VICTORIA, Seychelles — Patsy Canaya has been appointed as the new chief editor of the country’s national daily newspaper, replacing Marie-Anne Lepathy, who retired from the role last year. The change at the top of the newsroom comes exactly five years after Ms Lepathy took on the position, and the appointment has been made by the paper’s board following a competitive recruitment process. Ms Canaya had been serving as editor of the paper for the past year and a half prior to the promotion.
Ms Canaya brings a lengthy career in the local media, spanning nearly 25 years, during which she has gained experience in various media, including radio, television and the written press. Her rise through the newsroom of the state-owned daily is unusual in the local industry, where senior editorial positions are often filled by people who have moved between competing publications. The new role is one of the most prominent in the local media landscape, and carries with it significant responsibility for the editorial direction of the country’s main daily paper.
The appointment has been broadly welcomed by media colleagues and by officials at the National Information Services Agency (NISA), which oversees the paper. In a brief comment, a NISA spokesperson noted that the agency’s board was confident in Ms Canaya’s ability to lead the newsroom, and that the appointment was the result of a competitive process that attracted a strong field of candidates. The spokesperson added that the agency looked forward to working with the new chief editor in the period ahead.
For Ms Canaya, the priorities for the next phase of the paper’s development are likely to include a continued push into digital, a strengthening of the investigative reporting capacity, and a refresh of the visual design. The newspaper has been publishing in both print and online form for several years, but the online edition has not yet captured the same level of readership as the print edition. The new chief editor is understood to be keen to close that gap, and to position the paper as a leading source of news for Seychellois readers across all age groups.
Ms Lepathy retired from the chief editor role last year after a period of ill health, and the position had been filled on an acting basis by Ms Canaya during the search for a permanent replacement. The formal appointment brings to an end a transitional period for the newsroom, and clears the way for a more strategic approach to the paper’s development. The new chief editor is expected to set out her priorities for the paper in a public address in the coming weeks.
