Reuters Next canceled, Roberts leaving company

Reuters has decided to cancel Next, the consumer facing website that had been in the works for more than two years, and Reuters Digital executive editor Jim Roberts is leaving the company.

Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke of the New York Observer writes, “‘Next is a long way from achieving either commercial viability or strategic success. In fact, I believe the existing suite of Reuters.com sites is a better starting point for where we need to go,’ wrote Mr. Rashbass. ‘Therefore I have decided to cancel the Next project and put our efforts into enhancing and improving the existing Reuters.com sites. We will repurpose as much of the Next development work as we can for that.’

“‘I know this will feel somewhat ‘Back to the Future’ but the existing Reuters.com has many strengths, which I recognise coming from the outside, that perhaps people here take for granted,’ Mr. Rashbass wrote.

“Additionally, Jim Roberts, the executive editor of Reuters Digital, is leaving the company. Mr. Roberts took a buyout from the Times in January and landed at Reuters in February. Design director Daniele Codega is also leaving. Bill Riordan has been promoted to publisher of Reuters.com.”

Read more here.