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Home , Andrew Neil, Kamal Ahmed (journalist), Laura Kuenssberg, MailOnline, Paul Dacre, Peston (TV programme)

IS THE NEWS BREAKING? HOW THE UK MEDIA IS CHANGING

1 CONTENTS

Introduction 1 The Authors 2 Survey results 3 Making yourself heard – what want 4 Mobiles, and great hair – how TV news is changing 5 “Politics is sexy – and political is driving change” 6 Young survey: , the BBC and 20:20:20 8 The rise and rise of MailOnline despite Dacre’s digital denial 9 Case study: how the FT relaunched its website 11

2 INTRODUCTION

Alex Bigg CEO, MHP Communications

The general election has raised a great many questions – obviously for politicians, but also for the media. One of those questions is; is the influence of the press waning? If so, is social media the new force in the land which can influence and energise a generation like in the days when it was “ Wot Won It”?

New technology means it has become easier to produce and distribute content. A consequence of this is that the audience for news is bigger than ever – more people spend more time reading, watching, listening and clicking – but behaviour is changing. Less than 4 percent of under 25s read a printed newspaper – for those that do, it is almost certainly not a paid-for title. MHP recently hosted its Young Journalist Awards: 30 To Watch. in its sixth year, the event recognises and celebrates the best young talent in the UK media. The quality of the entries proves there is still abundant talent, creativity and enthusiasm among those entering the industry. We surveyed the nominees and their answers, combined with the thoughts of established media figures, are outlined here. The UK media industry may be at a crossroads, but there is no lack of opportunity to make your voice heard.

Less than 4 percent of under 25s read a printed newspaper – for those that do, it is almost certainly not a paid-for title.

1 THE AUTHORS

Ian Kirby Chris Ship Head of MHP Media Unit Royal Editor, Ian is head of the MHP Media ITV News Unit and former Chris has spent his entire career in of the . broadcast journalism, the majority During his time in he interviewed of which has been with ITN. In March this year four prime ministers, covered five wars and won he was appointed Royal Editor, after a long stint awards for his campaigning journalism. covering Westminster. At MHP Ian has created a successful media unit At ITV Chris has witnessed the rise of video and now offers strategic advice and media training news producers and distributors beyond his to clients across a wide range of different sectors. established rivals at Sky and the BBC. With smartphone technology, everyone is a potential citizen journalist and competition around breaking Tim Shipman news and who gets the best pictures has never Political Editor, been more intense. Tim has spent 20 years in newspaper journalism in the UK Cait O’Riordan and USA. He has worked for The Sunday Express, Head of Digital Products, and the before joining the Sunday Times as Political Editor Cait began her career in journalism in 2014. His book All Out War was published before focusing on the development last year to critical acclaim. It chronicles of new digital tools to help tell stories and report the Westminster intrigues following the EU the news. She led the digital products team for referendum and subsequent collapse of the the BBC’s 2012 Olympic coverage Cameron government. before heading to the start-up music software Fresh from covering this year’s general election company Shazam. campaign, Tim has seen how politics and the Cait joined the FT last year to lead the company’s journalism which surrounds it, is being re-shaped global digital product strategy. Among her first by new technology and the preferences of a responsibilities was the successful launch of the new generation of readers. new FT website and app.

2 SURVEY RESULTS

As part of the annual MHP Young Journalist Awards: 30 To Watch we asked our nominees – all of whom are under 30 and working full time in the UK media – a series of questions concerning their attitude to the UK media industry.

Shots from our MHP Young Journalist Awards 2017.

Gold winners 2017 (above from left to right): Tom Hale – Financial Times, Matt Quinton – The Sun, Finola Miles – ITV News; Jane Bradley – Buzzfeed and Megan Lucero – Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

What are the most important practical skills for a young journalist to have? Media Law Video/Audio Shorthand Software shooting & coding

