Seven, West newsrooms merge for new era
As Channel 7 broadcast its first evening news bulletin from its new studios at The West Australian’s Newspaper House on Monday, the combined staff of both newsrooms watched on, together, from the same news floor.
It was the culmination of two years of planning to create Australia’s first fully integrated print, television and online newsroom.
Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner has called it groundbreaking and rare, even globally, while Seven Perth news director Howard Gretton said it marked “a new frontier in journalism”.
The West’s editor, Brett McCarthy, said it was a move that would “produce better journalism for our readers and viewers on all platforms”.
“We think we have the ability in this newsroom to move quickly to cover breaking news online and on TV, and we will also be able to spend time investigating and digging deeply into stories,” he said.
“How we go about things in here will evolve. Reporters will get a chance to expand their skills across different platforms.”
McCarthy and Gretton visited integrated newsrooms around the world before working with staff at both The West and Seven to design the newsroom.
State-of-the-art new studios were built at Newspaper House in Osborne Park and the news floor was rearranged to allow Seven reporters and staff to sit among The West’s news team.
News gathering and production is now run from a central “super desk”, where key senior editorial staff from The West, Seven News and thewest.com.au work side-by-side.
Today Tonight is also based in the newsroom.
Sales and other key departments are integrated, too.
“The sense of energy and enthusiasm in the newsroom this week has been palpable,” McCarthy said.
“I think there is a lot of goodwill on both sides and a real desire to make this work.”
Gretton said the “enormous energy, enthusiasm and experience in the combined newsroom” was only just starting to be realised.
“I reckon there’s no better gauge of the potential we have than the eagerness of veteran reporters like Geof Parry, keen to take on new challenges in a combined newsroom,” he said.
Up to 190 people will work in the integrated newsroom.
