Paul Bailey has announced he is stepping down as editor of The Australian Financial Review after 11 years to pursue other opportunities outside the business.
Bailey said: “It’s been a privilege to lead the Financial Review through one of its most challenging periods. It’s now in a commanding position, both editorially and commercially.
“It’s also been a privilege to lead the nation’s top business, finance and political journalists.
“After 18 years in senior roles at the Financial Review, it’s time for me to have a break and look at other opportunities.”
Editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury said Bailey’s editorship of the Financial Review had been critical in guiding Australia’s premium business, finance, economics and political publication through the intense disruption of the media industry and the shock of the pandemic.
During Bailey’s time as editor, the Financial Review has been transformed from a newspaper-dominated publication to a growing and market-leading premium digital subscription masthead that retains a high-quality newspaper.
“Paul is an absolute media professional,” Stutchbury said. “After more than a decade of our close professional relationship, it will be wrenching to see him go. But the entire Financial Review newsroom will wish him the best in his next pursuits.”
Left and right: AFR editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury with Paul Bailey
James Chessell, Nine Entertainment’s managing director for publishing, said: “I’ll miss Paul’s constancy, expertise and dry sense of humour. Few people have done more to make the Financial Review the influential and successful masthead it is today. His track record speaks for itself.”
Paul Bailey joined the Financial Review in 2004 as deputy editor, overseeing the masthead’s foreign bureaux and its Canberra coverage, and held the post of managing editor from 2009.
After being appointed to the editorship in 2011, he departs as the Financial Review’s longest-serving editor.
Bailey previously was news editor of 9News Sydney, editor-in-chief and editor of The Bulletin, deputy editor, news editor and chief of staff at The Sydney Morning Herald. Before that he was a reporter on the Herald as environment writer, he won two Walkley awards, including the Gold Walkley.
The position of Financial Review editor will now be advertised internally and externally, and an announcement will be made in due course. Bailey will finish in December.
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Top image: Paul Bailey