© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

Mike Scanlon: history without cobwebs

It's disconcerting, but not really surprising, that very often as I sit down to write about some aspect of Hunter Valley history, I discover that Mike Scanlon has already been there and done that. Not surprising, because Mike has been working on Newcastle newspapers for more than 60 years with barely a break. Despite officially retiring 20 years ago, Mike keeps producing a weekly history column of remarkable verve and interest. By his own count he's produced about 1200 columns in his post-retirement career and he shows no sign of wanting to slow down. In conversation…

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Read more about the article When our watchdogs let us down
When "Freedom" means a billionaire's right-wing front organisation hijacking your paper's front page

When our watchdogs let us down

December 9, 2021 Opinion by Greg Ray The sight of those nonsensical black and yellow advertisements for mining magnate Clive Palmer's political spoiler organisation on the front page of my local newspaper is upsetting, I admit. When I saw them the first thing I wondered was, why does the newspaper accept advertising from that dreadful troll club? I've heard of instances, in the past, when newspaper owners stood on their dignity and refused to publish certain ads, arguing that they were harmful, misleading or beyond the pale in some other way. Might this not be one…

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Milton Merrilees, Newcastle press photographic legend

Among numerous fine photographers to be employed over many decades by the Herald and Sun daily newspapers in Newcastle, NSW, the name of Milton Merrilees stands out among the best. An extremely dedicated newsman and a passionate photographer, Merrilees was popular with workmates and the public alike, establishing a reputation as a gentlemanly but tenacious photo-journalist. He began working as a cadet photographer in 1937 and was pictorial editor for the Herald and the Sun when he retired in 1979. With a career that spanned the years of World War 2 he saw tremendous changes in…

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