Arif Durrani of MediaWeek examines how the Financial Times is preparing for a single global edition in 2014.
Durrani writes, “Not everyone’s convinced by the global edition. Lorna Tilbian, the executive director at Numis Securities, says: ‘This one global edition might work for advertisers, but does it really work for readers? Don’t give me pages of information on Asia or the Middle East, I want to know specifically about what’s happening in the UK. Most people are still specialists, not generalists.’
“The FT’s editor, Lionel Barber, has tried to allay such fears and softened news of the move in October with the caveat that it will ‘retain flexibility for a tailored UK edition with UK news pages’ for specific events.
“The new year will also bring a new staff training programme, the Global Commercial Academy, designed to develop skillsets required for a modern multimedia company. Run by a mix of internal and external experts, Hughes is helping to bring the initiative to fruition.”
Read more here.
