Guardian Australia has appointed Tom McIlroy as political editor, only months after he joined the newsroom as chief political correspondent.
McIlroy has filled the position left vacant by journalist Karen Middleton, who left The Guardian in March after a year in the role.
McIlroy began at the Guardian in April after reporting for outlets including the Australian Financial Review, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He has spent close to a decade in the federal parliamentary press gallery and is the author of Blue Poles: Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam and the Painting that Changed a Nation, published earlier this year.
Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor welcomed the appointment: “We were thrilled to welcome Tom to our Canberra bureau in April and are even happier to be appointing him as political editor. We have been impressed by his excellent reporting and insightful analysis and commentary and we are also very pleased to be promoting an internal candidate to this pivotal role.”
On his new position, McIlroy said: “I couldn’t be more excited to take on the role of political editor and to work alongside our dynamic Canberra team.
“At a time when politicians try hard to avoid scrutiny and Australia faces historic policy challenges, journalists must work harder than ever to serve our audience. Guardian Australia’s readers expect nothing less.”
Based in Canberra, McIlroy takes up the role immediately. The Guardian will soon begin recruiting a new chief political correspondent to join the bureau.
Top image: Tom McIlroy