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Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time looking back through old newspapers and old photographs, steeping myself in the history of the Herald. I spent an afternoon in our archives, a warehouse full of fascinating treasures – boxes of photographic negatives (which are in the process of being digitised), bound books of newspapers, and trinkets saved from newsrooms past.
To me, the most fascinating thing about the photos are the people. A moment of their lives was captured in an instant by a Herald photographer, and their faces now sit on the archive shelves. It’s a reminder that the Herald has thrived for almost 200 years because so many generations of Sydneysiders have trusted us with their stories.
Readers have always been deeply engaged with their Herald. I won’t even try to put a figure on the number of letters our letters page has been sent over the years – witty ones, complimentary ones, insightful ones, angry ones. They debate our reporting, our columnists and each other. These days, they share their views in online comments, too. The volume of letters and comments is a constant reminder of how engaged our subscribers are in our stories.
Our readers communicate directly with us, too, via email or letter – complimenting or challenging our reporting, offering an added insight, or tipping us off to stories. There have been many times, over the years, when the postman delivered a note or a document that has formed the basis of an award-winning investigation.
Every story we publish relies on people talking to us – public figures, experts, ordinary folk with a tale to tell. Many of our biggest stories could never have been told without sources who have been willing to open their hearts and risk retribution to make an important story public.
As we power towards our bicentenary, I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to you, our readers, for your loyalty, support and generosity.
This weekend, we’re celebrating our birthday with a liftout in the newspaper, and stories and videos in our digital edition. We’ll hear from some of our journalists about their most memorable moments; one of the Herald’s most experienced writers, Damien Murphy, will lead you on a walk through our history; and we’ll have birthday wishes from eminent Sydneysiders. We’ll show you some of our favourite photos.
We celebrated in the newsroom today, too. Kate McClymont missed the cake because she was in court, covering a story. One of her colourful contacts saw her, and said, “you must be bored”. She wasn’t, but she did find a moment to send those of us back in the office a birthday message about the Herald’s role in a changing world. “Journalism may be at a critical juncture with the eroding of the traditional means of delivering the news, but there is one thing for certain: there will always be a need for the kind of journalism the Herald provides,” she wrote.
“While the new media has profoundly altered the way our journalism is delivered, what hasn’t changed is the commitment of The Sydney Morning Herald to expose the secret handshake deals of politicians, the corrupting of tender processes, match fixing in sport or the stroke of a pen which can see a community park handed over to developers.
“Whatever the future of journalism may entail, however the news is delivered, one thing will remain the same: we won’t look the other way. And as for being bored: NEVER!”
The Herald has an extraordinary past, and it has a bright future. There will be many more birthdays to celebrate. The world is changing, technology is evolving; we have to be agile and flexible about the way we work, but our essence will not change. We still display the honour, candour and honesty that our founders promised in our very first issue, and we will deliver the insightful, unflinching and trustworthy coverage that our readers expect.
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