How to build Positive newsroom culture

**(This is a leadership class for news directors, general managers and key news managers)**

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. There is new research that discusses why a positive culture is critical for business success. That is magnified in a newsroom of skeptical, deep-digging journalists. Building a culture is more than just having a fun place to work… culture makes or breaks strategic intentions. In other words, culture eats strategy for breakfast. There are specific ways culture can be grown and if necessary changed, but it takes a firm knowledge of where your culture is and a commitment to understanding how people interact and react to change. One critical element of this is recognizing and eliminating negative people — bullies. Newsrooms have them too often and leaders are not equipped to handle them. The workshop/session includes some time discussing what is known as “the no-asshole rule.” All of this sounds very wonky I know. I will break down what “culture” is, how to identify what you have and then how, specifically, to make the changes needed to be successful. As you know, my coaching style is specific and pragmatic. Your news leaders will have something they can begin working on right away.

**“Solutions Journalism:” What is it, how do I do it?

“Coverage is for wall paper,” a wise news director once said. What she meant was, to be relevant in a multi-channel world, news stories must do more than gather and toss facts at people. Your audience expects to learn something and, truth be told, if a journalist’s obligation is to improve the lives of their community, then they must commit to finding solutions to societal problems rather than simply presenting them. We’ll look at this “back to the future” approach to reporting with numerous examples and a “how-to” guide.

A University of Texas graduate, Kevin Benz began his career in broadcast journalism as a nationally recognized, award-winning news photographer, first at KTBC-TV in Austin, Texas, then WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina. He spent 8 years at KPRC-TV in Houston where he also worked as an MMJ. In 1999 Kevin launched News 8 Austin and spent over 11 years there as News Director.
In 2011, CultureMap Austin was born. As Editor in chief, Kevin and his team built a digital magazine that quickly became the most read culture and lifestyle source in the city. Promoted to General Manager, Kevin took over marketing and sales, creating a sustainable business model.

Under his guidance News 8 Austin received national recognition with two Sigma Delta Chi awards, the National Edward R. Murrow award, three National Walter Cronkite awards for excellence in Political Journalism and was a finalist for the DuPont-Columbia Award.

Kevin is former Chairman of the Radio, Television, Digital News Foundation (formerly RTNDA); a Poynter Institute leadership fellow and visiting faculty member; a Carole Kneeland Project fellow, trainer, and member of their Board.