Anne Marie Owens is heading back to the National Post next month to become its editor.
Anne Marie Owens
Described as a “day-oner” by Postmedia’s senior vice-president of content, Lou Clancy, Owens was part of the national newspaper’s first group of reporters, joining before its launch in 1998.
Owens will step into her new role on June 9, and will be reporting to National Post senior vice-president Gerry Nott. The release about Owens’ appointment said she is the first woman to hold the highest editorial position at a national Canadian newspaper.
She replaces Stephen Meurice who abruptly left the paper in March. Staff reductions and executive changes have become commonplace in Canada’s newspapers as they struggle to adapt to an increasingly digital readership and falling ad support in print. In March, the Post‘s national competitor, The Globe and Mail, replaced editor-in-chief John Stackhouse.
Clancy commented on Owens’ deep understanding of the newspaper’s mission and standards. “Anne Marie brings with her strong journalist skills and ethics, and a broad understanding of national issues,” he said.
She began her career at the National Post as a national reporter, and subsequently moved to internal roles as news features editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor of news.
Most recently, Owens has been deputy editor of Rogers-owned Maclean’s magazine. In that role, which she stepped into nearly three years ago, she has been instrumental in the news weekly’s website overhaul and changes in the production of its tablet edition.
Nott commented that Owens’ time away from the Post “has given her an even deeper insight into how to enhance what is truly a unique and compelling news product.”
Owens started her journalism career at the St. Catharines Standard as a local news columnist.
