The Age’s first female editor Gay Alcorn to step down
Gay Alcorn, editor of Nine’s Melbourne newspaper masthead The Age, has stepped down from the role after two years to spend time caring for her husband, who is unwell.
She joined from the Guardian in 2020, and was The Age’s first female editor in its 165-year history.
It was announced in September that she was taking an extended leave until the new year.
An internal and external recruitment process will now be conducted to find a new editor to lead The Age team, and acting editor Michael Bachelard will remain in place until this is completed.
Alcorn said: “This job has been the most challenging, interesting and rewarding in my professional life. I love The Age and what it stands for. But it is the right thing for my family for me to step down and for The Age to have a new leader.”
Executive editor Tory Maguire said Alcorn would return to The Age in a senior role when she was able.
“Gay has led The Age through two incredibly challenging and exhilarating years covering the story of a lifetime and she has done so with energy, passion, ambition and intellectual prowess,” Maguire said.
“Under her editorship The Age returned to the centre of Melbourne’s cultural life, broke countless stories with impact and challenged its readers to think widely and deeply.
“I will miss Gay’s fresh take on the big issues, as well as her infectious enthusiasm for news and ideas, and I look forward to having her back in the newsroom in the future.”
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Darcy Song was a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She left in October 2023.
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