I am so excited to interview the founder of The New Feminist a brilliant media outlet full of great articles, important information and lots of talent poured into educating about the topic! 

Who is Ellie Fielding,  the (what is your role) of The New Feminist?

My name is Ellie Macieira-Fielding, I’m 26 and the founder of The New Feminist, an online media platform based in the UK. I’m also a journalist, creative, marketer, and most importantly, a feminist. This question is probably the hardest to answer because I’m much more used to talking about the magazine or feminism than myself!

I think the best way to describe who I am is by looking at my personal social media—my last post was in 2020, announcing the start of The New Feminist, and since then, it has become my whole life. My main goal is to platform women and minorities and make sure they’re at the centre of conversations they’re often left out of.

To keep the magazine going, I’ve worked a part-time job and put nearly everything I’ve earned into this project. I guess you could say I’m resilient—I don’t know when to quit, some may call it a curse, but I call it tenacity! Before starting the magazine, I graduated with an English degree from the University of Kent, where I was features editor of the student newspaper. I was also fortunate enough to win a national award for Best Feature in 2019 at the Student Journalism Awards for a piece on sex work.

Outside of work, I’m an optimist, a passionate creative (there is not a craft I haven’t tried), a nature lover, and an avid reader.

Tell us more about The New Feminist, what is the story behind it?

I set up The New Feminist quite literally as a new feminist. I found the space quite intimidating and struggled to navigate it, especially on my own during lockdown. The idea was to create an online space where people could access feminist news, entertainment, and educational content without feeling overwhelmed. I often feel this apprehension in people when claiming the word ‘feminist’ for themselves, so I wanted to toe the line between allowing for deeper, critical discussions whilst making feminism approachable.

My goal is to show that feminism isn’t a big, scary word—it’s a starting point on the road to equality. Of course, I acknowledge the rich history behind the term, especially its significance for women of colour and other minority communities, which is why The New Feminist is committed to an intersectional approach. It's important to platform voices from all communities, particularly queer women, women of colour, and differently-abled women. I believe hearing and understanding the perspectives of others is integral if we want to grow and learn – that is what I’d like the magazine to aid in.

Learning about feminism late in your life is hard. Our identities are built around our core ideals and values that are often based on social politics. To become a feminist as an adult is to acknowledge that part of yourself is not who you want to be anymore, it’s having to put in the work to continuously learn and unlearn. I think if you’re going to go through all of that heavy mental and emotional labour, it’s important to have an accessible space and community where you can find digestible, non-judgemental information that meets you where you are in your feminist journey.

What has been your biggest learning since you started?

The entire experience has been filled with ups and downs. Although I have a background in journalism, I had no experience in starting a magazine or a business, and I hadn’t worked for a major publication before. On top of that, I was new to feminism, so creating content was a challenge. I relied heavily on what I would have wanted to read as a new feminist, which turned out to be one of my biggest assets.

I couldn’t have come this far without the incredible people who’ve helped me. My university friends were key in setting things up and getting content out there. Since then, we’ve had talented and motivated volunteers keeping the project afloat. I especially couldn’t have done it without my best friend, executive editor, and podcast co-host Adam. I’ve learned so much from them and our entire team.

I think my biggest challenge has been the sheer pace of media. We are competing with major media outlets that have hundreds of staff that can bring you content in minutes. The climate of the media, especially social media is constantly changing at an unbelievable pace and for a tiny group of volunteers it can be exhausting to keep up, this is something we are constantly learning from. 

At one point we went a little too fast, and I suffered from pretty severe burnout. After several months of recovery, I have since learnt to prioritise mental health!

Beyond that, I’ve learned so much from the amazing women who’ve written for us and the inspiring women we’ve interviewed. They’ve taught us about feminism, culture, identity, life, and womanhood. Honestly, the lessons are constant and never-ending.

What is the goal? The big vision of what you would like to achieve?

If I were to dream big, I would say to become a major source of news and entertainment for women. I think that the media as it is – whether international news outlets or global women’s magazines – are weighted down by patriarchy. 

