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Argentinian newspaper La Nación’s new editor talks digital and the World Cup

Carlos Guyot may have only been editor in chief of La Nación for a few weeks, but his aims are grand. “La Nación has to offer poignant, intelligent and accessible journalism on all of its platforms, so that our readers feel part of a conversation that enriches and enhances their lives” Guyot explained to WAN-IFRA.

by WAN-IFRA Staff executivenews@wan-ifra.org | April 11, 2014

While La Nación is of one of the two biggest Argentinian dailies, Guyot is keen to emphasise that he does not intend to rest on his laurels as editor. He points to the importance of new methods of accessing content. “Our biggest challenge, I think, is to get the new generations to choose our content (on) their cell phones.” Guyot also accentuated the importance of the upcoming World Cup as a key moment on the horizon for his paper.

William Pimlott spoke to Guyot about his plans for La Nación and views on the evolution of the editor.

How do you think the role of an editor is evolving?

CG: I think the significant change in the audience’s habits and the growing complexity of our industry demand editors with vision and leadership. With the ability to create an environment where individual talent combines with the interdisciplinary task of highly motivated teams focused on creating value to the readers.

How would you describe the legacy of your predecessor?

CG: Hector D’Amico was editor in chief of La Nación for 13 years, during one of the most successful periods of its history. Monday to Friday circulation suffered a drop, but Saturday’s increased more than 7% and Sunday’s almost 40%. Our online readers increased from approximately 1 million (individual) users a month to our present 13 million, and our portfolio of products multiplied on all platforms. D’Amico also encouraged an innovation project that introduced important improvements in our products and the workflow of our newsroom.

What do you want your legacy to be?

CG: It’s only been some weeks since I took office, so that’s not an issue for me right now. I think our challenge is to preserve the identity of our strong editorial brand and great tradition, while putting in place the organizational and editorial transformations necessary to maintain our relevance among readers. La Nación has to offer poignant, intelligent and accessible journalism on all of its platforms, so that our readers feel part of a conversation that enriches and enhances their lives.

What are your key goals for this year?

CG: To advance on a process that enables editorial innovation not only associated with special projects, but also permeates the atmosphere of our daily work at the newsroom. To redefine our priorities more precisely and make sure that the quality of our conversations results in quality products for our readers. But again, we always hope to surprise them with the results of our investigative journalism, our columnists and scoops.

What are the biggest challenges facing you in the digital media environment?

CG: Like many other media outlets, we are exploring paywall models, web TV and multimedia narrative, among others. We have to experiment with the digital environment as never before; however, our biggest challenge, I think, is to get the new generations to choose our content (on) their cell phones. Our data project is showing excellent results that not only shine and have great impact on digital platforms, but that we also display in our paper edition

How would you describe your audience? How will you try to have a  better connection with your audience?

CG: Our audience is very diverse, averaging 44 years old. Our efforts are focused on dealing with issues that are relevant to them, and on treating those subjects in a serious and accessible way. We also try to break down cultural and technological barriers, as well as habits, that prevent a better liason. This year in particular, the World Cup offers us an important opportunity to prove our ability to make a 360 degrees coverage that is engaging for our readers.

What do you look for in international media organizations like WAN-IFRA?

CG: More than ever, all media needs to experiment with new ways, hence the extreme importance of knowing and studying those cases that have proven to be more successful. On the other hand, I guess the future will show new journalistic initiatives that are built in a more collaboratively way, like open source software is usually developed. For both of these challenges, I think media organizations will have a starring role.

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