Top 10 things for 2008
Today we had staff meetings at which we talked about the 10 things we plan to do in 2008. We're doing all of them right now to some degree. To the outsider, these may seem, like, duh. Everyone on the staff is at various places on each. Some are well along in their digital savvy, for instance; others aren't. Some are guided by traditional news judgment -- I suffer from this myself sometimes. Others have an impressive understanding of what resonates with the audience. Some learn something new every day; others maybe once a month.
In each case, we will ramp up significantly. We expect the rising tide to raise all boats.
In all, it's a team activity. Editors may direct, but everyone will drive; no one rides.
It will be challenging and fun.
* We will be audience-centric. Our decisions will be guided by our understanding of what the audience wants and needs. We will listen and interact with the audience. We will circulate audience information to the staff.
* We are smaller and we will act like it. That means we will make hard decisions about things we want to do and things we can't. We will move faster to stories and respond with flexibility. We will restructure for speed and mobility.
* Reporters will work on their best stories. We will emphasize enterprise and storytelling. (This isn't to the detriment of breaking news, as one person asked. We'll keep pushing hard on that. Rather, this will be to the detriment of those stories that have little impact on people -- those stories we do because we always have done them.)
* Everyone will stretch themselves, improving their work, learning new skills, becoming better.
* We will publish news digitally -- big and small -- when we verify it and update it as often as necessary to serve the audience. Everyone will get training; everyone will play. (Another staffer asked about equipment for this and for moving with speed and mobility. Yes, we need more and we will get it. Everyone won't get cameras and laptops -- we do have a budget -- but more people will.)
* We will build community. We will emphasize solutions as well as conflict. We will hold community forums and town hall meetings. The community will look to us for help.
* We will innovate constantly, experimenting with new forms of journalism and new publishing methods. We will be quick to drop what doesn’t work.
* We will leverage our differences, including but not limited to race, gender, age and ideas.
* We will be committed to professional development by providing more training.
* We will rediscover the joy of work and have fun.
Comments (1)
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"We will move faster to stories and respond with flexibility. We will restructure for speed and mobility."
"We will be quick to drop what doesn't work."
I assume this means you'll be dropping the design-based approach, as it doesn't work, doesn't allow speed, mobility or flexibility, and doesn't allow you to move faster to stories.
Let us know how that goes.
Posted on December 17, 2007 2:44 PM