UK: Marching orders from Alan Rusbridger
Posted by Lindsay Berrigan on March 19, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Yesterday, Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, announced to editorial staff at the Guardian, Guardian Unlimited, and The Observer his specific principles for new newsroom practice concentrating on online awareness.
Rusbridger’s orders are refreshingly direct and clear, providing strong leadership for his staff’s entry into the 24-hour news world.
His vision is as follows:
“Dear All
DRAFT PRINCIPLES OF 24/7 WORKING
The Guardian is increasingly becoming a global news provider with an international audience and reputation.
Web users expect to read about news as it happens.
If we don’t update our site continuously readers will go elsewhere.
Our website is crucial to our digital strategy and to the future of the Guardian & Observer.
The international purpose and reach of the Guardian & Observer cannot be achieved by current publication schedules.
The Guardian and Observers’ journalism must be accurate, reliable and trusted.
In any circumstances where speed might compromise trust we should place a greater emphasis on trust.
We still place an extremely high value on depth, complexity and journalism which cannot be rushed.
We recognise that much of our best journalism takes time, patience and diligent research.
24/7 means we will publish material around the clock across seven days, rather than (as at present) for 16 hours a day across five days.
It means publishing more of our news according to the demands of the web rather than the rhythms and expectations of a newspaper.
Generally, news material which has been written, subbed and legalled may be posted on the web as it becomes available.
Exceptions can be made for any stories which the relevant editor wishes to hold back for the print edition.
We will continue to use news wires for breaking news but will seek to use our full editorial resources to add “Guardian/Observer” value as soon as possible.
This means adding context, analysis and opinion - and, sometimes, colour.
The above mainly applies in the areas of news (home, foreign, city, sport).
It also applies to commentary and, for instance, arts criticism.
There will be areas of non-news coverage that we wish to extend and explore over seven days.
Our production processes must reflect the needs of the web (e.g. the use of web-friendly headlines as well as newspaper headlines, links, tagging, key wording and so on.)
All journalists across Guardian, GU and Observer will be expected to work according to the above principles.”
Alan Rusbridger
Editor, The Guardian
Source: Juan Antonio Giner at What’s Next: Innovations in Newspapers
His vision is as follows:
“Dear All
DRAFT PRINCIPLES OF 24/7 WORKING
The Guardian is increasingly becoming a global news provider with an international audience and reputation.
Web users expect to read about news as it happens.
If we don’t update our site continuously readers will go elsewhere.
Our website is crucial to our digital strategy and to the future of the Guardian & Observer.
The international purpose and reach of the Guardian & Observer cannot be achieved by current publication schedules.
The Guardian and Observers’ journalism must be accurate, reliable and trusted.
In any circumstances where speed might compromise trust we should place a greater emphasis on trust.
We still place an extremely high value on depth, complexity and journalism which cannot be rushed.
We recognise that much of our best journalism takes time, patience and diligent research.
24/7 means we will publish material around the clock across seven days, rather than (as at present) for 16 hours a day across five days.
It means publishing more of our news according to the demands of the web rather than the rhythms and expectations of a newspaper.
Generally, news material which has been written, subbed and legalled may be posted on the web as it becomes available.
Exceptions can be made for any stories which the relevant editor wishes to hold back for the print edition.
We will continue to use news wires for breaking news but will seek to use our full editorial resources to add “Guardian/Observer” value as soon as possible.
This means adding context, analysis and opinion - and, sometimes, colour.
The above mainly applies in the areas of news (home, foreign, city, sport).
It also applies to commentary and, for instance, arts criticism.
There will be areas of non-news coverage that we wish to extend and explore over seven days.
Our production processes must reflect the needs of the web (e.g. the use of web-friendly headlines as well as newspaper headlines, links, tagging, key wording and so on.)
All journalists across Guardian, GU and Observer will be expected to work according to the above principles.”
Alan Rusbridger
Editor, The Guardian
Source: Juan Antonio Giner at What’s Next: Innovations in Newspapers
Posted in :
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: UK: Marching orders from Alan Rusbridger.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.editorsweblog.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/4948
Rusbridger has nailed it. As a web editor of a daily local paper in Cambridgeshire, I would agree with everything he sets out. On a smaller scale that's what local dailies should aspire to. If only I could have drafted it as well!