Journalist had power to ‘utterly destroy’ surgeon, court told

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Journalist had powerfulness to ‘utterly destroy’ surgeon, tribunal told

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An investigative writer has been accused of cherry-picking patients who had superior complications and ignoring accounts by those with affirmative experiences for a bid of stories that examined the aesculapian signifier of renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis.

Charlotte Grieve of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald connected Wednesday defended the extent and fairness of her reporting arsenic she was cross-examined for a 2nd day successful the Federal Court successful Sydney by Al Muderis’ barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC.

Barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC (left), and surgeon Munjed Al Muderis (centre) extracurricular the Federal Court successful September.

Chrysanthou told the defamation proceedings that Grieve had been successful a presumption of powerfulness arsenic a writer for a nationalist media corporation, and her stories had the quality to “utterly destruct a person”.

But Grieve told the proceeding that the sum was successful the nationalist involvement and that she had acceptable retired to research however the celebrated surgeon worked and marketed himself, including allegations that lone patients with glowing accounts of their dealings with Al Muderis were invited to talk successful waiting rooms and springiness testimonials to imaginable caller patients.

“It was looking into what happens erstwhile this country goes incorrect … are these complications normal? What is this country and ... however is it marketed?” Grieve said.

“I judge we did summarise the benefits of osseointegration, and we went to large lengths to admit that your lawsuit has done unthinkable things for galore people.”

Investigative writer Charlotte Grieve (left) extracurricular the Federal Court connected Tuesday.

Osseointegration country involves inserting titanium pins into the residual bony of an amputated limb to alteration a prosthetic to beryllium connected.

Asked wherefore patients who contacted her and gave glowing reviews astir Al Muderis were ignored, Grieve said she interviewed galore patients implicit 3 months.

“Lots didn’t spell in; tons did,” she said. “We had to constrictive it down.”

The tribunal antecedently heard that Al Muderis successfully operated connected Lisa Schaeffer, who flew to Australia from the United States for an osseointegration procedure.

The tribunal heard Schaeffer said the cognition changed her beingness and Chrysanthou asked wherefore Grieve omitted this from her reporting.

“She gave you a wholly affirmative relationship ... Why didn’t she extremity up successful the article?” Chrysanthou asked connected Wednesday.

Grieve said the intent of contacting Schaeffer was not to interrogation her astir her treatment, but alternatively verify claims that edifice rooms were being utilized arsenic clinics oregon to clasp meetings with imaginable patients.

The tribunal earlier heard Schaeffer aboriginal filed a ailment astir Al Muderis and said the surgeon did not promptly respond to her concerns.

Al Muderis is suing The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes implicit reports published and broadcast successful September 2022. He alleges the reports convey a scope of defamatory meanings, including that helium negligently performed osseointegration country and provided inadequate aftercare.

Nine, the proprietor of the media outlets being sued, is seeking to trust connected a scope of defences including a caller nationalist involvement defence, information and honorable opinion.

During the months-long defamation trial, 60 Minutes newsman Tom Steinfort and shaper Natalie Clancy volition springiness grounds successful coming days.