Phone hacking scandal just a ‘mishap’ in The Australian’s tribute to their boss Rupert Murdoch’s ‘creative mind’

Rupert Murdoch speaks to reporters in London in 2011 over phone hacking claims. ‘When it came to describing the great moral failure that was News International’s phone hacking scandal, Paul Kelly filed it under “mishaps and fallouts”.’ Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

The editor-at-large of The Australian, Paul Kelly, showed great skill in minimising the more negative aspects of Rupert Murdoch’s long career in his tribute published on Friday.

Tasked with writing about the boss, Kelly conceded Murdoch was a “polarising figure” but focused on his “creative mind”, “tenacious spirit” and “massive work ethic”.