How a Newsroom Learns and Grows From Its Mistakes
A newsroom is the most exhilarating and frustrating of work environments.
The instinct is to try to make it run like a factory, with an assembly line of reporters and editors rapidly pulling together the pieces that comprise the stories that come out the other end. But those pieces aren’t lifeless objects; they are the ideas and passions of teams of creative human beings, all of whom bring different mindsets and interests to the process.
When those various components come together to collectively produce a flow of up-to-date, informative, trustworthy stories, it’s a beautiful thing. That has been my overwhelming experience with the incredible team at CoinDesk since I took on the role as Chief Content Officer earlier this year. In the middle of a global pandemic and facing a frenetic news flow, they’ve absorbed some bold changes in operations and strategy to elevate CoinDesk’s presence in a vital, global conversation around the future of money.
But sometimes the process fails. And that’s when it gets frustrating.
Recently, we’ve said goodbye to a handful of talented, respected journalists. Much of that outflow was coincidental and long-planned. Also, on the very bright side, it comes alongside some all-star hires we’ve made these past few months who’ve helped us broaden and deepen our coverage and introduce exciting new initiatives across the organization. But one or two of the departures do seem related to internal tensions fueled by errors made in the implementation of those big changes. It’s time to fix those missteps.
In such situations, what a senior newsroom manager needs most is feedback from dedicated staff who believe in the mission and are passionate about improving processes, boosting morale and producing top-quality content for readers. They need staff members who speak straight, listen generously and practice blameless problem-solving.
I was reminded this past week that I’m blessed to have such a staff. In particular, I am extremely grateful that one of our most talented and respected reporters went to the trouble of compiling a comprehensive report, identifying where friction exists within the newsroom, and offering constructive advice on how we can improve things. The report that emerged––which you can read here — was based on input from a variety of people within the organization. Their collective efforts resulted in an extremely valuable document.
In response to the report, we have instituted steps aimed at lightening workloads, improving communications, enhancing teamwork and, ultimately, producing a better news product.
This, I believe, is how successful organizations grow. They draw from the wellspring of their staff’s knowledge and insights to iteratively address their concerns and adjust their operations.
No media organizations’s news judgment and workflow is perfect. It is more art than science. But if you have the right feedback loop, and a staff that’s willing and empowered to point out how things could be done better, you more regularly arrive at that thrill that good journalism brings. I’m now super-confident that’s where we’re headed.
At this moment I could not be prouder of the dedicated, hardworking and talented team we’ve pulled together to cover the most exciting story in journalism: the transformation of the global financial system.
(NOTE on the photo: Yes, I’m aware that’s an image of a newsroom filled with white men. A lack of diversity is a major problem, if not the problem, in nearly all newsrooms. It’s a key reason why mistakes get made, why feedback from on-the-ground reporters is not properly heeded. We’re working to address that at CoinDesk.)
