‘Incentivizing’ editors to come up with audio conferences and other one-shot product ideas
Mike Feazel from Warren Communications News presented this session on Tuesday at the 32nd Annual International Newsletter & Specialized-Information Conference on how to motivate reporters and editors on new products:
The first key is to have high morale in the first place
- In low-morale newsrooms, staff basically works to a set of rules. In some cases, they’ve even become unionized. You certainly never get additional effort. And they will never volunteer product ideas.
- The most important thing for staff morale is not money, it’s to work on a product that they are proud of, and they have to believe it’s good journalism.
- Money does matter. Manager has to realize that only good content sells long term, and you have to pay well enough to keep good content providers. And you have to make sure they know that you realize their value.
- It’s good to create a fun work environment. Everything goes better if the staff is a team, not competitors.
- Publicly compliment good work, but not so often that compliments lose impact. Criticize in private, and make sure criticisms include suggestions on concrete ways to improve.
Create a “willing to risk” environment
Never disparage an idea or you’ll never get another one. See if you can help transform bad ideas into good ones and then give them credit for it. Or at least help them see what makes a good idea and encourage them to come back with something within those parameters.
It’s often difficult, believe it or not, for reporters to understand that this isn’t just about “news,” it’s about making money. For example, our big ticket is government policy. Reporter suggests we do a conference on the general topic of mobile TV. Help them see that the better idea would be copyright issues with mobile TV.
On new products specifically
Make sure they understand why new products, audio conferences, etc. are important to the success of the company. Then forge the clear link between company success and their income (performance based bonuses, with managers clearly linking evaluations to bonuses).
Incentives such as a $100 check or a certificate for a free dinner for two work well. The dinner is better because the spouse benefits and he/she can do a better job of incentivizing than you ever can. Give out these incentives at staff meetings.
For shy ones, tell them “it’s just like any other interview you do, you just have to let a few people listen in”—or, you just come up with the idea and someone else can host the audio conference.
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