Launching the Guardian 2.0

Editor-in-chief WillShakespeare99 announces the new look Guardian.

The Guardian is relaunching.

Friends,



You may have seen Aaron Sorkin’s drama starring Jeff Daniels entitled “The Newsroom”, about an American TV news network. The series focuses around the efforts of Daniels’ character, as well as Emily Mortimer and Sam Waterston’s efforts to create a good quality news show which focuses on informing viewers, not just making money. To this end, the show has certain governing rules:



1. Is this information we need in the voting booth?

2. Is this the best possible form of the argument?

3. Is the story in historical context?

4. Are there really 2 sides to this story?



They are pretty simple rules on the face of it, but too often these are not at the centre of news organisations. The rules are all designed to deliver information voters needs, in the best, most informed, most factual way, in the context of past events, and not being balanced for the sake of it, but ensuring that every story is fair and accurate instead.



When I and Viljow established the Guardian all those months ago, it was meant to be a new voice in the British press – a breath of fresh air. I think we succeeded this to an extent, but there was more we could have done to be even fresher, even more radical. We covered things that wouldn’t usually be covered, gave everyone a platform to air views, and made politics feel more real for people.



But with this reboot of the Guardian following my departure from party politics I want to contribute something even more radical, even more fresh, even more revolutionary than then. I want to use those 4 rules to deliver the highest quality news for politicians, businesses, and, most importantly of all, voters.



We will not be engaging in twitter gossip or frivolous scandals. We will ensure that everything we cover matters, and that if there is a scandal that voters need to hear about, we cover it seriously. We will not be obsessed with balance for the sake of it, and will cover each party when we need to. Now that I am free of party political affiliation, all parties will be fair game, and you can trust that. Although we’re not going to engage in the sort of obsession with equal time that can drown good news, we are not going to give any preferential treatment.



On Monday mornings there will be a briefing about what’s happening in the week ahead, based on commons scheduling and based on any announcements or events that either the Government or other parties want to trail in advance.



Every evening there will be a round up of all of the important news (if any) that has occurred since the previous day’s bulletin, in the style of an evening tv broadcast. There won’t be a set time that this will go out, but expect it after 6.



When there is breaking news that urgently needs to be covered and that should not and can not wait until the next evening bulletin, there will be an article as early as possible.



In between, there will be long reads and analysis pieces, either on breaking news, on events covered in recent bulletins, on non-political events with political ramifications, on stories which deserve more attention than just coverage in a bulletin, or on stories not yet covered.



On Sunday mornings, we will aim to publish op-eds by senior politicians, as has long been traditional in the British press, and we will also feature other op-eds throughout the week as they received. If you want to publish an opinion piece, simply get in touch with me and I will work with you to get it published.



On Sunday afternoons we will round up events from Westminster, focusing on Minister’s Questions that wouldn’t regularly get coverage and on bill debates.



There will also be occasional investigative pieces.



If you want to help write for the Guardian then please get in touch with me and we’ll sort out a role for you! If you have any leaks for us, do not hesitate to talk to me.



Guardian 2.0 will feel more like a traditional newspaper, with a collection of stories in articles, but with a modern edge, covering big stories as they happen, and featuring regular analysis. I hope you like the new Guardian which I now have the ability to commit to fully, and which is now free from any party political conflict of interest. Politics is important. Guardian 2.0 knows it’s even more important to reflect that.



We don’t do good entertainment. We do the news.

