Fairfax appoints new Age editor-in-chief

Paul Ramadge has been appointed editor-in-chief of Melbourne's The Age and The Sunday Age newspapers, Fairfax Media Ltd says. Mr Ramadge is currently senior deputy editor and has been acting editor-in-chief of The Age since Andrew Jaspan was dismissed as editor two weeks ago.
Mr Jaspan was removed as Age editor-in-chief in the wake of Fairfax announcing 550 job cuts across the group.

Mr Ramadge will also manage the operational changes at The Age announced as part of the company-wide transformation plan.

The Age's publisher Don Churchill said Mr Ramadge had outstanding experience in journalism, as a reporter and editor, and brought enormous skills to the helm of the newspapers. "Our newspapers will benefit from new editorial and executive leadership for the important stage that lies ahead," Mr Churchill said in a statement.

Mr Ramadge has held many senior editorial roles at The Age including senior deputy editor since June 2005. He has also been editor of the paper's sections as well as Saturday editor, night editor and executive editor. His previous editorial roles were as editor-in-chief of The Newcastle Herald, one of the country's biggest regional newspapers, from 1993 to 1996.

The appointment is effective from Friday.