The Brag Media has announced two key hires and a promotion within its growing editorial team, with Vivienne Kelly moving into a new full-time role after working on the rollout of Variety Australia, and Alex Michael joining the business.
Kelly was appointed editorial operations manager, managing the editorial team with a remit to grow in-depth and investigative pieces and ensure all mastheads are serving audiences and advertisers. She moved into the new role after working in a freelance capacity as a senior journalist across The Brag Media’s B2B titles, including Variety Australia and The Music Network (TMN), having previously served as editor and content director of TMN and radio trade site Radio Today, as well as editor of marketing trade title Mumbrella.
On her new role, Kelly said: “It’s hard to talk about this opportunity without falling back on the clichés we so often see in press releases – because I am genuinely thrilled to join the company and excited by what I can bring to the role.
“Poppy, Luke and the wider Brag Media team have established and grown such iconic media brands here in Australia, serving some of the most dynamic and disruptive sectors of entertainment. It’s a real honour that they’ve trusted me to come in and grow these brands further while also allowing me the space to see where we can take them next.”
Michael arrived in the newly created position of Lifestyle and Branded content editor, joining as The Brag Media’s premium branded content offering expands. He will work across titles including Rolling Stone Australia, Variety Australia, The Music Network, Tone Deaf and thebrag.com. He brings a wealth of experience in entertainment publishing, having served as the Assistant Showbusiness Editor and Puffs Editor at Daily Mail Australia.
On joining The Brag Media, Michael said: “I’m really excited to lend my expertise to Australia’s largest youth publisher. Joining The Brag Media during a period of rapid expansion makes this the perfect time to come on board. I’ll be working hard with a fantastic team of writers to grow the industry-leading premium lifestyle and branded content that has already put The Brag Media on the map.”
In addition to the new hires, Conor Lochrie is promoted to the role of Online Music Editor, having worked as a News Writer and Staff Writer for The Brag Media since 2020. Michael, Kelly and Lochrie report to The Brag Media’s Editor-In-Chief, Poppy Reid.
Reid said the new hires are a direct result of the growth across The Brag Media’s growing suite of publications: “It’s fantastic to be able to welcome two journalists of the calibre of Alex and Vivienne to newly created, full-time roles within the business.
“With his deep experience in content and journalism, Alex will be an invaluable part of growing our branded content arm. Vivienne has been an important part of our contributor network since we acquired The Music Network last year, and is someone I’ve admired professionally from afar for a long time. Meanwhile, Conor’s promotion is extremely well-deserved and was a no-brainer after several years of excellent results working across our titles.
“Ultimately, these hires are an acknowledgement of the strength of the brands at the core of what we do at The Brag Media, producing premium content for millions of Australians. Alex, Vivienne and Conor have made a huge impact on our numbers already, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll accomplish.”
The latest issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ, featuring Amy Shark on the cover, is out now.
