An editor at a mid-sized newsroom asked me some questions about digital productivity expectations for reporters:
We are banging our heads against the wall about this: How much content should reporters be required to write each day online? … Some feel they produce way more than others. So how do you even the playing field?
My quick answers:
- Everything any reporter produces should be published first online.
- Content is not all equal. You don’t measure reporters’ productivity or performance by counting widgets or credits.
- Expectations for reporters vary by beat and over time. Reporters should meet the expectations of their jobs.
- Running a newsroom isn’t like parenting. Your expectations for different reporters vary according to beat, experience, skill, news flow and a variety of other factors. You don’t even the playing field and I have little patience with whining about reasonable facts of life.
I’ll elaborate on those points in order: (more…)
The Buttry Diary 