John Lehmann named editor of The Australian
Lehmann is the new editor of The Australian
John Lehmann has been named editor of The Australian, replacing Clive Mathieson, who departed the national broadsheet last week.
Lehmann is a former editor-at-large at The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph as well as the final editor-in-chief of news magazine The Bulletin before it closed in 2008.
Lehmann has written for titles such as The New York Post and Courier Mail as well as The Australian – which he rejoined earlier this year as deputy editor following the replacement of Chris Mitchell by Paul Whittaker.
I too would be drinking a lot of wine if I was put in charge of that sinking ship.
Lehmann ran the Saturday Telegraph into the ground with his pompous and pretentious two page spread which name-dropped his racing buddies constantly and even had details of the plonk he had drunk during the week under the heading Bottoms Up. He should have been sacked rather than kicked upstairs.
If his work on the Tele was any guide, he’ll do everything Paul Whittaker tells him to do, and Whittaker will never be challenged. No wonder he was appointed editor.
Lehmann is a gun journalist and loves a news story, a good start for any editor. I know because I’ve worked closely with him on and off for a few decades. And, unusually, he’s worked outside of the media running a business for a few years. A good choice