Journalist Paul Barry has announced he’ll be leaving the ABC’s Media Watch program at the end of the year. Barry has hosted the show that calls Australia media to account for eleven years.
“It’s a great privilege to host Media Watch and I’ve enjoyed it enormously,” Barry said in a statement on Thursday.
“But I’ve been in the hot seat for 11 years and it’s time to give someone else a go.”
Barry is the long running program’s longest serving host, following founding presenter Stuart Littlemore who helmed the show for nine years when it first launched in 1989.
Over the years Monica Attard, Liz Jackson, David Marr and Jonathon Holmes have been some of the memorable presenters casting judgement and scorn on wayward journalists in print, online, on radio and television.
The show has often been praised for exposing sub-par standards and misleading reporting, but came into criticism in 2023 over their coverage of transgender issues.
While’s he’s calling it quits at the end of the year, Barry took to social media to note that there’s still a “lot of fun” to be had before he steps down.
The ABC have said a new host will be announced at a later date.
