Paul Bailey promoted to editor-in-chief as Fairfax reshuffles business again
Paul Bailey
The editor of the Australian Financial Review (AFR) Paul Bailey has been promoted to the role of editor-in-chief of business at Fairfax Media, with oversight over the business sections of The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Age.
Bailey’s new position sees him replace James Chessell, a former deputy editor of the AFR who was last year promoted to the role of Fairfax’s editor – business and charged with bringing together greater cooperation and copy sharing between the BusinessDay business section of the SMH and Age with their sister publication the AFR. Chessell is moving overseas to establish a London bureau for the AFR.
Sean Aylmer group director, business media at Fairfax’s Australian Publishing Media announced the promotion to staff in an email this week: “Paul Bailey will take on the job as Editor-in-Chief, Business, effectively replacing James Chessell. Paul has been a mainstay of the AFR for several years, and has had stints at the Sydney Morning Herald, the Bulletin and Channel Nine.
What a mess. At least they’ve recognised Bailey, who is a true professional. The rest of it is a shambles of matrix management structure. Meanwhile, the AFR is sinking fast.
Deck chairs
No offense to Paul, who is a good operator, but How are any of these changes going to turn around the fast-sinking fortunes of the AFR? Shuffling deckchairs indeed.
The AFR should be the jewel in the crown of fairfax mastheads a la Wall St Journal, the FT , the Ecomomist. Instead it is barely viable (perhaps not even anymore). What’s going on?