The old guard returns to run Murdoch empire
Julian Clarke has long been a safe pair of hands for Mr Murdoch's News Corp, a man able to provide stability in troubled times.
"Murdoch's gone for generational change, except he's gone up rather than down," said Bruce Guthrie, who was sacked as editor of News' popular Melbourne tabloid, the Herald Sun, in 2008.
Mr Guthrie said he thought Mr Clarke would "warm the seat" for Mr Murdoch's son, Lachlan. "I think Clarke is just there to calm things down until Lachlan can get his house in order and he can make an emotional return to the job," he said.
"He's very considered, very diligent, very good on detail, but not a visionary. He's not a change agent - very much the opposite in a sense of Kim Williams."
In a statement to the Stock Exchange, Mr Murdoch praised Mr Clarke as "an experienced executive with a unique understanding of our company's culture, and the immense energy and clarity of vision necessary to drive our properties forward at this challenging time for all media in all countries".
Mr Guthrie said Mr Clarke was not enthusiastic about shifting content from newsprint to online.
"Probably one of the biggest flashpoints for me with Julian Clarke and Peter Blunden [ former editor-in-chief of the Herald Sun, published by the Herald & Weekly Times] was that I was a strong advocate for changing the content of the paper, because at some point we were going to have to ask people to pay and I didn't think the kind of journalism the Herald Sun was doing was the kind of journalism you could put behind a paywall," Mr Guthrie said.
An advertising man who started as a teenager at Standard Newspapers in 1960, Mr Clarke rose to general manager of newspapers at the Herald & Weekly Times before its takeover by News in 1987.
Following the takeover, Mr Clarke was sent to Brisbane to run News' Queensland operations. He returned to Melbourne in 1991 to take charge of all of the Herald & Weekly Times as managing director.
Well-regarded by employees, Mr Clarke spent 16 years at the helm before stepping down in favour of Mr Blunden in 2007.
His years at the top of the commercially dominant publisher earned him a gala farewell dinner at the National Gallery of Victoria attended by Mr Murdoch, his mother Dame Elisabeth, son Lachlan, politicians, sports stars and business leaders.
The then chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times, Mr Murdoch's sister Janet Calvert-Jones, told guests Mr Clarke had "made a wonderful contribution to our company", praising his "loyalty, his wisdom, his sense of humour and his patient persistence".
Mr Clarke's services were again required in 2009 when he was appointed chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times, replacing Mrs Calvert-Jones.
He and Mrs Calvert-Jones resigned as directors in June, as News shrank the company's board from six members to four.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Julian Clarke is a veteran media executive who began as a teenager at Standard Newspapers in 1960. He rose to general manager and later managing director of the Herald & Weekly Times, spent 16 years at the top before stepping down in 2007, and was appointed chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times in 2009. Rupert Murdoch has entrusted him with leadership responsibilities in Australia, and the article notes he turns 70 in November — making his return notable for investors watching News Corp’s Australian operations.
According to the article, Clarke is seen as a ‘safe pair of hands’: considered, diligent and strong on detail. Commentators describe him as providing stability in troubled times rather than being a visionary or a change agent — qualities that suggest steady, risk-averse leadership for News Corp’s Australian businesses.
Yes. In a statement to the Stock Exchange Rupert Murdoch praised Clarke as “an experienced executive with a unique understanding of our company’s culture, and the immense energy and clarity of vision necessary to drive our properties forward at this challenging time for all media in all countries.”
Observers quoted in the article suggest Clarke is not enthusiastic about shifting content from newsprint to online. Former Herald Sun editor Bruce Guthrie said Clarke resisted content changes that Guthrie believed were needed to put journalism behind a paywall, so investors should expect a cautious approach to digital transformation based on these comments.
Some commentators in the article think Clarke may be a stabilising figure who will ‘warm the seat’ until Lachlan Murdoch is ready to return to a more prominent role. The piece stops short of saying Clarke is a permanent successor, reflecting that this view is an interpretation offered by industry insiders.
Clarke was general manager at the Herald & Weekly Times before News’s 1987 takeover, was sent to Brisbane to run News’ Queensland operations, returned in 1991 as managing director of the Herald & Weekly Times, led the company for 16 years, stepped down in 2007 in favour of Peter Blunden, received a gala farewell attended by Murdoch family and leaders, and was later appointed chairman in 2009.
The article says Clarke was well regarded by employees and praised by the then-chair Janet Calvert-Jones for his loyalty, wisdom, sense of humour and patient persistence. At the same time, some industry figures like Bruce Guthrie respect his diligence but note he’s not considered a transformative or visionary leader.
Yes. Clarke replaced Janet Calvert-Jones as chairman in 2009, and later both he and Calvert-Jones resigned as directors in June when News reduced the Herald & Weekly Times board from six members to four.
Call 1300 880 160
Start a chat
Schedule a call
