It’s designed to be adapted by universities and colleges to meet local needs. The module is designed to equip senior newsroom editors with the essential skills and strategies to lead effectively in today’s dynamic media landscape. Through a blend of theoretical understanding and practical application, participants will explore key areas such as digital transformation, content strategy, newsroom management, project development, and ethical leadership. This six-week programme will foster the ability to adapt to evolving technologies, manage diverse teams, and deliver high-quality journalism in a converged environment.

Week 1: Digital transformation, strategic vision, and ethics

• Topic: Understanding the shift from traditional to digital-first newsrooms, developing a strategic vision for the future, and ensuring adherence to editorial ethics across all devices.
  • Resources:
    • Newsroom evolution: from digital denial to digital-first: This resource details the crucial transition from resisting digital platforms to embracing them, highlighting the strategic shifts necessary for survival and success in the modern news landscape. It is relevant to understand the historical context of the digital change.
    • Strategic forward planning for media organisations: This resource discusses the importance of long-term planning in media, covering how to anticipate changes and adapt accordingly. This is important for developing a long-term newsroom strategy.
    • Why editorial ethics are important: A refresher for all participants about the underlying ethical considerations for all journalism.
    • Lesson – Editorial ethics: The importance of editorial ethics in all news production set out in the form of a lesson that all participants should complete.
  • Activities: Discussion on digital disruption, developing a personal strategic vision statement, case study analysis of successful digital transitions.
  • Outcomes: Participants will understand the importance of digital transformation and develop a framework for strategic planning.

Week 2: Content strategy and prioritisation

• Topic: Mastering online content management, prioritising news, and optimising content presentation.
  • Resources:
    • Managing a news websites front page: This resource provides practical tips for curating and managing the front page of a news website, a critical aspect of online content strategy. It is relevant for understanding how to draw and hold online audiences.
    • Updating an online news item: This resource covers the process of continuously updating online news, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in the digital age. This is important for digital news accuracy.
    • Presenting and exploiting content online: This resource provides guidance on how to maximise the impact of online content through effective presentation and distribution. This is relevant for expanding news reach.
    • How to set online news priorities 2: This resource guides editors in setting priorities for online news, considering factors like audience engagement and relevance. This is key to managing online news flow.
    • Prioritising production with the content value matrix: This resource provides a framework for evaluating and prioritising content based on its value and impact. This is a very useful tool for managing content production.
    • Creating a journalism content weighting system: This resource helps editors to organise and weight content for distribution. This is another vital tool for managing content production.
  • Activities: Content audit exercise, developing a content prioritisation matrix, front-page redesign simulation.
  • Outcomes: Participants will be able to develop and implement effective content strategies for online platforms.

Week 3: Newsroom management and team leadership

• Topic: Effective news meetings, journalist motivation, and handling breaking news situations.
  • Resources:
    • 50 tips for running an effective news meeting: This resource offers practical advice for conducting productive news meetings, essential for coordinating newsroom activities. This is fundamental for newsroom organisation.
    • How to motivate journalists: tips for editors: This article provides strategies for motivating journalists, crucial for maintaining a high-performing newsroom. This is vital for employee management.
    • How to handle a breaking news situation: This resource offers guidance on managing breaking news, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in fast-paced situations. This is important for managing fast changing news.
    • Editorial considerations when a big story breaks: This article provides insight into the editorial decisions that must be made when a major news story breaks. This is important for ethical and accurate reporting.
    • Adopting the big story approach: This resource discusses how to properly manage and execute large, ongoing news stories. This is important for long term news management.
  • Activities: Role-playing breaking news scenarios, team motivation workshops, news meeting simulations.
  • Outcomes: Participants will enhance their leadership skills and learn to manage newsroom dynamics effectively.

