Whenever a newspaper invests properly in journalism, it’s a result for hacks everywhere. So a collective cheer for The Telegraph Group, which is making an auspicious push into expanding its tech reporting.
Ben Wright, the group business editor, won’t take the credit. He says the idea came directly from the top – the new CEO Nick Hugh.
Hugh is ex Yahoo and and thinks tech is not properly covered by the UK mainstream media. This is undeniably true.
The strategy is three-pronged:
1) The team covers the big tech companies (mostly US) and the tech scene in the UK (possibly elsewhere in Europe/Israel in time)
2) It also covers how companies in other sectors are adapting (and struggling to adapt to) new technology
3) It writes about how big technological shifts – automation, AI, big data etc etc – are affecting society and the policy responses to those challenges
When fully staffed, there will be ten editors/reports in London and six in San Francisco. James Titcomb is already set up in SF and Margi Murphy has just moved there.
How should flaks get involved without being annoying?
Wright says: “My general view on PRs contacting us is that email is essentially useless, land lines only a little less so. Mobile is best but only when you’ve got something interesting to say.”
It will be interesting to see how rivals respond to the Telegraph’s push.
