The New York Times as video

Last spring, when the New York Times launched its daily news video show, TimesCast, one of the bold ideas was to turn the cameras on itself. The Page One Meeting - or editors' morning conference, as most British papers would call it - is right at the heart of the decision-making process. 

Within just two days, Executive Editor Bill Keller got into hot water by making a few loose and unproven remarks on camera about a story involving Israel: you never get away with that in the US media. Any editor could have made the same mistake but, when you're broadcasting on your own website, suddenly you have to watch what you say, and how you look.

When I went to see the Head of Video and Television Partnerships at the NYT, Ann Derry (above), who's responsible for TimesCast, admitted they had dropped the sneak-peak inside the meeting. It's nothing to do with the risks of getting things wrong, she says, just not as interesting as a focused interview with a reporter. Today the emphasis is on interviews with journalists who are in the middle of reporting a story; getting their take on the subject they're covering. 

But here's an edition of TimesCast from back in March when it still included the morning meeting:

Ann founded the paper's video department in 2005 and she hails from the world of documentary television. The production values are pretty high for TimesCast, with a blend of agency pictures and bespoke high-definition footage shot by Times staffers. 

Below is the edition of TimesCast that Ann and I were talking about (and, at bottom, how it is displayed on the Times' website):

TimesCast doesn't provide anything that's really new to the broadcast news toolbox, but it does fit in with the character and style of the paper - gives editorial staff small moments of broadcasting glory. 

Furthermore, unlike many areas of the industry, TimesCast is currently recruiting two new members of staff. Needless to say, they have had hundreds of applicants.