Lifestyle is the ‘fun’ bit of a newspaper – this is what I’ve learned after four years as editor

Lifestyle is typically seen as the “fun” bit of any newspaper – and given that it encompasses fashion, beauty, wellness, food and travel that is, in some ways, a fair judgement. We certainly have a good time doing it.

But for me, lifestyle coverage has always been more about uncovering the personal side of the news: speaking to the people behind the headlines, telling the stories behind the statistics. Really good lifestyle journalism should tap into the talking points of the day, pinning down that difficult-to-define “feeling” we all have regarding a topic or during a news event, and exploring it on the page.

It has been a complete privilege to run a team of talented, hungry journalists who work incredibly hard to bring our readers the news, features and opinion that matter to you. And also, to bring a smile to your faces amid the misery of the news cycle.

Having gotten into lifestyle journalism after a degree in art and fashion history, I never imagined that part of this remit would include reporting on a pandemic. And yet, for half of my four years as lifestyle editor of the Independent, that has been the focus of our coverage.

When the prime minister told us that many of us would “lose loved ones before their time”, the lifestyle team masterfully pivoted to begin charting the stories of the people affected by the far-reaching tentacles of Covid-19. It would be the start of two of the hardest years in all of our lives – and one of the biggest journalistic challenges of my career.

Over the past four years I have overseen coverage of the death of fashion designers, chefs, celebrities and royalty. I have been there to see historic catwalk moments and to address the rise of much-needed conversations around sustainability in fashion; the team has adeptly slalomed between breaking news such as Wagatha Christie and deep dives on women’s rights, via LGBT+ stories and race issues.

The biggest challenge faced by news journalists today is of course disinformation, but just as pressing is the issue of separating our work from the homogeny of social media. Why sign up or register for a paper when you can get it all for free? That’s why we work hard to create a brand we hope will resonate with our readers. Now, it is time for me to bid Indy Life adieu, as I leave my role as lifestyle editor for pastures new.

So, thank you for reading. I hope IndyLife has struck a chord. I shall look forward to continuing to read The Lifestyle Edit and seeing what the brilliant team gets up to next. If you’d like to follow my work, you can find me on Twitter @harri_grace and Instagram @harri.grace. Thanks for reading.

Yours,

Harriet Hall

Lifestyle editor