Sat,18th, July 2026: Prof. Andrew Dodd Professor of Journalism, Uni Melb; On Derryn Hinch’s Passing.
Nevena and Macca are joined live on air by Professor Andrew Dodd Professor of Journalism, Uni Melb; On Derryn Hinch’s Passing.
Few Australian media figures have been as divisive—or as influential—as Derryn Hinch. A broadcaster,
newspaper columnist, television host, campaigner and senator, Hinch built a career on exposing injustice,
challenging authority and often testing the limits of journalism itself.
Following his recent passing, Professor Andrew Dodd from the University of Melbourne joins us to reflect on Hinch’s complicated legacy and what it tells us about Australian media today.
Derryn Hinch was one of Australia's most recognisable media personalities, earning the nickname ;the Human Headline; through decades in radio, television and print journalism.
Throughout his career, Hinch became known for an unapologetically campaigning style of journalism. He
championed victims of crime, pushed for tougher laws around child sex offenders, challenged suppression
orders and repeatedly argued that the public’s right to know should outweigh legal restrictions.
His career was also marked by controversy.
He was imprisoned for contempt of court after breaching suppression orders, dismissed from broadcasting roles on multiple occasions and criticised for blurring the line between reporting, opinion and activism.
In 2016, Hinch entered federal politics, serving as a Senator for Victoria and continuing many of the campaigns
that had defined his media career.
In his The Conversation article, Professor Andrew Dodd argues that Hinch represented a distinctive model of
journalism—one fuelled less by strict notions of objectivity than by a deeply personal sense of justice. Dodd
suggests Hinch's principles were "imperfect" because they often conflicted with established legal and
journalistic norms, yet they were driven by a genuine belief that journalism should challenge power and
advocate for those who lacked a voice.
Andrew has been a radio, TV, print and on-line journalist. He’s worked with ABC television and was a media and business writer with The Australian. He was also a broadcaster with community radio, Radio Netherlands and ABC Radio National, where he presented many of the network’s programs and founded the Media Report. He has written for several other publications and was a media writer for crikey.com.au. He was the journalism program director at Swinburne University and is now the Director of the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative at the University of Melbourne. He is the founding editor of The Junction (https://junctionjournalism.com).
The post Sat,18th, July 2026: Prof. Andrew Dodd Professor of Journalism, Uni Melb; On Derryn Hinch’s Passing. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.