Nine gives Joe Aston temporary legal support while he lawyers up

September 29, 2026 — 5:00am

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It’s been a big few days for our friends at The Australian Financial Review. Last Wednesday, staff were told their editor-in-chief, James Chessell, would leave the newspaper to reunite with Joe Aston, the masthead’s former Rear Window columnist, at his upstart business publication, Rampart, next month.

By the end of the week, Chessell’s final day at the newspaper had been brought forward to Friday, following an angry staff letter. Over the weekend, Nine’s managing director of publishing, Tory Maguire, and Aston agreed to end a deal giving Rampart pre- and post-publication legal support and photography in exchange for a monthly Aston column and a cut of Rampart’s revenue.

But the deal, it would seem, hasn’t exactly been torn up with immediate effect.

Nine will continue to offer Aston’s Rampart legal support over the next two or so months, said two people familiar with the situation. The rest of the deal will be wound down on that same timeline, said one of the people, with the exception of........

© Brisbane Times