This morning, for the first time in 20 years, I woke up without having a regional newsroom to go to.
I don’t ‘belong’ to a newspaper, I’m not ‘from’ anywhere, because yesterday, in a scene being played out up and down the country, I packed my desk, handed back my laptop and said my goodbyes.
It prompts an indescribably strange set of emotions – on the one hand I have a very exciting project lined up (more to come on that in future posts) but almost eight years at the MEN means there’s a lot to leave behind too.
So before I move on, a brief backward glance.
What amazing changes there’s been since I signed up to be what was then Guardian Media Group Regional Digital’s content editor/publisher for “the regional portal ManchesterOnline”. It’s difficult to pull out just one highlight from those years (the 2002 hyperlocal community platform myManchesterOnline maybe?) but unavoidable not to notice the talented journalists who passed through – Iain Hepburn (just named Scottish Multimedia Journalist of the Year), Paul Cockerton (now web editor at the LET), Jon Barbuti (now BEEB) Lizzie Simmons (also now BBC) and Colm Griffith (now lecturing in online journalism at UCLAN) to name a few who helped make MOL such a buzz but have since moved on.
The move to the MEN in 2005 saw one of my first jobs as head of online editorial being the launch of the paper’s first website. Yes, it is hard to believe now that a newspaper of that the size and stature could exist without its own website!
Those outside the industry probably think website launches are high-tech affairs with banks of silver-clad techies tapping away at Macs. Well the walls of the now demolished Hardman Street office told another story of how it started – scribblings on pieces of paper taped on every available space in the boss’s office leaving it looking like the ramblings of a demented woman! The screenshot on this page is the 2006 evolution of the site – still recognisable?
The site being named Best Electronic News Website ahead of some major nataional players in 2007, was its own reward for all those involved in the launch, journalists, developers, designers et all – it was quite a team and a honour to be a part of it.
Recently, the most rewarding project to have worked on is the launch of the blogging platform generally and, in particular, The Mancunian Way blog.
A collaboration between myself and two prominent members of Manchester’s digital community – Paul Robinson and Adrian Slatcher – and I would just like to publicly add what a privilege it has been to co-blog with such enthusiastic, supportive, knowledgeable and generally top blokes.
So there it is – eight years in a few hundred words and what next?
An exciting new web project to launch in June but, for now, a bit of a break, plenty of blogging and a month of general geekery starting with next week’s Jeecamp. How about you?
Dim Sum Digital 
Good luck! What’s the new gig?
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boundless spatiality of course!
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Well that explains why the Mancunian Way has gone…
Enjoy your heard earned rest and keep us all up to date on your next venture.
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Good luck for the future Sarah. It’s amazing how quickly eveything’s changed at the MEN. It leaves lots of opportunities for people with lower overheads to fill the gaps they’ve left, though.
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All the very best with whatever’s next. I hope that whatever it it it gets you to London enough to meet and eat at Frontline….
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will certainly try to make Frontline again this year – and not just to eat either. thanks and hopefully see you soon
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I’ll miss reading the Mancunian Way but will keep up to date here. All good wishes for your future projects.
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Such a shame. Thanks for all you have done to help the MEN contribute to the Manchester digital scene. Good luck in your next venture and no doubt you’ll still be seen live tweeting/blogging your way around manchester…
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All the very best – one question though – who’s running digital now? Put your feet up, take a break and pray for a it of sun!
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It’s been a real pleasure working with you on Mancunian Way, and I hope we find a way to collaborate again in future somehow.
I remember when my involvement in the blog was first suggested by Ian Carroll, also now passed on to ventures new. I even remember back then Kagtum was “months away from launch” – no change there then! 🙂
My highlight was probably the Tony Wilson Experience which the council liked so much, they nicked the content (and asked for permission afterwards):
http://www.tonywilsonexperience.com/press.php#robinson
Thank you for your support and trust in me – to my knowledge I was the first person not on GMG staff to be given the ability to blog on the site, and I’m sure it’s only your trust in me to do “the right thing” that allowed that to happen internally. I’m going to blog a little bit more about this myself shortly, but just wanted to thank you here on your comments.
Good luck with the new project, see you at Jeecamp.
P.S. Just noticed I still have edit/post access on Mancunian Way so updated the URL you put in to my proper blog URL. 🙂
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I remember the first time I got up with no particular magazine to go to – the first time in over a decade. Very odd feeling. 🙂
Good luck with the next project. Change is good. It has to be, it the current market…
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Well, as is tradition on these occasions: Good luck in all your future endeavours…
Seriously though, all the best boss. Regional news sites have set an astonishingly high bar in terms of social media and multimedia in this country, and the MEN has very much been at the forefront of this. Whatever you end up doing next, I don’t doubt you’ll bring the same brilliance as at Deansgate.
Next time we’re in the same geography I owe you several large drinks, not least for putting up with me twice in the same career!
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Sorry to hear you’re leaving Sarah – hope to be in touch in your new venture!
All the best in your new role. x
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As Paul says, its been fun, being part of the Mancunian Way mini team. Enjoyed the visit to your offices as well – particularly the story about how they used to use homing pigeons to get the football results back for the evening paper!
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Good luck with whatever your plans are next.
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Thanks to everyone who has commented, tweeted or emailed me about this – the past 48 hours have been quite overwhelming. I’m sure I’ll be in touch with you all going forward, after all, as Adrian quite rightly told me last week – that’s what t’internet is for!
I did also want to say thanks again to all the Mancunian Way users. It was a very rewarding project to be part of and was made all the more enjoyable due to the open welcome of Manchester’s digtal community. If I don’t bump into any of you before, I’ll see you at May’s Social Media Cafe.
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Good luck Sarah! I have no doubt whatsoever that your new project is sure to be a roaring success x
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Good luck in your projects. The MEN now has a huge digital hole that your knowledge used to fill
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Sarah
It’s good to know you’ve something to go to, but a melancholy thought that you have had to move on at all. A sign of the times.
But with the level of passion you bring to what you do, it’s the MEN that’s the one losing out in this.
Onwards and upwards and good luck.
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Good luck Sarah – I know it’s not goodbye as you’ll be as much a part of the social media scene as ever (maybe more now you don’t have to sit in news conferences twice a day…)
And, whatever you’re plotting next, I hope the MEN’s loss isn’t journalism’s loss too
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Thanks for covering Northern StartUp 2.0 events in 2009. Hope you will find a way to continue engaging with the tech entrepreneur community. All the best for the future.
Best regards
Manoj
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All the best – MOL was an amazing grounding, yes we had fun, but I haven’t seen the work ethic repeated anywhere else I’ve been.
To make such a comprehensive site with so few staff was incredible – there are certainly lessons the BBC could learn.
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Sorry I am so late at seeing this and hearing your news. Good luck for the future and all the new challenges it may hold…Looking back it’s incredible how fantastic a site MOL was and what you achieved there. I hope you’re very proud. x
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