Katharine Viner talked to students at Journalism and Media Week about how The Guardian creates a balance between maintaining its values in a polarising climate and adapting to the industry’s many changes.
During her 28-year-long career Viner explained how she struggled in perceiving journalism as an obtainable career, as it seemed like a profession “for posh men in London”.
However, in the last 10 years, Katharine Viner has transformed the news platform, becoming the first female editor-in-chief and creating an entirely new revenue model to sustain the site.
She said, “I’m not interested in journalism that no one sees,” so she made reading the website’s content free with an optional subscription to support their journalism.
When asked about current affairs, she detailed how “we are constantly adjusting” with “how audience interaction is changing”. A prime example is the prevalence of AI.
“It’s really important to have a complicated view of AI” as she firmly believes that “the creative industries are the greatest industry that Britain offers the world”.
She commented on its practicality in summarising long reports that would take hours or days to condense but also the importance of understanding its challenges too.
There’s a fear that the use of AI will sever the relationship between The Guardian’s voice and the public if people do not notice these disadvantages.
Viner was also asked to comment on the turbulence of the recent BBC incident – with President Trump threatening to sue over an edited speech. She was asked how The Guardian will go about empowering the public’s trust.
“As a journalist, stay committed to facts and don’t ever give up on them. Ever. The minute you start giving up on them […] then you’re in trouble.”
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian
Viner has been a strong voice against President Trump and its many attacks on the press, saying that she was worried that “quite often people want to fan the flames of distrust”.
As a supporter of the BBC, she commented that
“We are so lucky to have it as a society. I think government after government is often reckless with the BBC […] they do things that they, as a government, don’t like.”
Katharine Viner
The Guardian has had a strong reputation for holding power to account, with a recent libel case success against Noel Clarke. The process was both costly and time-consuming, but Viner stood by her editors and highlighted how “important it is to stand up to bullies trying to intimidate us”.