We’re often quick to put down the newspaper company executives who “don’t get it,” who are still fighting rear guard actions against the forces and trends eroding the traditional newspaper’s business, or just moving too slowly, looking for “the” strategy or business model, when in fact the digital dynamic calls for experimentation and innovation.
Coloring with such broad brush strokes always leaves out the finer grain. There are many in the industry who do get it and who have been trying to find models of content, delivery and revenue to make up for the revenue being lost by the ink or paper product.
This line of thought came to mind having recently discovered a thoughtful piece in Nieman Reports by Mike Riley, the editor of the 97,000 circulation Roanoke (VA) Times. His starting premise is that we need to stop thinking of the institution of the newspaper. The first step is to think of these operations as news gathering organizations. In that context they are in a position of strength looking at the media landscape:
In most markets, they are the last remaining mass-medium; they are prime creators of original journalism and, in many cases, they are deeply committed to a community’s civic life and welfare. Finally, they are blessed with a profitable business model that can, if allowed, underwrite a range of digital experiments and online forays to move us successfully into the future.
Riley offers 12 observations for his news gathering colleagues. Several that I find most critical and not always obvious are:
- Don’t force change. So then how do you change if editors and publishers can’t dictate it. He says to start with natural allies in the newsroom and let it spread. He found that the photographers were among the first group most amenable to experimentation, creating multimedia presentations and videos for the Web site. Others caught the enthusiasm – the viral approach. Ultimately, says Riley in another one of his points, “Get everyone to drink the Kool-Aid.”
- Integrate, don't separate. Riley thinks there is now a clear winner in the debate about whether a disruptive technology has a place in the traditional newsroom of the newspaper. Should the online newsroom be separate or integrated with the traditional newsroom? “My belief is that you shouldn't relegate online players to backrooms or basements, particularly if you want others to learn and grow. The online content operation should be integrated into the newsroom, particularly as the seismic shift of resources from print to online gains momentum.” He found that moving the online time into the newsroom at his paper made a huge difference for the good. "The online editor hears a metro editor talking with a reporter about a breaking story, and within minutes that nugget of news is posted on our Web site.”
- Don't be afraid to invent jobs. At a time when the news is usually about downsizing, he says that new positions must be created. One that has been of great success for the Times was a multimedia editor. This approach has paid off with some stellar prize-winning multimedia projects. He launched the TimesCast, an interactive, online video newscast in the somewhat iconoclastic spirit ofRocketboom.com .
- Work across traditional barriers. This one gets dicey: the modern newspaper was viewed as having a high wall between the newsroom and the business side of the enterprise. Editors were known to resign if publishers tried to infiltrate. But, says Riley, “In this new world, different departments need to communicate and coordinate well…” This includes the information technology folks as well as those in advertising.
In a traditional newspaper world, such conversations might seem jarring, but in this new environment, it is essential that they take place as we construct a new paradigm. This is not always easy for newsroom folks to understand. The irony, of course, is that newspapers, the world's chroniclers of change, are themselves frightened to death of change, and that fear can often impede vital experimentation.
There are others who understand what needs to be done and are in a position to make it happen. Steve Yelvington, who is the new media guru for the 27 Morris Publishing dailies, has been toiling in this patch for decades. Significantly, Morris and Riley's parent corporation, Landmark Communications, are privately held companies. Though they might not have access to the capital available to their publicly owned cousins, they may be better positioned to experiment and absorb lower margins while making the transition from the ink on paper world.
At any rate, Riley’s article is a helpful take on working toward a blueprint for change in the newspaper business.
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