Learning Newsroom Workshop (Los Angeles)

September 14 - September 14, 2007

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Co-sponsored by the Annenberg School for Communication and the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

The 2007 series of Learning Newsroom regional workshops is underwritten by a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Can't make this workshop? Check out the full list of Learning Newsroom Workshops.

Wanted: A road map for the future ... NOW!

In order to succeed in the digital information age, the newspaper industry must undergo rapid transformation. The greatest factors for winning? The workforce’s ability to change, transform and remake itself while preserving its vital mission.

But how?

The Learning Newsroom – a ground-breaking initiative aimed at helping newsrooms become more nimble at change – addresses head-on the workforce issues that emerge during radical transformation.

In this one-day workshop, you’ll learn the secrets to reinvention: practical strategies and techniques for introducing and sustaining newsroom change from those who lived the “Learning Newsroom” experiment for three years.

Unlike a lot of “change/innovation” workshops that focus heavy on academic theory and are light on real-world circumstances, this program will give you an insider’s perspective on what it really takes to transform and engage a newsroom workforce.

Far too often, newsroom transformation has meant changing titles and rearranging chairs. The “Learning Newsroom,” on the other hand, requires a provocative approach: dramatically changing mindsets before changing roles and responsibilities. Best of all, it champions participation from every corner of the newsroom – from reporters and librarians to department heads and top editors.

Vickey Williams, who directed the Learning Newsroom project, will be the faculty chair of the workshop series, which will draw from hard research data and the experiences of 10 year-long change initiatives in newsrooms of all sizes. The three-year project was funded by a $1-million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Expect absolute candor during this program because the “Learning Newsroom” requires hard and, sometimes painful, work. Expect stories from the trenches and real-life outcomes. Bottom line, expect to find a whole new approach for unleashing staff potential and engaging more people in the newsroom so that they can create better journalism and attract more readers.

What you will get:

• What you must know about the people factors in traditional media companies that will enable – or sink – your organization’s best ideas for growing audience, furthering journalistic goals or expanding the product portfolio.
• Practical processes for engaging staff, increasing buy-in for new ventures and unleashing the potential of every individual toward organizational goals.
• Proven methods for increasing collaboration, breaking down silos and measuring progress at changing practices.
• Candid experiences of industry professionals who have seen success in adopting new ways of working and are reaping the benefits.

Who should attend?

The Learning Newsroom workshop is designed for senior newsroom leaders and newsroom “change agents” who want to maximize efforts at growing audience and maintaining relevance in the face of today’s increasingly complex media landscape. The program also is designed for publishers and anyone responsible for the health and future of the company or for staff training and development.

WORKSHOP AGENDA
8:15 - 9:00 a.m.: Registration
9:00 am - noon: Morning session
Noon - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch on your own.
1:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Afternoon session

Please note: Participants should read the book All Eyes Forward, a detailed account of The Learning Newsroom experiment, in advance of the workshop. (For easiest reading, set Page Layout to Facing Pages.)  Please also complete the Learning Organization Self-Test for Media Companies and bring it with you to the workshop.

Directions and Parking

Hotels near USC

Learning Newsroom Regional Workshop Series in Fall '07:

• Sept. 14: University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Co-sponsored by the Annenberg School for Communication
• Oct. 19: Columbia University, New York City. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School of Journalism
• Oct. 26: Metro State College of Denver. Co-sponsored by the Journalism Program
• Nov. 9: Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. Co-sponsored by the Medill School of Journalism
• Nov. 16: Cox Enterprises, Inc., Headquarters. Atlanta, Ga. Co-sponsored by Cox Enterprises, Inc.
• Nov. 30: University of Houston. Co-sponsored by the School of Communication

What Learning Newsroom Pioneers say:

"I think that we’re a much better newspaper than we were 18 months ago. I think we’re a better newsroom to work in. I think we’re a better newspaper for our readers. I think I’m a better editor because of what I’ve learned from the people I work with."

Bob Zaltsberg, Editor

The Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.

(Learning Newsroom Pilot No. 1)

"We’re seeing a lot more creativity bubbling up from the worker-bee level from people who maybe previously didn’t feel empowered. I think what our readers are seeing is a more creative product, a product that reflects better levels of collaboration."

Susan Rife, Books Editor

and Learning Newsroom Steering Committee Member

Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune 

(Learning Newsroom Pilot No. 10)

About the Knight Foundation: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The foundation has given more than $300 million to journalism-related causes since 1950. For more information, go to www.knightfdn.org.

The Learning Newsroom is part of a $10-million newsroom training initiative of the foundation. The partners include: The Committee of Concerned Journalists' Traveling Curriculum; News University; Knight Citizen News Network; The Council of National Journalism Organizations and the Society of Professional Journalists, which have developed an up-to-date and searchable on-line catalog of training opportunities; The Traveling Campus of SNPA; NewsTrain; and The Learning Newsroom.

The Particulars

Please read:
:: API's Registration, Tuition and Hotel Policies
:: Special requirements for international members

Tuition: $100

Note: Unlike API's multi-day seminars, tuition for Newspaper Next workshops is transferable but not refundable.

Hotel/Meal Package: A list of nearby hotels will be provided to attendees who wish to arrive the night before the workshop. Attendees should arrange their own hotel accommodations.
This charge is in addition to the tuition fee, and is paid directly to the hotel by the seminar member upon checkout.

Location: Annenberg School for Communication
Room: ASC 204
University of Southern California
3502 Watt Way, Los Angeles

(This seminar has already occured)