3 MAKING YOURSELF Will printed newspapers still exist in 20 years’ time? HEARD – WHAT JOURNALISTS WANT No 72% 28% Yes

By Ian Kirby Head of MHP Media Unit

Distinctions in journalism used to be pretty simple – When HMV’s print and broadcast, trade and regional, reporter, feed was taken over and specialist. by a disgruntled However, MHP’s clients Businesses and other ex-employee no-one have a vast panoply institutions are now having in management knew of challenging reportage to prepare for this rapidly the password to manoeuvre. The rise of data evolving world. journalism, citizen bloggers, The first step has to be in corporate films that look YouTube and multi-channel consistent, relevant and like a kidnap video. Smarten commentators has changed the authoritative messaging. up. Spending a little money industry. Each discipline feeds A cursory search online can on proper materials make a off itself with tweets replicated show if a company is trying company look like they care in newspapers and bloggers to tiptoe away from previous about their message. If that’s challenging mainstream media. reputation problems. the case they’re more likely to Even specialists on tier Messages must be supported be believed. one publications like the by proof points that actually In short, your reputation cannot Financial Times are now answer the questions. be taken for granted. video bloggers, commentators, Companies also have to be Traditional discretion is no social media curators and far more aware of the political longer an acceptable defence. straightforward reporters. context of their actions. And there is no such thing as As output explodes, sifting A journalist will naturally try to “public relations”. through the noise and getting escalate a story. As a journalist Managing your reputation is your messages across can be want to know what an MP, a multi-headed businesses. harder than ever. Companies a Minister or a regulator is Critical media, online can no longer rely on a small going to do about the problem commentators, stakeholders, stable of tame specialists who I have identified. internal and external audiences know and understand them. It’s also no longer possible to must all be treated seriously, “No comment” is rightly seen ignore social media. Take any with messages that are both as arrogance at best, evasion page on any newspaper or tailored and consistent. at worst. mainstream news website. Reporters’ attitudes to You’ll find a tweet replicated institutions are also changing. there. Twitter is now a primary What is your attitude There is an increasing news source. When HMV’s towards sponsored scepticism of major institutions, corporate feed was taken over by content and advertorial? most notably financial. The rise a disgruntled ex-employee and of stars such as no-one in senior management Commercial reality 51% and , reporters knew the password, it was a who have moved between metaphor of the travails of Bad for journalism 47% the rough world of politics the company’s profits. and business reporting, have Finally, video. Too many No opinion 2% spawned a hundred imitators. companies are still using

4 MOBILES, FACEBOOK AND GREAT HAIR – HOW TV NEWS IS CHANGING

By Chris Ship Royal Editor, ITV News

There was once a time when a TV journalist would only have to worry about the TV: what to film, when to script, when was the next bulletin, how did my hair look?

If you’re entering a TV People are still watching fixed It was one of our online newsroom now, there is so TV news bulletins in their many journalists who spoke to a much more to worry about. millions – but more and more of homeless man in Manchester Yes, the deadlines are still there, us are consuming news on the who had helped those seriously so too is the need to get good go, mostly on mobile phones. injured by the suicide bomber. picture, but what you do with The video of ‘Steve’ has now that picture and what you do been seen around the world: with your story has changed More and more of us 14 million times on the ITV beyond all recognition. are consuming news News page, 2.2 million times At ITV, we don’t have a rolling on the go, mostly on on the Daily Mail, 1.8 million news channel but we do have times on CBS News. It’s why rolling news. It comes in the mobile phones newsrooms now devote form of a website, a Facebook significant resources to online page and a Twitter account. and why the truth is that news So when news breaks after And it’s our job to get the is now firmly multiplatform. news to them as well as to the the main studio lights have been One does not exist without viewers watching at home. switched off – think Manchester the other. And that means a and London Bridge in just Our ITV News Twitter account TV journalist in 2017 needs to the last few weeks – there are has 1.7 million followers. know how to film, spell (you’d places we can get news to Each of our key correspondents be surprised what we could get people when they need it. has their own Twitter accounts. away with before) as well as In the last year, it’s the platform worry about the hair! on which I twice chose to break the news of ’s A woman filmed by resignation: first as Prime Is Journalism considered our cameras screaming Minister, then as MP. It’s also by young people to be about where we will break news of an attractive career? on his inauguration terror attacks, or snap general day would have always election results or post video No that people want to watch made it onto our and share. 86% 14% bulletins A woman filmed by our cameras screaming about Donald Trump Yes on his inauguration day would have always made it onto our bulletins. But it also became our most watched video ever on Twitter.

5 “POLITICS IS SEXY – AND POLITICAL JOURNALISM IS DRIVING CHANGE”

By Tim Shipman Political Editor, The Sunday Times

Ever since I became a journalist (20 years ago this autumn) people have been telling me it is a trade that is finished. In fact it is expanding in ways we could never have predicted two decades ago and political journalism is in some ways at the cutting edge.

