ABC News appointments

Newly-installed ABC News Director Justin Stevens last week made further appointments to his team.

Gavin Fang has been appointed to the new role of Deputy Director News, Head National and International.

Jo Puccini becomes Head, Investigative Journalism and Current Affairs. Currently Editor of ABC Investigations, she has been Executive Producer of 7.30 and Media Watch and will now have responsibility for 7:30, Four Corners, Australian Story, Q&A and ABC Investigations. She has produced some of the ABC’s most important investigative journalism in recent years, from leading to the calling of the Royal Commission on Aged Care to ongoing investigations into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. She will start on June 1st, when John Lyons takes up his new position as the ABC’s Global Affairs Editor.

Lisa Whitby will take over daily leadership of the national teams as Managing Editor, National and International, a position she has already successfully acted in for the past six months. She was one of the inaugural editorial leaders at the News Channel, was EP of Lateline and more recently has been the Editor of the Specialist Reporting Team.

Finally Stuart Watt’s role has been expanded to include leading News’s editorial strategy work, with the new title of Head, News Distribution and Strategy.