The Monthly
 May 2007 |
|
| Editor | Ben Naparstek |
|---|---|
| Categories | News magazine |
| Frequency | 11 |
| Publisher | Morry Schwartz |
| First issue | May 2005 |
| Company | Black Inc. |
| Country |  Australia |
| Language | Australian English |
| Website | themonthly.com.au |
| ISSN | 1832-3421 |
The Monthly is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis excepting the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer Morry Schwartz.[1] The publisher is also director of Black Inc., which publishes non-fiction books and the political journal Quarterly Essay.
Contents |
[edit] Contributors
Contributors have included Mark Aarons, John Birmingham, Richard Flanagan, Robert Forster, Helen Garner, Kerryn Goldsworthy, Ramachandra Guha, Gideon Haigh, Clive James, Paul Kelly, Amanda Lohrey, Mungo MacCallum, Shane Maloney, Robert Manne, Drusilla Modjeska, Kevin Rudd, Tim Soutphommasane and Don Watson.
[edit] Features
[edit] Essays
The magazine generally publishes essays 3000 to 6000 words long. The cover stories “Being There”, Mark McKenna's investigation of key Australian historian Manning Clark, and “Wendi Deng Murdoch”, Eric Ellis's profile of the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch were around 10000 words long[2] .
Early in 2006, The Monthly published "Information Idol: How Google is making us stupid" by Gideon Haigh and “The Tall Man: Palm Island's Heart of Darkness” by Chloe Hooper. Both pieces shared the 2006 John Curtin Prize for Journalism. Hooper's piece went on to win the 2006 Walkley Award for Magazine Feature Writing.
The Monthly has published in depth essays that have impacted on Australian politics and politicians. "The Outcast of Camp Echo: The Punishment of David Hicks" by Alfred W McCoy, "Faith in Politics" by Kevin Rudd, and "Gunns: Out of Control" by Richard Flanagan have given wider attention to the issues raised beyond the readership of the magazine.[3][4][5][6]
50000 copies of the essay "Gunns: Out of Control" were reprinted for letterboxing in the electorates of Australia's environment minister and opposition environment spokesperson by businessman Geoffrey Cousins who decided to mount a campaign against a proposed Tasmanian pulp mill after reading it in The Monthly[7][8][9][10].
[edit] Arts and Letters
The Monthly contains an Arts and Letters section with independent reviews on books, film, music, theatre, TV, fashion, art and architecture. Regular contributor, Robert Forster won the 2006 Pascall Prize for Critical Writing for his popular music criticism in The Monthly.
[edit] The Nation Reviewed
A section at the front of the magazine consisting of a national round-up in a handful of articles, each around 1000 words. This section is an acknowledgment to the former businessman Gordon Barton who founded a weekly newspaper titled Nation Review.
[edit] Encounters
At the back of the magazine there is a one page story recalling an unlikely but real historical meeting between two famous individuals, for example Errol Flynn & Fidel Castro. Encounter is written by Shane Maloney.
[edit] Controversy
[edit] April 2009 editorial change
The Monthly announced Sally Warhaft's resignation as editor on 22 April 2009 and advertised for a replacement.[11] One week later, Jonathan Green, editor of Crikey, alleged that Warhaft's resignation was due to serious and repeated fallings-out with Morry Schwartz and contributor and editorial board member Robert Manne.[12] Warhaft's deputy David Winter also resigned almost immediately. Journalist David Marr said that Manne had attempted to commission stories from him without Warhaft's knowledge and against her plans and Warhaft was also publicly supported by contributors Don Watson and her former partner Gideon Haigh.[13][14]
Schwartz denied both that Warhaft was critical to the magazine and that Manne had undue influence over him as its publisher.[13] Contributor Mark Aarons also described her editorial talent as not mature.[15] Manne responded to media coverage on the 30th stating that the media was relying extensively on sources close to Warhaft and was thus misrepresenting the breakdown of her relationship with the editorial board, and provided his own account of it.[16]
23 year old Ben Naparstek was appointed as Warhaft's replacement in May 2009.[17]
[edit] References
- ^ "Inside Business - 14/05/2005: Developer lays foundation for Monthly success". Abc.net.au. 2005-05-14. http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/content/2005/s1368585.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Media Watch: Spiked! (07/05/2007)". Abc.net.au. 2007-05-03. http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1916646.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Lateline - 14/05/2007: Monthly Magazine celebrates second birthday". Abc.net.au. 2007-05-14. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s1922845.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Lateline". ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1753915.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Hicks subjected to most extreme CIA torture, expert says. 14/06/2006. ABC News Online". Abc.net.au. 2006-06-14. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1662258.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Lateline - 28/08/2007: Tony Jones talks to Geoffrey Cousins". Abc.net.au. 2007-08-28. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2017066.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Pulp mill fight moves into MPs' backyards - Environment". smh.com.au. 2007-08-28. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/pulp-mill-fight-moves-into-mps-backyards/2007/08/27/1188067034453.html. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Garrett hedges bets on mill - Environment". smh.com.au. 2007-08-29. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/garrett-hedges-bets-on-mill/2007/08/28/1188067111434.html. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Celebrity movement not run of the mill | The Australian". Theaustralian.news.com.au. 2007-08-29. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22325256-5013404,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Vision Ltd: Turnbull yes to mess for 50 years - Alan Ramsey - Opinion". Smh.com.au. 2007-10-06. http://www.smh.com.au/news/alan-ramsey/vision-ltd-turnbull-yes-to-mess-for-50-years/2007/10/05/1191091360751.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ Jeffrey, James (2009-04-27). "Head for the hills". The Australian (News Limited). http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25389291-25090,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- ^ Green, Jonathan (2009-04-29). "The Monthly to get its Manne after Warhaft exits". Crikey. http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20090429-Monthly-to-get-its-Manne-as-Warhaft-exits.html. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- ^ a b Coslovich, Gabriella (2009-04-30). "Magazine meltdown: editor fired, deputy walks, writers quit". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). http://www.smh.com.au/national/magazine-meltdown-editor-fired-deputy-walks-writers-quit-20090429-anf6.html. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- ^ Haigh, Gideon (2009-05-02). "When the media is the story". The Age (Melbourne: Fairfax Media). http://www.theage.com.au/national/when-the-media-is-the-story-20090501-aqa3.html. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
- ^ Overington, Caroline (2009-04-29). "The intro that signalled the end of mag's editor". The Australian (News Limited). http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25402313-7582,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- ^ Manne, Robert (2009-04-30). "Robert Manne: the true history of The Monthly bustup". Crikey. http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20090430-Robert-Manne-the-true-history-of-The-Monthy-bust-up.html. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- ^ Overington, Caroline (2009-05-23). "'Perfect editor' Ben Naparstek takes The Monthly's reins at 23". The Australian (News Limited). http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25524912-7582,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
