New ‘Weekly’ editor has growing plans

16 February 2006

New ‘Weekly’ editor has growing plans

She’s had her feet under the desk at one of New Zealand publishing’s most successful magazines for little more than a week and Sido Kitchin is humming. “Editing the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly enables me to combine two of my favourite skills – working in a competitive commercial environment and producing quality stories,” she says.

Ms Kitchin (34) was most recently head of publicity for the Seven Network in Melbourne and has a strong background in journalism. She is a former deputy editor of the iconic 75-year old weekly and grew up with it while being raised in the central New Zealand provinces.

She has worked in journalism and the media for 15 years.

“Despite the proliferation of women’s magazines in the past 20 years, the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly continues to hold a proud position in the hearts of nearly one million readers every week,” Ms Kitchin says. “The ‘Weekly’ is in great shape. It has increased circulation, kept up with the times with a website and garnered national awards for excellence. “

My goal is to strengthen its position even further, producing a magazine that understands and inspires New Zealand women. I want one that invites readers into the lives and homes of celebrities in New Zealand and overseas, and a publication that knows how to entertain and have fun,” she says.

Born in Takapuna and raised ‘down the line’ Ms Kitchin graduated with a Diploma in Journalism from Wellington Polytechnic in 1990. She began her journalism career in community newspapers in Wellington and Auckland. She then moved into television working as publicist at TV One, for Shortland Street and as manager across both TVNZ channels. She then moved to the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly as deputy editor and on to Woman’s Day. Ms Kitchin returned to publicity as a freelancer before moving to Australia in 2001 to the Seven Network.

Recently she and her partner decided to return to New Zealand from Melbourne to raise their two-year old daughter Cleo. “Editing the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly is a huge responsibility and an incredible challenge. I’m very much enjoying it as it enables me not only to expand my journalistic horizons but also to combine that with many of the things I love – culture, food, fashion, film, television, lifestyle, travel and family.”

Ms Kitchin takes over the reins at the Weekly from Nicky Pellegrino who has left the position to spend more time on her fiction writing.

ENDS

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