Fairfax Media to close BRW website with team joining new Leadership section at AFR
Less than three years after closing the magazine, Fairfax Media is shutting the BRW website, with users to be redirected to the Australian Financial Review’s new Leadership section.
Stories from BRW’s editorial archive are now accessible on afr.com, including the popular BRW lists – Rich 200, Young Rich and Fast 100 – which will continue to carry the BRW brand but published in the AFR.
The new Leadership franchise category, announced today, comes with a new editorial and commercial offering, spanning afr.com, print and events.
BRW launched in 1981 as Business Review Weekly under founding editor Robert Gottliebsen, with the title well known for its lists. It became a purely digital operation in October 2013 when the print magazine was closed.
Joanne Gray, editor of the AFR’s monthly magazine Boss, will take on additional responsibility as AFR Leadership editor, overseeing the expanded offering and building on the franchise developed by the AFR’s Boss magazine which will continue as a monthly newspaper insert magazine.
Current BRW editor Michael Bailey will become entrepreneur editor, driving the Leadership section’s coverage of “new thinking, big ideas and provocative reads for start-ups, venture capitalists, investors and leading entrepreneurial minds” across afr.com and a new Entrepreneur section in the newspapers on Thursdays.
Entrepreneur will complement the long-running technology section, edited by Paul Smith, in Tuesday’s paper.
In a statement, Bailey said: “Entrepreneurship and start-up culture are no longer just happening on the fringes of Australian business. Large corporates are taking inspiration from this dynamic sector and I’m pleased to be helping the Financial Review uncover the stories of these job creators.”
Said Gray, in a statement: “The demands on leaders are changing rapidly – the best leaders can help us reach our potential as individuals and organisations, collaborate more effectively, and create more opportunities for growth.
“At Financial Review Leadership we’re focused on finding great leaders and uncovering the skills that make them exceptional.”
The Leadership team will also include Boss content and social media editor Theo Chapman and writer Rachel Nickless, with Education editor Tim Dodd to drive the Monday Careers section. The team will also include Workplace editor Ewin Hannan, deputy Boss editor Patrick Durkin, BRW Rich List editor John Stensholt and Accounting director Agnes King.
The team will also draw on the Financial Review’s companies and markets team led by James Thomson.
The new section is set to launch on Monday, March 21 and will run across online and in print with the new dedicated Leadership sections in the AFR newspaper.
Sections in the newspaper include Leadership Careers as part of Monday’s Education section; Leadership on Tuesdays, including the syndicated column from the Financial Times’ Lucy Kellaway; and, the current Tuesday Enterprise section will become Leadership Entrepreneur on Thursdays.
The Leadership franchise at afr.com includes dedicated sections including management, careers, workplace, innovation and entrepreneur.
The new Leadership franchise will launch its Events series with the inaugural The AFR Business Summit in Melbourne on March 15 and 16.
Financial Review editor in chief Michael Stutchbury said in the statement: “The Financial Review Leadership franchise provides exciting new opportunities for advertisers to connect with our valuable, highly-engaged audience of thought leaders, C-suite executive decision makers, and the aspiring leaders of tomorrow.”
Miranda Ward
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I built the first BRW website in 1996 working with then editor Robin Bowerman. So sad to see it go.
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Have to say, I read the Page 3 Fin story this morning and didn’t understand a word of what they are offering. Is it pizzas? What do readers’ care about a “franchise’?
Classic case of a team too close to their subject to communicate what they are doing.
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Never did understand why they had two biz news brands so good to see they are focusing on AFR and that there will be more start up related news. Australia’s needs this if we want innovation in our biz culture.
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When brw became a journal for cheap profiles on start up businesses and disruption cliches it lost its way. Hopefully the afr remains focused.
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The promo in the afr was a shocker. Magnified by the fact they used prominent editorial space. It was incomprehensible. Fairfax has killed a great product and a real brand of value. It’s really quite depressing to watch.
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They’ve really lost their way as a brand, such a pity to see BRW disappear… more so the great business journalists such as Leo D’Angelo Fisher a couple of years ago, only to see Leadership – which was Leo’s niche – return as their focus… Fairfax needs to focus for the sake of the brand and their talent pool.
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@Littlemissm
“Fairfax needs to focus for the sake of the brand and their talent pool.” When it comes to the digital revolution Fairfax have never really had focus. They have certainly not hired the right talent at the support end (leadership) for a digital business to succeed in 2016. A bunch of suits fretting about the P&L and no computer scientists leading the charge. It is sad.
Now, on a brighter note Domain is firing. Domain really is and batters Realestate.com.au into touch, it is so much better, both in form and function, website and app; well done! What has allowed Domain to fly v some of the other products? What other products could Fairfax build and challenge the other mobs? Carsales is up for the taking; it is slow and fiddly; take it out guys!
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