“The Premier had no contact with police last night, and no role in the selection of personnel for the PMU.”

Webb had begun searching for a new head of media following a series of public blunders, including criticism of her failure to front the media for three days after Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon was charged with murdering Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies on February 19.

By midway through the last week of February, both Webb’s office and Police Minister Yasmin Catley had decided to replace Deegan, multiple sources told the Herald on the condition of anonymity.

In an interview with this masthead on February 29, Catley was asked whether Webb needed better media advice. She said yes. At that point, alternative candidates were being approached. Deegan was told her services were no longer required last Wednesday.

Multiple sources who were not authorised to speak publicly said suggestions for the job were made by Catley’s office. Her chief of staff, Ross Neilson, is a personal acquaintance of Jackson’s and is understood to have put his name forward for consideration, although the decision to hire Jackson is technically Webb’s and she sounded out more than one possible hire before landing on a decision.

Catley’s office and Neilson were approached for comment.

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

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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 Evening Star Hotel in Surry Hills in 2006. Charges against Gibbs were later withdrawn.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.

2GB is owned by Nine Entertainment, which is also the publisher of the Herald.

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.

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