News Corp national executive editor Peter Blunden honoured for work in media, spanning five decades

One of News Corp’s longest-serving newspaper editors recalls the biggest stories he encountered during his 48-year career. | LISTEN

News Corp national executive editor Peter Blunden has successfully piloted the most-read newspapers in the country over a career spanning almost five decades.

But the decorated newsman says there’s a universal work hazard that no editor can avoid when it comes to the printed product.

“Sometimes the best headlines come to you at 3 o’clock in the morning, when it’s too late,” he tells The Australian. “I’ve had that a lot of times and thought, ‘oh my god, I should’ve said that’, or ‘why did I say that’.

“The one thing you can’t do when you’re printing 600,000 copies of a newspaper is change something (the next day). Bad luck, it’s out there for all to see.”

But aside from editor’s 3am horrors, Blunden wouldn’t change a thing about his life in the news game.

“I’ve had a front-row seat to history,” the 65-year-old says.

Blunden says he was “hooked” on journalism from the moment he entered the industry 48 years ago, and reflects fondly on how times have significantly changed.

“I started in 1976 and in those days it was smokey, noisy, typewriters chattering away — it was a very dynamic business,” Blunden says.

“I’m a great believer in that you’re only as good as the people you work with.”

Peter Blunden in his office at Southbank, Melbourne in 2018. Picture David Geraghty / The Australian.

Blunden has been made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to journalism, particularly through the print media, and to the community.

Beginning his illustrious career at News Corp in Sydney as a cadet journalist, he has worked all around the country including as founding editor of The Weekend Australian Magazine in 1988, and editor of The Advertiser in Adelaide from 1990 to 1996.

He then moved to Melbourne and became editor of the nation’s highest selling weekday newspaper, the Herald Sun, from 1996 to 2001, before shifting to editor-in-chief of that masthead for another five years.

One of the most “daunting” challenges for Blunden was when he oversaw the introduction of colour into newspapers in 1992, while one of his proudest achievements was launching The Weekend Australian Magazine four years earlier.