Emily Blatchford is the Deputy Editor of Kidspot, an Australian parenting site. Prior to that, she was the associate lifestyle Editor at HuffPost Australia. Emily is also a regular television commentator and weekly guest on Studio 10, where she discusses issues such as parenting, relationships and women’s health. Her Twitter handle is @EmilyBlatchford.
As someone who specialises in online media, what are the strengths and limitations of the online media industry?
I’d say the main strengths are speed, ease and community. I also think online media offers a wonderful opportunity for transparent and immediate communication between a brand and its audience – and yes, while that can have its drawbacks, I’d argue the pros far outweigh the cons.
Working at Kidspot and looking after a toddler, how do you balance work and family life?
Ha! The age-old question. One day at a time? Seriously though, they say it takes a village and I’m really lucky to have a supportive workplace (I mean – if the team at Kidspot don’t get the struggle of being a working mum, nobody will) and a wonderful family who always has my back.
What must a press release contain to be useful to journalists?
If you’re sending through a product with a press release, make sure it is truly relevant (or food – journalists love food), or is a product to trial, otherwise it will end up in the bin.
How do you think journalism has influenced family life in Australia?
By starting conversations about the topics we used to keep hidden: things like miscarriage and infant loss, domestic violence and mental health issues affecting parents. Our regular Kidspot Cares editorial campaigns aim to educate and support talking about these issues, such as the one we ran on Postnatal Depression and Anxiety; it’s an issue close to the heart of so many mums, and one we want to strip the stigma from.
What pressing issues currently faced by families would you like to see more media coverage on?
The housing affordability crisis is something that I’m personally living through, and I don’t even have a big family. I’d love to figure out a way to help families navigate the market in an empathetic manner.
How do you see the online media industry changing in the next five to 10 years?
I don’t think it’s enough just to be a website anymore; we’re evolving into much more than that, and at a necessarily cracking pace. For instance, with Kidspot, we really focus on having as much strong video content as possible, as well as ramping up other offerings, such as our social media community and our podcast The Juggling Act (with more to come, so watch this space).