David Marr (journalist)

David Ewan Marr FAHA (born 13 July 1947) is an Australian journalist, author and progressive political and social commentator.

His areas of expertise include the law, Australian politics, censorship, the media and the arts.

He writes for The Monthly, The Saturday Paper and Guardian Australia.

Marr attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School in North Sydney and subsequently graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1971.

While at university, he was a resident of St Paul's College.

He worked for a time as an articled clerk at the law firm Allen, Allen and Hemsley, and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor before turning to journalism.

Marr began as a journalist working for The Bulletin magazine and The National Times newspaper in 1972 before being appointed editor in 1980.

During this period, he oversaw publication of the articles by David Hickie, which detailed long-suppressed allegations of corruption against former New South Wales premier Robert Askin.

In 1980 Marr published his first book, Barwick, a hostile biography of Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick.

It won the NSW Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, but was received poorly by its subject, who accused the author of fabricating quotes.

The first article, headlined "Askin: friend of organised crime", was famously published on the day of Askin's funeral in 1981.

Marr was a reporter on the ABC TV program Four Corners (1985, 1990–91), a role in which he won a Walkley Award, and presenter of Radio National's Arts Today program (1994–1996).

During his term as presenter of Media Watch he played a key role in exposing the ongoing cash for comment affair, which Media Watch had first raised in 1999, concerning radio commentators Alan Jones and John Laws.

From 2002 to 2004, he hosted the ABC TV program Media Watch.

He was a frequent guest on ABC TV's Insiders program.

In 2002 Marr stated on Media Watch that conservative newspaper columnist Janet Albrechtsen had misquoted a French psychiatrist, Jean-Jacques Rassial, and claimed that she had done this deliberately to make it look as though violence and gang rape were institutionalised elements of the culture of Muslim youths.

Albrechtsen did not deny the misquote, but responded by accusing Media Watch of inherent left-wing bias and of deliberately leading a witch-hunt against contrary views.

In 2004 the program's exposé of Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) head David Flint – who had written letters of support to Jones at a time when Jones was being investigated by the ABA – played a significant role in forcing Flint's resignation.

When the Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan, appointed Albrechtsen to the board of the ABC in February 2005, Marr publicly questioned whether she was qualified for such a position in light of what he described as "breaches of proper conduct as a commentator and as a journalist".

In 2008 Marr was named by Same Same as one of the 25 most influential gay and lesbian Australians for his coverage of the Bill Henson case.

Marr has advocated drug law reform and has written candidly about his life experiences: "I've had a lot of fun on drugs ... I've had a lot of marvellous experiences. I've danced a lot. I've had a great time. I'm not ashamed of it. And I don't see what's wrong with it."

Marr resigned from The Sydney Morning Herald on 13 July 2012, saying "People underestimate what a deeply conventional person I am. I'm turning 65 and that feels like the right time to go."

However, in April 2013, Marr joined Guardian Australia.

In 2013, Marr penned the essay (later expanded to a book) The Prince: Faith, Abuse and George Pell about Cardinal Pell's dealing with Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Pell, wrongfully convicted of sexual abuse in 2019, was acquitted in 2020.

In 2020 Marr appeared in episode 3 of ABC's series Revelation.

Marr appeared as a semi-regular panellist on the ABC television programs Q&A and Insiders until 2020.