Emma Gleason is the New Zealand Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor. Based in Auckland, she covers culture, fashion and media.

Emma has been with the Herald since 2020, contributing to Viva and other titles. Previously Gleason worked at one of New Zealand’s longest-running fashion magazines, and before that in marketing and communications in the local retail sector. She has been writing about life, style and travel for 15 years. With a keen interest in how our tastes and behaviour are changing, she sees lifestyle and entertainment as a barometer for society — particularly within the rapidly evolving landscape of media and our relationship with it — and approaches it with a critical lens. Everything we do, eat, read, watch, wear and create is part of our lifestyles; they reflect what matters to us, and are a key part of our economy and social structure, so reporting on these topics comes with a sense of responsibility; and the opportunity for change. From sharing the wider context around news and issues, to placing topics under a microscope for a closer look, lifestyle reporting can be insightful and revealing, and Gleason invites readers to view stories with thoughtfulness. She approaches stories with empathy and understanding, aims to challenge conventions and assumptions, inspire dialogue and change, and bring value to people’s lives.