It was probably the most fascinating, fun and untaxing job I’ve got on my LinkedIn profile.
The request to serve on it came out of the blue. A phone call asking if I’d like to. I would? That’s great the story was going online later that morning.
As a former journalist who cares passionately about the public sector this appealed to me. My job? Occasional meetings in London as part of a panel of half a dozen or so and the bouncing of ideas.
There’s no question that The Guardian take coverage of the public sector seriously. Jane Dudman and her team have grown that part of the newspaper. If there is an issue you think should be tackled you really should get in touch with her.
What did I learn now my 12-months is at an end?
That broadly speaking everyone is facing a difficult landscape in the public sector.
That The Guardian have very funky offices and serve good coffee.
That from an editorial point of view, one good, well written piece will attract more traffic than lots of not that great pieces.
That an online news platform needs to keep an eye on the analytics but not be slavishly driven by them. The right numbers work for the Public Leaders network rather than buzzfeed list numbers for the sake of it.
That Simon Blake, chief executive of Brook, is as engaging in real life as he is when interviewed on the radio. But I’ll never understand how he cycles around the streets of London.
That editorial ideas in a web-focused newsroom are as much around content as they are about ‘stories’ and word counts.
That stories around how to cope with the stress of public sector life are probably more engaging than a story about who has succeeded who and who loves working where.
So, it all boils down still, despite the internet and everything, the old maxim Iearned early as a junior reporter that news is people and still is. Which is oddly reassuring.
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