Church in a spin

At the recent Church Communicators conference in Ipswich we had a spellbinding presentation from Alan Rosenfeld, Apple’s UK and Europe Head of Design and Print. I’m still reeling, as I think all of us were, from the information and predictions of the future. Not least, in relation to my sabbatical study in the summer, is the way in which the Internet is becoming more and more important, as older forms of media like newspapers have to completely reassess the ways they go about their core business: news. Graphs and video clips assail us during the hour long presentation. We watch journalists on the Washington Post using Apple’s Final Cut software (other brands are available) as they decide which form of media suits a particular story… some appearing in newsprint, some as video reports on their website. Video journalists voice up films taken by Washington Post camera operators. ‘Your story through any medium’ is the watchword. Lots of useful stuff too about packaging stories to be more suitable for different media – iPods, phones, laptop computer, high definition TV, etc.. Mr Rosenfeld draws some handy analogies with the Church, and illustrates how the basic news has to be repackaged to suit the new media. Fascinating.

A few weeks later and two things have happened back in the real world. The iphone has arrived and I feel like I’ve travelled back in time. It was July 1st in New York that I first had a go of an iphone (show off), and yes, it’s quite impressive, but very fiddly for things like text messages. Plus you have to pay extra for the SatNav software and, of course downloads from iTunes. The only thing I wanted from the Apple Store that evening was a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones. Unfortunately, I don’t think at £285 a pair they’ll even make my Christmas wish list!

The other thing that linked to the Apple talk, was the visit some of us made to the new Daily Telegraph newsroom and offices off Victoria which I refered to in the last posting. It’s claimed that the Telegraph newsfloor is now the largest in London and it’s impressive. All the different sections fan out like spokes on a wheel from a central hub where editorial meetings can take place. Flat screen computers everywhere, giant screens hanging from the ceiling, and everyone, even feature writers in the Sunday telegraph supplements, somewhere to be found in the vast space. And yes, there in the corner, almost an afterthought, and clearly not fully understood by the hardened newsmen who are rather disparaging, are a couple of little video studios. Despite the Telegraphs undoubted good sales, those little studios could have taken over the whole of the Victoria building in twenty years time –certainly if Alan Rosenfeld is anywhere near right.

One more idea from the Daily Telegraph for the Lambeth Conference planners. How about having the Archbishops around a central table, with the bishops on tables according to the various provinces fanning out along long tables like spokes of a wheel? Well, it works at the county's biggest selling broadsheet.