Durham University student Charlotte Ray has been working with BUSINESSiQ and here outlines her personal view of the changing media landscape

 

The relocation of the Northern Echo is a sign of the changing face of journalism.

Since it first moved into the offices in Priestgate, Darlington, in 1917, the Northern Echo has undergone dramatic changes. It is an indication of how journalism itself is adapting to the ever-evolving modern world.

The historic offices once held a huge printing press that could churn out 120,000 copies a night. Then computers and colour printing came along, and the large-scale black-and-white print works were usurped as modern technology took over.

  • To get your tickets for the BUSINESSiQ Awards, CLICK HERE

Now, the building is being redeveloped by Darlington Borough Council.

It was quite sad to visit the old site and see how the once magnificent premises are devoid of the hustle and bustle of previous years.

Instead of having hundreds of spaces for journalists, editors, and reporters, together with a dark room for photographers, the new home of the Northern Echo - Coniscliffe House - has just a fraction of the space.

As well as adapting to accommodate hybrid working, the lack of office chairs in the new location attests to the scaling down of the industry.

However, even though the number of people working behind the scenes to complete each day’s output of the much-loved Echo has been reduced over time, it does not mean that the quality of the content has been impacted.

In fact, the openness of the new offices means that collaboration between colleagues is perhaps even better as there are no walls to separate each section of the newspaper.

Whilst the production of news articles does not require so many people behind the scenes anymore as online editions are favoured over paper copies, it is still an exciting prospect for young people.

The forward moving and ever-changing environment of journalism should still be considered as a viable option for those looking for a career in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Read next:

There are so many aspects to journalism from print and online journalist to advertising copywriter, many of which are different to the writing and editorial roles normally associated with journalism.

Even working as a freelance writer could provide a certain freedom to those interested in it.

Whatever career pathway in journalism appeals, after visiting both the old office and the new one, I realise that the principles of the Northern Echo will never change, just the way it operates.