Week 4: Converged newsrooms and project management

• Topic: Implementing converged newsroom strategies, managing projects, and utilising social media.
  • Resources:
    • Introducing a converged newsroom strategy: This resource outlines the steps to introduce a converged newsroom strategy, integrating different media platforms. This is important for modern news managment.
    • Creating a converged news operation: This article provides practical guidance on building a converged news operation, optimising workflows and resources. This is important for building a modern newsroom.
    • Convergence workflows, roles and responsibilities: This resource outlines the roles and responsibilities in a converged newsroom. This is important for team management.
    • Basics of project development for a media organisation: This article covers the fundamentals of project development in media, from planning to execution. This is important for managing large news projects.
    • An example of the media project management process: This article provides a real world example of media project management. This is important for understanding real world applications.
    • The skills and techniques of media project management: This article details the skills and techniques required for successful media project management. This is important for developing project management skills.
    • Social media in news production and news dissemination: This resource covers the use of social media in news production and dissemination. This is important for modern news dissemination.
  • Activities: Developing a converged newsroom plan, project management simulations, social media strategy workshops.
  • Outcomes: Participants will gain the skills to manage converged newsrooms and lead media projects effectively.

Week 5: Specialised coverage and election coverage

• Topic: Planning election coverage, understanding the news producer role, and proactive journalism.
  • Resources:
    • Planning tips for effective election coverage: This resource provides practical tips for planning and executing comprehensive election coverage. This is important for managing large scale reporting.
    • The role of the news producer: This resource outlines the key responsibilities of a news producer, a crucial role in modern newsrooms. This is important for understanding modern newsroom roles.
    • Proactive journalism: ensuring issues are fully explored: This resource covers the importance of proactive journalism, ensuring thorough coverage of important issues. This is important for in depth reporting.
  • Activities: Election coverage planning exercise, news producer role-playing, developing a proactive journalism plan.
  • Outcomes: Participants will understand specialised coverage techniques and the role of the news producer in modern newsrooms.

Week 6: Ethical Leadership and Inclusive Newsrooms

• Topic: Ensuring female representation, project development, and ethical considerations in news leadership.
  • Resources:
    • Ensuring female representation in news leadership and coverage: This resource highlights the importance of female representation in news, both in leadership and coverage. This is important for ethical and well rounded reporting.
    • Basics of project development for a media organisation: This article covers the fundamentals of project development in media, from planning to execution. This is important for managing large news projects.
    • An example of the media project management process: This article provides a real world example of media project management. This is important for understanding real world applications.
    • The skills and techniques of media project management: This article details the skills and techniques required for successful media project management. This is important for developing project management skills.
  • Activities: Discussion on ethical leadership, developing a diversity and inclusion plan, final project presentations.
  • Outcomes: Participants will understand the importance of ethical leadership and inclusivity in newsrooms, and they will present final projects.

Timetable:

• Week 1: Digital Transformation and Strategic Vision
• Week 2: Content Strategy and Prioritisation
• Week 3: Newsroom Management and Team Leadership
• Week 4: Converged Newsrooms and Project Management
• Week 5: Specialised Coverage and the News Producer Role
• Week 6: Ethical Leadership and Inclusive Newsrooms

Each week will consist of:

• Lectures and discussions
• Case study analysis
• Practical exercises and simulations
• Group projects and presentations

This structure will allow for a well rounded learning experience.

Summary:

This module provides a comprehensive overview of modern newsroom management, focusing on the strategic and practical skills needed for senior editors. It covers digital evolution, content prioritisation, team motivation, project management, and ethical considerations. Participants will learn to navigate breaking news, plan effective coverage, and ensure inclusivity in their newsrooms. The module combines theoretical frameworks with real-world applications, utilising case studies and practical exercises to enhance learning.

The post Module: Newsroom Management first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Failure to recognise and keep up with changing audience behaviour is one of the most common reasons for media organisations struggling.

Continually monitoring how content is being consumed by the audience, and responding quickly to technological and market opportunities, is essential.

The four scenarios

The four attitudes to digital news production, news gathering and news dissemination are digital denial, digital parallel, digital enhanced, and digital first.

Some media managers refuse to accept that there is a digital audience which needs to be served.

