Erik De Wit has been a journalist and newspaper editor for more than 16 years. He has edited numerous titles for Quest Community Newspapers, including a three-year stint on City North News. While editing the South-West News, he was involved in changing the circulation area to better reflect the area’s changing demographics and set up sister paper the Springfield News. Before that, Erik was a journalist on the South-West News and Southern News. Among the highlights of this time was a chance to cover the 2001 Goodwill Games as part of a Quest team stationed at the international media centre at South Bank. His Dutch language skills helped him secure an interview with swimming golden girl Inge de Bruijn.

In the early years of Erik’s career, he worked on the Inverell Times and Moree Champion in northern New South Wales, covering everything from police to entertainment, business, real estate and sport. His years in Moree also included coverage of the aftermath of race riots, a high-profile court case in which a husband was accused of lacing his wife’s coffee with rat poison and the breakdown of Moree Plains Shire Council over the proposed sale of the town’s municipal baths.

Erik completed a Bachelor of Arts at UQ in 1992, with majors in Journalism, German and History. He was an active member of the German and Russian Student Societies operating at UQ during his studies, taking on the role of publicity officer of Gersoc. He wrote for The Weekend Independent and put together news bulletins and current affairs show Newswatch on Radio 4RPH. While studying Erik also wrote for the Queensland Times and Valley Times.