The Australian Press Council is to have a new Chairman - social activist and reforming lawyer Julian Disney.

Disney, described by The Bulletin a few years ago as one of Australia’s 100 smartest people,  takes up his position in January, after the incumbent, Professor Ken McKinnon, steps down.

Disney, with his reputation for championing social justice,  will have an interesting task ahead of him. Quite apart from all the changes that are upon the industry, there is continuing bad feeling and division within the council membership over the recent big cuts to the council, which resulted in a reduction in council members and in the body’s research effort.

As reported by The Australian, the cuts, imposed by the publishers that finance the council, did not best please McKinnon, who argued that media convergence justified an expanded council covering the whole industry, using the members of the Right to Know coalition as a starting point. Apparently there was little industry support for such an idea.

I have approached Disney for an interview. Watch this space.