Charlotte Gunn is the Director of Digital Content at Wallpaper*. She’s also the founder and editorial director of indie music title The Forty Five, an online publication dedicated to amplifying female and non-binary artists and talent. In this interview we mainly focus on Wallpaper*, but we touch on the similarities and differences between these two brands and over how to pitch to both towards the end if you’re interested.

Charlotte started in the industry over two decades ago, and has worked for lots of titles you’ll have heard of, including: Red, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, The Face, and NME. She began as a writer and has interviewed some of the biggest names in music and culture, and has spent countless hours on the front lines of live events, festivals and media launches around the world.  But these days, she can be mainly found strategising. She’s brilliant at audience development, setting out an editorial vision and storytelling. And it shows in the chunky 40% YOY growth they’ve had at Wallpaper* this year under her leadership. 

In this episode, as well as all the usual stuff about what’s on her pitch wish list, and what makes her say yes to a commission, we’ll dig into the 12 themes Wallpaper* commission most of their content around every year (tip: the chronological list is below), the one weakness a lot of writers have, and which event is Wallpaper’s equivalent of Glastonbury! She’ll also share the strings you need to add to your bow to get more work from them, and what editors are grumbling about to each other in their private whatsapp groups… But she starts the chat by talking about the remarkable success of Wallpaper*’s print magazines.

Charlotte Gunn, Wallpaper*

Charlotte’s specialisms are Content, Strategy, Partnership, Innovation, and leading creative and editorial teams to deliver storytelling that resonates with the consumer, is authentic to all brands and forwards the business goals. She’s passionate about the intersection of Creative and Business strategy for Gen Z to Millennial to mature audiences. The fast paced world of managing and growing audience engagement is where she thrives. She has a track record of driving growth in established and burgeoning brands, using lean startup methodology and a data-driven approach to rapidly develop and test new ideas.

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA

awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored

experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Laura Silver was the Editor of PoliticsHome when this interview was recorded. At times Laura can be quietly spoken, but everything she says is worth hearing. She’s an all-round impressive person, but I asked her to be a guest on Press Insider because of her influence over the UK’s political media coverage. Her experience in news reporting is extensive, so while we drill down into the particular requirements of PoliticsHome, this is a useful episode for anyone who wants to pitch timely stories to any news outlets. Particularly as Laura has previously worked for quite a few of them, including The Mirror and Buzzfeed.

Laura Silver, Editor, Politics Home

Editor specialising in politics and news. Extensive experience of digital publishing and multi-platform storytelling at a broad range of titles from start-ups to leading nationals.

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Lindsey Davis is Content Director of Homes Ecommerce at Future Publishing. Her remit includes some of the UK’s top interior brands: Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Homebuilding & Renovating, and Real Homes. Lindsey’s role is different to the other editors I have spoken to. She is solely focused on ecommerce content and building high intent audiences — which means she’s the strategist behind the buying guides, product reviews and service explainers that drive affiliate revenue. While she’s specifically talking about interior content here, a lot of her advice is transferable to ecommerce content for other lifestyle verticals too, so fashion and beauty fans should tune in as well. In this chat, which was recorded last year but is still packed full of relevant advice, Lindsey talks about the free tool they use daily to decide what to commission and write, why you need to think beyond National Awareness Days when pitching, the one product that changed the affiliate game that they’re always looking for the next version of, and why you should centre every pitch around a particular question.

Lindsey Davis, Content Director, Homes (overseeing multiple well-known brands including Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens and Living etc)

Digital content strategist specialising in eCommerce for some of the country’s top interior brands.

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Meena Alexander was the Associate Editor at Stylist magazine when this episode was recorded. She has since gone freelance, but if you want to pitch to Stylist, her advice stands because she knows the brand inside and out. In 2018 she left The Times to join Stylist, rising from sub editor, to features editor, features director and finally associate editor. She achieved a lot there, and has the awards to prove it: she was one of Campaign MediaWeek's 30 Under 30 in 2022, and in 2023 she won Best Section Editor at the BSME Talent Awards and PPA’s Next Gen Award. She’s also the author of How To Be Curious: Ideas To Make You Think Differently, which was published in 2024. Honestly, she’s a massive over-achiever, but she’s so great that you can only be happy for her. The good news is that after listening to her advice you might be a massive over-achiever too, as she shares details of a 3 line formula to pitch timely ideas, the one thing you can include in a pitch that will blow the Stylist team’s mind, and why the conversations you have with friends and family are a good starting point for an idea. She also reveals what the team wants to see in their inbox more than anything. Like other Press Insider episodes, this interview was recorded last year. Expect sporadic mentions of 2024 news and events, but fret not, Meena’s insights are still right on the money today.

