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Agency appoints new social media editor

Darren Waters - Nov 2014The Press Association has appointed a new social media editor with a brief to put it “at the heart of the newsroom.”

Darren Waters, left, joins the agency having had 17 years’ experience in the media industry, mostly at BBC News Online where he was patr of the senior editorial team.

More recently he was editor-in-chief at Microsoft UK, where he was responsible for all editorial content on MSN UK and the Bing Apps across the Windows’ platforms including news, sport, travel, finance, health and fitness, and food and drink.

Said Darren: “I’m delighted to be joining a vibrant newsroom that provides world-class multi-platform journalism to publishers and media organisations around the UK. PA has a clear vision of the development of the business, with social media at the heart of editorial operations, and I can’t wait to get started.”

PA says his appointment is part of “the wider transformation of the agency into a digital-focused multi-platform news and information business.”

Tony Watson, managing director of PA, added: “We are delighted to have appointed someone of Darren’s calibre and experience to what will be a vital role in PA’s strategy of becoming a digital-focused media agency.”

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  • November 26, 2014 at 2:36 pm
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    As an ex PA-staffer I know journalists at VBR and other PA offices will be suspicous of this move. Well-paid PA managers repeatedly think they can open more revenue streams by constantly recycling and repackaging the newswire.
    What they seem oblivous too is the PA’s reputation is built on the newswire and that is why media customers will still keep paying for the service. Sadly the newswire now has less stories, covered by less reporters on low pay and is in danger of losing more subscribers.
    The solution is not to dream up more ways to repackage itself but to concentrate on investing in reporters and producing more news stories.

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