Julia Naughton is a multi-platform journalism leader specializing in evidence-based wellness and lifestyle innovation. As Head of Life at Nine Entertainment Co., she oversees content strategies bridging traditional media with AI-driven storytelling tools.
“The best stories help readers see their daily choices as part of a larger cultural shift.” – Telum Media interview, 2023
Julia Naughton has carved a niche as a forward-thinking journalist and editorial leader, blending lifestyle expertise with digital innovation. Her career began at Cosmopolitan Magazine, where she honed her skills in crafting relatable yet impactful features. A transition to Huffington Post Australia amplified her voice in wellness and mental health advocacy, culminating in her 2022 appointment as Head of Life at Nine Entertainment Co. Here, she oversees cross-platform content strategies that merge traditional journalism with AI-driven storytelling, ensuring relevance in Australia’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
This seminal piece exemplifies Naughton’s ability to distill complex health topics into actionable insights. The article explores the physiological and psychological effects of reduced alcohol consumption, combining meta-analyses of peer-reviewed studies with firsthand accounts from wellness experts. Its methodology leans on longitudinal data from the Global Drug Survey, contextualized for Australian audiences through interviews with local nutritionists. The piece sparked a 27% increase in subscriber engagement for Nine’s lifestyle vertical, according to internal metrics, and was cited by public health campaigns advocating mindful drinking.
While not a bylined article, this profile underscores Naughton’s industry influence. It details her editorial philosophy of “compassion-first storytelling,” emphasizing her push for AI tools that personalize content without sacrificing journalistic rigor. The piece highlights her role in launching Nine’s “Mindful Mondays” series, which uses interactive quizzes and short-form video to demystify mental health practices. AdNews frames her appointment as a strategic move to attract younger, digitally native audiences while retaining Nine’s core demographic.
In this Q&A, Naughton dissects the challenges of integrated content campaigns. She advocates for “360-degree storytelling” that weaves branded partnerships seamlessly into editorial narratives, citing Nine’s collaboration with a telehealth provider on a mental health awareness series. The interview reveals her criteria for successful pitches: data-backed angles, clear audience relevance, and multimedia potential. Notably, she emphasizes rejecting “one-dimensional wellness fads” in favor of evidence-based reporting.
Naughton prioritizes studies with robust sample sizes and clear applicability to daily life. For example, her analysis of circadian rhythm research in “Helping you feel…” paired sleep science with time-management tips for shift workers. Pitches should include links to original research and expert contacts willing to provide actionable advice.
Nine’s “Mindful Mondays” series succeeded by repurposing interview transcripts into Instagram infographics and podcast snippets. Successful pitches will outline how a topic could unfold across articles, videos, and interactive tools, similar to her telehealth campaign integration.
Naughton consistently avoids coverage of fleeting wellness crazes (e.g., celery juice cleanses) unless backed by peer-reviewed evidence. Her Telum interview explicitly criticizes “quick-fix mental health hacks,” favoring instead deep dives into systemic issues like workplace burnout.
“The Reward for Writing Is More Writing” – Publishers Weekly interview on creative persistence
While not an award, this recognition in Publishers Weekly’s author spotlight series underscores her commitment to iterative storytelling. The profile highlights her 18-month investigation into Australia’s telehealth adoption, which won the 2023 Walkley Award for Innovation in Journalism. The Walkley Foundation noted her “pioneering use of chatbot interviews to destigmatize therapy access,” setting a benchmark for empathetic AI integration.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Lifestyle, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
