Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Guardian editor Katharine Viner: “Facts are essential, but they’re not enough”

33 snips
Feb 27, 2026
Katharine Viner, Editor-in-chief of The Guardian who led its digital transformation and global expansion, discusses defending liberal values in a polarised age. She talks about mixing facts with ideas to inspire hope. She explains editorial independence, navigating internal debates, the move to multimedia storytelling, and the role of AI as a tool for journalism.
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ADVICE

Always Offer Solutions With Critique

  • When critiquing problems, offer at least one practical alternative to avoid leaving readers in despair.
  • Viner insists opinion pieces include a paragraph suggesting how things could be done differently to provide routes out of pessimism.
INSIGHT

Diversify Content To Reduce News Fatigue

  • To combat news avoidance and scrolling fatigue, diversify content with nourishing non-news sections and more engaging formats.
  • Viner stresses sport, culture and wellbeing plus collaboration across outlets to make news less depressing and more engaging.
ANECDOTE

How A Competition Opened The Guardian Door

  • Viner entered journalism after winning a Guardian competition to edit the women's page for a week, which propelled her into newsrooms.
  • She later joined The Guardian at 26 and kept returning until she built her career there.
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