10 (small) Ways To Reinvent Your Newsroom Right Now

Innovation is essential Newsroom should be a center of constant innovation. Organization and workflow must include the capacity to innovate. We’re entering an era of constant change, at increasingly faster pace. We don’t know what’s coming, but we know it’s coming.

Newsroom should be a center of constant innovation.

Organization and workflow must include the capacity to innovate.

We’re entering an era of constant change, at increasingly faster pace.

We don’t know what’s coming, but we know it’s coming.

What’s next? Are blogs already dead? Is Twitter going to kill Google? Is mobile the future? What do you know about the Semantic Web? Are you geo-tagging content? What does news look like for location-based services? Are you thinking about how to publish into video games and virtual communities?

Are blogs already dead?

Is Twitter going to kill Google?

Is mobile the future?

What do you know about the Semantic Web?

Are you geo-tagging content?

What does news look like for location-based services?

Are you thinking about how to publish into video games and virtual communities?

Failure to innovate=death Being online doesn’t mean you’re doing enough to innovate: eBay Yahoo CNET Salon.com All industries eventually are vulnerable to creative destruction. There are few second acts.

Being online doesn’t mean you’re doing enough to innovate:

eBay

Yahoo

CNET

Salon.com

All industries eventually are vulnerable to creative destruction.

There are few second acts.

So what can you do?

Big Innovation vs. Little Innovation

Big Innovation Blow up your newsroom. Today. Must have support and buy-in from the top, or it’s doomed. Can’t change by consensus, must lead. Downside: Could get bogged down for years making little progress.

Blow up your newsroom. Today.

Must have support and buy-in from the top, or it’s doomed.

Can’t change by consensus, must lead.

Downside: Could get bogged down for years making little progress.

Big innovators Intel is the iconic example for dumping its memory business in favor of processors. Google allocates 20 percent of employee’s time for new projects. Cisco Systems has already decided it will have a new business model in 20 years, and is mapping out how to get there.

Intel is the iconic example for dumping its memory business in favor of processors.

Google allocates 20 percent of employee’s time for new projects.

Cisco Systems has already decided it will have a new business model in 20 years, and is mapping out how to get there.

Little innovation Lead by example. Start fast; fail cheap; learn. Repeat. Plant seeds. Find “sleeper cells of innovation.” Demonstrate success to gain more allies. Downside: May not create big enough changes, fast enough.

Lead by example.

Start fast; fail cheap; learn. Repeat.

Plant seeds.

Find “sleeper cells of innovation.”

Demonstrate success to gain more allies.

Downside: May not create big enough changes, fast enough.

Small innovations you can do right now

Start a wiki Invite the community to help build an information resource.

Start a wiki Invite the community to help build an information resource.

2. Aggregate Aggregation is creation People always need help finding the best stuff. It’s the new version of wire stories. Jeff Jarvis of CUNY says: “Do you what you do best, link to the rest.” Use Delicious.com; Publish2.

Aggregation is creation

People always need help finding the best stuff.

It’s the new version of wire stories.

Jeff Jarvis of CUNY says: “Do you what you do best, link to the rest.”

Use Delicious.com; Publish2.

www.dukebasketballreport.com Started by Duke Alumni to collect every link about Duke basketball

3. Twittercamp Visual stimulus in the newsroom is great. Why are you watching CNN? Put the community’s conversation on display. Connect one screen in the newsroom to a PC, install Twittercamp, an Adobe Air client.

Visual stimulus in the newsroom is great.

Why are you watching CNN?

Put the community’s conversation on display.

Connect one screen in the newsroom to a PC, install Twittercamp, an Adobe Air client.

4. Create a community hub Launch a Ning.com site. Create Multi-user Wordpress blog. Create a distinct tag.

Launch a Ning.com site.

Create Multi-user Wordpress blog.

Create a distinct tag.

5. CopyCamp Invite the community into the newsroom. Have a different kind of conversation. Use the BarCamp/Un-conference model. This is about learning to listen, and rethinking the newsroom’s relationship to the community. Nothing beats the connections built through direct contact.

Invite the community into the newsroom.

Have a different kind of conversation.

Use the BarCamp/Un-conference model.

This is about learning to listen, and rethinking the newsroom’s relationship to the community.

Nothing beats the connections built through direct contact.

CopyCamp at the San Jose Mercury News: June 2008

6. Talkshoe If you can make a phone call, you can do a podcast. Knowledge management: Right now newsrooms publish 5 percent of what they know. Find easy ways to push that to 10 percent. Use free tools like Talkshoe, Blogtalkradio.com, Utterli.

If you can make a phone call, you can do a podcast.

Knowledge management: Right now newsrooms publish 5 percent of what they know. Find easy ways to push that to 10 percent.

Use free tools like Talkshoe, Blogtalkradio.com, Utterli.

7. Collaborate Find a project to do with another group on campus. Expands your capacity to innovate. Brings different perspective. Can create sparks of innovation.

Find a project to do with another group on campus.

Expands your capacity to innovate.

Brings different perspective.

Can create sparks of innovation.

8. Live blog or stream CoverIt Live Qik Ustream

CoverIt Live

Qik

Ustream

9. Beat Blogging Turn your sources into a social network. Check out BeatBlogging.org. Find ways to build a network to help make your reporting deeper, and more efficient.

Turn your sources into a social network.

Check out BeatBlogging.org.

Find ways to build a network to help make your reporting deeper, and more efficient.

10. Social Media You’re probably on Facebook. Is everyone in your newsroom? Make sure you’re building networks, promoting your links. What about Twitter? Digg? Being social means promoting other people’s work, too, so they’ll promote back.

You’re probably on Facebook. Is everyone in your newsroom?

Make sure you’re building networks, promoting your links.

What about Twitter?

Digg?

Being social means promoting other people’s work, too, so they’ll promote back.

What else? Find a community you don’t cover and create new product for it. Alumni Sports Prospective students Research/Intellectual Discussions Faculty Ask what things your community needs help doing? Finding roommates Buying and selling text books Rating classes

Find a community you don’t cover and create new product for it.

Alumni

Sports

Prospective students

Research/Intellectual Discussions

Faculty

Ask what things your community needs help doing?

Finding roommates

Buying and selling text books

Rating classes

Contact me [email_address] Follow me on Twitter at @sjcobrien or @nextnewsroom M: 415-298-0207 www.nextnewsroom.com

[email_address]

Follow me on Twitter at @sjcobrien or @nextnewsroom

M: 415-298-0207

www.nextnewsroom.com