Annette Sharp: SMH staff in shock at editor Lisa Davies’ sudden resignation

Sydney Morning Herald staff were in a state of shock last week following news their popular editor Lisa Davies had resigned her post, writes Annette Sharp.

Editorial staff at media company Nine’s newspaper division were in a state of shock last week following news the popular editor of the Sydney Morning Herald Lisa Davies had resigned her post after almost five years.

Davies said in a statement issued by Nine on Tuesday that the decision to step to down — immediately — was hers.

Outgoing Sydney Morning Herald editor Lisa Davies.

Nine executive editor of the metro mastheads Tory Maguire.

“I have decided it’s time to move on,” she said, confirming she would leave the company in a month after first finishing some unspecified “projects”.

Nine insiders have told this column Davies had been under scrutiny at the newspaper for over a year –— at least since the departure of her Melbourne counterpart Alex Lavelle from The Age in June 2020.

Lavelle’s departure, after three years in the job, followed the appointment of former News Corp journalist and editor-in-chief of the failed Huff Post Australia venture Tory Maguire to Fairfax Media in 2018.

In that role Maguire was tasked with streamlining politics, business and world news operations, specifically out of Canberra.

It was an appointment that rubbed many associated with Fairfax’s old guard up the wrong way as journalists fought passionately for autonomy and traditional roles.

Davies’ departure follows the recent promotion of the less-popular Maguire to a new role, as executive editor of the metro mastheads.

This position was previously held by the newly installed MD of publishing James Chessell, who has been fast-tracked to the top following the departure of former digital and publishing chief Chris Janz in July.

Chessell and Maguire are tasked by new Nine CEO Mike Sneesby with transforming the left-leaning newspaper faction into something leaner and politically more aligned to Nine’s conservative broadcasting division, say sources.

In so doing, it’s hoped the two will end the “war” that still rages within the news division of the merged media company.

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