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One can spot it in an instance in any editorial meeting in any newsroom. Are employees invested and interested, or bored and checked out? Are just a couple of voices dominating the meeting, or is it an active discussion of impassioned ideas and approaches? Is the atmosphere one of high energy, or phone checking and nodding off? Some newsrooms and stations are productive, functional and healthy, but many others have taken on signs of serious operational illness, and companies know it.
Culture has become an obsession in the local media industry, and rightfully so. Employees aren’t happy and they aren’t shy about expressing it, often by mentally checking out or even leaving a station or the industry altogether. Many companies have invested significantly in surveys, internal research and other tools to better understand what’s happening. There are a handful of issues driving this collective unhappiness, none of them will go away easily, and they seem similar across the industry.
We have to be honest with ourselves up front. At a time of rapid change and constant revenue pressure, achieving a happy workplace is a tall task. Every 2.5% merit increase or frozen open position comes with negative baggage that reverberates through an organization, especially at a time when we are asking people to do more and to do it differently. But a few little things can go a long way in helping turn the tide.
Be brutally honest. Too many