The reinvention of news took off with many different projects running together as an effort at coverage some decades back. It was thought the BBC did an admirable job, but its lack of lustre and colour made many believe a future lay ahead for professionals to do it too.
The start of Sky News, for instance, was promoted by a promise that it would take in the whole picture and then show people a coherent view of the country. No more Empire or sticklers for the truth. This was a reinvention of mirroring daily life with a lot more accuracy.
This start also led to a seismic shift, not in news-making, but in understanding the workplace. It’s now stated that Sky News is a prime example of how we came to realise the trouble in modern offices, how it got there, and then how it was included in large scale review.
It’s believed that up to the last point of concern, in 2010, 70% of its abusive staff were being paid while 30% of its non-abusive staff were being paid. It’s an indicative look at the disarray that can exist if matters are not monitored properly.
As I looked into the matter I came across a large number of people acting as investigators, and including the channel in its remit. One source told me the work took in all of the offices of Sky, plus its news division. He said it’s “running something illegal” but it wasn’t clear what the overall crime was at the time.
This encounter, happening on-site where much of its news output was being made at the time, acted as an impetus to put the facts together, and draw some conclusions myself. The learning has informed how I see progress and what counts as a useful – even valuable – staff member. It also shows how wrong it can be.