Others become digital evangelists who make production decisions that are not always backed with firm business logic.

Some prefer to focus on the old ways of working, and give little consideration to the digital audience and market.

Of course, each newsroom will have a different approach, based on local business logic, legacy issues, and political and cultural factors.

However, one fact is clear; without a converged/integrated newsroom, it’s difficult to make the most of the digital opportunities that might exist.

And although the essential elements of newsroom convergence might be similar for all news organisations, each solution has to be crafted according to local needs, based on solid business data that informs and justifies every suggested change.

Please refer to our article “Creating a converged news operation”.

Let’s look at the four typical scenarios. As you do, try to work out which scenario best describes your media house.

Digital denial

• This is when there is no clear vision from the senior management about why newsroom convergence/integration is important, which often results in there being no buy-in from senior editors, and resistance from many.
• There will have been a failure to invest in the digital technology required to produce content for use on multiple platforms/devices, and there will be little awareness of audience needs and changing audience behaviour.
• Management and staff are stuck in a time warp, bogged down with legacy issues, doing what they have always done, and living in a false comfort zone.

Digital parallel

• Management acknowledges the digital needs of the audience but fails to realise its importance.
• They will usually ask a couple of people to build a website and upload video from its main TV shows.
• This operation will often not be connected to the newsroom. It might even be on a different floor. There might be little to no editorial supervision.
• At times the online version will be a copy and paste version of what was broadcast, there will be no added value in terms of interactive assets that help explain the stories. There will be no user engagement.
• The result will be a rather dull repetition of the TV output, often text heavy, updated once or twice a day, and offering no compelling reason for the audience to visit or return.

Digital enhanced

• In some cases there is an online, multimedia and social media team embedded in the newsroom made up of trained journalists who are part of the news operation. In these cases the on-air, online and mobile versions are all linked.
• There will be an attempt, often made during the morning meeting, to select the top three stories that require some added value online in terms of timelines, interactive maps, infographics, fact boxes, comments etc.
• The source content will be much the same, but the user experience will differ depending on the platforms used by the audience.
• Social sharing and encouraging the audience to comment will be a central part of this strategy.
• There will be a healthy buzz in the newsroom. Journalists will be keen to see how the audience responds, and, after monitoring that interaction, will use the material to build on the interest generated.
• As a result new angles will come to light and be developed. The output on all platforms/devices will feel fresh, relevant and timely.

Digital-first

• This is where the newsroom operates around a central superdesk or hub acting as the main command and control unit for all output.
• There will be shared forward planning. Stories will be created in advance for all output areas with carefully planned cross-promotion.
• Interactivity will be dynamic, meaning that it will be controlled and updated from the newsrooms central database.
• It will be built into detachable, shareable and embeddable multimedia assets, rich in links to background information, which the audience can take away to their own preferred social media space in order to extend the conversation.
• That total user-engagement will be monitored by the social media team and fed back into the news production process so that the output continually reflects the changing needs/concerns/questions posed by the target audience.
• The digital-first converged newsroom will work closely with business development, technological development, and sales and marketing to ensure that any opportunities are fully exploited for the benefit of both the audience and the brand.

Digital evolution

I have worked with all four models in varying forms, helping them evolve to meet audience needs. Some media organisations, sadly, make a start on introducing convergence and then give up.

They sometimes blame the technology rather than their own inability to adapt. And there will be those who take comfort in retreating back to the known and dragging others with them.

But the challenge for media managers is massive. To survive they need to ensure that they have a plan for remaining relevant to changing audience demands while protecting their existing business.

The best strategy for survival and prosperity is a fully converged/integrated news operation delivering content to whatever device the users turn to for information.

The principle is clear – but news organisations should accept that there is no quick out-of-the-box one-size-fits-all solution.

Yes, it is possible to learn from what other organisations have tried successfully. But every media business has its own particular problems and opportunities.

They will need a bespoke strategy, tailored to their exact situation, in order to meet the changing needs of their own target audience.