The most obvious change Different opinions make you is social media, which has look at issues from different What is the best way two big roles for journalists: sides, challenges your pre- to pitch a story to a conduit for information conceptions. In practical terms, journalists? and for interaction. it also enables you to get hold Facebook and Twitter are of people who used to be Email the source of stories. They are uncontactable. Just drop them (72%) where political parties place a DM, most people will respond. their propaganda, their adverts Newspapers still have a key role and their campaign messaging. in shaping broadcast coverage. Telephone Twitter in particular is also the In Politico, Buzzfeed and quickest way of disseminating Huffington Post there are three (11%) news stories and allows established website operations journalists to draw attention to that are taken seriously by quotes, information and stories the Westminster village. Social Media they have filed. Twitter has Politics is sexy and even young taken the place of news wires. (10%) people seem interested now. There are days when I get 80% of my information from Twitter. Twitter also links you quickly In Person to sources with whom you (7%) would not normally talk.

6 For newspapers with a Now young journalists can build subscription model like The their own brands online. Times and The Sunday Times, The platforms may be changing politics is a key driver to attract but the skills are the same: new customers. I write the getting to know people, asking Sunday edition of the Red Box the right questions, knowing Who is the most email, I participate in podcasts when you’ve learned something influential journalist and Facebook live events all new, using your judgment working in the UK today? the time. In the old days the to explain what it means and only way you could get greater selling your story to your exposure was to do a talking bosses and the audience. Editor Daily Mail head spot on TV. Whether you’re tweeting, (14 votes) podcasting or writing, this is still the best job in the world. In Politico, Buzzfeed BBC Political Editor and Huffington (12 votes) Post there are three established website Robert Peston, operations that are James Harding, taken seriously by the James O’Brien, , Westminster village (3 votes)

Is the BBC good or bad for the future of UK journalism?

Bad % 87 13% Good

7 YOUNG JOURNALIST SURVEY: FAKE NEWS, THE BBC AND 20:20:20

By Adam Batstone Director, MHP Communications

MHP recently held its annual Young Journalist Awards: work for the BBC or started 30 To Watch. This year we had almost 200 nominations, their careers there. We asked most of whom took part in a survey, designed to capture whether young journalists the attitudes and shifting priorities among young people consider the BBC – with its embarking on a career in the media. licence fee funded services – to be a threat to the UK media. Despite massive technological soon be chip wrappers – It certainly has some noisy changes, the survey results in the metaphorical sense. critics, particularly now its show many principles remain Journalism remains a popular competing directly on digital unchanged. The skills that career choice and there is no platforms with newspapers, make a good journalist remain shortage of talent willing to slog but our survey showed 87 as relevant today as they for little or no money to get percent of young journalists ever were. a foot in the door. The phrase back the BBC. And the media is no longer “twenty, twenty, twenty” is the closed shop that it once bandied around newsrooms – was. Arcane jargon, powerful meaning 20-year-olds, working trade unions and elaborate 20 hour days to earn around Our survey showed distribution mechanisms meant £20k a year. To that equation 87 percent of young breaking into the media was you could add the expectation journalists back almost impossible for outsiders. that they churn out a minimum the BBC But nowadays anyone with an of 20 stories each day. iPhone and a good idea can The phrase may be an So who is considered Britain’s reach a global audience at exaggeration – something the most influential journalist? almost no cost whatsoever. media has been known for – This question prompted an but the survey confirms typical array of answers from Katie starting salaries are less than Hopkins and to Nowadays anyone with £20k. Despite that 88 percent and Lyse Doucet. an iPhone and a good of respondents thought they The most popular names by idea can reach a global could make a good living far were BBC Political Editor from journalism. audience at almost no Laura Kuenssberg and the Half of those surveyed thought cost whatsoever grand old man of the Daily Mail; the impact of Fake News is no Paul Dacre. more damaging to the media Adam Batstone is a former BBC Technology does not mean than the use of sponsored News assistant editor who now the age of the printed content. The former is an works for MHP Communications. newspaper is dead though. unwelcome consequence of the More than 80 percent said internet, the latter an inevitable newspapers will still be around result of newspapers seeking in 20 years’ time. But many to generate new revenue. of the titles which exist in A great many of the country’s print form today will inevitably leading journalists either still