Meena Alexander, Associate Editor, Stylist Magazine

Meena Alexander is an award-winning writer and editor. She writes features and profiles about people, trends and the cultural moment. She’s usually based in London but I’m currently on the move, working remotely in Southeast Asia.

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Sam Parker is the Site Director at GQ. He’s been there since 2022, but has worked in content for over 15 years for brands you’ll know: Esquire, Buzzfeed, Huffpost and Penguin Random House. He’s a fascinating person to listen to, he’s both intellectually and emotionally intelligent, analytical and imaginative, tactical and strategic. This year, Sam wrote his first book Good Anger. It’s about the power of healthy rage and was named Non‑Fiction Book of the Month by The Independent. We actually spoke last year though, so expect some 2024 references in this interview, but as Sam is very wise, his insights are still applicable today. Listen to this episode to hear him talk about a notable change to the GQ audience over the last few years, how they approach features (spoiler alert: basically in opposition to how a newspaper would do it), and why they no longer care about being first to a story. Sam also reveals what the one emotion is that they want in every piece they commission, a problem they have all the time at GQ that you could help solve, and his pitch wish list. 

Sam Parker, Website Director, GQ 

'Good Anger', Sam’s first book on psychology and learning to love a taboo emotion, is out with Bloomsbury. It was named Book of the Month for June 2025 in The Independent.

In Sam’s current role as Site Director of British GQ he leads a team of editors and writers working across digital editorial strategy, events and commercial deals.

Sam has been a writer, editor and digital strategist for the past 15 years for brands like Penguin Books, Esquire, BuzzFeed and more.

He occasionally contributes to the Observer, Telegraph and other publications in the UK.

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Claudia Canavan was the Health & Wellness Director at Hearst UK when this episode was recorded. She oversaw the content and editorial strategy across several of the publisher’s flagship magazines, including Women's Health and Men's Health. In this interview she mainly focused on Women’s Health, but if you’re keen to pitch a wellness story to another health title, the advice is very transferable. Especially as she now actually works at New Scientist magazine, as Head of Features. We spoke last year, so expect some 2024 references, but all Claudia’s advice is still worth heeding. She’s a strong advocate for inclusive storytelling and speaks movingly about how the best part of her job is helping readers with little known health conditions feel less alone. After this interview you’ll feel less alone too, because she tells you how to catch her eye in her bin fire of an inbox and what franchise to pitch into if you don’t have much experience or many bylines to your name. You’ll also learn everything you need to know about the Women’s Health annual content calendar and how it influences what they commission, how to take dry data and make it into a human story that people want to read, and what skills to develop for a media career with longevity. 

Claudia Canavan, Former Health & Wellness Director at Hearst UK, Women’s Health

Claudia is a journalist and editor, specialising in health. She currently serves as Head of Features at New Scientist, leading a team of seven. Previously, she worked in various roles at Women's and Men's Health magazines, ultimately becoming Health + Wellness Director across both brands.

She commissions, edits and writes about topics like the new science of advanced meditation, what the psychedelic renaissance means for women, the happiness potential of less conventional relationships and why the ketamine therapy bubble burst.

While working at HuffPost UK she founded the sustainable living microsite HuffPost Sourced. This was after being selected via a company-wide pitch process to launch a new sub-brand. Prior to this, she was Digital Living Editor at Red, and on the online team at Esquire, before that.

She’s well-versed in hosting. Recent work includes hosting a debate between ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ author and psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, neurobiologist Gina Rippon and physician-scientist John Ioannidis on the current medical paradigm at 2024's How The Light Gets In festival, as well as a conversation with legendary psychotherapist Susie Orbach. She moderated a panel on psychedelic clinical practice at 2024's Breaking Convention and another on therapy for eating disorders at the 2023 PSYCH Symposium conference. She’s been invited to speak about female health issues on the radio, including on Jane Garvey and Fi Glover's Times Radio show, and is regularly asked to appear on panels as an expert on women's health, including at branding agency Pearlfisher's 'Deconstructing Wellness event'.