The post From digital denial to digital first first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Does your media organisation have a social media strategy. Does it reach out and connect with your audience?

There are many ways media organisations respond to social media, but here are three.

Media Helping Media recommends the third and final attitude in this list, but first check which one fits your media organisation and then think through what are can do about it.

1: Ignore

The broadcast or publish at model

• • • Social networking is a distraction that has nothing to do with traditional media.
    • It is a plaything for trivial exchanges and is not for journalism.
    • Keep out. Our content is our content. We know best.
    • We will refer to a social network trend in a story but only as an illustration and only if supplied in wires copy.
    • It’s our job to provide information. We are the professionals.
    • If there is a piece of user-generated video, an image or a comment on the wires, we may refer to it or include it, but, come on, we are journalists and they are just amateurs.
    • We’ve been trained, and we have standards – they haven’t. Keep them in their place.
    • Stick to the wires, press releases and getting our own reporters to cover diary events and our correspondents to cover their specialisms.
    • Don’t be distracted by the social media noise out there.

Result

A we-know-best attitude that fails to acknowledge changing audience behaviour and sees the audience as consumers rather than part of the news process.

While this is going on, an increasingly informed and influential middle media is taking over the role of informing the public debate with people-focused stories published on blogs and distributed via the social networks that reflect diversity of opinion and offer perspectives which are often lacking in heavily-controlled news environments.

Prognosis

This model is in its death throes or already dead.

2: Exploit

The engage-with on our terms model

• We realise social networking is popular, we understand the benefits of viral marketing and distribution, and we see it as a way to disseminate our material to a wider audience.
• Our sales and marketing department is on the case.
• Every now and then we are happy to refer to social media in our bulletins and stories, and sometimes it might be part of a story, but only in terms of showing a trend or in cases where social media offers access to voices we would not normally reach.
• Keep social media elements in the “and finally” part of the bulletin.
• If presenting on camera and talking about social media, offer that smile, nod and wink to suggest it’s all a bit of fun and not to be taken too seriously.
• When reporting on radio, make sure there is a tone to your voice that indicates to the audience where the line exists between the facts we have uncovered and the information that has been found via social media.
• Our use of social networking must be on our terms only.
• When referring to social media be sure to attribute any information as unconfirmed and ensure there is an element of doubt until we can confirm with two independent sources.
• When inviting social networking participation on any story, whether in the form of comments or forum discussions etc, be sure to keep control of the agenda.
• Only invite user input on the stories we want covered and only publish the comments which fit in with our view of how the story should develop.

Result

Containment, with a firm grip on the amount and scope of social networking in output. Regular references to social media as a phenomenon and an increasing awareness of its use as a possible newsgathering tool, but the main thrust of output is still based on wires, diary events and reporter/correspondent input from newsroom meetings, their contacts and their specialist beats.

Prognosis

This “engage with on our terms” model will work well as a part of a transition from the “broadcast/publish at” model, but is not a recommended survival strategy.

3: Embrace

The let loose to hold tight model

• We see social networking as central to all we do.
• By tapping into this rich vein of stories, perspectives, and first-person witness and thought we are able to enhance our output.
• This enriches our news and current affairs and highlights real concerns.
• It adds genuine comment and ensures that our output is relevant and revealing.
• There must be a social networking element in all stories.
• If we don’t reflect what is going on in society we are limiting the scope of our coverage and reducing our relevance to our audience.
• We must view all bloggers and social networkers as potential stringers.
• We must monitor social media at all times and build a new network of trusted contacts who we can turn to and who can turn to us.
• We need to get to know the network of contacts belonging to those social networkers we turn to the most and build on that, too.
• Crowdsourcing is using information, or effort, contributed by the general public. We must harness this resource.
• Ideally, we must aim to move away from a wires-led and events-led news agenda and shift the focus over to the audience.
• All our content is there for our users to take away to their preferred social networking space where they can interact with their contacts and add their own context and analysis – and we must always look for ways to bring this back into our newsgathering and news production processes.
• No story is complete without a social networking element.
• In a breaking story situation, where we are feeding the social networks with updated information, we must be sure to be part of, visit and tap into those networks to monitor the discussion and reflect that in our output.
• We must not rely just on pushing our updates to Facebook and Twitter. We must be part of the social media conversation so that we can stimulate the debate, ask questions, find answers and uncover new information.
• All journalists must have social networking aggregation tools on their desktops and monitor updates at all times.
• As with all information, we can refer to it but confirm it only when we have two independent sources.

