The Detail Network: A new project bringing together journalists and digital innovators

The first meeting of The Detail Network

The first meeting of The Detail Network

The Detail is today launching an innovative new venture – The Detail Network.

A unique collaboration between private sector businesses and The Detail, The Detail Network will strive to deliver new opportunities for its members and clients.

It is the latest in a series of developments in our drive to continue to produce high quality journalism through technology and innovation by harnessing new relationships with like-minded organisations.

The Detail Network is collaborating with digital companies from outside the media, plus independent researchers, to offer our collective skills for commissions for new projects and research. The aim is to extend The Detail Network’s membership.

The Detail has already been commissioned to carry out research projects, design work, produce high quality reports and we are available to do more of this.

Editor of The Detail, Kathryn Torney, said: "We are keen to hear from any person or organisation who would like to commission the network. The skills of the network team include research and analysis, visualisation of complicated data and making the best use of the latest technology.

"We would like to discuss any creative ideas and we are very excited about what we will produce in the future using the talents of the people who are members of our network team.”

This year we have launched our Brexit project: stories, data visualisations, podcasts and analysis and will continue to build on that project over the coming months with in-depth multi-media reporting on issues of public interest.

The Detail will also build on its record as an award-winning news and analysis website which produces research, data analysis, investigative reporting, video content and high quality visualisations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

These services will also now be available to others through The Detail Network. We will also be using the network to bolster the interests of its other members.

Over the years The Detail has successfully secured funding from philanthropic, public and private sources including from our parent company Below The Radar, Big Lottery NI, Atlantic Philanthropies, the Community Relations Council and Google’s Digital News Initiative (DNI) Innovation Fund.

This has allowed The Detail over the last seven years to empower public debate on issues which have implications for society by providing our journalism content free to the public and other media outlets.

Now, through our new venture, The Detail Network, we want to deliver more powerful journalism projects and extend our work while benefiting innovators outside of media who share our values.

Commenting on The Detail Network Trevor Birney, CEO of Fine Points Films, said: “The Detail is an established source of award-winning public interest journalism on both sides of the border. The addition of The Detail Network reflects a collaborative and innovative approach which we hope will result in new ways of funding the vital work of investigate journalism.”

Three digital companies have already joined The Detail Network – City Radar, SureCert and Atto Partners.

Anna Valli, CEO of City Radar, said: "Working with The Detail Network is an added value, a competitive advantage for all members. I joined because I believe working in collaboration delivers innovation and creates new opportunities that are much needed, both for start-ups and well-established organisations.”

The director of Atto Partners, Stuart Johnston stated: “We’re proud to have worked with The Detail since the very beginning, helping design and build its website and online publishing system.

"Our partnership over the years has been focused on using design and technology to help The Detail stay focused on what they do best — in-depth investigative journalism on issues of vital public interest.

“As part of The Detail Network, we’re looking forward to reaching wider and identifying new and interesting problems to solve using research, strategy, design and technology.”

The other members of the network include Paul Nolan, an independent researcher and financial journalist Paul Gosling.

To find out more about commissioning The Detail Network and its members for projects, contact Lindsay Fergus on 028 9031 5930 or email [email protected]

To visit the dedicated page for The Detail Network click here.

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