Mamamia (website)

Mamamia

Mamamia homepage on 4 June 2017
Type of site	Women's news, opinion, lifestyle
Owner	Mamamia Women's Network
Created by	Mia Freedman
Editors	Rebecca Jacobs Holly Wainwright Gemma Garkut
Slogan(s)	"What women are talking about"
Website	mamamia.com.au
Alexa rank	619 (Australia, May 2017)
Commercial	Yes
Launched	2007

Mamamia (stylised as MamaM!a) is an Australian news, opinion and lifestyle website targeted at women. It was created in 2007 by former magazine-editor Mia Freedman as an online blog. The website has since expanded, growing into an online hub for women's news and opinion across many subjects, with over 100 different contributors creating content for the site.

Mia Freedman started Mamamia in 2007, following her exit from the Nine Network as creative services director. Freedman had previously worked for magazine publisher ACP as editor-in-chief of the Australian editions of Cosmopolitan, Cleo, and Dolly, but left the industry after growing tired of monthly deadlines in the modern 24-hour news cycle. Despite having no experience with online publishing, Freedman was able to draw from her 15 years of experience in the magazine industry to build the site and develop a readership base.

In 2010, Jason Lavigne, Freedman's husband, joined the business, and led its transformation from a personal blog into a profitable online media business.

The company launched an Australian variant of iVillage under licence from NBCUniversal in 2012 in an effort to attract advertisers across both sites through a larger combined audience. Compared to Mamamia, iVillage was described as being less edgy and having a more mainstream focus while primarily targeting mothers. Following the launch, Freedman took on the title of publisher and editorial director for the wider business, while former political press secretary Jamila Rizvi became editor.

The website expanded into radio in August 2012 with the launch of radio program Mamamia Today hosted by Emelia Rusciano and Dave Thornton on the Today Network. The show aired throughout Australia between 3pm and 4pm weekdays, but was axed within a year due to budget cuts at the network.

Mamamia sought to further expand its audience in 2014 with the launch of The Glow – a health and beauty based platform designed primarily for mobile devices, headed by editor Alyx Gorman. Another sister site, Debrief Daily, was launched in March 2015, targeting the over 40 women's market. Together, the various sites made up the Mamamia Women's Network.