year term and later took legal action against ABC over her dismissal, which was settled out of court.
“What a mess,” Barry tweeted at the time about her sudden departure.
“Will the staff mourn her death?” he asked rhetorically in another tweet.
Media Watch presenter Paul Barry has signed off from the show for the final time
‘I think the answer is ‘no’… Are we losing a passionate advocate for public broadcasting? Once again the answer is ‘no’, I think.’
Ms Guthrie moved to Australia from Singapore in 2016 to take over the ABC after being headhunted from her senior job at search engine Google under Malcolm Turnbull’s then coalition government.
Her cost-cutting approach angered ABC staff after $43 million was removed from an improved newsgathering service.
Under her leadership, 200 middle management employees were laid off, with the savings channeled into a new $50 million Great Ideas Grant in which several divisions could bid for funding.
Another 20 journalists in the capital’s newsroom were later fired to make way for new digital and regional reporters.
She was subsequently criticized by high-profile Melbourne ABC radio morning presenter Jon Faine of the Melbourne Press Club for her “failed strategy” and “silence” after the Turnbull government froze funding for the ABC by $84 million over three years.
Barry thanks two ABC executives who oversaw his time on the show but neglected to mention the other, Michelle Guthrie who was fired in 2018
Ms Guthrie’s digital-first strategy saw the ABC spend $2 million promoting its online stories on Google and Facebook.
The ABC, long accused of left-wing bias by conservatives, angered then Communications Minister Mitch Fifield after chief economist correspondent Emma Alberici wrote an article condemning corporate tax cuts.
An ABC review found the analysis piece contained nine factual errors or omissions of fact, including the claim that big companies like Qantas had paid no corporate tax, when in fact the airline had been making losses for years.
Then-ABC chairman Justin Milne is said to have sent Ms Guthrie an email at the time demanding she fire Alberici.
Ms Guthrie also introduced a system where bosses would be rewarded with ‘well done’ cards, as part of a thank you system that saw them treated like toddlers.
Paul Barry was in a reflective mood in his production office at ABC headquarters in Sydney before filming his farewell episode to the media.
It featured a character named Larry, to help improve morale within the ABC and reward individual efforts.
A new lifestyle website ABC Life was launched, which, according to commercial media, was encroaching on their territory.
Some comedy programs commissioned by Ms Guthrie were controversial, with the quickly axed program Tonightly airing a distasteful skit calling Australian Conservatives by-election candidate Kevin Bailey a ‘c***’.
Opening his latest Media Watch episode, Barry recalled his first stint as host of the program in 2000, where he clashed with then-controversial ABC boss Jonathan Shier.
“He (Mr. Shier) was a disaster, fattening management, cutting programs and sowing fear and confusion, which the media agreed with,” Barry recalled.
An emotional Barry broke down backstage after filming his final episode of Media Watch
‘So I decided to devote an episode of Media Watch to that criticism and interview ABC chairman Donald McDonald, whose board selected Jonathan Shire for the top position. I asked him if he regretted his choice.
‘People said I was brave. People said I was stupid. People told me I was going to be fired and that I was doing well. My contract was not renewed, which proves that independent media monitoring is never guaranteed.’
Media Watch was canceled in 2001 despite a protest strike by ABC staff.
Following Mr Shier’s departure, it returned to the ABC line-up the following year, hosted by journalist and author David Marr.
“It’s remarkable that any broadcaster would tolerate a program that rips into it, as we did,” Barry said.
Barry, who wiped away tears in backstage photos taken after the show ended, ended with a few more thank yous.
He called executive producer Tim Latham “so wonderful to work with” but noted that he would not be on the show next year either.
“Thank you to all the people who keep this program on the air week after week, year after year,” Barry said.
‘They’re friends I didn’t lose and it really was a team effort next year.”
Barry also announced that the spin-off webisode series Media Bites would not be made next year, as he wished Besser the best of luck in taking over the first gig.