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FT creates new 'news integrator' roles under Newsroom 2009 plans

Posted: 24/03/09 By: Laura Oliver

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The Financial Times is to create four new roles to lead integration in the newsroom, as part of its move towards a 'web ready workflow'.

The Newsroom 2009 project, the outline of which was leaked yesterday, will introduce a new three-stage editorial process for all channels and greater integration between print and online.

The newly-created 'news integrator' positions will lead the proposed changes on each of the UK News/World, UK companies/ICN and features desks.

The title is also already advertising for two production positions to work with newsdesks on layout and preparation as part of the plans.

According to the documents, no new redundancies will be made as part of Newsroom 2009.

The 20 editorial redundancies announced by the publisher in January will be made by not replacing vacancies as they arise and a round of voluntary redundancies, the documents confirm.

"We anticipate the total will be around 10-12 by mid year, a significant number of which are already in progress. None of them will be through compulsory redundancy," said the FT.

"This does not mean there will be a hiring freeze: as we have said before, it is vital for the FT for us to always keep open the possibility of bringing in new talent and we will continue to do that when and where appropriate."

The proposals, which will see reporters take on some online production elements with these revised at a later stage, are intended to remove 'bottlenecks' and inefficiencies in the editorial workflow not banish sub-editing, it is stressed in the documents.

The plans also include new training for staff, including online sessions for correspondents outside of London, to address 'issues of working in a digital newsroom'.

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