Charles Croucher named 9’s new political editor

Weekend As we speak co-host Charles Croucher has been named the brand new political editor for the 9 Community, taking up some of the coveted roles in Australian political journalism.

Croucher, who has labored for 9 for greater than a decade, replaces Chris Uhlmann, who retired earlier this 12 months.

Uhlmann’s departure set off a wave of hypothesis about who would succeed him and a number of other high-profile Australian media names have been regarded as into account. The search course of finally settled on Croucher.

“It’s an enormous honour,” he mentioned. “Whenever you have a look at the individuals who have had this position within the final 40 years, it’s the giants. To try to comply with of their footsteps is an thrilling, daunting and difficult activity.”

Croucher, who grew up in Branxton within the NSW Hunter Valley, has labored with 9, the proprietor of this masthead, since 2010, when he joined 9News Darwin as a sports activities reporter and weekend anchor.

He moved to Melbourne in 2012 and joined A Present Affair as a reporter. He joined the staff in Canberra in 2013 the place he labored as a political reporter till 2018. Croucher has frolicked as US correspondent for 9 and for the previous two years labored as co-host of Weekend As we speak.

The position of chief political editor is likely one of the most extremely regarded in Australian media. It was a place held by Laurie Oakes earlier than his retirement in 2017, and extra lately was held by Uhlmann.

Croucher mentioned he spoke to Uhlmann and Oakes commonly, and that he can be taking what he realized from them into the brand new position. He additionally mentioned he had realized rather a lot from the cameramen which have labored in Parliament Home in Canberra for many years.

“I labored for 5 years below Laurie Oakes. I discovered him so thorough and deliberate. He additionally had this depraved sense of humour … that made politicians really feel uncomfortable and everybody else really feel comfy,” he mentioned.