Val Morgan Digital has hired Amanda Bardas as the new executive editor of its digital publishing arm.

She was accepted for the job on account of her eight years’ experience in the local fashion publishing scene, roughly half of it with Allure Media, where she rose from fashion editor of Who What Wear Australia to executive editor. 

“I’m looking forward to leading our team as we build and launch a new publishing platform that fills a gap in the Australian market for content that unlocks rich conversations and drives a deeper understanding of entertainment, life and style, wellness and culture,” said Bardas.

“Amanda’s remarkable track record makes her a critical part of our digital team. Having worked with her in the past, I’m excited to welcome Amanda on board as we diversify the digital publishing division of Val Morgan,” added Val Morgan Digital managing director Brain Florido. 

He was MD of Pedestrian Group when it acquire

NewsCorp Australia has appointed Del Fordham as NewsCast’s head of audio. 

He will collaborate with NewsCast’s component brands in the development and production of original audio material, and help increase their audience engagement. NewsCast chief and News Corp Australia GM for commercial networks Ainslee O’Brien will be Fordham’s immediate superior. 

Fordham has over 15 years’ experience in the audio content field, having produced and managed shows for companies including the ABC, Southern Cross Austereo, and NOVA Entertainment. 

“I’m passionate about original productions, on-demand content and bringing together different creators and content pillars to create synergies. Our growth strategy and upcoming original content slate will only build on the great momentum NewsCast has,” said Fordham.

The Australian edition of The Guardian newspaper will have more content pieces about New Zealand.

International news editor Bonnie Malkin said expanding the paper’s New Zealand coverage was warranted after uncovering strong interest from Kiwi readers for existing articles. The new section will feature articles with themes relevant to NZ readers such as social justice, social inequality, indigenous affairs, environmental issues, politics, and sports.

To cover the new content load, the Guardian is seeking new freelance staff to supplant a full-time and a part-time journalist currently on the rolls. 

Meanwhile, the paper also announced the creation of a new Lifestyle section, with former TimeOut Sydney/Melbourne editorial director Alyx Gorman as its editor. The section will offer Australian-themed stories from an array of contributors including MasterChef Australia season II winner Adam Liaw and restauranteur Palisa Anderson.

“Lifestyle sections often focus on celebri

Peter Fray has signed up with Private Media as its new editor-in-chief. 

The new opportunity is a two-fold role for Fray. The editor-in-chief role will have him running oversight for news brands Crikey, Smart Company, and The Mandarin. He will also be the managing editor for Crikey and its INQ investigative journalism division. 

Fray comes into Private with a sterling record to boot. Currently working at UTS as a journalism professor and co-director of the university’s Centre for Media Transition, Fray had previously been editor/EIC/publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and later founded his own political news arm, PolitiFact Australia. He also took up editor posts at The Canberra Times and The Age.

“I have long admired the work of Crikey and celebrated the work of the Mandarin and Smart Company. The new INQ team brings a compelling dimension to Crikey’s subscriber offering, with its investigative work. I am very much looking forward to being part of its