Patch Hires Montclair Mom as New Chief Content Officer

She is a Montclair mother of two. She's a trailblazer in digital media. And, most recently, she was Editorial Director, Digital Content, Strategy & Design at The Parenting Group.

Patch announced Wednesday that Rachel Fishman Feddersen will join Patch’s senior leadership team as its new Chief Content Officer, starting next week.

In the past, Feddersen also has served as Editor-in-Chief of Parenting.com and has held leadership positions at LadiesHomeJournal.com, Disney Online's Family.com, CitySearch and other organizations. As Chief Content Officer, she will work closely with management, local and regional editors, and the product and engineering teams to shape content strategies.

Montclair Patch was fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with Feddersen on Wednesday, both to find out more about her background and also what she thinks of Patch.

Q) What's your background?

A) In some ways I feel like I'm coming full circle. I started a website in 1995. My first digital job was in Soho when it was still gritty. It was an online guide to New York City. The phrase "information architecture" didn't even exist. There were six of us. So I've been in digital media since the beginning. But I've also been a hard news reporter covering the pharmaceutical industry. I reported on Capitol Hill, the FDA, and earnings.

Q) What drew you to Patch?

A) There is so much talent at Patch. These are pros who are working there. These are real journalists. I feel like the press at large doesn't get that. We're not in this for the cheap hits. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe in Patch. I'm a believer in excellence. Mediocrity is just embarrassing.

Q) You moved to Montclair from Park Slope a year and a half ago. How have you used Patch?

A) For me the real standouts are the news flashes. Of course I'm signed up to get the newsletter and so I get all the alerts. I love getting updates. When something is going on I know about it. When there is a wire down on my street or when [Councilor] Cary Africk decides not to run for office again, I know about it. Where else am I going to get this? There is a certain focus on local issues and a mixture of content that you won't find anywhere else.

Q) What do you think is the biggest misconception about Patch?

A) That it has an inexperienced crew and that it's a cynical corporate venture rather than a grassroots one. Yes, it's owned by AOL. But the ethos is a very independent one. The experience is deep and this is very reassuring to me. People think Patch killed local papers. It didn't. They were gone already. Patch came into a vacuum. It's not elbowing people out of the way.

Q) You have two children, ages 4 and 1 1/2 years old. How do you juggle work and home?

A) First of all, you have to love your job. And I have to be super-disciplined about scheduling. You have to have a good schedule and you can't deviate from it. And you hire the best childcare you can if both parents work. We have an excellent excellent nanny. Generally I work late only one night a week. I know not to say I'm going to be home every single night because I'm not going to be. And that's why I say I'll go out and do the socializing I need to do one night a week. But other than that I get home in time to put my kids to bed. I need to do that. But I also really love to work.

Q) What do you think you bring to Patch?

A) What I really want to do is get my hands dirty. I have a lot of experience. I understand the talent, the business, and the audience and how to match it all together. My specialty is making things that are good even better. I'm hoping to have a more coherent strategy at the top—not that it is incoherent now—but I'm hoping to come in and analyze things and then get rid of the things that don't work.