Sammi Bourke, head of operations with the The Agricultural Trust, publisher of the Irish Farmers Journal, The Irish Field, Irish Country Magazine and the Irish Garden, has been elected as the new chair of NewsBrands Ireland.
Bourke, who replaces Colm O’Reilly, COO of The Business Post, has over 20 years’ experience in media and news publishing. A native of Australia, she has worked at a senior level with News Corp Australia prior to moving to Ireland.
Irish Times group managing director Deirdre Veldon, meanwhile, has been elected Vice Chair of NewsBrands Ireland. Deirdre replaces Richard Bogie, MD of News Ireland.
“I am excited to take on this role at such a critical time for the news publishing industry,” says Bourke.
“Securing a sustainable future for quality journalism is crucial through these times of rapid change. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow publishers on key issues for our industry, defending the freedom of the press, knowledge sharing, facilitating dialogue and ensuring that our collective voice remains strong and consistent.”
Welcoming Bourke’s appointment , NewsBrands Ireland CEO, Ann Marie Lenihan, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sammi Bourke as our new Chair and we look forward to working with her as we adapt to the seismic changes to the media environment. As a member organisation, we have successfully lobbied for improvements for the industry in recent years including the elimination of VAT on print and digital newspapers, the advancement of defamation law reform, the introduction of a Minister with responsibility for all media, and the recognition of the need for support for all providers of public service journalism.
“On behalf of myself and the Management Committee, I would like to thank our outgoing Chair Colm O’ Reilly for his commitment and contribution to NewsBrands Ireland. As Chair, he brought considerable expertise in shaping the collective strategy for the organisation. We look forward to continuing to work with Colm as a member of our Management Committee.”
