By Zoe Samios
Alex Lavelle has stepped down from his role as editor of The Age and will leave the masthead after 20 years.
Lavelle has led the newspaper for the past three and a half years and helped build its audience to more than 5.3 million, making it the most-read newspaper in Victoria.
Alex LavelleCredit: Simon Schluter
Michelle Griffin, world editor at The Age, has been appointed acting editor until a permanent replacement is found.
"It has been an absolute privilege to lead this great masthead and wonderful newsroom," Lavelle said.
"I am immensely proud of the extraordinary journalism we have produced and of the positive impact so much of our work has had. We have achieved great things together. To our passionate, talented and dedicated staff, I wish you all the best of luck and have no doubt that you will go from strength to strength."
Lavelle joined The Age in 1999 and has worked in roles including news director and sports editor. Since he was appointed editor of the masthead in December 2016, the paper's total audience has grown by more than 2 million to 5.3 million and has become the most read publication in Victoria, according to the most recent figures released by Enhanced Media Metrics Australia.
Group executive editor James Chessell thanked Lavelle for his leadership and said his time at the helm had returned The Age to strength.
"Over the past three-and-a-half years The Age has expanded its subscriber base, grown its audience and represented the interests of its readers without fear or favour," Chessell said in a note to staff.
"The Age newsroom can feel confident about its future at a time much of the media industry faces uncertainty. This is, in large part, down to Alex’s hard work."
Chessell said he was looking for a "strong leader" who would fight hard for the readers and the issues affecting Victorians as Lavelle's replacement.
"It is imperative they maintain The Age’s independence and preserve its unparalleled track record of high-impact, public interest journalism," he said.
Lavelle's departure comes after a group of 66 journalists at The Age last week sent a letter to company management expressing concerns about a story on the front page of the newspaper about the Black Lives Matter protest, diversity in the newsroom and their belief editorial leadership was too Sydney-centric.
The masthead apologised for the story, which had claimed police were preparing for protesters to spit on them, saying it fell short of The Age's editorial values and standards.
Chessell responded at the time that he was angry about the errors and refuted the suggestion editorial decisions at The Age were made in Sydney. He agreed that the newsroom needed to be more diverse and said initiatives to address this issue were being discussed.
"I have no problem discussing editorial decision making - The Age has always been a broad and lively church and should remain that way. But I would respectfully suggest your letter - which does not reflect the views of many of your colleagues - could end up damaging The Age at a time when it is producing world-class journalism, posting record subscriber and audience numbers and its rivals are crumbling around it," Chessell said.
On Thursday, in an address to staff, Chessell said it would be wrong to draw a connection between Lavelle's departure and the letter.
"These moments are never easy and usually more complicated than people to think, but it is important to remember The Age is in strong shape," he said.
"On the matter of the letter I would once again say I take strong exception to the way it was handled. It was - in my opinion - not the right way to ventilate concerns about the newsroom. But I also agree that some - not all - issues raised in the letter are legitimate and may well result in some changes in the way we do things. But saying this is not some sort tacit acknowledgement that the letter or the flawed Black Lives matter story resulted in Alex's departure. To draw a direct link between those two things would be wrong."