View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
December 19, 2008

Rhys Jones court case blog a success with readers

By martinabooth

The Liverpool Echo’s live blog of the Rhys Jones murder trial has proved a success with readers, claims the paper, attracting 100, 000 page impressions throughout the court case.

Sean Mercer, 18, was found guilty of Rhys’ murder and jailed for life on Tuesday, following a nine-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

11-year-old Rhys was tragically shot dead in Croxteth, Liverpool, in August 2007, as he walked home from football practice.

In what the Echo claim is a media first, copy was filed straight from the court by reporters and published onto the blog within three minutes, which also displayed pictures and videos shown to the court.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Alastair Machray, editor of the Liverpool Echo, said: “The fact so many people have logged on and followed proceedings on our website shows that putting the resource into the live blog was the right thing to do.

“Unusually for our live blogs, we have not allowed user interaction, but that has not stopped people submitting comments thanking us for the blog. Other than actually sitting in court, this was the only way people could continually monitor what was happening.

“The success of the live blog has confirmed to me that live news must be delivered on demand and that the deadline is now.”

The blog was also hosted on the Liverpool Daily Post’s companion site.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network