Editorโs Note: This story originally appeared in Volume 5 of B.H. Magazine. To get your copy (and access to future issues), subscribe here.
For more than a decade, Joe Aston was the man behind the Australian Financial Reviewโs Rear Window column, a daily section of the newspaper that struck fear into the hearts of Australiaโs business elite.
Witty, uncompromising, and capable of finding a story where others couldnโt (or wouldnโt), Astonโs Rear Window was responsible for the downfall of more than a handful of Australiaโs most powerful players, and led to the publishing of his new book, The Chairmanโs Lounge: The Inside Story of how Qantas Sold Us Out.
Now, Aston has left the AFR behind as he looks to establish his own media entity, Rampart. Less than a year into its journey, James Want caught up with the business columnist for a peek behind the curtain to see what goes into holding power to account, how sobriety has changed his life, and what to expect from his new solo venture.
B.H. Magazine: Youโve come a long way since the hedonistic Adventures of Joe Aston. How did it shape the voice that became so distinct in AFRโs Rear Window? And how conscious were you of building a persona?
Joe Aston: At that time, I was at a fairly disinhibited stage of my life, so I didnโt give it much thought, or I certainly hadnโt become as uncomfortable as I am today about being a persona or talking about my private life โ not that Iโm particularly secretive, it just feels a bit more like a wank these days. Iโm not sure it wouldโve even got off the ground if I tried it now. The people helping me build Rampart are constantly encouraging me to develop what they call a parasocial relationship with my audience, which doesnโt come naturally. Iโm not sure that had much to do with the voice in Rear Window, which was a distinct voice, but it wasnโt about me; it was about the subjects.
B.H.: Was there a moment early on when you realised Rear Window had serious sway and that people were genuinely afraid of ending up in it? It was impossible not to notice.
JA: What became really clear with the Alex Malley story in 2017 was that Rear Window had the power to deliver change in companies and leadership. That was a moment where I realised my journalism could have a big impact. That continued through with the resignation of the CEO and chairman of Rio Tinto, and then Alan Joyce, among others. Once I started on Murray Goulburn, Gary Helou, and Vocation stories, then Alex Malley, thatโs when it became clear my work was having an impact.
B.H.: Youโve always had access to high-powered people, but appear to have maintained a critical distance. How do you manage those relationships without compromising the authenticity of your writing?
JA: High-powered people are just like anyone else. Theyโve got the same insecurities, the same fears. So the great thing about having access to high-powered people is that you very quickly become unimpressed by high status, high wealth, and all the bells and whistles attached to it. If you want to hold power to account, you must be uncompromising and fearless as a journalist. It doesnโt come naturally to being a social animal. Weโre all social animals to some extent, in that we are not hardwired to have conflict with people we work with. Yet thatโs what journalism requires if itโs done properly, so itโs always been a real challenge for me. A lot of times, Iโve had to choose truth over personal relationships, and unfortunately, some personal relationships have not survived. Thatโs something I really struggled with for a long time. It takes a long time to be clear-eyed about how to handle that.
B.H.: Do you think people bring you close in order to neutralise you and avoid becoming a target? Has anyone ever tried to use access or friendship as leverage after the fact?
JA: Different people use different strategies. Iโm definitely aware of people who have sought to curry favour and give you information, hoping that means theyโll be too valuable to be a target themselves. Maybe thatโs sometimes true โ maybe theyโre smart, but itโs not always that simple. Iโve had friends try to influence my view on stories, and Iโll listen to anyoneโs perspective, but I donโt like being lobbied. You get people close to you saying, โthis personโs not so badโ, or โthat company hasnโt done the wrong thingโ, but itโs all part of the process. Youโve just got to keep your wits about you.
B.H.: Youโve been sober since 2019 โ how did that decision reshape Joe Astonโs on-page persona and your personal life?
JA: It certainly killed the Adventures of Joe Aston, as my life was too boring to be on the page, and my persona was too boring to be public. Obviously, it changed my personal life. I go to bed very early, and I stay home. I am not going to bars or big events, but thatโs for the best. I was living a life that was not sustainable, and I doubt Iโd still be here if I hadnโt got sober six years ago. I think itโs been great for my journalism because writing sober tends to be higher quality. The product you can produce โ the data and clarity, and thoroughness โ is greatly improved if you donโt drink four bottles of wine while writing each column.
