Davies has ledThe Herald since 2017,helping the country’s oldest masthead grow its audience to more than eight million readers.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s editor Lisa Davies has resigned.Jessica Hromas
“After almost five years in the best job in journalism,I have decided it’s time to move on,” Davies said. “It has been an immense privilege to lead this newsroom,which is full of talented and passionate individuals wholly committed to delivering news our readers can trust - day in,day out.
“The last two years in particular have tested us all in ways we couldn’t have imagined so as things return to a more even keel,the time feels right for me to look towards what’s next.”
Davies joined theHerald as a crime editor in 2012 after seven years at News Corp-owned tabloid,The Daily Telegraph. She began as theHerald’s editor in 2017 and has led the masthead through some of its most significant periods,including the 2018 merger of Fairfax Media and Nine Entertainment Co,the national bushfire crisis and most recently the coronavirus pandemic.
In her time leading the masthead,theHerald’s audience has grown from 5.5 million readers to 8.4 million,according to 2017 data from Enhanced Media Metrics Australia and the most recent figures from new measurement provider,Roy Morgan.
It has been an immense privilege to lead this newsroom,which is full of talented and passionate individuals.
Lisa Davies
The Herald’s deputy editor,Cosima Marriner,will act as editor until a replacement is found. A recruitment process will be conducted and will consider internal and external candidates.
The Herald and The Age’s executive editor,Tory Maguire,thanked Davies for her passion and dedication to the role.
“Over her five years as editor she led her team through the major disruption of the restructure,held the newsroom together during the biggest challenges of the pandemic,and was a crucial part of the huge team effort to ensure the long-term success ofThe Sydney Morning Herald,” Maguire said.
“I’m sure whatever Lisa does next will see her continue to make a big contribution to the fabric of Sydney life.”
That the Herald has enjoyed an uninterrupted period of success ... is due in large part to Lisa’s leadership,passion and vision.
James Chessell
Nine’s managing director of publishing,James Chessell,said Davies had been key in the creation of high-quality journalism and had overseen a culture of stability in the newsroom. “It is easy to forget that Lisa took over the editorship of theHerald during one of the crises that used to befall the newsroom every couple of years.”
“That theHerald has enjoyed an uninterrupted period of journalistic success and editorial growth since then is due in large part to Lisa’s leadership,passion and vision. Lisa has lived and breathed theHerald since arriving almost ten years ago,re-establishing the masthead’s voice in the conversations that matter in Sydney and nationally,” he said.
Davies’ resignation is the latest of several changes to the newsrooms of theHerald andTheAge. Former executive editor,James Chessell,is now Nine’s managing director of publishing,and Maguire was elevated from her role as national editor to executive editor in July. The changes were made following the departure of Nine’s chief digital and publishing officer,Chris Janz. The Herald is also searching for an editor forThe Sun-Herald.
Our Breaking News Alertwillnotify you of significant breaking news when it happens..