Telum Talks To... Sohan Judge, Senior Publishing Strategist at BuzzFeed (Australia)
Interview

Telum Talks To... Sohan Judge, Senior Publishing Strategist at BuzzFeed (Australia)

You have recently started as a Senior Publishing Strategist at BuzzFeed (Australia). What does a day in your role look like?  
It varies from day to day! Usually, it starts with sourcing and scheduling content, but also includes doing content performance reports for the team, shooting video, brainstorming, and workshopping ideas.
 
What types of stories does your audience engage with the most?
At the moment, our audience cannot get enough of food content. But they also love social round-ups that celebrate the unique quirks of Australian culture (for example, slang).
 
In 2020, BuzzFeed (Australia) announced it would cease covering local Australian news stories. Has this decision influenced the outlet’s coverage on arts, entertainment, lifestyle etc., or have operations remained largely the same?  
Operations have remained largely the same, with our team of lifestyle, entertainment, commerce and social producers continuing to make content that speaks to an Australian audience. Our focus is on truth and joy, so while we don’t always have the capacity to cover news events, we are a place for solace and distraction for our viewers and readers.
 
What responsibilities does BuzzFeed (Australia) have to its audience in terms of reporting on social issues that might affect readers?  
BuzzFeed (Australia) continues to cover issues that affect its core audience, which includes everything from climate change, to racial injustices, to gender inequality, and the representation and celebration of the queer community. We believe in making sure our audience feels seen and represented, so when it comes to social issues, we aren’t quiet on them.
 
The BuzzFeed (Australia) team also produces a lot of video content. How important is this for your audience engagement?  
Our audience loves video content and it’s a core output model for us both locally and internationally. Ultimately, the high engagement on our video content enables us to continue creating and experimenting with different formats to see what our audience loves!
 
What’s the most memorable story you’ve covered at BuzzFeed (Australia). Also, what's your all-time favourite quiz?
Personally, I loved producing this video where we asked our white colleagues to test out some ethnic home remedies. It was so great to see the reactions and celebrations of culture.

As for quizzes, I really enjoy witnessing Americans try to figure out what aspects of Australian culture are real or fake (I made my American colleagues do this in a video when I visited the LA office a while ago). So for that, I thoroughly enjoy this quiz: Is This A Real Australian Phrase Or Did I Just Make It Up?
 
What story pitches are you keen to hear from PRs?
We’d love to hear about new iconic Aussie food products, experiences or events!

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Sohan Judge

Director of Social and Platforms

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BuzzFeed (Australia)

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