Junkee Media promotes Meg Watson to editor of Junkee
Junkee Media has promoted entertainment and features editor Meg Watson to the role of editor, filling the void left by founding editor Steph Harmon, who departed at the end of last year.
Meg Watson promoted to Junkee editor
Watson, who will be based at Junkee Media’s Melbourne office, joined Junkee as weekend editor in 2014 before joining the publishing company as a full-time staff writer last year. She was promoted to entertainment and features editor four months ago.
Watson replaces Steph Harmon who left the publication to work at Guardian Australia in November last year. Junkee Media managing editor, Darren Levin, served as interim editor since Harmon’s departure.
Levin said, in a statement: “Over the past three years Junkee has become a real incubator for some of the country’s best young writers and editors, and one of the most pleasing things about this round of appointments is that we’ve been able to promote from within. I couldn’t be happier with the team we’ve built, and along with the recent strides we’ve made in video, the future looks great!”
Junkee Media has also appointed Osman Faruqi as Junkee news and political editor. Faruqi has written for Guardian Australia, GQ and Vice and co-hosts FBi Radio’s news and current affairs program Backchat. He also is the co-founder of polling firm MetaPoll.
Osman Faruqi joins Junkee as news and political editor
The appointments follow the recent departure of assistant editor, Alex McKinnon.
Junkee Media publisher, Tim Duggan, said: “Alex is a great young journalist that we’re proud to have given his first big break at Junkee. After two years with us he decided to further develop his own voice and freelance writing opportunities. Alex is a very funny and engaging writer and he will still be contributing to Junkee regularly.”
Junkee Media’s music title FasterLouder has also had a new editor appointed with Lachlan Kanoniuk promoted to the role. He was previously a staff writer for the website and was previously the Australia/New Zealand editor for Vice’s electronic music channel, Thump.
Lachlan Kanoniuk has been promoted to editor of FasterLouder
Jules LeFevre has also joined the team as a staff writer, working predominantly across FasterLouder and Junkee Media’s dance music site, inthemix, while Melbourne writer and critic Tom Clift has joined as Junkee’s weekend editor.
Duggan said: “I’m very proud of the content Darren and his team create every day, from breaking news to helping to explain the topics that Australian millennials really care about. As the media landscape continues to evolve, we’re always adapting to stay one step ahead of it and produce content that adds to the conversation, not just the noise.”
Journalist Sinead Stubbins who has written for the likes of Vulture, Pitchfork and Vice, and video journalist James Branson, editor of Sneaky Magazine and former editor of Penthouse Magazine, also joined the team in March.
The editorial appointments follow on from outdoor company Ooh Media buying Junkee Media at the end of last month.
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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