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John Patrick Kennedy OBE (7 June 1926 – 20 March 1994) was a New Zealand Catholic journalist who served as the editor of the weekly Catholic newspaper The New Zealand Tablet from 1967 to 1989.[1]
Born in Methven, Canterbury, Kennedy was educated at St Bede's College and at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. He also worked as a journalist for several newspapers including the Christchurch Star-Sun and the Melbourne-based The Herald, before returning to New Zealand to become the editor of The Tablet in Dunedin. During his work as a journalist, he won several awards including the Cowan Memorial Prize for Good Journalism in 1947 and the Kemsley Empire Scholarship for Journalism in 1950.[2] In the 1974 New Year Honours, Kennedy was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to journalism.[3] In 1981 he published a book entitled "Straight from The Shoulder" about developments in New Zealand society, broadcasting and politics. Kennedy was known for his socially-conservative stance on issues like abortion.[4] During his career as editor of Tablet, he also had a close friendship with Prime Minister Robert Muldoon and the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children president Des Dalgety. During the Muldoon era, The Tablet adopted a pro-Muldoonist editorial standpoint and Muldoon himself contributed several articles. Muldoon himself supported The Tablet's position on private schools.[5]
Kennedy was also anti-Communist and was critical of Prime Minister David Lange's anti-nuclear policies, which he saw as weakening the ANZUS alliance and benefiting the Soviet Union. According to peace activist Maire Leadbeater, Kennedy passed information on left-wing groups like the Philippines Solidarity Group to the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, the country's main domestic intelligence agency.[6]
Kennedy died on 20 March 1994.[7] Following Kennedy's death, the Tablet struggled to maintain the level of support it had during his editorship. The newspaper ceased publication in April 1996.[1]
Kennedy married Colleen McAleer. They had seven children together.[8][9]
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