The Daily Mail has launched three daily news briefings complete with live video bulletins as it looks enhance its digital offering to readers.
Under the Mail Plus banner it will publish news briefings at 7am, midday and 5pm, with each one including a live news bulletin presented by an editor based in the Mail newsroom covering the latest stories.
Former Channel 4 News political correspondent Michael Crick is also on board and will present a weekly report for the Wednesday briefing.
The briefings are published at mailplus.co.uk and are currently free, with readers able to sign up for email alerts, but Press Gazette understands they may become part of a subscription package in future.
It follows in the mould of the New York Times’ Access Plus and Times Plus.
In a message to newly registered Mail Plus Briefings readers, Daily Mail editor Geordie Greig said the offering is “just the first in a series of premium digital products we are planning over the next few months”.
Mail Plus content stands apart from the Mail Online website, which publisher Associated Newspapers has long seen as separate from its print offering, despite publishing stories from the papers at dailymail.co.uk.
It is headed up by Tristan Davies with a team of about 40 journalists, mostly taken from within the Mail newsroom, reporting to Greig.
Mail Plus already exists as a page-turning digital edition app for subscribers, which does not carry the new briefings.
The briefings will also include feature content focusing on a different area each weekday – from Sport on Monday to Politics on Wednesday – along with articles from columnists, puzzles and recipes.
It will also serve as a vehicle for new podcasts, including The Daily Show with Andrew Pierce – a hopeful rival to NYT’s The Daily – and political offering Order Order! hosted by Simon Walters and Amanda Platell.
Mail journalists will also send in video reports on location.
“For the first time you’ll be able to watch and listen to your favourite writers as well as read their stories in the paper,” said Greig of the briefings.
“We’ve brought cameras into the Daily Mail newsroom so you can see our reporters at work…”
Picture: Daily Mail
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