On 10 October 2014 Ben became one of only 81 journalists in the history of newspapers in Victoria to be inducted into the Media Hall of Fame for his “outstanding contribution to Australian journalism. They include such diverse legends of journalism as Keith Murdoch (Rupert’s father, who alerted the world to the Gallipoli disaster), Wilfred Burchett (the first journalist to report from Hiroshima after the nuclear attack), Alfred Deakin (better known as the Father of Federation, but who also covered the hanging of Ned Kelly for The Age) and the author Cyril Pearl.

The 31 journalists inducted in 2014 included the political correspondents Laurie Oakes and Michelle Grattan, the cartoonist Ron Tandberg, radio personalities Phillip Adams and Neil Mitchell, TV journalist Jana Wendt, business commentator Alan Kohler, and the author and historian Les Carlyon, The guest of honour was News Corporation chief Robert Thomson, who was also inducted. The citation says that they “… helped shape the history of their organisation, their genre, their profession, city, state, nation and, in some cases, the world.”

For a full list of members of the Hall of Fame see www.melbournepressclub.com. A permanent exhibition of the Hall of Fame will be installed at the State Library of Victoria.