Fairfax Media unveils senior editorial team

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Bridget Hope (Fairfax).

Fairfax Media has today confirmed its new editorial leadership team, as part of a transformation of its newsrooms aimed at enhancing local and national journalism across digital and print.

The new structure focuses on audiences across local regions and in specialist content areas:

  • Sarah Jarvis is appointed South Canterbury editor
  • In the Manawatu, Jonathon Howe takes up the regional editor position
  • Ryan Evans is appointed Taranaki regional editor
  • In the Nelson region, Victoria Guild takes up the regional editor role
  • Nicola Coburn is appointed editor, Marlborough region
  • Natasha Holland, Southland regional editor
  • Kamala Hayman is appointed deputy editor, Canterbury and Otago region

They will work under the four current regional editors-in-chief, who will lead newsrooms around the country to provide the very best in quality journalism and experiences for audiences on all platforms: Cathy O’Sullivan in Auckland, Jonathan MacKenzie in Waikato, Bernadette Courtney in Wellington and Joanna Norris in the southern region.

Topic specialists

Across the country, activity and resource will be organised into broad topic streams, including news, business, life and style, agriculture, politics and sport. These national portfolios will provide content across Fairfax publications and digital assets.

Bridget Hope has been appointed to the newly-established group editor, life role. Currently publishing director at SHP Magazines, Hope runs a suite of magazines in Singapore and Malaysia, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Weekly.

An award-winning journalist, she has 15 years’ experience directing and producing quality editorial content for leading international magazines.

Sinead Boucher, Fairfax Media’s executive editor, says Hope brings a wealth of skills and experience to the role.

“Bridget is well-known in New Zealand having edited and managed four women’s lifestyle magazine titles here. She’s full of great ideas to deliver excellent lifestyle products and content – and to maximise commercial opportunities and partnerships.”

Geoff Collett, appointed national life & style editor, will report to Hope.

Aaron Lawton has been appointed national sports editor. Ellen Read is already in place as national business editor, and – as previously announced – Jeremy Rees joins as national communities editor.

“We’re reinventing our newsrooms to serve the ever-shifting needs of digital media,” Boucher says. “It’s about redefining the way we work – and adapting our newsrooms to produce quality journalism for different audiences and across platforms.

“We’ll be able to draw more readily on the great content we produce from across New Zealand, and develop some really world-class innovative storytelling.

“I’m thrilled by the calibre and experience of our senior team.   This – and our array of quality local and national news – is unmatched, and we’re going to take greater advantage of it.”


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