Keeping up with the times

I’m a dinosaur in journalism terms: at my first job we used electric typewriters and I remember a time before emails (imagine!) But I like to think that I have managed to keep pace with all the updates and innovations which have changed the media landscape.

The most recent of these is accepting that the huge majority of those who consume news and features do so online, rather than in print. Even beyond that, they’re doing so on their phone rather than on a computer screen. And that is a big adjustment for even the youngest of my colleagues and friends in journalism who get the buzz just like we always did of seeing their names in print.

I’m in the process of revamping the food content where I’m currently working to make sure it works on a small screen and with headlines which catch the attention at a glance. 

In moving to full digital-first mode I feel we are behind many in the PR industry: yes clients like print credits and features but the immediacy of a click-through for a purchase or booking means a lot more in these straitened times.

So please bear with us (and maybe have a wry smile behind the scenes) while we explain that we want information or products “for online only”. The “only”, these days, is not necessary, right?