Matt Peacock is an Australian journalist and author who has worked for Australia's ''ABC News'' in television and radio since 1973,Dan Harrison,
ABC elects staffer Peacock as director
, ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...

'' (22 April 2013). authoring a critically lauded book on the

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

industry during that time, and becoming a staff-elected director of the network. Peacock "began his career with the ABC in 1973 as a trainee with the TV current affairs program ''

This Day Tonight ''This Day Tonight'' (TDT) was an Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) evening current affairs program from 1967 to 1978. Founding When ''TDT'' premiered in 1967 it was the first regular nightly current affairs program on Australian TV, an ...

''". In 1979, he wrote a prize-winning radio program on the

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

town of

Baryulgil Baryulgil is a rural locality in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. The locality is on the Clarence River (New South Wales), Clarence River in the Clarence Valley Council local government area. History According to the Geographical Names ...

, where the health of the local Aborigines had been affected by the local

manufacturing industry. Peacock became the chief political correspondent for current affairs radio in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, and worked as a

foreign correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

in the United States in the early 1990s (in Washington, D.C. from 1990 to 1992 and New York City in 1993), and in London from 2001 to 2003. Over the course of his career, he "played a pivotal role in uncovering the corruption and spin of the asbestos industry over three decades, and his story was told in the mini series ''

Devil's Dust ''Devil's Dust'' is a two-part Australian television docu-drama mini-series on the ABC which first screened in 2012. Based on journalist Matt Peacock's 2009 book '' Killer Company'', ''Devil's Dust'' was researched and developed by producer S ...

'' which screened on ABC TV in 2012".ABC board member Matt Peacock confirms he is in 'redundancy pool'
, ''The Guardian'' (26 November 2014). In 2013, Peacock became the first staff-elected director of ABC following reinstatement of that position by the new Australian government. As a board member, he participated in deciding where $254 million should be cut from ABC's budget; in 2014, he learned that he was facing termination as a redundant employee, under the same budget cuts. In 2015, after ''ABC News'' faced criticism for allowing

Zaky Mallah Zaky Mallah is an Australian who pleaded guilty to threatening to kill officers of ASIO or DFAT. In 2011 Mallah travelled to Syria to film the Syrian Civil War, declaring himself in support of the Free Syrian Army. In 2015 he was controversia ...

to ask a question on the ABC program ''Q&A'', Peacock wrote an email urging ''ABC News'' staff to "maintain our statutory commitment to fearless, impartial and independent coverage", while asking "my colleagues at

News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...

to resist pressure to mount unfair and provocative attacks on their fellow journalists".

''Killer Company'' and ''Devil's Dust''

Beginning in 1977, Peacock engaged in a lengthy investigation of the use of harmful

fibre in building materials produced by

James Hardie Industries James Hardie Industries plc is a global building materials company and the largest global manufacturer of fibre cement products. Headquartered in Ireland, it is a dual-listed company, being listed on the Australian and New York Stock Exchanges. ...

, culminating in his 2009 the book, '' Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed''. In the book, Peacock documents how Hardie's practices "led to the deaths of thousands of workers and customers, who were never informed of the dangers", resulting in medical abnormalities, such as

asbestosis Asbestosis is long-term inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis, scarring of the human lung, lungs due to asbestos, asbestos fibers. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest pain, chest tightness. Complications may include ...

.Angela Welsh
Review: Killer Company
''The Walkley Foundation'', 27 October 2009. According to Peacock, James Hardie Industries circumvented the rules and regulations designed to protect the community from serious health hazards. Peacock states that "Hardie embarked on a cold, calculated strategy to maximise profits, minimise compensation and conceal the culprits". ''Killer Company'' was a finalist for the

Walkley Walkley is a suburb of Sheffield, England, west of Burngreave, south of Hillsborough and north-east of Crookes. The area consists mainly of Victorian stone-fronted terraced housing and has a relatively high student population. It also has a ...

non-fiction book of the year in 2009. In 2012, ''

'', a docudrama based on ''Killer Company'', was released, with

Ewen Leslie Ewen Leslie (born 27 July 1980) is an Australian stage, film and television actor. Career Theatre His first work on Sydney stages was performing at the Old Fitzroy Hotel theatre in Woolloomooloo. In 2007 he was cast by Philip Seymour Hoffma ...

portraying Peacock.

References

External links

ABC News page on Matt PeacockPersonal website of Matt Peacock
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peacock, Matt Living people Date of birth missing (living people) Australian journalists Year of birth missing (living people) Australian non-fiction crime writers