We toured media companies. Heard seven-minute-long case studies from leading European media executives. And shared drinks and conversations about the challenges and successes in newsrooms.

It was an inspiring and comprehensive week in Helsinki for INMA’s annual Media Innovation Week, which attracted more than 330 people. Newsroom transformation was front and center during several portions of the conference — including a workshop we ran on changing your mindset to change your culture.

I’m still distilling all the lessons and ideas from the week; read on for some of my key learnings.

And if you were there and have more takeaways, please email me: amalie.nash@inma.org. 

Amalie

P.S.: The Newsroom Transformation Master Class starts Thursday! Register now and we’ll tackle such subjects as what it means to transform your newsroom, how to become more relevant by understanding your audience, and case studies and lessons on newsroom reorganisation and transformation. It takes place over three modules on October 10, 15, and 17.

3 takeaways from the study tour, conference

In no particular order, I wanted to offer some interesting observations, lessons, and case studies from a week spent on the Media Innovation Week study tour and conference.

“Liquid content”

At Yle, Finland’s public broadcaster, we were introduced to the concept of “liquid content” — that people watch audio, read video and listen to text. This resonated with me. You can watch a podcast being recorded on YouTube, read the transcript of a video instead of listening to it on an Instagram Reel, or push a button on a news Web site to have the story read to you. 

We’ve talked a lot in recent months about multimodal content and the need to present storytelling in different formats. Liquid content recognises that even within those formats, users may choose to consume the content differently. It also speaks to the need to ensure users can choose the experience that they prefer.

How do we do that?

• When considering multimedia for a story, don’t simply decide to shoot video or record audio. Do both and offer users choices.

• Make sure videos include transcription so people can choose to read them.

• If you don’t have an audio option for text stories, consider getting one.

Get rid of the excuses

Newsroom transformation is about change management as much or more as it is about new technology and data. NTM in Sweden has transformed its regional brands through a disciplined process that produces results.

Note: Jens Pettersson, head of editorial development at NTM, will be talking more about their strategy in my master class this week!

In Helsinki, Nils Olauson, editorial director at NTM, offered five actions that made their local newsrooms truly digital only. Here they are, with my commentary:

1. Be brutally honest. It’s important that newsrooms understand why they need to change. 

2. Get rid of the excuses. I love this one. It’s so easy to remain stuck — we need to start with the mindset that we can do it and push past the obstacles.  

3. Ensure the strategy is followed. For NTM, that’s fewer but better stories, seven prioritised topics and a focus on reaching 30- to 50-year-olds.

4. Invest in competence. This can take many forms, from training to recruiting. I’ve written about how middle managers are the secret sauce to success.

5. Walk the walk. This is crucial to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Engaging through newsletters

More and more media companies are turning to newsletters as tools for acquiring and retaining readers and subscribers — especially as traffic from search and social media shrinks. 

According to Max Holscher and Fabian Rosekeit of NWZ in Germany, newsletters have proven to be an effective engagement driver for paid subscribers. Among those who received a newsletter:

• Engagement is five times higher.

• They read three times more articles.

• They return every second day (others are every third day).

• The subscriptions are three times stickier.

Their advice:

• Use newsletters as a first step to think in target groups and work cross-functionally.

• Not every newsletter needs to be manually curated forever — automation maintains engagement with minimal drop-off.

• Newsletters are not major subscription drivers but do enhance engagement, even for existing customers — a bridge to digital.

• Marketing revenue grows slowly but steadily (low five figures).

• Don’t do newsletters on top of everything else. Creating resources and assigning responsibilities help create structure.

• Newsletters serve as a starting point for thematic worlds and product innovation.

Want to learn more about newsletters? That’s the topic of my next Webinar on Wednesday, October 9. “How to Use Newsletters Effectively to Grow Audience, Loyalty” features the Dallas Morning News and Torstar. Register now. 

In newsroom transformation, it can help to shift your mindset

What if you’re not the problem standing in the way of making changes? What if it’s actually me?

During Media Innovation Week, I co-hosted a newsroom transformation seminar with Stephanie Grönke, a career and leadership coach based in Germany. She walked participants through an interactive mindshift process she teaches.

It’s the iceberg method, she explained: “Most of the conversations, conflicts, and issues are about things above the surface. But the game changer is to address the things below the surface.”

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Write down which problem you want to work on. For this exercise, we suggested topics typical in newsrooms — we have data, but it’s not being used; departments work in silos; and we say we’re digital-first but focus too much on print instead. 

• Step 2: Identify your mindset blocks around your topic/problem.

• Step 3: Switch your mindset.

• Step 4: How would you act differently to create new outcomes?

Within each of these steps is a series of guiding questions. Step three in particular has multiple components, challenging you to state your beliefs about the problem you identified, articulate the evidence you have for those beliefs, and identify the opposite of those beliefs.

One audience member shared that she’s on a team with others who have longer tenure but don’t have her expertise in selling digital products. But, she said, they don’t listen to her — and they’re the problem preventing progress. Grönke gently challenged those assumptions, questioning whether she’s taking the right approach in trying to make changes.

It’s an uncomfortable but enlightening process. It’s easy to say others are the blockers to success without looking inward. Did I try to get buy-in from the team or simply issue directives? Have I equipped others to be successful? Am I modeling the behaviour I want others to follow?

We ended by asking the audience to commit to two action items they could get done in the next two weeks. Among those who shared, high on the list were listening more, setting up collaborative meetings, and seeking feedback.

When it comes to cultural change, all of those are key.

Get Gronke’s mindset workbook.

Have you been through a process like this? E-mail me: amalie.nash@inma.org.

Mark your calendars

Upcoming INMA events that shouldn’t be missed:

• October 9: The next Webinar for the Newsroom Transformation Initiative focuses on newsletters. “How to Use Newsletters Effectively to Grow Audience, Loyalty,” presented by Katrice Hardy, executive editor, The Dallas Morning News; and David Topping, director/newsletters, Torstar. Register now.

• October 10-17: Newsroom Transformation Master Class. We will dive into metrics and KPIs today’s journalists must know if news brands are to deliver impact and influence in a fast-changing world. We will look at establishing newsroom-wide KPIs, creating a data-fluent newsroom culture, understanding what data can and can’t tell us, and using data to guide decisions on what to stop doing. Register now.

• October 21-25: Los Angeles Tech Innovation Study Tour. Learn from the home of Hollywood on subjects ranging from audio, video, commerce, and social. Guided by Product & Tech Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton. Register now. 

About this newsletter

Today’s newsletter is written by Amalie Nash, based in Denver, Colorado, United States, and lead for the INMA Newsroom Transformation Initiative. Amalie will share research, case studies, and thought leadership on the topic of bringing newsrooms into the business of news.

This newsletter is a public face of the Newsroom Transformation Initiative by INMA, outlined here. E-mail Amalie at amalie.nash@inma.org or connect with her on INMA’s Slack channel with thoughts, suggestions, and questions.

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