Police commissioner’s new spin king prompts backlash

Multiple sources said suggestions for the job were made by Catley’s office, although the decision to hire Jackson is technically Webb’s. Catley’s office was approached for comment.

Jackson has signed a contract with NSW Police. He quit his job at Spotlight, although is yet to serve his final day at the Seven Network’s investigative program. He has also held senior positions at the Sunday Telegraph, 60 Minutes and The Australian.

Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn flagged Jackson’s new job in his announcement about his departure. “He’ll reveal all soon, but I am proud of his achievement, and so will you be when he is able to say,” the email said, according to television news site TV Blackbox.

Jackson has been involved in some of Sydney’s most enduring media legends, including an infamous story in which he alleged former Herald crime reporter Stephen Gibbs pulled a gun on him following a drinking session at the Shakespeare Hotel in Surry Hills in 2007. Charges against Gibbs were later withdrawn.

More recently, he was involved in the Channel Seven interview with Bruce Lehrmann. Seven claimed the former political staffer accused of raping fellow staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 was not paid for the interview. However, it later emerged Seven had agreed to pay the rent on Lehrmann’s northern beaches home for 12 months.

On Tuesday morning 2GB radio host Ben Fordham told listeners the appointment had “raised a few eyebrows”. Jackson, he said, was “a bit of a cowboy” and was “one of those colourful identities” in the Sydney media.

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While Webb is known as a cautious operator, Jackson was “old school in his way of doing things. He works hard and he plays hard”, Fordham said.

The executive director role already has a sworn police officer, Superintendent Kirsty Heyward, acting in the role since Deegan’s departure.

Heyward has previously acted in the same role and is well-liked by senior figures in the media unit.