Advocacy: Redefining the
Editor’s Role
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
Digital platforms? Yes
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
Digital platforms? Yes
Advertising? Yes
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
Digital platforms? Yes
Advertising? Yes
Marketing? Yes
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
Digital platforms? Yes
Advertising? Yes
Marketing? Yes
Journalism? Yes
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
Digital platforms? Yes
Advertising? Yes
Marketing? Yes
Journalism? Yes
Distribution? Yes
What’s Our Business?
Newspapers? Yes
Digital platforms? Yes
Advertising? Yes
Marketing? Yes
Journalism? Yes
Distribution? Yes
Commercial Printing? Data Services? Event
Marketing?...and the list goes on…
What’s Our Business?
But when you roll all of that up and find a
common thread, we’re all in…
What’s Our Business?
But when you roll all of that up and find a
common thread, we’re all in…(like it or
not)…
Customer
Service
What do Customer Service and
Advocacy have to do with one
another?
Everything!
What do Customer Service and
Advocacy have to do with one
another?
Everything!
Great (not good…GREAT) customer service
is all about advocating for the customer.
What do Customer Service and
Advocacy have to do with one
another?
Everything!
Great (not good…GREAT) customer service
is all about advocating for the customer.
Good vs. Great – Home Depot vs. Lowe’s.
“Editors do not tend to think of themselves
as customer service advocates, but in a
time when customer service – good or bad
– garners so much attention, editors need
to embrace a refined role and lead
newspapers to new respect among their
customers.”
Who are the editor’s customers?
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Readers
• The editor’s primary customers.
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Readers
• The editor’s primary customers.
• Every content decision revolves around being
the first advocate for the reader.
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Readers
• The editor’s primary customers.
• Every content decision revolves around being
the first advocate for the reader.
• How do we best physically cover an event?
(Staffing, timing, etc.)
• How do we best tell the story, both digitally and in
print? (Story only? Photos only? Video only?
Graphics? Social media feeds? Combinations?)
• What do we publish? What do we leave out? What
goes in print? What goes digital only?
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Their staff
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Their staff
• Every content decision is executed through
the work of the content team. Be an advocate
of and for your team.
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Their staff
• Every content decision is executed through
the work of the content team. Be an advocate
of and for your team.
• Advocate and applaud content gathering
innovation.
• Advocate and applaud exemplary work, no matter
how big or small.
• Advocate healthy debate. (Disagreement!!!)
• Advocate a free flow of ideas.
• Be an advocate inside the newsroom and in public.
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• The publisher/owner
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• The publisher/owner (pause for gasps
and to dodge tomatoes)
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• The publisher/owner (pause for gasps
and to dodge tomatoes)
• We as journalists do noble work and answer a
high calling, but…
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• The publisher/owner (pause for gasps
and to dodge tomatoes)
• We as journalists do noble work and answer a
high calling, but it’s business. To support it…
• Be mindful of your resources.
• Advocate new product development, both in the
newsroom and in other departments. “Don’t find
customers for your products, find products for your
customers.” ~ Author Seth Godin.
• New products = New avenues for content.
• New products = New revenue.
• New/increased revenue = (we hope) saved content team
jobs.
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Communities
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Communities
• We live here, so why not advocate for our
communities to be better for everyone?
Who are the Advocacy Editor’s
customers?
• Communities
• We live here, so why not advocate for our
communities to be better for everyone?
• Be a cheerleader, when appropriate.
• Give a voice to all those communities within your
larger community. (students, single moms, the
elderly, the homeless, minority religions, etc.)
• Editorialize for the good and against the bad.
• Word of warning: Editors who advocate for their
communities will not always be popular, nor should
they be. But they will be respected for taking a
stand. Respect leads to increased engagement,
which leads to better journalism.
“Great editors do their jobs by engaging
every day in customer advocacy and
service at the highest, most focused
levels.” NewsroomTuneUp.com
You innovate, assign, write, edit, display,
disseminate and engage with one idea in
mind: Advocating for your customers.
Rick Thomason
Newsroom Trainer/Newspaper Analyst
www.NewsroomTuneUp.com
[email protected]
Twitter @RickThomason
Facebook www.facebook.com/rthomason