In a unique partnership, Knight Digital Media Center and the leadership that is now part of the Journal Media Group, developed a process to speed digital transformation in the 13 newsrooms. Where the effort was successful, 10 factors were consistently at work. This free webinar will explore those factors.

2. Mizell Stewart III,
Managing
Director/Content,
Journal Media
Group
Michele McLellan,
Senior Program
Consultant, Knight
Digital Media
Center

3. Four Platforms
“Orient our newsrooms to
consistently deliver unique and
exclusive local journalism on four
content platforms: smart phone,
web, tablet, and print.”

4. Knight Digital Media Center
• Leadership
• Culture change
• Consumer focus
• Staff ownership

5. 1. Strategy
The project was grounded in an
overarching strategy that set a high
standard but was flexible enough to
evolve over the life of the initiative.

6. 2. Research
The company provided local consumer
research to help newsrooms identify
topics of high interest to news
consumers in target groups – primarily
digital news consumers.

7. 3. Staff ownership
To foster staff ownership, newsroom
committees were charged with making
key coverage decisions based on the
research.

8. 4. Process: Personas
The process was designed to connect
newsroom staff with digital news
consumers by interviewing them and
creating personas, then creating
coverage and engagement plans to
meet their needs.

9. Franchise topics
▪Civic topics
▪Shaping our Future
▪Price of Paradise
▪Things to do
▪Entertainment
▪Activities
▪Food

10. 5. Leadership & culture
Newsroom and corporate leaders kept
up a steady flow of clear, consistent
information about the initiative. In
newsrooms with collaborative leaders,
the process was quick to take hold.

11. 6. Organization-wide buy in
Newsroom teams connected with and
gained support on the business side,
particularly the publisher and
marketing leadership.

12. 7. Training & tools
The company provided skills training
and encouraged peer learning as well
as adoption of simple digital tools.

13. 8. Organizational change
The initiative did not prescribe
outcomes such as job descriptions or
workflow changes. As the newsrooms
implemented “digital leads” coverage,
they altered their practices
accordingly.

14. 9. Priorities
Editors looked relentlessly for ways to
cut back on traditional coverage so
staff could focus on digital priorities.

15. 10. Feedback loops
Through web and social metrics,
newsroom teams saw how they were
connecting with digital news
consumers. Some said their coverage
was driving subscriptions and digital
activations.

16. Results
▪ 12 newsrooms are on a “digital leads”
footing
▪ Franchise, real-time and watchdog
driving up to 30 percent higher
engagement
▪ Franchise approach used with
success in other, non-franchise areas
▪ Community leadership role of local
newsrooms is strengthened

17. KDMC at ASNE-APME
Stop by our table at the
ASNE-APME Digital Showcase
to talk more about our process and
what KDMC can offer your news
organization.
Sunday, October 18 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

18. Thank you!
Questions?