Head to Head with Rupert Jones, deputy editor of The Guardian's Saturday Money Section.

During each working day, staff at Broadgate regularly talk to and meet with some of the country's most influential journalists. We thought it would be helpful to share with you some of these conversations as a useful update on the likes and dislikes of these important media commentators.

We plan to share a series of these conversations with you over the coming months.

In our first instalment Broadgate Account Director Sharon Arnesen talks to Rupert Jones deputy editor of The Guardian's money section.

How long have you worked for the Guardian and how important do you perceive the personal finance section is to the paper?

I've been on the Guardian for 10 years - I joined in October 1997.
I think that as the years have gone by, the personal finance section has become increasingly important to the paper. This reflects many things: people's increasing willingness to chop and change their mortgage provider or power company if they feel there is a better deal to be had, the feeling many people have that they can no longer rely on the state to provide for them financially, our seemingly unquenchable thirst for credit, etc. All of these things mean people feel they need to be on top of the latest "best buys" and issues.

What's the biggest change you've seen in the way personal finance is covered during your time at the paper?

The internet and email revolution, plus the whole "citizen journalist" phenomenon. It is now so easy for readers to email us to tip us off about something and generally let us know what they think. We probably have more reader response-generated copy than any other section. It fills Personal Effects, Your Shout and Capital Letters - that's three pages every week.

Who do you see as Money's nearest competitor at the weekend?

The Financial Mail on Sunday - and maybe Radio 4's Moneybox.

What do you think readers learn from Money?

Our remit is very broad - all of the core personal finance issues such as mortgages, savings and pensions, and the hugely important "best buys," plus a wide variety of consumer topics, ranging from the rising cost of residents’ parking permits to how much you must pay to hire a private eye. I think our section provides a wealth of practical "how-to" information plus a lot of food for thought and some offbeat titbits.

Do you get much response to what's in Money?

Our readers are not shy when it comes to emailing, writing and phoning us to tell us what they like - and what gets their goat! Some topics such as buy-to-let and bank charges are guaranteed to lead to bulging email intrays.

If you could campaign to change one single aspect - regulatory or otherwise - of financial services, what would it be?

General customer service - call centres, etc - is this year's hot topic, but it is a very amorphous subject for us to target.

What story do you wish you'd covered (but didn't!)?

Perhaps the best high-profile campaign was the Financial Mail on Sunday's one on people who lost their final salary pensions after their firms went bust. We all covered the story, but the Mail on Sunday really committed resources, and went for it week after week.

How do you feel the working relationship between journalist's and PRs has changed over the years?

In some respects, email and the internet have changed things greatly. Sometimes, when researching an article, I now don't need to physically talk to someone at the firm or organisation at all - their website may well have everything on it that I need to know.
I also think the fact that we get so many emails flooding into our inboxes each day means it can be harder for PRs to get their message heard.

What do you wish PRs would stop doing - what's really irritating?!

It's that old chestnut - ringing to check you've received the press release they pinged over to you earlier.

What's the common pitfall that providers make when you meet them?

Assuming I'm younger and/or more inexperienced than is the case! I'm 39 years old (and have been working as a journalist since 1989), but I look younger...

Have you ever thought about a job in PR?

It's not something I've ever given serious consideration to.

Are in-house PRs better than agency PRs?

It's not a case of better or worse; the two are very different. I have come across one or two in-house PRs who are so slavishly loyal to their firm that they are like robots, never veering away from the company mantras and unwilling to countenance any suggestion that there might be problems. Then again, it’s sometimes the case that in-house PRs are a lot more knowledgeable than agency PRs - who may have to juggle several different clients - when you ring them up.

How do you feel about the Guardian's decision to break news online first?

Clearly, the rise of the internet means people don't always want to wait until the next morning, or the weekend, to read about a story that affects them. “Breaking news” should clearly be going up on the internet first. However, I suspect that when it comes to lengthy in-depth money features, particularly those accompanied by tables, most people would prefer to read those on paper rather than online.

What do you read for pleasure?

Pretty much anything to do with films and music, particularly movie guides and rock and pop reference books. Shamefully, I only seem to get round to reading novels when I’m on holiday.