KEY POINTS:
Michael Forbes, editor, newspaper executive. Died aged 73.
Michael Forbes, who spent nearly 50 years in newspapers, attracted national attention in 1978. As the editor of the Christchurch Star he took on the then Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon.
"Sack Muldoon," he wrote in an editorial. "Mr Muldoon has to go - and the sooner the better for New Zealand's future wellbeing."
It was advice the pugnacious Prime Minister, then part way through his 1975-84 tenure, was not used to hearing. And it did not help Forbes' reputation with National supporters that his alternative leader was the maverick Hamilton Member of Parliament Mike Minogue.
Not surprisingly, Muldoon did not go. But Forbes did resign from the paper he had begun his career with 20 years earlier in the reporters room. The NZ News chairman, Mr G.T. Upton announced at the company's annual meeting in Auckland that Forbes' resignation was regretted. Forbes had decided to look farther afield while he was still young.
The matter was raised in Parliament. There were allegations of political influence being used, and denials. A staff meeting of 400 Star employees voted to ask the board to invite Forbes to withdraw his resignation. Four days later Forbes announced he was again editor.
The later career of Michael Forbes, including as managing editor, chief executive and managing director of New Zealand News, was somewhat coloured by the declining fortunes of afternoon newspapers. And he was clearly upset when the briefly published morning daily the Auckland Sun, which he conceived and launched as New Zealand's first new daily newspaper in 30 years, was closed ahead of the also struggling Auckland Star.
He retired in 1998 after 3 1/2 years as editor of the Sunday Star-Times, writing a personal letter to each of the staff and having touched the lives of hundreds of journalists.
Forbes had been in ill health for some years.
