These are slides for a workshop on restructuring student media organizations for a digital-first approach. The workshop is part of the Journalism, Leadership & Management Conference at Iowa State University.

1. Digital First News:
Structure for Change
Steve Buttry
Journalism, Leadership & Management Conference
June 21, 2013
#jlmc13

2. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• @stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

3. Action drives change
• Concentrate more on changing what you
do than on changing the org chart
• Structural change should follow change
in action
• Organize to produce content & cover
news, not to manufacture newspapers

4. C3
• Complete Community Connection
• What’s the complete university
community?
• What are the university community’s
information jobs to be done?

5. C3
• Community content
• Personal content (using social media, not
competing)
• Entertainment
• Business connection services
• Enriched news

6. Mobile strategy
• Is your university community on
smartphones?
• Do you have a mobile leader for your
newsroom?
• Do journos gather news w/ mobile?
• Is your sales staff selling mobile?
• Are you developing apps?

7. Digital First student media
Lessons from TCU’s Schieffer School of
Journalism, with thanks to:
• Andrew Chavez, director of digital media
• Aaron Chimbel, journalism professor
• John Lumpkin, director of Schieffer School

8. TCU student media
• Launched TCU360 website (separate staff
from newspaper & broadcast) 2011-12
• Digital-first content team (separate print
& broadcast production) 2012-13
• Roxo, independent student PR/ad agency
• Image magazine is separate
• the109, community news site

9. TCU student media
• University-owned
• Student Publications Committee ensures
student freedom
• Selection of leaders moving this year
from SPC to Schieffer School faculty

10. TCU student media
• Professional (not student) AP
membership
• Won Texas APME award vs. professional
competition

11. Lessons from TCU
“There's no such thing as too much
communication. That's probably stating the
obvious but it's really true with an org that's
structured like this. Not only does it keep
everyone moving in the same direction, it keeps
fiefdoms from emerging when there's a vacuum
of communication and avoids the parachute
management phenomenon when something
does go wrong.” – Andrew Chavez

12. Communication
• Daily meeting (digital team leader,
broadcast director, print editor)
• Managing editors to coordinate w/
product leaders
• Budget tracks assignments, pitches, etc.
(TCU uses CAMAYAK, developing their
own tool)

13. “Initially there was a bit of a rebellion against
meeting culture.” – Andrew Chavez
• Tried to cut down on meetings & use more
passive communication & brief huddles. It didn't
work.
• Resumed daily news meetings, 2 at first, now 1
• “Big picture” meetings w/ leadership team once a
week. Usually w/ assignment on a particular
topic. End w/ whatever-is-bothering-you session.
Everyone leaves w/ action items.
Lessons from TCU

14. How content flows
• Digital team produces & posts virtually all
digital content
• Text, still photos & video in most stories
• Broadcast team adds studio context,
graphics
• Print team adds wire, headlines, pull
quotes, graphic elements

15. • Reporting
• Multimedia
Reporting
• Newscast
• Sportscast
• Sports Journalism
• Public Affairs
Reporting
• Long-Form
Journalism
• Photography
Contributing classes

16. Leadership structure
• Executive editor
• 3 Managing editors (digital, print, broadcast)
• 10 team leaders:
1. Topical teams (academics, administration,
student orgs, sports, etc.)
2. Production teams (print, broadcast)
3. Specialty teams (data, engagement, visuals,
projects)

17. What's the smartest operational move you've made?
“Early on it was empowering people to do whatever it takes
to create signature content. So when something like the
drug bust happened, we knocked down every barrier we
could to get people in and let them do their job. That meant
streamlining the editorial workflow, jettisoning extra
management layers and the like. And that's what made
people step back and say, ‘Oh, crap. This digital thing is for
real and it works.’ That creates a hierarchy and it allows
everyone to really flex and show what the platform,
unconstrained, can really do. All of that sort of goes back to
just being agile, too.” – Andrew Chavez
Lessons from TCU

18. “I can't speak highly enough of automation.” –
Andrew Chavez
• The more you automate, the more time people
spend reporting the news
• W/ high turnover, automation is a great
substitute for institutional knowledge
• Make sure it takes as few clicks as possible to
send e-mail newsletter by pulling from the site's
RSS.
• Export from Web CMS to print product
Lessons from TCU

19. “Resist every temptation for the legacy tail to wag the
digital dog.” – Andrew Chavez
“We have put in more stringent deadlines for event
stories.” – Aaron Chimbel
Lessons from TCU

20. Course corrections
• Changing advising structure this fall. Was
still based on old model w/ print,
broadcast &web advisers
• Adjusted student leadership structure
between semesters