INDEPENDENT local newspaper The Voice News has been sold to the publisher of the Fremantle Herald following managing editor John Arthur’s appointment as director of the government media office.
Principal media adviser to the Premier Kieran Murphy said Mr Arthur was chosen because of his previous experience as director of the GMO and his experience working with all the members of the cabinet.
“Under the previous Labor government he also worked as chief of staff to Mr McGinty as leader of the opposition,” Mr Murphy said.
The Voice News will retain
its name and special local focus.
Fremantle Herald publisher Andrew Smith said he’s focussed on retaining the local flavour of The Voice News for the inner urban population.
This is a great opportunity to work in a similar market to The Herald Mr Smith said.
“I reckon it’s a terrific market it’s got all the appeal of a place where people live and work in the oldest part of the city and under the bright lights,” Mr Smith said.
The Voice News is distributed free from Bedford to West Perth including East Perth, Highgate and Leederville.
Mr Smith said when he had a close look at the development of The Voice News over the last three years he was “awestruck” by its similarity to The Herald.
“It had almost the same capital investment, the same circulation, the same revenues and I think one thing we’ve got is we know how to develop a local paper,” Mr Smith said.
“I don’t want to make the mistake of removing the local flavour, I’m confident we can do for The Voice what we did for the Herald.”
Mr Smith started The Herald in 1989 in response to the Fremantle Gazette becoming part of Community Newspaper Group, in 1985.
Mr Smith said there were currently four editions – the Fremantle Herald, two editions of the Melville Herald and the Cockburn Herald.
