As a columnist and opinion editor of Sydney News Corp paper The Daily Telegraph, Sarrah Le Marquand is – depending on who you listen to – either a “bleeding heart inner-city feminazi” or a “redneck from the hate media”. In addition to overseeing the opinion pages of The Daily Telegraph, her own columns cover everything from politics to pop culture to parenthood. She also writes a weekly column for Sunday Style magazine and appears regularly on television and radio as a media commentator. Sarrah lives in Sydney with her husband and two young sons.
What led you to this career path?
Apart from contemplating two alternative career paths in my late teens and early twenties – as a criminal lawyer and a musical theatre performer (yes, seriously!) – I always harboured ambitions to be a journalist.
When I left university I had my sights set on becoming a political reporter in the Canberra press gallery, with an honours degree in government and a federal parliamentary internship to match, but that plan got put on hold when I landed a job at Pacific Magazines in my home town of Sydney.
After working as a sub-editor at That’s Life magazine I applied to be the sole writer on Inside Soap, a magazine all about daytime soap operas, of all things. Not long after I was offered a job as a feature writer at TV Week, which cemented my then detour into entertainment journalism.
In 2005 I joined The Daily Telegraph as a television writer, and the following year was promoted to film editor – but in 2007 I was offered an internal promotion that would see my career gradually redirect towards the path I had originally intended to follow.
My then boss persuaded me to become deputy features editor, where I doubled as the features chief of staff – meaning I was thrown into the cut and thrust of attending and briefing at news conference each day. The following year I was appointed features editor, which saw me managing a team of more than 40 people as well as editing the weekend news review section.
While on maternity leave following the birth of my first son in 2009, I was approached to write a weekly column for the paper’s Saturday edition – a fortuitous turn of events which led to my current role as a full-time columnist and opinion editor.
What have been the biggest challenges? “Sarrah Le Marquand”
If you stay in this industry long enough it is inevitable that you will be affected by a wave of redundancies, either directly or indirectly. Like many of my former colleagues in magazine publishing, I have worked on magazines that have been shut down: some staff are promptly offered jobs elsewhere; others opt to take the money and try their luck as a freelancer; and others still decide to quit the business altogether and find a job in a more secure field.
In recent years, of course, newspapers have faced serious challenges of their own. I’d be lying to say it isn’t difficult, but that’s the reality of the industry. If I was sensible I would retrain in a profession such as teaching where a job for life is all but guaranteed – but then again a sensible person probably wouldn’t opt to pursue journalism in the first place!
What have been the biggest rewards and highlights?
Truly, there have been plenty. And that is why so many people still want a career in the media. Even though the hours are inhumane, the pay not always so great and the job security non-existent, many of my peers would tell you they have the best job in the world. Certainly I would.
Ultimately the biggest privilege is being granted the access to speak to people whom you would never otherwise encounter – from world leaders and international superstars to anonymous but extraordinary people making a huge difference in their local communities.
A recent highlight would be the No Jab No Play campaign, which I was heavily involved in, that saw new laws introduced in NSW last year (NOTE TO EDS: it was January 2014) to prevent children from being enrolled at childcare if they have not been fully immunised. To be part of something that galvanised people and brought about a very tangible result made every single bit of hate mail from the antivaxers (and there was a truckload) worthwhile.
You’re the opinion editor at a major masthead, and also a regular media commentator on TV. How did that mix come about for you?
My first love has always been writing, but even going back to my first job in media I was curious about dabbling in radio and television. My first appearance on TV was on Channel Seven’s Sunrise in 2002 as a guest film reviewer while their regular reviewer was on holidays. That led to a permanent segment of my own so I was very fortunate.
Penning opinion columns is a line of work that naturally lends itself to being a media commentator and I now regularly appear on programs such as Today, The Project, Paul Murray Live, The Drum, Q&A and also appear in a weekly opinion show, Backlash, on the News Corp websites.
I love radio too – with the added benefit that you don’t have to worry when you’re having a bad hair day.
What are Sarrah Le Marquand next career goals?
I am increasingly focused on online, and am particularly passionate about harnessing the great stable of female opinion writers that exists across various News Corp titles.
Oh and if I ever find the time I am determined to write a book. That was always a dream of mine as a child so now that I have the opportunity to make it a reality I just need to make it happen, otherwise I will be kicking myself during my retirement-home years.
What 3 things Sarrah Le Marquand would tell women who wanted to follow in your footsteps?
1. Don’t feel you need to apologise for any apparent contradictions in your interests
I am a former film writer who can write a column dissecting the cinematic failings of Love Actually one day and analyse the finer details of Tony Abbott’s paid parental leave scheme alongside a panel of political pundits the next. In my experience women tend to bounce around from the serious to the shallow to the sublime in daily conversation and there is no shame in seeking to capture that eclectic mix within the mainstream media.
2. Trust your instincts
It’s a cliché, I know, but one for me that is fundamental to every decision I make. If I were to break it down, I would estimate that my intuition serves me well approximately 90 per cent of the time. As for the remaining 10 per cent, well that’s when you need to mute your inner voice and trust the input of those around you.
3. Block out the white noise
Whether it’s a total stranger hurling verbal grenades in your direction on social media, or a peer doing their level best to undermine you, chances are there is someone muttering darkly about you at any given time. Does it sting? It sure can. But you have to ignore it; to block it out. Undeserved sledging will intimidate you into silence otherwise – don’t give it a power it doesn’t deserve.
