Age editor-in-chief Andrew Jaspan, who keeps insisting that he doesn’t read Crikey and doesn’t care what is said about him, has begun a witch-hunt for Crikey’s inside source at Spencer Street. Jaspan launched into an angry rant at a conference of senior editors on Friday (March 18), warning he was determined to find who was leaking to Crikey and “march them out the door”, even if it led to industrial action. What led to the temper tantrum was Crikey’s revelation on Thursday (March 17) that Jaspan had called for a show of hands at a meeting of editors to decide how the Age’s sports section should be relaunched as a tabloid.

Jaspan described the leaks to Crikey as disloyal and unprofessional and promised he would eventually find out who was doing it. Those on the receiving end of the tongue lashing seemed more bemused than intimidated by the latest ravings of the diminutive Jaspan, who seems to be discovering that the newspaper game in Australia is played just as hard as in Fleet Street.

CRIKEY: This spray was confirmed by several Age hacks who were reluctant to be seen talking to Crikey at the Melbourne Press Club’s Quill awards on Friday night. Nor was it the week’s only outburst at Fairfax. Word out of Spencer Street is that Jaspan got a tongue-lashing of his own last week from his Sydney boss, Mark Scott. Sources say Jaspan’s format changes have blown the budget and Scott forgot to close the door as he voiced his displeasure. Many Age staffersare starting to wonder if they’ve landed their own Jonathan Shier.