Book review : Man Bites Murdoch by Bruce Guthrie

(Published by MUP)

Now I believe it’s safe to assume that most of us have wanted to vent our spleens at being treated like dirt by the boss. It’s a whole other realm when Bruce Guthrie takes on the “shit sandwich” he was handed, because it was delivered by media mogul, Rupert Murdoch.

This is not, though, a vitriolic spray at Murdoch and his empire, nor an attack upon the Herald Sun (which must have disappointed a fair few Fairfax staff). This is an engaging, funny, fascinating and sometimes, hard-to-believe tale of Guthrie’s rise from a shack in Broadmeadows, to foreign correspondent and eventually, editor of the Herald Sun. For media boffins, his career trajectory is enviable and inspiring. For anyone who has even a glancing interest in the Australian media – whether you own Newscorp shares or you routinely read the Herald Sun letters over coffee in the morning – this book will keep your eyeballs glued to the pages.

Guthrie has divided his book into edible chapters, not too long, not lingering on numbers, dates and details. Ironically, it would have done Murdoch proud in any other circumstances!
Australians love an underdog and so it is only natural that the notion of Guthrie taking on Murdoch and the News Corp empire for unfair dismissal would make for front page news, maybe even a telemovie on the ABC (I called it here first!).

Don’t read this out of some obligation to be informed about a major event in media history. Read this because it is a rollicking good story, expertly written and edited. As much an insight into the mysterious and magical Murdoch and the jaunty Jeff Kennett, as it is into the backrooms of the newspaper industry.

By Catherine Woods