BRIEFING

Northcliffe staff join digital debate

Delegates from across Northcliffe’s Cornwall and Devon Media Ltd group of newspapers attended three days of workshops to discuss the future of digital media across their titles.

Prompted by the ongoing debate about how newspapers can adapt to the new digital environment, the voluntary workshops, run by Press Association Training, attracted staff from all departments and generated debate about the way forward.

PA trainer and consultant, Andy Drinkwater, who ran the workshops at CDM’s headquarters in Truro said: “I received some of the most positive feedback I’ve ever had from a course like this.

“It seems to me that newspaper groups are really beginning to understand both the scale of the threat and the size of the opportunity that the new wired-up media world presents.

“Most importantly the delegates seemed to grasp the reality that newspapers need to change the way they use their strong brands to develop a genuine two-way relationship with their readers and customers.

“I feel very strongly that if newspapers don’t maximise the strength of their brands quickly then it’s only a matter of time before new companies emerge to fill the gap.”

The workshops included a look at all aspects of digital media and some of the latest developments in online journalism from around the world. There were practical sessions on how to develop stories for the internet, how to make the most of new technology and how create and build websites that create interactive platforms for the readers.

Andy Cooper, Editor in Chief of Cornwall and Devon Media said: “We already have an established web site as part of the ‘this is’ stable, which publishes our material online.

“However, I feel everyone in our business now needs to make a further ‘cultural leap’ to understand and embrace the new opportunities which digital publishing can offer, particularly in a company which has, up to now, been used to traditional weekly publishing.