Mihael Šuštaršič appointed new STA editor-in-chief

Mihael Šuštaršič, a 48-year-old journalist and editor, has been appointed the editor-in-chief of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA). He will succeed Aljoša Rehar in December.

Šuštaršič began his professional career some 25 years ago at the STA. He worked for several years as a foreign affairs desk journalist before becoming the desk's editor in 2021, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

He left the STA in October 2022 to become the editor-in-chief of Siol, one of Slovenia's leading online news portals, which operates under the company TSmedia, part of the majority state-owned telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije.

Šuštaršič, who holds a degree in international relations, resigned as Siol editor-in-chief at the end of March to take over as head of special projects at TSmedia.

He is returning to the STA after three years, having been appointed editor-in-chief by the agency's director Mojca Prelesnik on 8 September after receiving overwhelming support from the STA staff.

Roughly 70% of employees and freelance associates participated in the vote on 5 September, with 84% voting in favour of his appointment.

He will take over the leadership of the newsroom in December, at the end of the four-year term of Aljoša Rehar, who decided not to seek a new term.

Director Prelesnik expressed her satisfaction at the show of trust and support for her candidate. "I am convinced that with his many years of experience and the cooperation of everyone, Šuštaršič will be able to handle all the challenges that the term will bring," she said.

Given the challenges, Prelesnik said it was crucial that the new editor-in-chief has both extensive experience working at the STA and, as a former editor-in-chief of Siol, experience in leading a newsroom outside the agency.

In setting out his vision to the staff before the vote, Šuštaršič said his goals would be to maintain and increase the agency's credibility, preserve and strengthen professionalism, boost market revenue, and foster team cohesion and collegiality.

On his appointment, he expressed his gratitude for the confidence shown by the director and the support of the editorial team.

"The appointment to the position of editor-in-chief of the STA carries great responsibility, primarily to the Slovenian public, but also to the dedicated team of journalists who, despite all challenges, are committed to keeping the Slovenian public informed and take seriously that we journalists are the bulwark of democracy," he said.

The term of the outgoing editor-in-chief Rehar has been marked by consolidation efforts after the previous government suspended the funding of the STA public service for more than 300 days, resulting in financial and staffing difficulties.

After the situation stabilised, including with the current government providing stable funding, the agency has expanded its product range with a daily video service and The Slovenia Times, a portal aimed aft foreign audiences, as well as enhancing its fact-checking content.