´óÏó´«Ã½ NEWS

Restructuring the ´óÏó´«Ã½

Adrian Van-Klaveren
20 Jul 06, 04:29 PM

So we at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ have had one of those â€œorganisational momentsâ€, making substantial changes to how we run ourselves.

included an emphasis on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Journalism as one of the main planks of what the ´óÏó´«Ã½ does â€“ alongside Audio & Music and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Vision. The idea at the heart of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Journalism builds on what weâ€™ve been doing over the last few years. Weâ€™ve worked hard to create stronger links between the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s journalistic output, locally, nationally and internationally. Sport now joins the mix as well.

Our aim is to ensure we fully achieve our mission of delivering the worldâ€™s best journalism and that what we do is available to as many people as possible across all appropriate platforms.

Of course this only really matters if it makes a difference to audiences. I think it will. It should help us be more ambitious in what we do across the big themes of our time â€“ climate change, energy supply, China, global security and many more.

When all of the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s journalists work together we can give audiences an unrivalled insight into major issues. The expertise of the World Service, the innovation of our interactive teams, the grass roots understanding from our teams across the UK can all combine to strengthen our coverage of subjects ranging from immigration to the environment.

Of course itâ€™s happened in the past but we know we can and should do more.

Secondly itâ€™s vital that all areas of the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s journalism work together as we adapt to the changing technological world. Finding the right ways of offering content and the best technology to support that content needs to be thought about across the ´óÏó´«Ã½ â€“ not just in individual areas.

What we provide in terms of news services to mobiles for example is likely to cuts across boundaries of local, national and international.

In a world where greater personalisation will be one of the key themes, audiences will be in control rather than our traditional boundaries and demarcations. There will be people who regularly want a diet of news which ranges from the local to the global and we need to make sure our way of doing things supports, rather than gets in the way of, providing this.

Journalism is at the heart of why the ´óÏó´«Ã½ exists. The changes to the organisation reflect this and I think can only encourage anyone who wants the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to continue to offer the best in on-the-spot reporting, analysis and explanation, robust interviewing and original story finding.

Adrian Van-Klaveren is deputy director of ´óÏó´«Ã½ News

Adrian Van-Klaveren is deputy director, ´óÏó´«Ã½ News

Blogs on the ´óÏó´«Ã½

Host
20 Jul 06, 03:23 PM

A round-up of what's being said about the ´óÏó´«Ã½ in other blogs. Today, the announcement of .

Buzzmachine:
"This is a big cultural change for the ´óÏó´«Ã½... different tribes are being thrown in together and told theyâ€™d better get along." ()

I'm Simon Dickson:
"It's further evidence that online production really isnâ€™t that specialised any more... everything is â€˜just contentâ€™." ()

Plasticbag.org:
"Are you impressed by the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s progress? I'm not." ()

Ninthspace:
"The ´óÏó´«Ã½ has given new media an expanded role... Great. Now go sort out your interactive TV service!" ()

Nearly One ´óÏó´«Ã½

Mark Wray
20 Jul 06, 02:56 PM

It's always great to get a scoop - and even nicer to get two for the price of one.

So, last week, when Anita Anand managed to convince Sir Gulam Noon to respond to (about the curry tycoon having been told by Lord Levy not to reveal his Â£250k loan to the Labour Party), I was pretty chuffed.

Using her own contacts and some good old-fashioned persuasion Anita encouraged a pretty reluctant Noon to put his side of the story (hear the interview here). He refused to implicate his Lordship directly but did go as far as is decent for a Knight of the Realm in venting his not inconsiderable displeasure with the whole farrago.

Sir Gulam Noon We're not great at blowing our own trumpets on these occasions. But I did alert the Press Association newsdesk, other ´óÏó´«Ã½ programmes and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ press office.

The world and his dog started chasing Sir Gulam to see if he would throw them a bone too but he'd said his piece. So Anita's was the only interview they had to go on and there was great pick up in the papers the next day. Some mentioning Anita and her programme, others mentioning Five Live, some just the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and others, well, giving no credit at all (it's annoying when that happens but which of us can hold our hands up and say we haven't used others' storylines without a proper plug?).

Anita Anand The icing on the top of the Levy/Noon cake was hearing Sarah Montague introduce Anita's interview, in full, on the following morning's Today programme. At the end of the interview she gave Anita another name-check.

There was a time, not too long ago, when internal rivalries meant that if a ´óÏó´«Ã½ programme used material from other ´óÏó´«Ã½ outlets, an interview like this would have been filleted for the best clips, cutting out the 'rival' talent. And on those rare occasions when a credit was given it would have been barely audible as it was spat out through the presenter's gritted teeth.

We're not quite One ´óÏó´«Ã½ yet, but we are getting there.

Mark Wray is an editor of news programmes, Radio Five Live

How to say: Jan Egeland

Host
20 Jul 06, 12:17 PM

A guide to words and names in the news, from Martha Figueroa-Clark of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Pronunciation Unit.

Jan Egeland, UN emergency relief co-ordinator Today, , UN emergency relief co-ordinator.

"The Pronunciation Unit recommends the pronunciation YAAN AY-guh-lan.

"This is a Norwegian name, so the final 'd' in Egeland is silent in this position."

(.)

´óÏó´«Ã½ in the news, Thursday

Host
20 Jul 06, 09:49 AM

The Guardian: "The ´óÏó´«Ã½'s director general yesterday unveiled a restructuring package... designed to make the ´óÏó´«Ã½ 'the most creative organisation in the world'." ()

The Mirror: "Computer giant Microsoft has beaten the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to be crowned the UK's top consumer brand." (

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

Welcome to The Editors, a site where we, editors from across ´óÏó´«Ã½ News, will share our dilemmas and issues.
Here are tips on taking part, but to join in, all you need do is add a comment.

Click here for the new Radio 4 Blog