Triple M has let go of Michael Andersen, its longtime imaging director, ending a nearly three-decade tenure that saw him shape the station’s signature sound and earn 22 ACRA awards. Andersen, who crafted the station’s promos, sweepers, jingles and sketches, was informed of his redundancy in a brief 13-minute Zoom call. His departure comes amid a series of layoffs at the network. Reflecting on the decision, Andersen took to LinkedIn to express his disappointment with how it was handled, saying, “I honestly don’t think there’s ever been anyone in the network that’s more loyal than me.” Despite concerns about job security in recent months, he believed his contributions made his position secure. Since joining Triple M in 1995, Andersen became an integral part of the station’s evolution. When the network shifted toward sports in 2009, he adapted by creating jingles for The Grill Team, sometimes producing new ones every 15 minutes just to entertain the crew. Looking

Long-serving Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland has put together her final issue of the publication as editor and will be taking four months long service leave before returning as a senior writer with the magazine.  Announcing the move on Instagram, Strickland said, "in other news, today marks my final issue as editor of Good Weekend. "Editor years are a bit like dog years, and after eight years at the helm, it feels the right time for a change. I’m a firm believer that editors should not overstay their welcome: titles need change at the top and so do the people on that relentless deadline track. "To that end, I am now on four months long-service leave (WOOT!), after which I’ll return as a senior writer with the magazine. She added, "editing Good Weekend, and AFR MAG before that, has been the privilege and joy of my working life. It’s like running a stable of thoroughbreds: of not just writers but photographers (James Brickwood, Louie Douvis, Louise Kennerley, Tim B

  Women in Media Victoria is set to host a panel discussion on the trials and tribulations of being a freelance journalist.  Moderator for the April 3 event, which will be held at Social Status in South Melbourne, will be freelance journalist Susan Horsburgh.  The panel will feature travel writer Carrie Hutchinson, journalist Marisa Wikramanayake, freelance writer and podcaster Maggie Zhou, and freelancer Fernanda Fain-Binda.  The event will start at 5.30pm and go on to 8.30pm. You can register for free tickets by emailing [email protected]  

  Capital Brief has launched its new opinion vertical called Ideas, marking the publication's first foray into featuring a potentially varied and broad selection of external contributors giving their opinions and insights.  Led by Ideas Editor James Hennessy, the initiative aims to deliver a deeper, more thoughtful analysis of Australia's new economy.  Hennessy spoke to Influencing about the vision for Ideas, emphasising its focus on providing "actionable intelligence" to Capital Brief's subscription audience.  The vertical will cover core areas including technology, finance, law, and politics, while remaining open to any topics relevant to the Australian business context.  "We want to set ourselves apart from other opinion verticals in the market by encouraging content that's a little bit deeper, a little bit longer, and a little bit more thoughtful," Hennessy explained.  The platform targets a sophisticated subscriber base seeking insights beyond traditional reporting.

ABC Senior Producer James Bullen said the ABC Radio National Science Friction podcast ‘Cooked’ was aimed at providing, “a nuanced look into nutrition”. Bullen told Influencing, “Science Friction: Cooked went beyond those headlines, which can often be confusing. And so we looked at why studies can arrive at such different conclusions about the foods we eat and gave the lowdown on the science of these topics.” The Science Friction: Cooked podcast was produced by Bullen and science journo Carl Smith, while Dr Emma Beckett hosted. Having recently finished its run, Bullen said the show came about because he and Smith wanted to showcase the “fun stories” about food and nutrition.  “Another aim was to try and equip people with those tools to make better sense of research, studies, and all this confusing noise around food. And that was the kind of impetus of the series.” Bullen praised the impact of Dr Beckett who,Bullen said, provided some different angles to topi