This post was originally published on this site
“Innovate” is the key buzzword for the local TV news industry right now. Some new technologies and platforms undoubtedly require changing procedures and approaches to sharing news. As someone who has frequently represented journalists involved in pilot programs over the last decade, I notice a pattern that hinders these pilot programs from advancing much beyond the proof-of-concept phase. The most significant pitfall I repeatedly see is not regularly reviewing and troubleshooting the workload.
Before I elaborate, I’ll note these insights extend beyond the individuals I have represented; I gained additional knowledge from hiring managers and other participants while supporting my clients. I am raising this trend in hopes that future pilot projects will take heed and address this issue.
Let’s start by examining how the initial hiring takes place. Journalists are often asked to participate in these projects while continuing to do their regular job duties. Those hired to focus on the pilot program full-time are usually freelancers. Rarely is staff employed full-time with full benefits for these projects. Understanding these hiring practices is essential to remember as I make my next point.
Most of the time, regardless of how the journalist was brought onto the project, they easily worked 60 hours a week. Most of these hires were passionate about journalism and highly creative individuals. They worked hard, felt guilty when fatigue set in and began to sputter out. As a result, the quality of the work became inconsistent.
Higher-ups often viewed this inconsistency as a sign that the workers didn’t understand the