Changing newsrooms from a print culture to a digital culture

http://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/project-unbolt-wrenching-newsrooms-free-from-print-workflow-culture

http://www.digitalfirstmedia.com/project_unbolt

Digital First Media newsrooms are still largely print newsrooms with digital operations “bolted on.”

As John explained last week in his address to the Online Publishers Association, “Starting with some test sites we will work through every process, every workflow step of what makes a digital newsroom digital and make that the very core of what we do.”

John told the OPA,

"The newsroom of the future is not the current one dragged into it. It is going to be re-built from the ground up."

So here is our plan for doing that.

Mission
We need to “unbolt” Digital First newsrooms, so that they are Digital First in culture, processes and priorities. Though digital in focus, the operations should remain capable (as long as needed) of publishing print products, but the regional print operations will be bolted on to the core digital newsroom.

Coverage and Storytelling
Newsroom efforts are focused on covering news and producing stories for digital platforms. Stories are live (when possible), interactive, visual and relevant.

Processes
Newsroom processes are designed to provide quality, accurate content quickly for digital platforms, with print editors harvesting and adapting digital content to produce print editions.

Engagement
Newsroom engages the community effectively through a variety of tools and techniques: social media, blog networks, crowdsourcing, curation, contests, live chats and in-person engagement.

Planning and Management
Meetings, budgets, staffing, training, goals and communication reflect the newsroom’s digital priorities.

Mobile
In planning and execution, newsroom staff thinks of mobile audience and delivers strong mobile content. Staff uses mobile tools to gather content and post from the field.

Standards
In processes, communications and discipline, newsroom reflects commitment to providing original (or attributed), accurate, verified content; to correcting errors quickly and transparently; to avoiding conflicts and disclosing unavoidable conflicts; to accountability.

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