10 (small) Ways To 10 (small) Ways To Reinvent Your Reinvent Your

Newsroom Right NowNewsroom Right Now

Innovation is essentialInnovation is essential

Newsroom should be a center of Newsroom should be a center of constant innovation.constant innovation.

Organization and workflow must Organization and workflow must include the capacity to innovate.include the capacity to innovate.

We’re entering an era of constant We’re entering an era of constant change, at increasingly faster pace.change, at increasingly faster pace.

We don’t know what’s coming, but We don’t know what’s coming, but we know it’s coming.we know it’s coming.

What’s next?What’s next?

Are blogs already dead?Are blogs already dead? Is Twitter going to kill Google?Is Twitter going to kill Google? Is mobile the future?Is mobile the future? What do you know about the Semantic Web?What do you know about the Semantic Web? Are you geo-tagging content?Are you geo-tagging content? What does news look like for location-based What does news look like for location-based

services?services? Are you thinking about how to publish into Are you thinking about how to publish into

video games and virtual communities?video games and virtual communities?

Failure to innovate=deathFailure to innovate=death

Being online doesn’t mean you’re Being online doesn’t mean you’re doing enough to innovate: doing enough to innovate: – eBayeBay– YahooYahoo– CNETCNET– Salon.comSalon.com

All industries eventually are All industries eventually are vulnerable to creative destruction.vulnerable to creative destruction.

There are few second acts.There are few second acts.

So what can you do?So what can you do?

Big Innovation vs. Little Innovation

Big InnovationBig Innovation

Blow up your newsroom. Today.Blow up your newsroom. Today. Must have support and buy-in from Must have support and buy-in from

the top, or it’s doomed.the top, or it’s doomed. Can’t change by consensus, must Can’t change by consensus, must

lead.lead. Downside: Could get bogged down Downside: Could get bogged down

for years making little progress.for years making little progress.

Big innovatorsBig innovators

Intel is the iconic example for Intel is the iconic example for dumping its memory business in favor dumping its memory business in favor of processors.of processors.

Google allocates 20 percent of Google allocates 20 percent of employee’s time for new projects.employee’s time for new projects.

Cisco Systems has already decided it Cisco Systems has already decided it will have a new business model in 20 will have a new business model in 20 years, and is mapping out how to get years, and is mapping out how to get there.there.

Little innovationLittle innovation

Lead by example.Lead by example. Start fast; fail cheap; learn. Repeat.Start fast; fail cheap; learn. Repeat. Plant seeds.Plant seeds. Find “sleeper cells of innovation.”Find “sleeper cells of innovation.” Demonstrate success to gain more Demonstrate success to gain more

allies. allies. Downside: May not create big Downside: May not create big

enough changes, fast enough. enough changes, fast enough.

Small innovations you can doSmall innovations you can doright nowright now

1.1. Start a wikiStart a wikiInvite the community to help build an Invite the community to help build an

information resource.information resource.

2. Aggregate2. Aggregate

Aggregation is creationAggregation is creation People always need help finding the People always need help finding the

best stuff.best stuff. It’s the new version of wire stories.It’s the new version of wire stories. Jeff Jarvis of CUNY says: “Do you Jeff Jarvis of CUNY says: “Do you

what you do best, link to the rest.”what you do best, link to the rest.” Use Delicious.com; Publish2.Use Delicious.com; Publish2.

www.dukebasketballreport.com

Started by Duke Alumni to collect every link about Duke basketball

3. Twittercamp3. Twittercamp

Visual stimulus in the newsroom is Visual stimulus in the newsroom is great. great.

Why are you watching CNN?Why are you watching CNN? Put the community’s conversation on Put the community’s conversation on

display.display. Connect one screen in the newsroom Connect one screen in the newsroom

to a PC, install Twittercamp, an to a PC, install Twittercamp, an Adobe Air client.Adobe Air client.

4. Create a community hub4. Create a community hub

Launch a Ning.com site.Launch a Ning.com site. Create Multi-user Wordpress blog.Create Multi-user Wordpress blog. Create a distinct tag.Create a distinct tag.

5. CopyCamp5. CopyCamp

Invite the community into the newsroom.Invite the community into the newsroom. Have a different kind of conversation.Have a different kind of conversation. Use the BarCamp/Un-conference model.Use the BarCamp/Un-conference model. This is about learning to listen, and This is about learning to listen, and

rethinking the newsroom’s relationship rethinking the newsroom’s relationship to the community.to the community.

Nothing beats the connections built Nothing beats the connections built through direct contact.through direct contact.

CopyCamp at the San Jose Mercury News: June 2008

6. Talkshoe6. Talkshoe

If you can make a phone call, you If you can make a phone call, you can do a podcast.can do a podcast.

Knowledge management: Right now Knowledge management: Right now newsrooms publish 5 percent of what newsrooms publish 5 percent of what they know. Find easy ways to push they know. Find easy ways to push that to 10 percent.that to 10 percent.

Use free tools like Talkshoe, Use free tools like Talkshoe, Blogtalkradio.com, Utterli.Blogtalkradio.com, Utterli.

7. Collaborate7. Collaborate

Find a project to do with another Find a project to do with another group on campus. group on campus.

Expands your capacity to innovate.Expands your capacity to innovate. Brings different perspective.Brings different perspective. Can create sparks of innovation.Can create sparks of innovation.

8. Live blog or stream8. Live blog or stream

CoverIt LiveCoverIt Live QikQik UstreamUstream

9. Beat Blogging9. Beat Blogging

Turn your sources into a social Turn your sources into a social network. network.

Check out BeatBlogging.org.Check out BeatBlogging.org. Find ways to build a network to help Find ways to build a network to help

make your reporting deeper, and make your reporting deeper, and more efficient.more efficient.

10. Social Media10. Social Media

You’re probably on Facebook. Is You’re probably on Facebook. Is everyone in your newsroom?everyone in your newsroom?

Make sure you’re building networks, Make sure you’re building networks, promoting your links.promoting your links.

What about Twitter?What about Twitter? Digg?Digg? Being social means promoting other Being social means promoting other

people’s work, too, so they’ll people’s work, too, so they’ll promote back.promote back.

What else?What else? Find a community you don’t cover and Find a community you don’t cover and

create new product for it.create new product for it.– AlumniAlumni– SportsSports– Prospective studentsProspective students– Research/Intellectual DiscussionsResearch/Intellectual Discussions– FacultyFaculty

Ask what things your community needs Ask what things your community needs help doing?help doing?– Finding roommatesFinding roommates– Buying and selling text booksBuying and selling text books– Rating classesRating classes

Contact meContact me

cobrien@mercurynews.comcobrien@mercurynews.com Follow me on Twitter at @sjcobrien Follow me on Twitter at @sjcobrien

or @nextnewsroomor @nextnewsroom M: 415-298-0207M: 415-298-0207 www.nextnewsroom.comwww.nextnewsroom.com