Clearly for him, “the future of news-gathering and news delivery is tied to the screen.” But in this time of transition to digital, newspapers are required to maintain their sustain their print newspapers, which are more profitable, while developing their online editions.

“Inevitably, this split has proved uncomfortable, both in journalistic terms and, seen from the perspective of owners and managers, in financial terms too,” writes Greenslade.

But he seems to believe that “it is now clear that the days of binary staffing, with journalists for print and journalists for web, are virtually over.” Many papers have by now chosen the road to integration (note that the Guardian is still non-integrated, and that many papers internationally still have separate print and online team).

Editors justify the merging of print and digital staffs by talking of journalistic imperatives and improved storytelling. Obviously though, there are also business-related considerations in the choice to merge staff.

Similar imperatives have also led to reconsider the separation of the daily paper staff and that of the weekend or Sunday edition. “One of digital transmission's greatest benefits is that it allows for the merging of staff on daily and Sunday titles in a way that proved unachievable 20 years ago,” says Greenslade.

However, as said many times before, real integration is a matter of changing newsroom culture. The real challenge for editors and journalists is to get used to servicing a media-savvy public 24/7, internationally, which can only be achieved through integration.

A commonplace criticism to integration is that it asks too much from journalists, but Greenslade’s tour doesn’t give him that impression, to the contrary. He seems to have met with journalists who grasped the benefits of integration and digital journalism (no fixed space, possibility for tangents and updates, new ways to tell stories and such).

Greenslade takes examples from 3 national paper newsrooms that have chosen to integrate: The Times, The Telegraph and the Financial Times (FT).

The Telegraph:
- the Telegraph’s hub-and-spoke editorial newsroom is a “terrific working environment.”
- A Telegraph journalist now goes through several stages to write a story, starting with a quick online story to break news and then updating it as necessary. In the third step a video or audio clip is added, if appropriate, and lastly, by the end of the day, the journalist compiles a more analytical piece complemented with feedback and background gathered on the site during the day.

The Financial Times:
- Thanks to its Méthode content management system, moving between print and online publishing is just the matter of a click.
- FT reporters go through a story-writing process somewhat similar to that of the Telegraph, posting it on the Web and building it throughout the day with new information.
- Multimedia reporting has been emphasized and reporters are sent out with cameras, but aren’t expected to take care of the editing. A specialized interactive desk has been set up for that. "We do not want to make beat reporters into jacks of all trades," says FT.com editor James Montgomery.
- Thanks to the FT’s particular organization around the world, it is able to provide news around the clock, relaying its news operations from London to New York and Hong Kong.
- There were a number of job losses in the process of integration, but all of them were voluntary buyouts.

The Times:
- The paper still wishes to further its integration and increase the inclusion of multimedia content online.
- A newspaper is not a news agency, and must therefore create added value to draw readers to the site, whether it be analysis, writing ability or related content.
- There still is a four-hour gap in output, as for most newspapers still, between 3am and 7am.
- The paper holds masterclasses for staff so integration is an ongoing learning process.

Source: Guardian Unlimited