Stan Grant has announced he’s stepping down from the ABC to move into a university role after a turbulent year.
The journalist has been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Constructive Institute Asia Pacific at Monash University after leaving a nearly four decade media career.
The move comes just months after Grant walked away from hosting duties on the ABC’s QandA program, citing racist abuse as the reason behind his departure from the show.
Mr Grant hosted his final episode of the current affairs panel show in May, during which he said: “I am down right now, but I will get back up”.
It also followed backlash over comments made during the ABC’s coverage of King Charles III’s coronation, which included discussions of republicanism and criticism of the monarchy.
Grant said that the move was an “incredibly exciting opportunity”.
“It aligns with my values and draws on my 40 years in journalism, as well as my commitment to doing public interest journalism better in a way that serves the public at a time when the stakes couldn‘t be higher for our country and for the world,” Grant said.
Monash said that Grant’s appointment was a part of its “wider agenda” to address misinformation in today’s media environment, which it described as “one of the key social problems of the modern age”.
“There is no better person to lead the advocacy for a more solutions-focused, democratic approach to journalist,” Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Katie Stevenson said.
“Beyond the Institute‘s mission, our media students will have the privilege of drawing upon Stan’s rich experience and knowledge of media, and his passion to change news culture for the better.”
More to come.