Paul Barry
Paul Barry is one of Australia's most respected journalists. He joined the ABC's Four Corners in 1986 as an investigative reporter and made his name with an expose of Alan Bond. He has also presented current affairs programs for the Seven Network (The Times and Witness) and worked as an investigative reporter for the Nine Network and two Sydney newspapers (The Sydney Morning Herald and Sunday Telegraph). He has been awarded two Walkleys and a Logie for his journalism.
Barry has also written a number of best-selling books, including The Rise and Fall of Alan Bond, The Rise and Rise of Kerry Packer and Who Wants to be a Billionaire?
Paul previously hosted Media Watch for a season in 2000 when Jonathan Shier was ABC Managing Director. Following a controversial on-air interview with then ABC Chairman Donald MacDonald, his contract for Media Watch was not renewed and Media Watch was taken off air. Under new management the program returned to ABC Television in 2002.
Barry also presented Media Watch briefly in 2010 while Jonathan Holmes was on annual leave.
It was a successful stint, which included a widely acclaimed report that revealed a Seven News journalist had used deception in a story alleging lack of security for the Commonwealth Games in India.
Following his fill in stint at Media Watch, Paul Barry went on to be senior writer at The Power Index an online site published by Private Media, owners of Crikey.
Paul Barry spent 2012 -13 with his family in Brittany, France writing his latest book about Rupert Murdoch's business empire. Titled "Breaking News-Sex, Lies and the Murdoch Succession", the book will be published in the latter half of 2013.
Paul Barry's first program back in the Media Watch chair is 8th July 2013
Disclosure: Paul Barry holds shares in Private Media.
