Dear newsaper executive/editor

Video takes a long time to produce compared to print.

Cheaper, more flexible equipment and different styles and presentations will reduce the time it takes to produce, but the relative time cost is still a heavy one to bear in a busy print newsroom.

When you spend money on production kit, expensive or cheap, you are engaging with the need to develop but you are not helping bear that burden. You are helping bear the burden when you recognise that your staff need time to embrace and develop the skills required to produce multimedia content.

When you demand that your staff produce video with no training or no space to experiment, you are not innovating; you are undermining the confidence of your staff. You are helping bear the burden when you match your expectations with the capacity of your newsroom.

When you demand that staff produce video on top of their other duties without extra time, you are not helping bear the burden. You are helping bear the burden when you develop the space and editorial strategy that recognises the importance of producing content based on the idea rather than the deadline.

Quality work comes from pride in the job. Please, recognise the pride that your staff take in their work and the newspaper they work for.

Please, as well as investing in equipment, invest in building the capacity to let them gain the confidence they need to develop new skills.