Adjunct professor speaks out on editorial independence

Prominent Australian journalist Michelle Grattan will give a free public lecture on editorial independence at the University of Queensland on March 18.

Ms Grattan, political columnist for The Australian Financial Review and adjunct professor in the University's Journalism Department, will discuss Editorial independence: an outdated concept? at 1pm in Mayne Hall.

Her visit to the University will also include workshops on political reporting for journalism students and a seminar on current political issues for the Government Department.

Ms Grattan made her reputation in Canberra covering federal politics for The Melbourne Age.

First assigned to the Press Gallery in 1971, she became chief political correspondent and head of the Canberra bureau in 1976 and was appointed editor of the Canberra Times in 1993. She returned to the Age as political editor in 1995 and in 1996 joined The Australian Financial Review.

Ms Grattan is also the author of several books, chapters and academic articles on politics. She was honoured as the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year in 1988 and has given public lectures at Melbourne and Murdoch Universities.

For more information, contact Professor John Henningham (telephone 3365 2630) or Joan Burnett (telephone 3365 1272).