Stan Grant spoke to the delegates at Cannes in Cairns in his first public appearance since stepping down from the ABC. Grant’s speech ended with a standing ovation from the crowd.
Delegates flooded into the Cairns Convention Centre’s largest room, to hear Grant’s keynote. However, following serious and credible threats on his life, Grant was advised not to travel to Tropical North Queensland and instead spoke via a video link.
Grant told the audience that, after 40 years in journalism, he was covered in the “stench” of media and that he believed the constantly on 24-hour news cycle and social media were locked in a constant game of one-upmanship, seeing who can seed the most division and hatred in a battle for eyeballs over truth.
He also said that he would be taking time out of journalism and reconnecting with Wiradjuri roots.
Watch the full address below.
