As I prepare to teach the next class of Edit to Elevate: Essential for New Editors in April, my friends at Poynter asked me to summarize some of the best tips for journalists I’ve learned throughout my career. (Apply for the seminar here!)
After nearly 40 years in the news business (and nearly 25 years affiliated with Poynter), I’ve distilled my pro tips down to five guiding lights. Nothing fancy or profound here. But these guiding lights will serve you well, especially in these times of chaos and uncertainty.
- Be kind. To be clear, I’m not talking about being nice or sweet or sunny (personality traits I’ve rarely been accused of having). I mean you need to treat your colleagues with respect and allow them to keep their dignity, even in situations where you have to say hard things. Journalism is difficult and stressful enough work as it is; you don’t need to demean others.
- Do and say the hard things. I’ve seen too many well-intentioned people (myself included) allow things to slide because they don’t want to have difficult conversations. Get in the habit of addressing problems (and problematic colleagues) directly as you can. Do not delay. But remember, be kind.
- Keep on learning. When I first got into the business, most journalists could be successful by doing one or two things really well. With the rapid pace of change, that’s not possible any more. Be ready to continuously learn something new, whether it’s a new tech tool, a new beat or a new approach to audience engagement. Listen carefully, be open-minded and be a lifelong student – and be ready for whatever’s next. Put another way: Embrace change, because the only constant is change.
- Find a mentor and be a mentor. The beauty of most newsrooms, and the industry as a whole, is there are many generous people who want to help you. Sometimes you have to work to find us, but we are here. Also, even if you’re new in your career, you’re never too young or inexperienced to serve as a mentor. As the tech landscape shifts, you have a lot to teach veteran journalists like me.
- Lead from wherever you sit in the newsroom. The hard truth of leadership is you don’t get to pick the time when you’re called to be a leader. Now’s the time. You can be a leader regardless of your title. You can do and say hard things, you can keep on learning (and teaching what you learn), you can embrace change, you can find a mentor and be a mentor. Most of all, you can be kind and encourage others as we walk this rocky path together.
Enrollment for Edit to Elevate is open until April 10, or until seats fill. Participants will get asynchronous learning materials, meet weekly through 90-minute virtual sessions and learn directly from veteran editors and media leaders who believe in the power their roles can have in and out of the newsroom.
