Higher, faster, further—this development does not stop at communication. We communicate differently today than we did a few years ago: "being online" dominates our lives. Social media has contributed to former recipients of news now sending news themselves. Real-time communication is putting increasing pressure on companies. Efficient topic management has therefore become a decisive success factor in order to assert oneself in this dynamic environment.
As a managing director, I see every day how strongly these challenges influence companies in their development. The media transformation is having a profound impact on existing organizational structures. Companies are therefore faced with the task of coping with changing communication habits—and they can only succeed if they themselves are prepared to change. The keyword here is transformation. This has gone so far that large corporations now manage their communications from newsrooms in order to continue serving individual target groups.
Think in terms of topics
Boris Grundl advocates the concept of "more flexible, clearer, deeper" and calls for more substance and impact and less actionism. This approach also makes sense in communication. The key is to leave the old silos behind and move toward open, communicative structures. Modern media work across different channels. Newsroom concepts can help to set topics, make communication more transparent, and address target groups in a channel-appropriate manner.
However, many companies are stuck in traditional and outdated structures. If they want to communicate successfully in the future, they need to think in terms of topics and control channels. This cannot be achieved within individual offices and isolated areas of responsibility. The prerequisite for this is the newsroom model. In this model, employees become topic and media managers. While the topic managers are responsible for identifying topics, the media managers decide which of these topics are suitable for which channels. Both teams are in close contact with the editor-in-chief, who has the decision-making authority and chairs the editorial meetings. At the top of the newsroom is the strategy team, whose responsibilities include strategic communications. With this division of roles, the newsroom creates the basis for greater efficiency and transparent, integrated communication.
More than just an open-plan office
The concept of the newsroom model is also reflected in the architectural design. The centerpiece is a large conference table facing a large information screen. The teams gather here several times a day to exchange information. The workstations are located to the left and right of the conference table.
However, companies should not underestimate the implementation of a newsroom, as it is a major change project. Those responsible for the project must be responsibility this responsibility and at the same time sensitize their employees to it. This is because the newsroom also shifts the structure of responsibility within companies—a transformation process that takes time. Employees should therefore be involved in the process as early as possible and be allowed to express their ideas and concerns. Only then can those responsible for the project generate the necessary internal willingness to change. Otherwise, the fear of losing control among those involved can quickly turn into defensiveness. Communication plays an important role in this context as well: it is essential to communicate all changes in detail.
responsibility
Why is it important responsibility this new responsibility ? The changes are far-reaching, affecting everything from the organizational structure and processes to specific job postings. To ensure the transformation is successful, project managers should ask themselves the following questions in advance:
- Are we able to manage our communication in the best possible way?
- How many voices do we speak with?
- Can we manage to convey all existing topics to all desired target groups via all relevant media?
- Do we tend to think in terms of topics or channels?
- Are we responsive around the clock?
Even if not all questions can be answered positively at first, an analysis of expectations and goals provides guidance during preparation and helps to create a concrete target vision during the concept phase. In the implementation phase, those responsible for communication must ultimately put this into practice.
Only courageous companies that actually manage to place issues at the heart of their organization with the help of a newly structured unit will be able to control their communication in the long term. This is because communicators who dare to transform themselves face up to their future and learn to make the best possible use of their resources.
Yours, Christoph Moss
Image source: ©rawpixel Pixabay
