March 13, 2003
MARGO vs. THE MAN. A
MARGO vs. THE MAN. A few hours ago Margo Kingston was invited into Sydney Morning Herald boss Robert Whitehead's office and fired. Well, so early rumours had it; the latest word from SMH sources is that la Margola has been given a "final warning".
Reason for the trouble: Margo is scheduled to speak at a launch this evening of a report compiled by NSW Anti-Discrimination Board president Chris Puplick. The report slams rival Sydney paper The Daily Telegraph for its coverage of a gang rape case last year in which teenage girls were attacked on the basis of their race and religion.
The attackers were Muslim.
Puplick claimed on ABC radio this morning that the Telegraph's coverage had excited anti-Islamic prejudice (I'm paraphrasing). He also praised the wonderfully progressive and enlightened Margo, his choice to speak at tonight's launch. (One assumes Puplick isn't aware of Margo's belief that "all migrants need to subscribe" to "core Australian values".)
Daily Telegraph editor Campbell Reid told the ABC that the choice of Kingston as speaker "said it all", and dismissed her as an "agenda-based journalist".
Presumably weary of his Webdiarist's perpetual politicking, Whitehead called her in this afternoon. The upshot is, from what I hear, that Margo will still attend the launch - but won't mention her employer.
What might happen next? Stay tuned for more thrilling Margo news.
Posted by Tim Blair at March 13, 2003 05:18 PM