Kamal Ahmed, Sunday Telegraph business editor, 11 May 2010
By Pauline Rawsterne
'As journalists, we used to live in a castle and at 6pm every day we would throw the news over the wall, with no way for anything to get back in. That's all changed.'
The influence of digital media, the move towards 24/7 news and the new commercial realities facing journalists were key themes in the talk by Sunday Telegraph business editor Kamal Ahmed at the latest CIPR Corporate and Financial Group meeting.
Kamal, whose previous roles have included political editor of The Observer and media editor of The Guardian, says the Sunday Telegraph is very much a 'pro-business newspaper' with a readership of around 1.2 million.
It is part of an integrated seven-day operation which also includes the daily and Telegraph online. Therefore in deciding content, Kamal liaises closely with colleagues including Damian Reece, the group's head of business, Richard Fletcher, city editor of the daily paper, and Sunday Telegraph editor Ian MacGregor.
Kamal believes that Sunday journalism should be a preview, not a review, of the week's news (except for analysis of a few very big stories) while still providing coverage of any late-breaking stories. "You need to make sure your readers are fully informed when they arrive at the water cooler on a Monday morning," he explains.
PRs often fail to recognise this by offering comment on stories already covered. Like many editors, he also stresses that space is tight and he receives lots of material from PRs who don't appear to have read the paper. He offers the following advice:
- Pitch stories early
Editorial conferences are held at 9.30am on weekdays and at 10am Saturday. By Thursday, around half of the main stories have been decided and by Friday, the features and the commentary agreed. On Saturday, it is mainly last-minute changes to accommodate late stories - such as the recent sale of Harrods.
- Give a good reason for the paper to cover it
Kamal is inundated by requests from PRs seeking coverage of 'interesting' companies. While some of these would be better directed to enterprise editor Richard Tyler, clearly being 'interesting' is not enough.
- Consider whether it is part of a wider trend
Smaller companies are more likely to get coverage if they reflect a wider issue. PR should ask themselves, is this happening throughout the UK? Could we get together with others to make it a bigger story?
- Try to fit in with the news agenda
The news is often dominated by big issues - such as the recent election and events in the Eurozone - and big companies. Consider the news agenda and try to plug into it.
- Think of it in the context of a seven-day operation
While Kamal's first responsibility is to the Sunday paper, he will consider stories in the context of the weekly news agenda. Sometimes clients' interests are better served by coverage in the daily paper. The Sunday Telegraph will respect a request for exclusivity but PRs should be open to discussion - have a conversation before making an "offer" and think in terms of the long term relationship with Telegraph Media Group.
The online operation has certainly extended the paper's reach. Two-thirds of the Telegraph's online visitors now come from outside the UK, and the group has tried to respond to that by giving the site a more global feel.
The digital era has also led to a more fast-moving news agenda with quickly changing storylines, which Kamal feels is particularly difficult for traditional organisations which do not like to issue comment without serious internal consideration.
In addition it has created the potential for greater reader involvement. In a recent project with Ebay and the Telegraph Business Club, the paper sought the views from smaller firms on business and the election. Not only did it allow it to engage with readers, it also brought to light issues including the way different rules in different EU countries made online trading more difficult.
A key consideration for media operations is how to make money from digital. The Telegraph online wants to remain a 'free to reader service', but the group feels there is potential to charge for value added products and has been exploring the potential for commercial partnerships or synergies - for example by providing content for companies with large websites. "The big debate is how to ensure that commercial relationships do not affect editorial coverage," says Kamal. "Chinese walls must have a part to play here."
While recent years have seen the breakdown of barriers between the daily, Sunday and online journalism, Kamal feels another current trend is the way in which business and politics are coming together. Issues such as the banking crisis and bonuses have made business activities a matter of public debate.
"There is a confluence between business and politics that wasn't there before," says Kamal. "Business people now have to understand politics . . . though a group of people who are less likely to understand each other would be hard to find!"
Pauline Rawsterne is an independent PR practitioner based in Manchester and specialising in corporate and financial PR.