These are slides I am using for a presentation to Swift Communications editors today, discussing newsroom innovation.

1. Developing a Newsroom Culture of Innovation Steve Buttry, Gazette Communications Swift Communications June 23, 2009 steve.buttry@gazcomm.com @stevebuttry on Twitter

2. Additional reading later I’ll email links to: These slides at slideshare.net/stevebuttry Tips on multimedia storytelling, Twitter, liveblogging

3. What are obstacles to innovation in your organization (Swift and/or locally)?

4. Think (and make a few notes) about a time when your team excelled in the face of huge obstacles.

5. Using digital tools is a start Interactive databases Interactive maps Breaking news text alerts Liveblogging Video, including webcams Slideshows, photo galleries Flash multimedia projects Crowdsourcing, user contributions Social networks (Flickr, Twitter, Facebook …)

6. That isn’t enough

7. We need to transform: Structure Culture Mindset Business model Relationships (community, businesses, competitors, vendors)

8. Complete Community Connection Idea born at API as part of Newspaper Next Not included in Newspaper Next 2.0 Needed to find a place ready to make the leap

11. C3’s revenue approach Move beyond advertising Direct sales (tickets, reservations, gift registries, sports paraphernalia) Lead generation Targeted ads Sponsorships, events Local search

12. Community Content Driving Home Conversation Calendar Local knowledge

13. Driving How often do you buy a car? How often to you drive, gas up, service car, talk about cars, driving? Databases, conversations, services focused on drivers’ everyday needs Connect auto services with drivers (emergency repair services)

15. Personal content Births Youth milestones School Graduation College life Military service Weddings Parenthood Divorce Jobs, pets, holidays, food, interests, health Illness Empty nesters Retirement Reunions Obituaries

16. Personal Content: Graduation Many newspapers gather mugs, names anyway for graduation section Launch page for each graduate Senior, family fill in stories, photos, videos Fill in school, target ads appear Fill in career, sign up for email, text alerts Gift registry

17. Entertainment Traditional entertainment in digital form Entertainment news User-generated entertainment, events Games

18. Business services Direct sales Local search Communication & marketing services

19. Enriched news content What’s happening now Community engagement in news, enterprise, sports coverage Storytelling (narrative, multimedia) Aggregation, curation

20. Why separate content from product? Packaged products come and go Demand for content is as strong as ever

21. Content Room Combines print, online, broadcast content producers in one organization One breaking news team One visual team One watchdog team One sports team One weather team

22. Community relationship Recruit contributors from community Independent and affiliated contributors Help staff engage better with community

23. Product Planning & Development Product planners, editors, producers, anchors produce packaged products (newspaper, broadcasts, web sites), using our content & other sources Three primary verticals of products: print, broadcast, online

24. Production Services Ad design & production Imaging Copy editing News page design & pagination

25. Production Services Services don’t have to be done locally Regional outsourcing to Gazette Communications may bring efficiency and still retain local knowledge

26. Ethics Independence, integrity and credibility remain crucial to success Journalism ethics haven’t changed, but we have to pay attention to audience, revenue performance API ethics seminar: Upholding & Updating Ethical Standards

27. Innovation in a small staff Engage the community (not free labor, but multiplying your labor) Yes, you lack resources, but you’re more nimble Use resources across the company Write for web, edit for print Consider innovation “vacations”

28. About those war stories … How did your organization overcome obstacles?

41. In innovation as in news … Don’t let obstacles become excuses

42. A short break

43. Making innovation happen Take your approach from Nike: Just do it

44. Three examples Multimedia Liveblogging Twitter

45. Why spend time with Twitter? It improves your journalism It connects you with the community It changes your newsroom culture You can use it quickly It shows that you are learning and changing, too

46. How Twitter helps journalists Quickly locate eyewitnesses & participants in breaking news Connect with sources, journalists Monitor community discussion Promote content Write tight (no lead longer than a tweet)

48. Twitter’s value in breaking newsnot happening in Iran, Mumbai DC Metro crash yesterday @jkrums on Hudson emergency landing @2drinksbehind on Denver plane crash Fargo flooding @MissRFTC on California earthquake

58. Additional reading later I’ll email links to you: These slides at slideshare.net/stevebuttry Tips on multimedia storytelling, Twitter, liveblogging

59. Follow developments chuckpeters.iowa.com stevebuttry.wordpress.com @stevebuttry on Twitter

60. Do we want to be the monks or Gutenberg?