Gold Coast Bulletin editor Dean Gould has finally pulled the pin on his media career for an academic sinecure at Griffith University, as flagged by Crikey last December. Successful Townsville Bulletin editor and former Bully chief-of-staff Peter Gleeson will assume the prime glitter-strip gig, with Gould shifting to his new office on October 10.

Bulletin insiders tell of well-documented double-digit falls in circulation following disastrous and expensive layout redesign, with the end result strongly resembling a suburban freebie. In his first year in the job in 2009, the former APN staffer infamously ranked himself the ninth (out of a hundred) “most influential” person on the Coast. While Gould is known to this day among detractors as “No.9”, perhaps a more interesting angle is his new gig as a senior Griffith spinner.

In July the GCB launched a big campaign called “Turning Point” — a bizarre attempt by Gould and Griffith to get Gold Coast business types together to discuss how to turn around their crime-ridden city’s ailing fortunes. But judging by the content it was mostly a PR exercise for the paper and Griffith, who hosted the events and lent it its name and credibility. Insiders suggest the whole shebang served as a helpful jobs forum for Gould after feared News CEO John Hartigan put him firmly on notice in April. The experienced Gleeson is expected to take the reins in early-to-mid-October.

From: Meredith Jackson/Staff/Griffith
Date: 26/08/2011
03:23 PM Subject: New Communications Director, ER

Dear All

I am delighted to confirm that we have appointed Dean Gould as Communications Director, External Relations effective Monday 10 October. As many of you know, Dean is currently Editor in Chief [sic] of the Gold Coast Bulletin and has had an outstanding career as a journalist, editor and media professional on regional titles in Queensland and Northern New South Wales and in news organisations in Ireland and the United States. He has done plenty of television commentary work and has taken a strong role in digital production and development at News Ltd.

Dean is highly regarded in media and university circles, understands our university and its research and teaching status and is very aware of our current expansion at the Gold Coast and Nathan campuses in particular.

Born in Brisbane and the holder of a Bachelor of Arts (Qld), Grad.Dip  Management and an MBA (CQU), Dean is strongly embedded in the Gold Coast and Brisbane communities.

He will be responsible for media relations and communications across all five campuses and based in ER at the Gold Coast.

In coming weeks we will all have an opportunity to meet Dean and talk to him about University developments and priorities including our  increasing recognition as a top 10 Australian research university.

I know we are all looking forward to welcoming Dean to Griffith.

Regards
Meredith

Meredith Jackson
Director, External Relations
The Chancellery G34_2.07A

*Website Ed: the original version of this story contained a headline that incorrectly named Dean Gould as ‘David Gould’ and contained a picture of Townsville Bulletin editor Peter Gleeson.