Mumbrella founder Tim Burrowes calls it a day as book hits the shelves
Mumbrella founder and editor-at-large Tim Burrowes is to leave the company at the end of this month, although conversations are ongoing about whether he will continue to make future contributions.
Burrowes launched Mumbrella in December 2008 after joining Ian Wakeling and Martin Lane in the B2B startup Focal Attractions. At the end of 2017, they sold Focal Attractions to Mumbrella’s current owner, Diversified Communications.
Mumrella founder and editor-at-large Tim Burrowes
“Not everybody is fortunate enough to leave an organisation at the time of their own choosing,” he said. “So I’m grateful that Diversified invited me to stick around after our earnout period concluded at the beginning of 2020. And I was even more grateful for the flexibility they gave me when Hardie Grant offered me a book contract late last year.”
Burrowes’s book Media Unmade, which will be published on Wednesday, tells the story of the Australian media industry’s emergence from the most disruptive decade in its history. “With Media Unmade finally out in the world, a chapter was naturally coming to an end,” Burrowes said. “It’s time to do something else.”
He noted he would take a short break in Tasmania before making plans. “I’ve chosen to walk away without having my next thing lined up. When the pandemic allows, I have family reasons for spending more time in the UK. Most importantly to me, I intend to go on writing in some capacity and that may well include contributing to Mumbrella.”
He thanked current and former Mumbrella and Diversified staff and the title’s many industry supporters and advertisers. His final day with Mumbrella will be Friday 30 July.
Burrowes’s departure comes during a busy period for Mumbrella with Chris Greenwood joining last week as publisher and the Sydney lockdown forcing the postponement of Mumbrella360 until September.
Diversified is talking to Burrowes about formal ways of maintaining a connection with Mumbrella. Burrowes said: “Starting Mumbrella and writing Media Unmade are the two proudest achievements of my career. Whether there’s a formal arrangement or not, I will always cheer for Mumbrella’s ongoing success.”
