New Trinity Mirror multimedia chief puts focus on citizen journalism

[Keyword: online journalism, citizen journalism, blogging]. More from Press Gazette as the latest issue includes an interview with newly appointed head of multimedia for Trinity Mirror's regional newspapers Michael Hill.

It seems Hill is going to be firmly focused on making the most of citizen journalism, as he says:

"I think newspapers, particularly regional newspapers, need to be — and will be — much more open to news being generated and sent to them by their readers.

"There is going to be much more of a focus on being inclusive, rather than publishing to an audience at a time you specify, and giving the audience the news diet that you decided.

"There's going to be a bigger focus on interacting with that audience, answering to them, and using a lot of the stuff that they produce for you.

"I think the distinction between professional journalists and citizen journalists may become a little blurred.

"Rather than seeing the content that citizen journalists provide as being useful exclusively on a website, papers can start looking a lot more to use some of that content in print as well."

These are great things to be hearing from a 'multimedia chief', although as part of his role will be "advising local editors on best practice ideas for multimedia" the biggest challenge, it seems, will be persuading them to implement the impressive ideas he has.


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