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Fiona Sinclair Scott, the Global Editor of CNN Style, is this week’s guest. She’s been steering CNN’s international style coverage for over 10 years, and is candid about how challenging journalism is these days. Refreshingly though, she also talks about how exciting it is too, so this conversation is an uplifting one. A little note on timings: this episode was recorded last summer, so events from 2024 are mentioned, such as the election and the olympics. The advice is still very relevant and useful though. Find out what Fiona wants from a pitch, what she does not, and what her trigger words are. Learn when to get in touch if you want to cover things like Fashion weeks, and why she wants more first person pitches (plus, the gold standard to shoot for when writing about personal experiences). Fiona also shares the thread that connects all their ideas and everything they commission, as well as the best way to start a conversation with her. 

Fiona Sinclair Scott, Global Editor, CNN Style

An award-winning editor, newsroom leader and content strategist with 15 years of experience in fashion, design, lifestyle, arts, entertainment, and culture. Proven ability to grow engaged digital audiences, lead international teams, and create innovative, revenue-driving content across multiple platforms.

An experienced journalist and reporter, Fiona is confident writing, conducting on camera interviews, hosting panels and speaking at events and on podcasts. 

Find them on:

Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Sarah Allard, Digital Director of Condé Nast Traveller UK, is this episode’s guest. Sarah makes no secret of her media success: she’s a total data nut with exceptional SEO skills. She follows the numbers, she’s methodical, and she has an instinct for engaging and clickable content. In this episode she talks about her commissioning process, her role in defining what luxury travel means, and how she collaborates with the other international Condé Nast Traveller teams. This chat was recorded last year so there are some references to 2024 events, but Sarah’s insights are still pertinent, including her thoughts on hotel review pitches. She also explains how to stay off the pitch slush pile and why a great pitch can pose a question for readers. Plus, she reveals the destination specialists she’s desperate to hear from. 

Sarah Allard, Digital Director, Conde Nast Traveller 

Sarah is a creative and forward-thinking digital editor, with a flair for producing engaging and compelling clickable content, and expertise in delivering results through exceptional SEO skills, well-executed content strategy and in-depth analytics. 

Find them on:

Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Tom Howard, Head of Editorial at the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), is the award-winning editor in this episode. He oversees the UK’s biggest garden magazine, as well as all the RHS’s other print and digital titles.  His divisive approach to content has attracted lots of critical acclaim, but some criticism too. He talks about why that is, what the brilliant engaged readers do and don’t like, and the one thing all the best pitches have. This interview was recorded last year, so there are some dated references, but all Tom’s advice still stands. Find out from him why some stories need to be planned two years in advance, what David Attenborough and David Beckham have in common, and what skills to lean into to future-proof your career in the new AI era we are entering. 

Tom Howard, Head of Editorial, The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)

Tom is an award-winning Editorial Director with nearly two decades of experience working for national publications across print and digital.

AWARD WINS

AWARD NOMINATIONS

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Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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Hattie Brett, Editor-in-Chief of Grazia magazine, is a powerhouse in British women’s media. She’s one of the most influential editors in the business and in this season opener she discusses her career in journalism and the current challenges and opportunities in the media industry. The interview took place last summer, so there’s references to things that happened in 2024, but all her advice is still relevant today. She talks about the qualities and skills you need to make it in the media business, why it’s important to read broadly and outside of your niche, Grazia’s approach to headlines, what types of content and topics engages their readers, what’s always on her pitch wish-list, and what the deciding factors are when they’re choosing between two similar pitches. 

Hattie Brett, Editor-in-Chief at Grazia

Hattie is an award-winning digital and print editor, with almost 20 years experience in publishing. She is currently Editor-In-Chief of Grazia UK, overseeing all the editorial content, across print, digital and social. She loves campaigning on issues that really matter to her audience, for example successfully calling on the government to hold an inquiry into the cost and accessibility of childcare. Her work commissioning, editing and creating content for Grazia's audience across everything from fashion to interiors and politics, won her BSME Editor of the Year in 2022.

Prior to her current role, Hattie devised, launched and edited a website for millennial women The Debrief before working as Deputy Lifestyle Director at The Telegraph across fashion, beauty and luxury. She is an expert in digital content strategy, social growth and storytelling via impactful journalism. But she also still loves getting the scoop. Over her career, she’s been lucky enough to report from Chanel shows and shadow David Cameron on his first state visit to The White House during the Obama administration.

As one of the leading editors in women's media, she also spent five years on the British Society of Magazine Editors - and led the organisation as Chair in 2021. Today, she is on the Media Advisory Board of the British Beauty Council. She speaks regularly on journalism, new media and women's role in the workplace.

Find them:

Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. 

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