Curious Worldview Joe Aston | From Rear Window to Rampart
Mar 9, 2026
Joe Aston, an Australian investigative business journalist and author who transformed AFR’s Rear Window and founded Rampart. He talks about literary influences and writing craft. He reflects on leaving a masthead to build a subscription-first media model. He also discusses sobriety, newsroom culture, and balancing journalism’s ethics with running a new media venture.
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Literary Influences Shaped His Column
- Joe Aston's writing is shaped heavily by novelists like William Boyd and US/UK literary influences, giving his journalism novelistic flair.
- He reads widely and credits specific authors (William Boyd, Donna Tartt, Jay McInerney) for impacting voice and rhythm in his columns.
Failed Novel Attempt Revealed His Workflow
- Joe tried writing a novel during leave in 2021 and found it a disaster because fiction lacks journalism's constant feedback loop.
- He locked himself in his study for 8–10 weeks, found the self-doubt crushing, and concluded he's temperamentally better suited to journalism.
Drinking Fueled Early Reporting And Sourced Leads
- Joe describes drinking as central to his early journalism life: lunch drinks unlocked sources and led to heavy afternoon drinking.
- He recounts being told to work from home in afternoons and that this culture was tolerated when he started at Fairfax in 2011.