B.H.: What made figures like Alan Joyce and Alex Malley such persistent targets? Was it just the stories, or something about how they responded?
JA: Big public figures perpetuate the story about themselves because they canโt help but respond. And when they do respond, theyโre in such a delusional state that whatever they say just makes it more newsworthy. Joyce responded to every criticism with commentary or actions that proved the point that he had lost the plot. Thatโs a gift because writing a column is a hungry beast; you have to keep feeding it. Joyce kept providing more material, so I kept writing. Characters like that come along once or twice a decade, and when they do, youโve got to make the most of it. Iโm still waiting for the next one.
B.H.: Were there ever moments where you felt pressure to hold back, due to your Editor, the masthead, or your own conscience?
JA: Yes, and people donโt realise they only see the stories I wrote. They donโt see the ones I didnโt. Some stories took weeks and months to write. The one about Hamish Douglas from Magellan took a long time because I really grappled with writing about the end of someoneโs marriage โ breaking that news is a really brutal thing to do. But it was relevant because ultimately that couple owned 12 per cent of a public company, and the end of their marriage meant those shares would have to be split and probably sold. In the end, they were, so it was proven to be in the public interest. There are lots of times where you grapple with the impacts on people of what youโre saying, and you have to know youโre doing it for the right reasons and that itโs justified even if itโs going to hurt people.
B.H.: Alan Joyce declined to participate in The Chairmanโs Lounge. Whatโs the one question you most wanted to ask him?
JA: I just wanted to know about his regrets. What Iโm really curious about is if heโs capable of recognising his mistakes, because he was such an incredible self-justifier. He was quite gifted in that department, and Iโm sure weโll find out soon as heโs reportedly writing a book.
B.H.: With your new media venture, Rampart, youโve moved from writing within a large organisation to running your own. Whatโs been the hardest part of that transition?
JA: At the moment, itโs fairly solitary. I miss the camaraderie and communal ideas generation in the AFR newsroom, which was frankly the best newsroom in the country, and I still talk to lots of the same people and discuss ideas with them. Hopefully, in time, Rampart will become a bigger organisation with other journalists and become more of a team effort. Also, you worry more about your finances when itโs your business and your responsibility. Is this sustainable? Will I be able to keep this going? Itโs only been four months, and thankfully, so far, the answer is yes.
B.H.: How does Rampart differ from your AFR work? Do you see Rampart scaling beyond your own voice, or is the draw still primarily you?
JA: I write very similarly to how I did at the AFR. The slight difference is that I donโt write every day; I write two to three times a week, and I go a bit deeper and spend more time on each article, which makes them better. Some are serious and others are for laughs, like I did at The Fin. Thereโs no doubt that people who have subscribed to Rampart have come primarily for me, but my ambition is that, over time, the publication will have multiple voices and will be more of an all-star cast. But weโll see. I was told you should write a business plan on day one, put it in a drawer and pull it out occasionally for a laugh. Because for all of the plans you have for a business, itโs very rare that things ever happen that way. Who knows, maybe itโll just be me even 10 years from now.
B.H.: How important is honest, sharp, and provocative criticism in a media landscape that has become increasingly cautious and advertiser-influenced?
JA: Well, I mean, Iโm talking my own book when I say itโs the most important thing of all. If youโre being brutal about it and you boil it down, youโd have to say that less than 10 per cent of all journalism produced every day in Australia is actually courageous and seeking to expose the truth, as opposed to basically repeating what someone told you, what someone wants you to say about them. Anyone can do that. I really do subscribe to George Orwellโs view that journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed and everything else is public relations.
B.H.: Lastly, The Chairmanโs Lounge is advertised all over the Qantas terminal. How many books have you sold to fascinated QF frequent flyers like myself?
JA: I thought that was a pretty smart billboard for my publisher to snap up. That ad has been very effective. My book has been an incredible seller, particularly at airports, and Iโm really grateful to all the people whoโve supported it. Itโs now sold 60,000 copies, and I could never have dreamed it would get that kind of uptake, but itโs a story that people really relate to.
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