We've got something worth talking about

Published on Thursday 30 November 2006 00:29

'THE editor, eh? I thought that was the woman with the blonde hair or the other guy with the suit who ended up..." So began the 15th similar conversation with an Edinburgh taxi driver in the six weeks since I started here.

Yes, everyone knows the storyline of one of Edinburgh's longest-running sagas, and like the taxi drivers are not slow to have an opinion. Let me say straight away that this is a massive strength for us. The Scotsman is a talked-about newspaper, perhaps like no other. It's just that from now on we aim to have them talking about our journalism.

So what has the new man found in six weeks at this Scottish institution, apart from an overpopulated ex-editors' club? Firstly, and very importantly, a hugely talented team of journalists close to the institutions and people on whom they report. Forget for a minute about the end-of-the-world media "experts" who have been foretelling of the death of newspapers for years. What will always survive is expert fact-gathering allied to quality story-writing. That needs investment and nurturing. The "citizen journalist" can add powerfully to the mix but can never replace it.

Secondly, a success story. This might surprise some of you used to reading about sales declines across the industry. Indeed, I was none too pleased to see my grim-faced image alongside The Scotsman's latest ABC figures in the media sections of our rivals in my second week. However, this does not tell the whole story. Newspaper sales are beginning to improve slightly, but the stories and information we supply have possibly never before had more power and resonance in Scotland and beyond.

Scotsman.com is an unparalleled success story - largely because of the stories our newsroom (together with that of sisters Scotland on Sunday and the Evening News) is producing every day. On some months, up to 3.4 million unique users take advantage of Scotsman.com services. Last month 36,000 story comments were posted by users, as debate on the issues we raise takes on new life. If there is a more powerful combination of newspaper and website in Scotland, I'd like to hear of it.

Our new, and sometimes old, customers come from far and wide, from every corner of the Scottish diaspora, particularly the US. They bring new perspectives to our debates. They are mostly knowledgeable and witty.

This new-style relationship also helps us with the paper. Information on how many people use our website and what is keeping them there is available instantaneously on my office computer. There are "health warnings", but we are much better now at understanding what kinds of stories are interesting many of our readers. Feedback is instantaneous and empirical.

I am still a great believer in running with a hunch, inspiring readers by our own vision. However, it would be a perverse editor indeed who continued to ignore what the page-view figures are showing him or her.

Together with letter writers and regular correspondents, these members of our audience will increasingly play a part in our story-gathering, whether that be with their views on subjects or by helping us investigate and campaign on issues affecting Scotland. We should not be precious about this. They can do things that we can't - just as we have the professionalism they may not possess. Seize the opportunity and these will be exciting times. Ignore it and someone else will do it anyway. Unlike many others, we are on to this now. That does not mean that the newspaper is anything other than the most important show in town. I believe it will also be so for many years.

The digital age is as much about process as it is about creativity. On the other hand the newspaper is (excuse the overblown sentiment) a work of art. I can stare at a striking front page as long as a Velzquez.

But we must always be moving forward. On a crowded newsstand we must make use of our advantages of Scottishness, of intelligence, and ally them to developing ways of reading. The Scotsman's trusted ability to take a concise, dispassionate look at issues must always be the core of what we do.

In the daily mix, long informed narratives have a major part to play, investigation, also. So too does presentation which aids the reader rather than erects barriers.

On a train last week I watched as a businesswoman read the paper from cover to cover (a tricky task, which risked a complaint to the guard and my ejection two stops early). It is fascinating to watch how long the eye holds the page, what it looks for, how long it tolerates confusion, or how often it reaches the end of the story.

That is why we have done a lot of work in the last six weeks with, to use the jargon, "change of pace" and "multiple points of entry". It is about ensuring as much of our reporting as possible makes it to the reader, that they are held on the page and feel they have achieved good value from their purchase.

There are too many newspapers that assume the reader has a vast reserve of knowledge on every subject. No matter how intelligent, this cannot be the case. We must spell out clearly and concisely the issues in a way that affords time-poor people easy understanding. This is not the same as "dumbing down".

Over the next few months The Scotsman, both in print and digitally, will continue to evolve at a decent, but not frantic, pace. I want to involve readers along the way. Already, 500 people are giving us their views via an online survey. We will expand that. I will shortly be announcing the names of The Scotsman "panel of advisers", a small group of influential people to give their views of our coverage and the appointment of a readers' editor to champion your issues and deal effectively with complaints.

Next year is a big one for both Scotland and The Scotsman, starting with the historic anniversary of the Act of Union, and taking in a fascinating election. We have some exciting plans.

I have learned quickly that Scottish media life is a goldfish bowl. There are plenty of siren voices with hidden agendas out there. They are not a distraction on Holyrood Road. The reader is all that counts.

I hope there will come the day when my taxi driver mentions the front page splash or the superb account on Hearts' latest pantomime character rather than ask me how long I'm here for. Then we will be truly well on our way.