Malcolm Kirk Appointed President of The Canadian Press

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 19, 2012) - The Canadian Press announced today that Malcolm Kirk has been appointed President of the multimedia news agency, effective immediately.

Mr. Kirk has enjoyed a distinguished career in newspapers and digital news media in both Canada and the United States.

He has served as Executive Vice-President, Digital at Postmedia Network Inc., where he was responsible for the strategic direction of Postmedia's digital properties, including its news websites, mobile and tablet applications. Before being appointed to that position, he was Senior Vice President, Group Publisher, Prairie Region for Canwest Publishing from 2007 to 2010 and Publisher of the Calgary Herald from 2006 to 2010.

He is also a former Executive Editor of the San Francisco Examiner, former Editor-in-Chief of the Calgary Herald and former Managing Editor of The Province, Vancouver.

Born in England and raised in Nova Scotia, Mr. Kirk received a Bachelor of Journalism degree in 1989 from University of King's College in Halifax.

"I am thrilled to be joining The Canadian Press," Mr. Kirk said. "It has an outstanding record of informing Canadians, in both English and French, for nearly a century. Journalists at The Canadian Press are regarded for their accuracy, speed and integrity, and rank among the finest in the country. It is my goal to continue building on this record of excellence and further strengthen Canadian Press as a leader in multimedia content and services."

Mr. Kirk succeeds Jim Jennings and Neil Campbell, who have served as Co-Presidents since September, 2011. They were first assigned to work with The Canadian Press in May, 2011, during a transition period after the news agency was acquired by a new ownership group that includes the parent companies of the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and Montreal's La Presse.

Both Mr. Jennings and Mr. Campbell will resume working at The Globe and Mail, where both have previously served as senior editors and managers.

"We are very pleased that Malcolm Kirk has agreed to serve as President of CP," said John Cruickshank, Publisher of the Toronto Star and Co-Chair of Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. (CPE). "He is a proven leader with a passion for news and a distinguished record as a journalist and as a media executive who understands the needs and fast-changing environment for all forms of media outlets, including newspapers, television, radio and digital. Canadian Press is very fortunate to have Malcolm as its President."

"Malcolm Kirk is very well qualified to lead The Canadian Press through the next stage of its evolution into a content creation company for the digital age," said Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail and Co-Chair of Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. "The owners of CPE are delighted that he has accepted the role. He will be able to build on the outstanding work of the current Co-Presidents, Jim Jennings and Neil Campbell, who together with CFO Sandra Clarke and the management team have led a remarkable turnaround in CPE's fortunes in the last 12 months. The board thanks them for creating such a firm foundation for future growth."

Guy Crevier, President of Gesca and President and Publisher of La Presse, said Mr. Kirk's appointment to lead The Canadian Press "is excellent news for us. Mr. Kirk has an impressive and diversified background in the Canadian and U.S. print journalism industry. His achievements in both the digital and traditional media, his extensive know-how and his knowledge of Canada's media environment are definite assets that will enable The Canadian Press to strengthen its position as the country's leading news agency."

In 2010, three of Canada's best-known and most-respected media companies teamed up to reinvest in The Canadian Press. Square Victoria Communications Group (parent company of Gesca Ltée) and Torstar Corporation (through its subsidiary Torstar Holdings Inc.), along with The Globe and Mail jointly invested in a new for-profit entity, Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., established to take over operations of the news agency. The investors, directly or through their affiliates, operate, respectively, La Presse, the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

About The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's most-trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia content for online, mobile and emerging platforms. Approximately 250 journalists deliver news stories, photos, graphics, audio and online video, plus news coverage from The Associated Press, to daily newspapers, radio and TV stations and websites. Clients depend on The Canadian Press for reliable, accurate and fast coverage, written and edited according to the standards set for the industry by The Canadian Press Stylebook.