New Matilda’s Marni Cordell to take reins at Crikey
Marni Cordell has been hired as the new editor of Private Media’s news website Crikey and aims to make it the place for “whistleblowing”, Mumbrella can reveal.
Earlier this week Cordell announced she was stepping away from New Matilda after the independent news website, which is mainly funded from reader donations, failed to make enough money to sustain itself.
Cordell told Mumbrella that while she was sad about the possible closure of New Matilda, which she is seeking someone to step in an take over, she was excited about the new adventure and keen to make Crikey the number one place for “whistleblowing”.
“I’m really excited to be joining Crikey. It has a willingness to report without concern about who it is pissing off, it is aggressively independent and unaligned which is something I really admire,” said Cordell.
“In this political and media environment we need independent media who are willing to push boundaries and not afraid to muckrake and set their own agenda.”
Under her leadership at New Matilda the website broke a number of stories around the asylum seeker debate and the government contracts with contractor Serco.
She told Mumbrella this was something she was keen to push with Crikey: “What I am hoping to do is pump up tips and rumours coverage and make Crikey the place to go to blow the whistle, whether that’s industry gossip or more serious corruption — both ends of the spectrum.”
Cordell has worked as a journalist and editor in independent media for the past 15 years and until recently was the publisher and editor of independent news website New Matilda. She has also freelanced for The Guardian and ABC, among others, and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Technology, Sydney.
CEO of Private Media Marina Go said Cordell was the right person to take over Crikey after its current editor Jason Whittaker was appointed to edit the publisher’s new Public Service orientated website The Mandarin.
“Marni Cordell is an experienced editor and is fiercely passionate about the pursuit of independent journalism without fear or favour. She has an impressive track record of discovering new talent and nurturing them into journalists of serious standing. I am excited by what Marni has planned for Crikey’s next stage,” said Private Media CEO Marina Go.
“I admire Crikey’s curiosity, its willingness to serve it up to all-comers and its fierce independence”, said Cordell. “I think Jason has done a great job in the last few years and my understanding is the readership has grown significantly. The media environment is changing rapidly and there are new online players all the time and Crikey really needs to accentuate its points of difference”.
Marni Cordell’s appointment commences Monday, May 19 and she will commute between Sydney and Melbourne.
It is understood that Cordell has been approached by people interested in taking over New Matilda, but at this stage no decision has been made on its future.
Nic Christensen
How can you be pleased with that track record? She’s flogged a dead horse for years, and now she’s going to save Crikey? Gimme a break.
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Tips and rumours! Gimme a break.
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Good news though I am really hoping someone does take over New Matilda. Or why didn’t New Matilda combine with Crikey as many good journos write for New Matildas like Ben Eltham and Ian McAuley just to name two, where are they going?
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