Janelle Carrigan, culture editor of SCMP resigns after 16 months

Carrigan's culture editor role saw her in charge of all feature departments within the SCMP, including the Post Magazine.

Reported in June, David Lague, managing editor of the South China Morning Post, quit the  newspaper, handing in his resignation in mid-June. At the same time, Stewart Hawkins, editor of the SCMP Magazine, who had joined the company two months previously, also resigned.

Earlier this year, SCMP editor-in-chief Reginald Chua also resigned. Chua has since advised his Twitter followers that he's heading back to Reuters in New York to act as editor of data. Cliff Buddle, a 16-year SCMP veteran, has taken over the acting editor-in-chief role.

Carrigan was previously the features editor of The Wall Street Journal in New York, while Chua was the editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal before joining the SCMP.

Reported this month, China Daily has appointed ex-SCMP China advertising director Patrick Chan as its new advertising director for Asia-Pacific. And last April, Prestige Magazine hired Steven Ellul, SCMP's Post and Style Magazine creative director for over seven years, as art director.

Among all these senior executive departures, SCMP has undergone a major branding facelift of both the design and product content, and launched the new look journal and major ad campaign last May.

It is understood Carrigan, who joined the newspaper from Australia in March last year, was unable to start on time due to visa issues. Sources said that the job she eventually took was different to that which was originally advertised.