Mumsnet

A London-based, independently owned website and forum community for parents, founded in 2000 by Justine Roberts.

About Mumsnet

Mumsnet is a UK online community and publisher for parents. Its discussion forums, called Talk, sit alongside articles, product reviews, puzzles, calculators, newsletters and apps. It calls itself the UK's biggest network for parents, with around 8 million unique visitors and about 100 million page views a month, and it also runs the sister site Gransnet.

Mumsnet's stated aim is to "make parents' lives easier by pooling knowledge, advice and support". It says it is independently owned and tries to let conversation flow without over-moderating, describing itself as a site for grown-ups. It also says its "overarching aim is not the pursuit of profits". Its advertising rules rule out areas such as payday loans, cryptocurrencies, gambling, pornography and products that make women or children feel bad about their bodies.

Justine Roberts started Mumsnet in 2000 after what the About page calls a disastrous family holiday, when she wanted a place for parents to share advice. Wikipedia describes it as London-based and says Carrie Longton and Steven Cassidy helped build the site. Roberts is CEO and was made a CBE in 2017. We did not find an office address or headcount.

In 2018 the site recorded 1.3 billion page views, and in April 2020 it introduced a premium membership option. The site is funded mainly by advertising and brand-funded content, including sponsored discussions and product tests. A team of experienced journalists writes its articles, and it also employs teams for community moderation, product, insight and commercial work. It has run campaigns such as Let Toys Be Toys and Rage Against the Screens, and it is known for hosting politicians' webchats, including before the 2010 election, which was dubbed the Mumsnet election. Its coverage has also attracted criticism over some content, and the company has had to respond to moderation incidents, so it is an interesting case study in running an online community.

As for culture, Mumsnet describes itself as a community and not a lobby group, with no particular political agenda. Its careers appear to be advertised through LinkedIn, and it has a parental leave policy. These are the company's own claims. If you are interested in digital publishing, community management or audience insight, it offers a very visible example of an independent UK media business.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Parent discussions on every topic, with iOS and Android apps.', 'title': 'Talk forums'}
• {'desc': 'Product recommendations and parenting guides.', 'title': 'Reviews and guides'}
• {'desc': 'Sponsored discussions, product tests and audience insight for advertisers.', 'title': 'Brand partnerships'}
• {'desc': 'A sister site for grandparents and older users.', 'title': 'Gransnet'}

Key facts

• Founded in 2000 by Justine Roberts
• About 8 million unique visitors a month (company claim)
• Independently owned; London-based per Wikipedia
• Justine Roberts made a CBE in 2017

Website: www.mumsnet.com