News outlets barely ever centre women and minorities in conversations and when they do it’s usually filled with misogyny – just look at how they write headlines about victims of femicide or abuse against women and girls; it’s always ‘revenge’, never ‘justice, always ‘wife’ or ‘mother’ but never a name. 

I feel like women’s magazines often miss the mark when it comes to feminism. While some are trying, they are still deeply rooted in appearance, consumerism and patriarchy. You cannot publish a piece on feminism whilst simultaneously promoting an ‘anti-ageing’ product and still call your content feminist, you know?

My goal is to change the way the media writes about and for women, to create something that is fresh and quite frankly, long over-do. I want us to be able to destigmatise the word ‘feminism’ and in doing so, get us one step closer to an equal society. 

And now our feminist quizz!

What is Feminism for you?

To me, feminism is quite simply equality. It is acknowledging the existence of patriarchy and wanting to change the systems that it has built, to give everyone an equal opportunity in life. It’s a movement at it’s core, that allows us to fight against the oppression of women, especially minority women and work towards a more just future forall genders. 

Which “everyday sexism” really bothers you?

I would have to say just generally the double standards we all have to face every day. That dads can ‘babysit’ their own kids and are praised for it, whereas it’s just an expectation for women. That an assertive woman is ‘bitchy’ and a man is just ‘assertive’. That a man who is ageing is a ‘silver fox’ and a woman is ‘grey and haggard’. That a man is celebrated for their body count and a woman is slut shamed. Double standards suck. 

I was quite late to feminism. I don’t blame myself for that, I was a very shy and impressionable girl and relied heavily on media which we know was dripping in misogyny in the naughties. I was aware of the inequalities within the world but too naive to see the scale of it and though we grew up with not much money, I am so privileged to have my mum who did everything she could to give me what I needed and shelter me from a scary world. 

I am envious of the people who got to learn about feminism gradually. I on the other hand got slapped around the face with it. Tragically, my closest friend and flatmate was sexually assaulted on campus. It was by a stranger who had been waiting at the entrance of the campus with the specific intent of sexually assaulting a student. He, however, was not a student, in his 40s and though we didn’t know at the time, had left a string of victims behind him. 

The police knocked on my door the following morning and explained what happened. I didn’t see her for over 24 hours after that. She was flung from the police to the incredibly invasive hospital procedures required when you report a case like this. When I finally saw her, she was heavily bruised and she looked so tired and utterly lost. As soon as I saw her I cried, I have never cried so much in my life. I was so angry. I kept asking ‘why?’, ‘who would do this?’, ‘and why is the system that is built to protect her abusing her too?’, and at that moment I felt the gravity of my naivety. 

From then on, feminism became my mission. I signed up for my student paper, worked my ass off to become the features editor and made every single story during my time as feature editor about women. I shared her story, I wrote about campus assault, domestic abuse, sex work – you name it. I truly wish that is not how I got my start to feminism but I am glad that I got here in the end. 

Who is your biggest feminist role model?

Is it cliche to say Gloria Steinem? I mean, she created the first feminist magazine, how could I not want to follow in her footsteps?! I also value Jameela Jamil; she really helped me understand feminism when I was just starting my journey. I am also a huge fan of bell hooks and Angela Davis. 

What type of feminist you are according to our test and do you agree?

I got the ‘Unapologetic Feminist’. Yes, I would definitely agree with this. We should never apologise for our feminism! 

What is your favourite Feminist quote?

“If any female feels she needs anything beyond herself to legitimate and validate her existence, she is already giving away her power to be self-defining, her agency.”- bell hooks

What is your proud feminist victory?

Not to be obvious about it, but starting The New Feminist! 

What is your feminist recommendation?

• Book: If you are new to feminism,Invisible Womenby Caroline Criado Perez will change your entire outlook on the world. 
• Tv show: Fleabag, 10000%Fleabag. 
• Film: Erin Brockovich is a classic, but I also thought the Barbie movie was great for all my new feminists.
• Favourite product of the shop: I love the ‘F’ pin badge! I’m an accessories girl through and through. 

What is your feminist call of action to whoever is reading?

Support other women. For too long, patriarchy and the media have forced us to centre men in our own narrative and to pit us against each other in doing so. Support each other, uplift each other and, most importantly, put love above hate.