Editors of Bauer Media’s NW and OK to exit
Another two editors are set to exit Bauer Media this month, with NW editor Mark Brandon and OK magazine editor Lucy Walker to depart their respective magazines, Mumbrella can reveal.
The exits come four months after Bauer Media axed 11 jobs across NW and OK, as well as Woman’s Day, as part of a move towards a ‘centralised’ editorial model.
Brandon has been editor of NW for the past four years
Brandon and Walker’s departures also follow the exits of Harper’s Bazaar’s editor-in-chief, Kellie Hush, and Elle Magazine’s editor-in-chief, Justine Cullen, in recent weeks. Last week, Bauer Media also revealed 13 roles would be axed between Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, as the print and digital teams merged.
At this stage, Bauer Media has not suggested it has the same plan for OK and NW.
Walker, who was appointed to the OK helm last year, is also set to leave the business
Brandon has been editor of NW Magazine for more than four years, while Walker was appointed editor of OK last year, after former editor-in-chief Nicole Byers took the helm of the Australian Women’s Weekly.
According to Bauer Media, both editors have “decided to take on new challenges”.
Brandon said working with NW had been a career highlight.
“Four consecutive periods of readership growth does not come easy, and it’s truly a credit to the team who put their hearts and souls into the product every week,” Brandon said.
“After more than 200 issues however, the time is right for me to try something new. I look forward to seeing how the team continue to evolve the brand into the future.”
Walker, who after a number of stints at our weekly titles joined OK in 2014, said the brand held a “special place” in her heart.
“It’s been a joy to create content that our audience loves and engages with every week – and to do it with such a talented and spirited team has been a real pleasure,” Walker said.
It is not yet clear where either editor is headed.
Fiona Connolly, editor-in-chief of Bauer’s women’s celebrity entertainment category, thanked both editors for their contributions to the respective titles.
“They have helped to lead and shape both titles, continuing to deliver current and engaging content to their readers. I will take this opportunity to get closer to both magazines and oversee their editorship until appointments have been made,” Connolly said.
The past few months have seen a number of changes for the German-owned publisher. Bauer Media’s latest job cuts follow the closure of the stand-alone print edition of Cosmo Bride, the content of which is now being integrated into Cosmo print and digital editions. Earlier this year, Lorna Gray, digital managing editor of features, was promoted to the helm of Cosmo’s print and online editions in what was seen as a signal of a digital future for the magazine. The business also restructured its digital team.
But it hasn’t been all bad news. Bauer Media has extended the TV Week brand to include a monthly features edition, and did the same for Take 5. This year Bauer Media also launched Women’s Weekly Food website and influencer network, and acquired Inside Out, Country Style and HomeLife from News Corp.
It’s worth pointing out (and maybe worth adding to the story) that Lucy and Brandon are a couple, which would help explain why they’re leaving at the same time. (See their Instagram feeds.)
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