UK: NUJ concerned over new media newsrooms
Posted by Evan Fell on December 7, 2007 at 11:07 AM
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has reported in it’s In Shaping the Future study on the effects of media convergence, that many journalists are not happy about the implementation of new media newsrooms.
Many journalists reported that new multimedia plans were threatening the quality of work and that the rush to create integrated operations is putting added pressure on staff.
Issues raised by those surveyed included unsubbed copy being posted on websites, with the attitude of media owners to cutbacks and integration generally being one of ‘watering down of terms, conditions and pay’ in union agreements.
Three-quarters of those surveyed in the study thought that integration had brought increased workloads and in some cases rising stress and longer hours. Ultimately they felt as though there was an impact on the quality of work produced by journalists as well as increased health and safety concerns for workers.
The study found that, at The Telegraph, with perhaps the most notable integration efforts so far, managers tried to “ram through a seven-day, all-media operation” while cutting more than 50 journalists.
Many journalists are not being compensated for the extra time they are now expected to put in, the study says. Only 22% of union chapels said their members had received extra pay for applying themselves to new media.
NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said, “Instead of seizing the opportunity to enhance journalistic content and build and maintain quality media, many simply seize the opportunity to reduce costs and boost profits, viewing the erosion of quality journalism as a necessary sacrifice.”
Source : Europeam Journalism Centre
PaidContent :UK
Issues raised by those surveyed included unsubbed copy being posted on websites, with the attitude of media owners to cutbacks and integration generally being one of ‘watering down of terms, conditions and pay’ in union agreements.
Three-quarters of those surveyed in the study thought that integration had brought increased workloads and in some cases rising stress and longer hours. Ultimately they felt as though there was an impact on the quality of work produced by journalists as well as increased health and safety concerns for workers.
The study found that, at The Telegraph, with perhaps the most notable integration efforts so far, managers tried to “ram through a seven-day, all-media operation” while cutting more than 50 journalists.
Many journalists are not being compensated for the extra time they are now expected to put in, the study says. Only 22% of union chapels said their members had received extra pay for applying themselves to new media.
NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said, “Instead of seizing the opportunity to enhance journalistic content and build and maintain quality media, many simply seize the opportunity to reduce costs and boost profits, viewing the erosion of quality journalism as a necessary sacrifice.”
Source : Europeam Journalism Centre
PaidContent :UK
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I have an entirely different view.
A committee structure designed to boost efficiency and effectiveness of the current operations, which is what the Journal 3.0 internal memo says, is focussed on the wrong thing. Its like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic.
The problems faced by Dow Jones are similar to those faced by any successful company that is about to be blown out of the water by a disruptive innovation, in this case, primarily web-based information services.
Think of IBM vs mini-computers... DEC vs PCs... Kodak vs digital cameras... Palm vs BlackBerry... Microsoft vs Linux.
In each case, the established and dominant supplier failed to recognize that bigger, more profitable markets could be created based on new disruptive innovations. To be successful, the market disruptor catered to a new set of customers, thought initially to be low-end or marginal and therefore ignored by the incumbent.
It is very difficult for a committee of various stakeholders in the status quo to come up with clean, unbiased views on where the best new growth is available. They will be caught in the classic innovator's dilemma, stuck catering to current customers, preserving their cost structure and business model, seeing their volume whittled away as new competitors steal the low-margin or unattractive customers initially but then swamp out the mainstream.
A small team of creative people, armed with only a small budget, complete independence, and a mandate to create a profitable business quickly, can address these issues faster and better than any task force.
Mike
www.OnDisruption.com