Dot Comms

Not your average digital editor

June 18, 2009 | Written by admin

Since I have been working in PR there has been much discussion about digital and social media. Ruder Finn has even conducted its own research into the future of communications. I have grown up with digital and count myself part of the digital generation as social media and the Internet have boomed over the past five years and been an integral part of my life and education.

In order to become a master of digital and do my job better, I attended a ‘meet the journlaist’ event on Tuesday night. The journalist in question was Jimmy Leach, Digital Editorial Director of the Independent. I like the Indie, it was a staple paper throughout university and have always enjoyed reading it in print and online.

Normally these events are an excuse to network, drink some free booze and listen to a journo whine about how they hate PRs. So I was pleasantly surprised when Jimmy gave an honest and open account of the media landscape in the UK and his thoughts about the future of the press.

In these Twittering times it was refreshing to hear a digital director view Twitter as a social experiment and a place to catch up with mates rather than a valuable, reliable news and search tool and that in six months time most people will be embarrassed at using it so much. Jimmy went on to say that he prefers a more traditional approach when being pitched such as that old tool the telephone and good old email. His relationship with PRs is generally good but doesn’t have time for people who don’t know the publication they are selling in to. So know your editor, know their audience and know their publication!

In digital terms he said that whilst online is the future for publishing news, there is still a value put on print and that the Independent has to catch up with the likes of the Guardian and BBC in terms of audience figures. He did talk about the push for more pre-made content from TV networks to supply video stories as they don’t have a large team to do their own editing and production. What was more interesting was to find out how much value the Independent places on opinion and comment over breaking news. The focus of the Independent is to be the highest source of information providing readers with the best comment and most honest analysis on news, sport and features. For example you may get the headline and the basics of a story from the BBC, but they hope to attract readers to the Independent to get the best in-depth analysis on a story.

I came away from listening to Jimmy a born again Independent reader and picked it up the next day and scanned through the online site. It does need a re-vamp but from the ideas and plans Jimmy has for the Independent, I look forward to seeing them. Plus he supports Man Utd so he’s ok with me!

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