Five Questions For...Bill Watson

Five Questions for... Bill Watson

Appearing at Leading Local Content Teams May 5-7, 2008, in Reston, Va.

VG: What are some of the most common ways that small newsrooms waste time and energy? In what commonly underserved area(s) might that energy be redirected?

BW:
a. Pursuit of perfection. I read recently about a newsroom where wire pages were proofed five times. That is disproportionate to the damage done if there is a typo. Those resources could be applied to making it a better product in other ways.
b. Pursuit of the mundane/fear of missing something. A lot of our municipal coverage is simply stenographic reporting, done in the name of public service and amounting to little more than meeting minutes. We attend because we're afraid something newsworthy 'might' happen. That's a passive, reactive approach. Why not find out what's going on and write about it without the crutch of a meeting? At least in some jurisdictions?
c. Production of content nobody wants. Lack of feedback from the readership produces a situation in which newsrooms assume everything they are doing is vital to someone, and they won't let go of it. How many readers actually would notice if you dropped the "how to sew" column? (We know the answer to that: one.)

VG: What needs to change in newsrooms so change can happen?

BW: More people need to be given latitude in deciding coverage, redefining roles, leading change and managing work flow. Micromanagers, especially micromanagers who second guess in a mean-spirited way, are obstacles to new ideas. People will make mistakes. But everyone in a newsroom needs to spend more of their time identifying the right things to do. And some managers need to spend a little less time making sure people do things right. People aren't willing to try new things if they fear getting jumped for any deviation from doing the same things the same way they've been done since 1950.

VG: How can a small paper ensure that its resources are allocated so as to maximize the performance of both digital and print?

BW: Make print and digital things that support each other rather than things that take from each other. Much of the software out there now for putting material online, in emails and in text messages is easily mastered and newsrooms can be trained to deploy content in those media quite easily. The job then is to find a comfort level for your newsroom with how, when, and under what circumstances material is "released" to each type of distribution.

VG: Is it better for small papers to maintain separate staffs for online and print or to give staff members a role in both? Why?

BW: We found we had no choice but to give staff members a role in both. With separate operations, we'd have gutted each and probably failed to have enough critical mass to make either one successful. HOWEVER, it has to be said that somewhere in the mix there has to be at least one person with the competencies in hypertext and whatnot to handle the more technical aspects of a Web site. While much has been simplified in terms of operating a Web site, the background support and creation of new sections within the Web site requires a higher level of digital knowledge.

VG: What steps did you take to involve the staff in the transformation process and what were the advantages that came out of their participation?

BW: We simply began training people in the various things that needed to be done, starting small and working up. We started with people who had confidence, and as their success in sending text messages, posting to the site and whatnot became obvious, others overcame fears and jumped in. The ability to post breaking news to a Web site and see immediate feedback from those using the site, both in "forum" comments about the news and in the immediate jump in traffic for a story, is pretty appealing to a great many reporters. This really isn't a surprise if you've been hiring people who really are motivated by the idea that the job is about finding out what's going on and telling people. Telling people "faster" is a pretty small change and a very attractive one.