 A sad reality about today's digitally driven and metric-obsessed newsrooms is the diminished standing of the never-humble newspaper editor. Less and less, we have editors of newspapers. More and more, we have content directors across platforms. Less and less, editors are kings and queens of their domain - the personification of their masthead's place in the community. More and more, slick marketing of digital assets takes prime position. Oh, well, that's the media business today and let's not get too romantic about it all. That said, I'd like to think there's a little bit of the old editor in all of today's news hounds. Particularly, the good bits, of which there are many. So in a rather dubious salute to my editor colleagues I'd like to unlock the top 10 secrets about them - and what makes them tick.
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 He looked me in the eye, held out his arm and slowly motioned his hand towards the floor. Here, one of the captains of the publishing world - a Prince of Print - was explaining to me in unequivocal terms where he saw newspapers going. “Down, down, down. It’s just too late for many of them,” he said. Most would agree. As the way society connects has screamed ahead online, the newspaper industry has been left behind. Newspapers are now emblematic of life pre-Apple. But is the show really over? Are newspapers as we know them doomed? Is it too late to save print? Plummeting circulations across much of the western world would indicate so. In Australia, total audience measurements paint a rosy picture of how big media groups are faring across platforms. In isolation, print numbers make for depressing reading. As a former editor of daily newspapers, I was generally confident that hard work in the newsroom could bring a circulation dividend. That was not long ago. But, today, not even Moses could put a dent in the sea of red circ numbers.  This was never going to end well. "I don't care what you tell me, what you show me, I don't believe this is going to work." And with that one statement, Houston, we had a problem. The subject matter was a major editorial transformation project. It was bold, innovative and high risk. It was also absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, this senior executive wasn't having a bar of it. Deep down it rattled her values. In the end, she stepped out of the way of the juggernaut of change that was bearing down on her and her newsroom. She was an editor with deep experience, wide respect - an honourable person. But without her leadership, without her belief in the project, it was destined to fail. This tale is sadly a typical one of why editorial change programs fail - captured here in what I refer to as the Seven Deadly Sins of Transformation.  Running a business or organisation without an in-house social media policy is truly living on the wild side - you can bank on thrills and spills. When I was a kid we lived at the top of a steep climb. I still recall with chilling clarity hurtling down that long and unforgiving hill on my bike only to realise, before it was too late, my brakes weren't working. I smashed into a telephone pole just metres from the busy intersection at the bottom of the hill. My bike was a write-off. Fortunately, I was unscathed - but the valuable lesson for me was to always - always - take the right precautions. Many businesses are focused on increasing their engagement with their customers through social media. But an area that goes ignored, akin to riding without brakes or driving without car insurance, is how their own employees use social media and talk about the organisation. Basically, what are the rules? |
AuthorStuart Howie is a communications and media consultant. He runs Flame Tree Media and is the author of The DIY Newsroom. Stuart has worked in media and publishing for more than 30 years as an executive, editor and strategist. 
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