Digital Leads: 10 Keys to Newsroom Transformation

Digital Leads: 10 Keys to Newsroom Transformation

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  Mizell Stewart III, Managing Director/Content, JournalMedia Group Michele McLellan, Senior Program Consultant, Knight Digital Media Center
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  Four Platforms “Orient ournewsrooms to consistently deliver unique and exclusive local journalism on four content platforms: smart phone, web, tablet, and print.”
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  Knight Digital MediaCenter • Leadership • Culture change • Consumer focus • Staff ownership
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  1. Strategy The projectwas grounded in an overarching strategy that set a high standard but was flexible enough to evolve over the life of the initiative.
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  2. Research The companyprovided local consumer research to help newsrooms identify topics of high interest to news consumers in target groups – primarily digital news consumers.
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  3. Staff ownership Tofoster staff ownership, newsroom committees were charged with making key coverage decisions based on the research.
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  4. Process: Personas Theprocess was designed to connect newsroom staff with digital news consumers by interviewing them and creating personas, then creating coverage and engagement plans to meet their needs.
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  Franchise topics ▪Civic topics ▪Shapingour Future ▪Price of Paradise ▪Things to do ▪Entertainment ▪Activities ▪Food
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  5. Leadership &culture Newsroom and corporate leaders kept up a steady flow of clear, consistent information about the initiative. In newsrooms with collaborative leaders, the process was quick to take hold.
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  6. Organization-wide buyin Newsroom teams connected with and gained support on the business side, particularly the publisher and marketing leadership.
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  7. Training &tools The company provided skills training and encouraged peer learning as well as adoption of simple digital tools.
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  8. Organizational change Theinitiative did not prescribe outcomes such as job descriptions or workflow changes. As the newsrooms implemented “digital leads” coverage, they altered their practices accordingly.
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  9. Priorities Editors lookedrelentlessly for ways to cut back on traditional coverage so staff could focus on digital priorities.
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  10. Feedback loops Throughweb and social metrics, newsroom teams saw how they were connecting with digital news consumers. Some said their coverage was driving subscriptions and digital activations.
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  Results ▪ 12 newsroomsare on a “digital leads” footing ▪ Franchise, real-time and watchdog driving up to 30 percent higher engagement ▪ Franchise approach used with success in other, non-franchise areas ▪ Community leadership role of local newsrooms is strengthened
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  KDMC at ASNE-APME Stopby our table at the ASNE-APME Digital Showcase to talk more about our process and what KDMC can offer your news organization. Sunday, October 18 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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  Thank you! Questions?