NED JOLLIFFE


homeworking Providing he had personal numbers of officers and


councillors, it was easier to reach contacts who, at that time, were also working from home. “It helped everyone was in the same position,” he says. “There was a bonding experience.” At JPI’s Media’s 23 weekly titles in the home counties, it was


decided a few days before lockdown was declared on March 23 that all staff should work from home. “The IT was all in place,” says editorial director David Summers. “We were familiar with [some] people working from home, but it was slightly different to have everybody doing it.” News teams generally hold video conferences twice a day via Google Meet, while managers typically meet every morning. Summers is full of praise for the way journalists have coped and adapted. “The level of quality and coverage has been superb,” he adds. Readers also welcomed the quality of reporting with businesses appreciative of campaigns to support local economies. As summer rolled on, reporters were more likely to leave home and report (at a safe distance) as communities returned to something resembling normality. “We pick and choose what jobs we go out for, and make sure they’re done safely,” says Summers. So, has the quality of reporting suffered because of


lockdown? With journalists less likely to attend news briefings and other media events, there can be more opportunity for government and other organisations to manipulate news. While Palmer began attending royal engagements again


over the summer, he noticed Buckingham Palace was controlling the flow of information more than before. This included placing embargoes on stories and not allowing video clips to be shown until they were two days old. Even when the press is invited to a royal event, there are


far fewer reporters and photographers present, andfewer chances to pick up tips from colleagues and press officers, Palmer adds. May Bulman, social affairs correspondent at The Independent, also misses attending press launches and meeting contacts. While many events are broadcast on Zoom, this has pros and cons. “You save time going to places and just log in, but you don’t have the same networking opportunities,”


Pick your platform


WHAT is the best way of keeping in contact with colleagues when the office is out of bounds? Thanks to technology, there is a lot of choice. Along with Zoom,


WhatsApp and Teams, options include Google Hangouts and Slack.


“It’s a question of finding a


platform to communicate, but not having too many,” says Steve Bird of the Financial Times. “If you have too many choices, it becomes a headache.” Staff on JPI Media titles in


the home counties use Google Meet for social


events as well as news conferences. The ‘virtual pub’, which


runs quiz nights, was popular at the start of lockdown, as people had limited opportunities to go out in the evening. “The virtual pub is a nice


way of keeping teams connected,” says David Summers, JPI’s regional editorial director.


she says. “You can spend all day staring at a screen.” In July, the Evening Standard began a campaign for Londoners to return to their offices. Editor Emily Sheffield tweeted that, at the Standard, staff were sitting two desks apart, working on a rota basis and wearing masks in public areas. But a Press Gazette survey in August found nearly half of


journalists did not expect to return to the newsroom this year, if at all. A staff survey at The Independent showed that journalists would split their time between the office and home. “It makes sense to have some flexibility,” says Bulman. Calls for flexible working are likely to increase significantly in the months ahead. At the FT, about 20 per cent of staff were expected to start


working from the office from the start of October. “There is no expectation that anyone will be asked to return, other than on a voluntary basis,” says Steve Bird. While home working is a challenge as well as a major


change in journalism and other professions, journalists are now accustomed to working remotely. So maybe there will be fewer daily commutes in future, more stories filed from bedrooms, and further opportunities to relax in the garden before it gets dark. Palmer says: “The argument that you need a bank of reporters based in the office is becoming less valid.”


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