Chch quake has prepared new Fairfax editor

The outgoing editor of The Press believes the lessons he's learnt in Christchurch will hold him in good stead for his next challenge.

Andrew Holden is returning to Melbourne to become editor-in-chief of The Age.

It's been a tumultuous week for Fairfax Media, which has announced nearly 2000 jobs are to go over the next three years.

Mr Holden's been in New Zealand since 2001 and says working in Christchurch through such a difficult period over the last couple of years has taught him a lot.

"Just how important good, straight, honest information is in getting a paper out into the community. It's really re-energised my sense of the purpose of journalism and it has for all of us in covering the Christchurch quake."

Mr Holden says all media have to look to digital publications and New Zealand is on top of that.

"In some respects, papers in New Zealand are further down the path of integrating both the digital and the print side of the business, partly because we've never had the resources to build two separate reporting teams."

Mr Holden will take up the role in September and until then will split his time between Christchurch and Melbourne.