‘The passionate underdog’: Paul Whittaker pays tribute to The Daily Telegraph

THE Daily Telegraph editor Paul Whittaker pays tribute to the newspaper he has led to success since 2011 after it was announced he will become the editor-in-chief of The Australian.

THE Daily Telegraph editor Paul Whittaker has paid tribute to the newspaper he led to success after it was announced today he will become the editor-in-chief of The Australian.

In a letter to staff, Mr Whittaker thanked his newsroom for a “fantastic five years” as The Daily Telegraph editor.

“I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together,” he said.

Mr Whittaker singled out the Fair Go for West campaign, the Bradfield Oration and the approval of a second Sydney Airport as some of the highlights of his tenure.

“We have made a real difference in our readers’ lives and our campaigning brand of journalism has been instrumental in delivering the biggest infrastructure spend in the nation’s history, including the $15 billion WestConnex Motorway Project, a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek after 50 years of government inaction, and driving the development of the Barangaroo western harbour precinct — to name but a few,” he said.

“Our Fair Go for the West campaign set a new standard for media campaigns, making a material difference in the lives of Western Sydney residents with an unprecedented government investment focus in an area that had long been neglected.

“All the while, we have continued to consistently break the biggest stories and set the agenda both in NSW and the nation.”

Mr Whittaker added: ”We have heart and a passion for the story and it is this underdog spirit that will continue to drive The Tele’s success into the future.

“It has been a tremendous honour for me to lead this great masthead, now in its 136th year, and leaving it is bittersweet.”

Chris Dore — editor of Queensland’s The Courier-Mail — will replace Mr Whittaker as The Daily Telegraph editor later this month.