The Punch’s Penbo set to take helm of news.com.au too
David Penberthy, founding editor of News Ltd’s comment site The Punch and former editor of The Daily Telegraph, is set to become editor-in-chief across both news.com.au and The Punch, Mumbrella understands.
The move, likely to be announced later this week, will see The Punch managing editor Paul Colgan return to news.com.au as editor, and The Punch’s deputy editor Tory Maguire will step up to editor of the comment site.
news.com.au mainly aggregates content from all of News Ltd’s Australian mastheads as well as international News Corp content. Mumbrella understands that part of Penberthy’s remit will be to drive more original content and treatments of big stories.
Penberthy, Colgan and Maguire were all members of The Punch’s launch team in May last year.
Meanwhile, David Higgins, news.com.au’s editor will move across to the development team headed by Alan Oakley which is developing News Ltd’s digital offerings including iPad apps.
A spokesman for News Digital Media said she was unable to comment. Speculation on the move first appeared in today’s Media Diary in The Australian.
5.35pm update: News Ltd has now confirmed the appointments.
It’s all a bit snakes-and-ladders!
On the ladder climbing up: Penbo (of course) and Maguire.
On the snake sliding down: Colgan
Higgins, I’m not really sure if that’s up or down or just sideways!
congrats on the promotion, Penbo!
hardly down for colgo. he left news.com.au as deputy ed and now returns as editor. well done paul
Dan
Good on you Colgo! Couldn’t happen to a nicer fella
is having an ‘o’ at the end of your nickname a pre-requisite to work there?
After Penberthy’s article on the news industry’s support for manufactured outrage – where he talks about finding “nonsense [to] fill a hole on page seven” – it will be interesting to see whether any manufactured exclusives find their way onto the site.