8 THE RISE AND RISE OF MAILONLINE DESPITE DACRE’S DIGITAL DENIAL

By Keith Gladdis Director MHP Communications

So how has a newspaper like the Daily Mail survived in a digital age when its editor refuses to even have a What is the best computer in his office? Despite being the most powerful means to promote man on Paul Dacre still edits with a pencil your personal profile? and demands emails are printed out and delivered to his desk by hand. Social Media And yet the Daily Mail is It wasn’t always as rosy as considered the best placed this. Back in 2006 the Daily (61%) newspaper to survive in a Mail’s online offering was a world of 24-hour news and disaster, a mere afterthought social media, thanks to the to the newspaper. Then a bold Speaker incredible success of MailOnline. - and very expensive - decision opportunities The website has 15 million-plus was made to separate the online (11%) online browsers every day, offering from the newspaper. Crucially, millions of users The plan was to allow the are now reading it on their website to grow without Media Interviews mobile phones. compromising the quality Perhaps the most exciting (9%) aspect of MailOnline’s growth is its international appeal, Back in 2006 the it is often claimed to be the Networking Daily Mail’s online most visited English language (7%) newspaper website in the offering was a disaster world. This year MailOnline is expected to generate £100m or appeal of the Personal in advertising revenues, up 19% newspaper. Other newspapers website/ on the previous year. It means pooled resources asking (6%) the growth in online advertising reporters to file stories for their is starting to make up for the website and then write different decline in print. versions for the print edition. Continued over

9 THE RISE AND RISE OF MAILONLINE DESPITE DACRE’S DIGITAL DENIAL CONTINUED

Controversial That means at least 1.5m like Katie Hopkins and Piers pay 65p to buy a copy of Paul Dacre still edits Morgan drive traffic to the the Daily Mail each day despite with a pencil and website but will never appear an alternative version of the in the newspaper. MailOnline’s news being available free of demands emails legendary ‘sidebar of shame’ charge online. are printed out and is home to a host of celebrities Keith Gladdis is a Director delivered to his who are unknown to the readers at MHP Communications desk by hand – and many of the reporters – and the former Executive at the Daily Mail. News Editor at the Daily Mail. The quality of journalism Inevitably there is rivalry inevitably suffered in both. between reporters from the Another brave decision was paper and the website but to put a heavyweight editor in it generates an energy and charge of online. Martin Clarke is competition that improves a man who is every bit as driven both products and pleases and focused as Paul Dacre - and the respective editors. a potential rival. Clarke had the Paul Dacre’s triumph was in confidence to drive MailOnline recognising that the growth of into becoming a very different the online product should not product to the newspaper, now come at the expense of the less than a quarter of its content newspaper. His focus and that comes from the pages of the of his reporters, feature writers print edition. and commentators is on the Daily Mail alone.

How important is it to promote your personal profile? 77 0 (average answer) 100

10 CASE STUDY: HOW THE FT RELAUNCHED ITS WEBSITE

By Cait O’Riordan Head of Digital Product, Financial Times

We do product at the FT by taking a customer-focused approach and using the principles of ‘lean development’ Has the scandal around – getting new versions of our product in front of real Fake News damaged the customers as quickly as possible. We do fewer credibility of journalism? projects, better and faster. We also focus on growing reader engagement, rather than making a more complicated product. No For our 2017 website redesign FT.com is consistent across 56% 44% project, that meant having devices, clean, simple and quiet, a rough and ready product so users are focused on the Yes in front of customers. At the content regardless of where time that felt like a massive they consume it: engagement risk - putting a half-finished on mobile devices has increased product in front of our paying by 106%. FT.com is now one One of the most technologically customers. Especially given the of the fastest news websites innovative aspects of FT.com FT’s strong editorial reputation, in the world both on desktop was our focus on speed. as we are an organisation and on mobile. Test results showed that for known for not necessarily being every one second increase in first but always being accurate. speed, our engagement score When the time came to switch FT.com is now one increased by 5%. 100% of users onto our new of the fastest news We know what metrics we need site, it was an incredibly smooth to move to be successful, and launch, we were putting websites in the world the whole company is tasked them on to a site which we both on desktop and with that, from editorial right knew already worked. From a on mobile up to the board. Understanding customer and a business point data makes us a digitally literate of view it’s been a tremendous company. We are completely success, with 95% of our Advertising declined across the focused on outcomes. customers happy to stay media industry in 2016 – with on the new site. Google and Facebook taking So, when it came to upwards of 90% of new digital rebuilding our website, driving ad spend. Media organisations engagement was one of the key are also facing challenges from outcomes we were looking for. Fake News, distributed content We focused on increasing the models, and ad blocking. website’s speed, personalisation, The FT is not immune to these mobile design, and user headwinds, we have to work satisfaction, and as a result we hard to deliver sustainable increased engagement on the advertising innovations. new FT.com by 30%.

11 NOTES

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