RTÉ’s Little talks of ‘global website’ plans

RTÉ’s Mark Little has spoken for the first time about his business plans to develop an Irish-based “global website” providing news and information across the world.

The Prime Time presenter described traditional news media as being dead and that he was leaving RTÉ as he wants to become a serious player in the information revolution.

His site, which is months from going live, will use the best of social and digitalmedia with a strong emphasis on video and crowd sourcing. Content will be provided by professional journalists and users.

Last week, the journalist confirmed that he would be taking a year’s leave of absence from the current affairs show that he presents with Miriam O’Callaghan.

Discussing his plans with mediacontact.ie, he said there are difficulties in journalism now that are depressing but the “opportunities are stunning”.

Mr Little said: “I am forming my company around a key concept that news is no longer something that we sell to a passive consumer. It is now a process that people can take part in and can expect to take part in. There will be no market in the future for journalism as a product but only a market for journalism as a process.”

He said he is well aware that he “may fall flat on my ass”. However, he does have a safety net in place.

“I am not hauling myself up as a paragon of innovation. I don’t know if I will go back to RTÉ. But if it doesn’t work I can work off the debt for 20 years in the bosom of RTÉ,” he said.

He rubbished the decision by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch to begin charging users for access to content from his News Corporation websites. “He will destroy his empire unless he finds out that he has to change it,” Little said. “You cannot stop news being free. News cannot be behind a pay wall. The value is now in the process of how you package and distribute your news and not in the news itself.”

His website, which he has yet to name, will be free to access but he will be examining using smartphone apps and providing content to mobile operators. He also plans to examine how news providers can interact with marketing companies, linking communities with innovative brands. “At the end of day, the money is in the packaging and not in the news. Think of it this way: I am not going to charge for a cup of tea. I will charge for the cup. The tea is free. It’s a shift in consciousness.”

He said many websites, including the hugely successful US online newspaper the Huffington Post had a fundamental flaw in that they “only appeal to a certain portion of people”.

His site would see to move beyond the right/left divide and would seek to “challenge” rather than “pander”.