Result

• Fresh, relevant, user-focused news covering the issues that concern the target audience and wider audience.
• A rapid growth in viral news distribution (the audience sharing the content for us), brand influence and trust.
• Increased traffic back to the news website.
• Increase in fans on the media organisation’s Twitter page, Facebook page, YouTube site and all other social network sites – again with associated increases in traffic to all the brand’s online properties.
• Most importantly, a welcome to the social networking party – not as a gate-crasher, but as an informed source of information.

Prognosis

A healthy strategy, adapting to changing audience behaviour, letting loose of content to hold tight to the audience, while, at the same time, reflecting the priorities, concerns and thinking of that audience.

The post Social media test for mainstream media first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Social media has fundamentally disrupted the media landscape, forcing traditional outlets to confront their operational models and redefine their role in a rapidly evolving information ecosystem.

Having helped many media houses to develop their social media strategies we look at the challenges and opportunities.

The power of the networked audience:

• Uncovering hidden narratives: Social media often surfaces stories and perspectives that mainstream media might overlook or intentionally ignore, expanding the scope of public discourse.
• Amplifying diverse voices: It provides a platform for a wider range of voices, offering a more nuanced and representative view of society than traditional media alone.
• Challenging editorial norms: Social media scrutinises established editorial standards, prompting media organisations to re-evaluate their values and ethical practices.
• Fostering direct engagement: It creates a direct channel between media organisations and their audiences, enabling real-time interaction and feedback.
• Driving social change: It allows media to tap into ongoing conversations, understand emerging social trends, and connect with previously inaccessible communities.

Despite these transformative benefits, some media organisations remain resistant to social media, either dismissing its importance or failing to grasp its true potential.

From passive consumption to active participation:

Previously, we explored audience identification, adaptation to changing behaviors, and the shift towards digital-first newsrooms. Building on this, we now delve into the strategic integration of social media.

The evolution of media engagement:

• The “broadcast/publish at” model (outdated): This model treated audiences as passive recipients of information, with little to no interaction. It represented a top-down approach, reflecting the perspectives of media owners and editors.
• The “engage on our terms” model (transitional): This model offered limited interactivity, such as controlled debates and moderated online forums. Audience participation was carefully curated.
• The “participate in” model (current): This model embraces audience engagement as an integral part of the editorial process. Stories are shaped by real-time conversations happening on social media and in communities. This model priorities audience needs and fosters a collaborative news ecosystem.

Implementing a social media strategy:

The “participate in” model requires a proactive approach:

• Dedicated social media expertise: Modern newsrooms need a dedicated social media editor or team to monitor online conversations, identify emerging trends, and facilitate audience engagement.
• Integrated workflow: Social media insights should be integrated into the news production process, influencing story selection and development.
• Active engagement: Media organisations should actively participate in online conversations, sharing content, stimulating debate, and providing real-time updates.
• Utilising social media tools: Newsrooms must research and use the latest social media monitoring tools in order to keep up with audience activity and track news developments.
• User-generated content (UGC) management: A clear process for monitoring and verifying UGC is crucial for maintaining accuracy and credibility.
• Cross-promotion and revenue opportunities: Social media should be used to promote content across platforms and identify new revenue streams.

By adopting a proactive and audience-centric approach to social media, media organisations can strengthen their connection with their audience, enhance their credibility, and secure their place in the evolving media landscape.

The post Social media in news production first appeared on Media Helping Media.