I have a problem with Failing Fast. It’s a phrase that crops up in discussions around newsroom evolution, and in presentations at journalism conferences, and I have to wonder, did whoever first coined the phrase (in a non-Product context, at least,) really believe a failing quickly and moving on to the next thing a good thing?... Continue Reading →
#ONALondon session: Reaching Unexpected Audiences With New Platforms
Erica Berger, who is founder of Catchpool and Co-Founder of Mileage Media, kicked off her session with some impressive facts: 30 mins a day spent per day for average users of Snapchat Instagram has 77% of audience outside the USA Soundcloud has 350m users a month WhatsApp has 990m users - 70% use it daily;... Continue Reading →
15 thoughts on innovation for smaller newsrooms
How do you innovate in smaller newsrooms, was one of the questions that was sought to be addressed at the WAN IFRA international newsroom summit I attended in Hamburg on October 5. My answer is an emphatic: “Better, and more ambitiously than anyone tends to give us credit for”. The big guns, like the NYT and The Guardian,... Continue Reading →
#mojocon15 part I: Talking mobile innovation and storytelling
March 27 and 28 were spent immersed in the world of mobile, journalism, storytelling and content creation, courtesy of the first Mobile Journalism Conference held in Dublin and organised by broadcaster RTÉ. It was the most rewarding, packed and inspiring event - filled with incredible journalists and storytellers doing wonderful things, often armed with just... Continue Reading →
Up the Boro! Tapping into the fans’ mood on Twitter
This is my new favourite thing, courtesy of the @GazetteBoro team in Middlesbrough (disclosure: yep, they're part of Trinity Mirror Regionals, like me). The gif (you might need to click to activate) is a simple, neat idea, and really summed up the how fans feel about being up in the rarified atmosphere of the top of the table. Lots... Continue Reading →
Six thoughts on emerging opportunities for journalism
Attending the Society of Editors* conference on November 10 and 11 meant a trip back to my old stamping ground of Southampton. I spent several years there in the '90s with the Southern Daily Echo (editor Ian Murray completed his term as SoE president this month) and it was good to go back - not least to see how much the... Continue Reading →
Talking innovation, blockers and culture change at WAN-IFRA summit
I was amazed and delighted when WAN-IFRA contacted me recently to invite me to speak at the upcoming 13th International Newsroom Summit during World Publishing Expo in October, in Amsterdam. I said yes - what an opportunity to hear industry leaders from around the world talk about things I passionately want to learn as much as I can about! - and then... Continue Reading →
Innovations and ideas on the agenda for #fearlessDEN
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/475463981 Here's an exciting thing: The next DEN (Digital Editors Network) meeting is being held at Trinity Mirror Towers, aka One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, aka IN MY ACTUAL HQ. Having attended many DENs over the year (we even hosted one at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo) it's exciting to be inviting the network at Canary Wharf, and... Continue Reading →
Innovation and the perils of “yes, but…”
There's an interesting post on the WAN-IFRA blog now, which details are the key attributes of an effective editor, leading at a time of industry disruption. It’s a subject close to my heart as it was the topic of my MA, and I agree with a lot of the points made by David Boardman, Dean of the... Continue Reading →
Alison Gow | Building the New 