The press we had to have? Henry Mayer and the press in Australia: argument, reception, impact

2014 Henry Mayer Lecture. Published 50 years ago, Henry Mayer’s The Press in Australia – still the most comprehensive analysis of Australia’s daily papers and their critics – remains a landmark in the study of the Australian press. This article lays out the book’s main arguments, recalls the way it was received, and offers an assessment of its impact on teaching in the universities, on academic research and on the newspaper industry.