Healthy Times Magazine Editor - Ms Victoria Vaughan

Hi, I’m Victoria Vaughan, editor of Healthy Times Magazine since October 2008.

I am originally from the UK and moved to Singapore over a year ago. My career began seven years ago when I worked in Japan as an English teacher following university. I sent regular monthly columns back to my home town newspaper in Devon, South West England, for a year.

Upon my return, and after constantly hassling the editor, I finally secured a job at the Dartmouth Chronicle. After more than a year cutting my teeth at a local paper I went to get some formal journalism training. I studied short hand, politics, media law and of course writing in a very intensive course in London. Following that I worked as a features and entertainment editor at Maidenhead Advertiser. It was here that my interest in health was triggered and after passing my senior journalism exams I headed into London to work for the Health Service Journal.

It is the UK’s leading magazine on health policy, covering the decisions made by the government and local health care authorities. During my time at HSJ I interviewed leader of the opposition party David Cameron and won an award for Best New Medical Journalist (Nov 2007) for a story on hospital acquired infection. Following that I moved to Singapore and worked for Medical Tribune, an Asia-Pacific wide newspaper for doctors concerning the latest clinical discoveries and Singapore health news.

I then set up my own business to allow me to be a freelance writer. I did a few articles for Live Well Baby before Healthy Times offered me a contract as editor. I am now on my fourth issue and it has been a fantastic learning process. I have facilitated the redesign of the magazine, and started up issue campaigns aimed to inform and educate our readers on particular topics. I have also set up a new parenting section and a men’s health section in the magazine.