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Friday, September 06, 2013

The Guardian has shown us the future of journalism, and it is — coffee shops! — paidContent

The Guardian has shown us the future of journalism, and it is — coffee shops! — paidContent

Given its status as a leading player in the future of journalism debates — and the penchant many Brits have for puncturing egos — it’s not surprising that the Guardian‘s launch of a coffee shop sparked a roast of a different kind on Twitter Wednesday night, under the hashtag #guardiancoffee.

But while the move may be ripe for skewering, there is a serious motive at the heart of what the Guardian is trying to do, which is to make it easier for journalists to connect with the people formerly known as the audience.

The facts are these: The Guardian (please see disclosure below) has opened a small shop called #GuardianCoffee in the fashionable neighborhood of Shoreditch in London, near the newspaper’s headquarters.

It offers coffee from a local roaster, as well as iPads that are free to use — and Guardian social-media editor Joanna Geary apparently plans to spend at least some of her time in the shop, interacting with readers as well as doing live interviews.



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