NEWSROOM 2009The overall concept is to define the editorial workflow in three key stages: thecreation, crafting and completion of content. This is the framework within which our team should prepare and publish content across all channels. It describesa simplified and flexible process which allows us to apply the appropriately weighted approach to the commissioning, preparation and quality control of all content, digital or print. This will place demands on reporters, news editors and production staff alike as we:oMove to a Web Ready workflowoEntrench integrationoMake significant changes in newspaper layout, copy preparationand editionsoRoll out a training programmeWEB READY WORKFLOW:The web ready workflow puts the “web view” of a story at the centre of the news process. It means filing and editing every story in the web channel. As a story builds, it is this web view that receives constant attention, before and after it ispublished online. The copy can at any time be linked in the newspaper channel to the relevant print page. This is an essential step to achieving a step-changein the richness and “stickiness” of our online offering; it is vital to the successful roll-out of Falcon. The new workflow process would work thus:CREATE: Reporters/writers prepare their copy in the web channel in Methode and take responsibility for adding hyperlinks, company tearsheets and metadata – as well as running spell/style checks; write draft headlines; where stories are linkedto a newspaper template, check in newspaper channel for length; workflow to editingCRAFT: desks edit in the web channel, check hyperlinks, metadata etc; refine headlines; (working with interactive) add pics, graphics, slideshows, videos etc; build story packages/editors choices etc; manage web pages in their sector; linkstories to newspaper templates; workflow to subbing/revise as appropriateCOMPLETE: desks sub and revise content for print and online; complete story packages etc; take over managing web content for London evening; complete subbing ofnewspaper version; revise, proof read, publish; manage later edition changes, including ensuring enriched web “master copies” are fully updated

ENTRENCHING INTEGRATIONIn line with the shift to a web ready workflow, the newsroom needs to become more firmly web-orientated. The following are the priorities:*Assist all news teams to adopt web ready approach*Adapt morning news conference*Institute early afternoon FT.com news conference*Integrate Interactive more closely across news teams*Increase the capacity and skills of news desks; spread multi-media skillsNEWSPAPER PRODUCTION PROCESS AND EDITIONSWe need to adopt two approaches to refining and simplifying the newspaper production process. The first is to make a significant shift upstream in copy preparation to ensure that the maximum amount possible of content is arriving at the completion stage “revise ready”. The second is to take steps to simplify the multiple edition structure of the newspaper.Copy/page preparation: Under the create-craft-complete framework, we need to apply the highest levels of quality control in our preparation of content from theearliest point in the process. This is important – as outlined above – for online content, but it is equally important for the newspaper process if we are to sustain quality and tackle bottlenecks. The process starts with writers/reporters, whomust adopt a “right first time” approach to their copy. A central element is an earlier layout of the newspaper to enable significantly more copy than we currentlyachieve to be written (where appropriate) and edited in templates at the createand craft stages. For news pages, we will ensure that a design/layout staffer is present daily at all the key news desk “huddles” where decisions are first made about news lists and pages. They will then apply layouts to pages as appropriate and work with news editors to make early decisions on graphics, pictures etc. Wewill work with reporting and news editing teams to establish the most effectiveway of using the templating tool. The approach editors should adopt is where possible to prepare copy to a point where it can be moved on directly to revise. Wewill expect features pages to be delivered revise ready. On fast-moving news pages, this will not always be practical. Plenty of copy will still need to be workflowed to subbing for the production teams to sub-edit. But it is important tobuild up to a position where a significant amount of our news page content is also flowing through to the completion stage ready for revise.Newspaper editions: To achieve further streamlining of the newspaper productionprocess (and achieve significant cost savings) we will make the following changes:*Replace 3rd edition with a later 2nd edition.*