"Some enormous challenges": Sophie Black on taking the reins of Crikey
"As a reader I’ve watched Crikey grow in readership, clout and fearlessness"
This week, Private Media announced the appointment of Sophie Black as the new editor-in-chief of Crikey. It’s not Black’s first time with Crikey – she previously worked as editor-in-chief of the publication in 2015, and as editor before that.
Alongside the appointment of Black, Gina Rushton has been announced as editor and Jack Callil as opinion editor.
In an email to subscribers sent on Monday evening, Black said that “It's good to be back.”
“I relished my original stint here. Since then, I’ve worked across the media, arts and publishing sectors and print, online, broadcast and TV. I want to bring some of those insights, not to mention the writers and journalists I’ve encountered as part of that work, into the Crikey stable.
“As a reader I’ve watched Crikey grow in readership, clout and fearlessness. Working outside of this publication has led to an even keener appreciation for how precious its genuine independence truly is.
“The country is facing some enormous challenges this year. It’s an essential time to highlight hypocrisy. Gina and I are ready to get stuck in to ensure Crikey continues to call out Canberra, corporations and the media to scrutinise the gap between what they say and what they actually do.”
Black replaces Peter Fray, who was made redundant last month in the wake of “inappropriate” behaviour at last year’s Walkley Awards.
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In November, Fray heckled the winners of the Gold Walkley during their acceptance speech. ABC’s Anne Connolly, Ali Russell, and Stephanie Zillman won Gold for their investigation State Control on Four Corners, with Fray reportedly calling out “what about Crikey?” over and over before taking to Twitter to call the ABC a “fraud.”
The changes comes as Crikey stares down the barrel of a defamation lawsuit by News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch. Murdoch was originally suing politics editor Bernard Keane alongside Fray over an opinion piece Crikey published last year linking the Murdoch family to the January 6th attacks on the US Capitol.
