Trusted, respected, knowledgeable: Region Media is on the move

Genevieve Jacobs has been announced as Group Editor for Region Media. Photo: Daniella Jukic.

Region Media is pleased to announce that some of the most trusted and respected names in local media have joined the group in senior/leadership roles. Based in the ACT, Region Media is now the masthead for 12 influential media platforms in Canberra and surrounding communities, headlined by long-standing Canberra news site, The RiotACT.

“Local knowledge, respect and trust are critical to our success,” said owners Tim White and Michael McGoogan. “Accordingly, we are delighted to announce the appointment of these well-known, trusted and highly respected journalists”.

Former ABC Canberra Mornings presenter, Genevieve Jacobs has been named Group Editor. “Genevieve has earned her place in our community by virtue of decades of local engagement and knowledge. The ABC’s loss is very much Region Media’s gain”, they said.

The same is true of Regional Director, Ian Campbell, who also comes to his position from the ABC on the South Coast, where he forged his reputation as a trusted and balanced advocate for strong regional communities.

The appointment of Ian Bushnell as News Director was another coup for Region Media. Ian is a career journalist who was News Editor and Chief of Reporting Staff at The Canberra Times where he was at the centre of some of the capital’s biggest stories. He’s joined by former Goulburn Post editor and Canberra Times Business Editor John Thistleton.

Nationally respected ex-ABC sports journalist Tim Gavel is now also part of the team. Nicknamed ‘Tireless Tim’ for his capacity to cover multiple stories in depth, his extensive charity work was recognised with an OAM in 2014. With the benefit of high-level contacts across the national sporting landscape, this completes Region Media’s suite of senior appointments.

When Canberrans Tim White and Michael McGoogan acquired the RiotACT in 2016, they comprehensively re-energised the brand. Leveraging off their success with Allhomes and UberGlobal, Region Group’s news sites now attract over 230,000+ unique visitors each month and the Social following exceeds 100,000+ people in the region. Region’s sites currently boast over 43,000+ published articles and more than 600,000+ published comments.

About Regional is a dynamic online news site that offers new depth and media opportunities to communities within three hours’ drive of Canberra, while the Breaking 24/7 social media channel provides around the clock coverage of police and emergency services stories.

While mainstream mastheads struggle on the new media landscape, the rise of Region Media is drawing serious attention. Tim White and Michael McGoogan understand that media success in this region is contingent on trust, respect, deep local knowledge, independence and a strong commitment to ethical journalism.

“The Region Media business model is not dependent on paywalls or banner advertising. It’s about how the brand delivers news and local stories. While no media model is perfect, ours is about working with our local communities to tell local stories that matter to us all.”

Region Media strongly welcomes both potential contributors and local story ideas. Contact us on editor@region.com.au, gjacobs@region.com.au or via our social media channels.