The verb “to retire” is not one that I conjugate often at all.
When the thought of “retirement” comes to mind , it usually is a provocation after a three-hour workshop about transformation in a newsroom somewhere (geography has nothing to do with it! Traditions do, and how!).
With so many transformational projects on my tray right now, I am becoming more aware of those moments when I wish to throw in the towel. Of course, the progressive minds in the room always give me a sense of optimism and I move on.
What are the things that provoke me to think that way? Well, here is the hit parade list of the most anti-transformational moments in the newsrooms of the globe:
The five universal myths of a traditional editor
- Editors who think that the content that is important to them is what their readers crave.
- Editors who take pride in believing “THEY KNOW” what readers would not tolerate in the way of change.
- Editors who believe that every story needs to be of a certain length for their newspaper to be authoritative and possess gravitas.
- Editors who believe that the 65+ audience is NOT connected to anything digital.
- Editors who believe they can attract 25 year olds to read their print edition, at least on the e-paper version.
Mario’s take on the above
- Please wake up and start looking at data analytics: today we have the ability to check instantly how many people are reading that precious story you selected to lead with, as well as the one you buried thinking nobody would be interested in it. I know the face of editors when they see that, for example, a celebrity story, such as Lady Gaga singing at the Oscars, can capture the attention of 4 million views. It happens.
- Thank God not just for data analytics, but also for algorithms, that are what Espen Egil Hansen, publisher/editor of Aftenposten, refers to as “the new editor”, which can point us to readers and their preferences. Readers are usually more open to change and experimentation than editors.What gives editors a heart attack, does not give readers the common cold. (Please engrave that on my tombstone).
- There is definitely room for long form journalism today, and there always will be. However, not every chronicle or school board meeting or car accident needs to be a chapter of War and Peace.
- Bury this myth, please, once and for all: We older readers are as attached to our phones, computers and iPads as are the Snapchat and Instagram crowd, of which we are a part, too, by the way. We like iPhones, Alexa and social media. Stop believing that the old are anxiously awaiting for the printed copy of their newspaper at their doorstep.
- Forget attracting millennials to a print product. The train has left the station for millennials to come to read a printed anything. Give up and spend your time creating content those millennials will enjoy and want to pay for in your digital editions.
Thank God there are enough transformation-bound people in my midst which is the reason I don’t see retirement in my near future.
Mario’s speaking engagements
Mario doing a keynote presentation at Newscamp 2018 in Augsburg, Germany
Here are places where I will be taking the message of mobile storytelling in the weeks ahead:
May 15 INMA, New York City International News Media Association’s Mobile Storytelling Workshop
May 25, Milan, Italy, EidosMedia Annual Customer Meeting, Keynote: Mobile First Strategies for Publishers
June 12, NEC Media City, Bergen, Norway, Storytelling workshop for Editors
June 13, Fortellingens kraft 2019, Bergen, Norway, Long form Mobile Storytelling for Writers
July 11, Florida Media Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, Keynote for editors: The mobile first newspaper strategy.
Mario’s weekend rituals…..
Monocle interviews me about what I do on a typical weekend (is there such a thing? Not for someone like me who is seldom in the same location twice. But I gave it my best shot, for what may come as a normal weekend, when I am home in New York! Enjoy.
https://monocle.com/minute/2019/04/27/
Pre-order The Story
The newspaper remains the most powerful source of storytelling on the planet. But technology threatens its very existence. To survive, the Editor must transform, adapt, and manage the newsroom in a new way. Find out how, pre-orderThe Story by Mario Garcia, chief strategist for the redesign of over 700 newspapers around the world.
Order here:
https://thaneandprose.com/shop-the-bookstore?olsPage=products%2Fthe-story
An interview of interest
http://www.itertranslations.com/blog/2019/3/11/fd60ybflpvlqrgrpdp5ida5rq0c3sp
TheMarioBlog post #3051