HuffPost Down Under: Introducing HuffPost Australia

I'm excited to announce the launch of The Huffington Post's newest international edition, HuffPost Australia. The 15th edition in our growing global network, HuffPost Australia will be dedicated to producing great original reporting about the critical issues that Australians face, and to telling stories that focus on helping Australians live more fulfilling lives, while opening up our blogging platform to voices from all across the country. HuffPost Australia will also be a rich addition to HuffPost's What's Working editorial initiative as we highlight people who are bringing fresh solutions to the country's biggest problems. We can't wait to open up the conversation around everything Australia can teach the rest of the world about the solutions, innovations and acts of compassion that all too often are left out of the media's narrative.
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I'm excited to announce the launch of The Huffington Post's newest international edition, HuffPost Australia. This marks the 15th edition in our growing global network, and brings HuffPost's trademark approach to news, opinion, entertainment and community to yet another continent. It also means we're now present on six of the seven continents (stay tuned for HuffPost Antarctica!).

HuffPost Australia will be dedicated to producing great original reporting about the critical issues that Australians face, and to telling stories that focus on helping Australians live more fulfilling lives, while opening up our blogging platform to voices from all across the country to start a conversation on the topics that matter to Australians most.

When I visited Australia last year, I was overwhelmed by its sheer vastness and beauty. It is a country like no other -- in fact, it's a continent, a country and an island all in one. And while HuffPost Australia surely will focus on the many treasures the country has to offer (have you tried a proper flat white?), we have no interest in simply leaving it there. Despite its sunny weather and its inhabitants' sunnier disposition, Australia faces many challenges familiar to the rest of the world.

One theme we especially look forward to exploring is Australia's work culture. With one-third of the Australian workforce working on the weekends, stress and burnout are critical issues the country is facing. So in our coverage we will be shining a light on how Australians work now -- from the big picture politics and policies down to how these impact Australians' daily lives.

HuffPost Australia will also be a rich addition to HuffPost's What's Working editorial initiative -- which doubles down on our coverage of solutions in order to give our audience a more accurate picture of the world -- as we highlight people who are bringing fresh solutions to the country's biggest problems. We can't wait to open up the conversation around everything Australia can teach the rest of the world about the solutions, innovations and acts of compassion that all too often are left out of the media's narrative.

HuffPost Australia is focusing on solutions from Day 1. Today, we are featuring the stories of a kitchen garden program that teaches kids at a young age how to grow and prepare their food; the work of Robogals, an organization that introduces girls around the globe to robotics and engineering; a program aimed at removing barriers for people seeking mental health treatment; and the efforts by local police to develop an app to assist women who are suffering from domestic violence.

We kick off with blog posts from conservative Federal MP Ewen Jones on Australia's same-sex marriage debate, author Sofie Laguna on using fiction to explore the experience of children coping with domestic violence, one of Australia's 100 Living Treasures Gabi Hollows on the staggering number of women afflicted by blindness across the world, student Bella Westaway on the complexity of living with her future in-laws as property prices surge in Sydney, and young couple Josh and Jenna on how to finish a home renovation without destroying your marriage.

HuffPost Australia will also be a place to showcase contributors who use video to share their ideas. At launch, we're featuring a dozen YouTubers, including "Indigenous Hip Hop Projects," a national multicultural arts group that works with isolated regional and urban Indigenous communities across Australia to empower young people and give them a platform for their issues to be heard. And "Foraged," a web series in which chef Jovan Curic explores the bountiful landscapes of Australia and shows you how to cook with locally hand-picked produce.

Finally, I'm thrilled that we're launching HuffPost in Australia in partnership with Fairfax Media, a leading independent, digitally-led media business and publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald, among many other publications. I especially want to thank Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood and Group Director of Digital Ventures Guy Reypert. We couldn't have asked for better partners as we've gone about the work of building HuffPost Australia. We are very lucky to have great leaders at the helm: our CEO Chris Janz, who previously was the founding CEO of Allure Media, and our editor-in-chief Tory Maguire, who joins HuffPost Australia with more than 15 years experience, including serving as the Political Correspondent and Assistant Editor of Sydney's Daily Telegraph and launching the opinion site The Punch.

Please join me in welcoming HuffPost Australia to the HuffPost family! As always, please use the comments section to let us know what you think.

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