For twenty years of my life, I was an editor in a major broadcast newsroom. Looking back, I deeply regret some of my decisions.
When I left journalism and switched careers, it was with mixed feelings. Great enthusiasm on the one hand but a heavy heart on the other. You can take the boy out of the newsroom, but you can’t take the newsroom out of the boy. It’s the feeling of having the most important job in the world (even though it’s not) and how it gives you purpose. That’s hard to leave behind.
So I didn’t stray far. Next stop was in broadcast tech, providing systems for my previous brothers and sisters in arms in the newsroom.
Soon, guilt and regret started creeping in. I began to reflect on how some of my decisions as an editor impacted people's lives. How my rulings were not in the best interest of the ones they affected. In hindsight, I realized that the consequences of my choices weighed heavier than I had initially anticipated, leaving lasting effects on those involved.
Sorry for letting you on. This piece is not about repenting, although it might be prudent.
What I deeply regret is not paying more attention to what the tech side of the newsroom was doing.
(Side bet: Most editorial readers will at this point declare clickbait and move on, just as I would’ve in my old job. But those who stay to the end will learn something.)
Not my job...
The explanation is oh-so-typical. Lack of time. The fast-paced, heart-attacking, adrenalin rush of a broadcast newsroom leaves little room for anything else. Just ask any husband whose journalist wife has stood up from the table and left him, the kids, and grandparents in the middle of a family celebration dinner because of some more or less important breaking news.
So, when someone from the tech department wanted my input on something, I did not give it the attention it deserved. One, I didn’t have the time; two, I wasn’t interested enough (I mean, it wasn’t journalism) and three, it wasn’t really my job.
Except it really was.
One of the biggest advantages modern technology offers is real-time collaboration. Cloud-based systems allow journalists, editors, and producers to work together fast! This means reporters in the field can upload footage, write scripts, and interact with their newsroom colleagues instantly, drastically cutting down the time it takes to get breaking news on air.
Any head of news needs to realize the above. But still, in 2024, so many of my former colleagues feel that iNEWS is awesome. Or worse, they have adopted the “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” mentality - which in the era of tech hyper-acceleration is to admit that the flame of ambition that brought you to the position you’re in has thoroughly burned out, and you’re about to be replaced by someone willing to learn new things and adapt to them.
Because of the lack of decisions and interest from my former colleagues and me, people in the newsroom I left just a few years ago are still stuck with outdated tools. They struggle to collaborate, are being slowed down by repetitive manual tasks modern tech could do for them, and are being outrun by more nimble and forward thinkers at the competition. I feel bad about that. I wish I’d paid more attention and pushed harder for change. I’m sorry.
A global problem
This is not happening just at my old gig. It’s the truth for broadcasters all over the world. New tech that can greatly improve their lives is being ignored because the ones who would benefit from it do not have the time to realize it. It’s sad, really.
I know I’ve spoken about the state of editorial leaders and tech on other occasions, and keep preaching the gospel. But I’m truly passionate about it. When playing around with the newsroom systems my company provides, I get the urge to produce TV news again. Because modern systems give endless opportunities and are fun to work with.
But more than that, I want my old and new friends in the industry to experience them. Experience how a typically moving-parts operation in the newsroom, which relies on several phone calls and people to answer them, is reduced to a simple drag-and-drop situation in your internet browser. Yeah, it’s actually just like that. There are endless examples of how new tech speeds up a newsroom operation.
Sadly, too many news executives are too busy to pay attention, leaving their employees stuck with outdated tools and keeping the news operation old-school and lagging.
I’ll stop here. If you are a newsroom manager and made it this far, I salute you. I hope my words will start a thought process and make you want to push for change.
