Sacked HWT editor was the 'architect of his own demise'

THE prospect of various organs of the news media snarling at each other is entirely unedifying, but when the editor-in-chief of the nation's biggest-selling metropolitan daily newspaper sues his former employer for nearly $2.8 million it goes beyond the customary navel-gazing.

Last week, the former editor-in-chief of theHerald Sun, Bruce Guthrie, lodged his unfair-dismissal affidavit in the Supreme Court and last Saturday this newspaper reported that a mysterious "third party" mentioned by Herald and Weekly Times (HWT) managing director Peter Blunden in his meeting with Guthrie was in fact Janet Calvert-Jones, the HWT chairwoman and sister of Rupert Murdoch, chief executive of the HWT's parent company, News Corp.

Blunden sent a letter to all HWT staff yesterday that said The Age report bore "no resemblance to the reasons behind Bruce Guthrie's removal as Herald Sun editor-in-chief.

"If and when I'm asked to do so, I will provide a comprehensive and compelling case for our decision to terminate his employment".

Blunden declined to comment further as "the issue is currently before the courts".

Tension between Blunden and Guthrie during less than two years as editor-in-chief has been widely reported, but what has not been canvassed is the extent to which Guthrie may have been the architect of his own demise.

Under Guthrie, Monday to Friday circulation fell from 525,000 to 518,000 and, according to HWT sources, he had not been working well with other managers in circulation, advertising and production.

"Guthrie has portrayed himself as a victim of interference by powerful people, such as (Police Commissioner) Christine Nixon or (News Corp chief executive) Rupert Murdoch," one source said. "He did the same with (former premier) Jeff Kennett when was stood down as editor of The Age in 1997. It wasn't the whole story then and it is not the whole story now."

Neither Guthrie nor Blunden have returned calls from The Age.