1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 2 . NEWSROOM TRAINING: WHERE’S THE INVESTMENT? . 3 . 3 . 3 . 3 . 3 . 3 . 3 . DILBERT reprinted with permission of United Feature Syndicate Inc. Newsroom Training: Where’s the Investment? is a Princeton Survey Public Radio News Directors Inc. Research Associates project, cosponsored by the Council of Presi- Radio-Television News Directors Association dents of National Journalism Organizations and the John S. and Radio-Television News Directors Foundation Table of Contents James L. Knight Foundation. Religion Newswriters Association Society for News Design The Council of Presidents – Ted Gest, chair; Melinda Voss, vice Society of American Business Editors and Writers Introduction . 4 chair – presented the survey in April 2002 at the annual conference Society of Environmental Journalists of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington, D.C. Society of Professional Journalists The findings were simultaneously released at the Radio-Television South Asian Journalists Association Newsroom Training: News Directors convention in Las Vegas. Where’s the Investment? . 8 Newsroom Training: Where’s the Investment? was funded by the John The council includes representatives from the following groups: S. and James L. Knight Foundation. It was written by consulting editor Beverly Kees, University of Maryland Knight Chair in Journal- American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors ism Haynes Johnson, and the staff of Princeton Survey Research Twelve Key Survey Findings. 19 American Copy Editors Society Associates; edited by Eric Newton and designed by Jacques Auger American Society of Magazine Editors Design Associates, Miami Beach, Fla. Special thanks to Diane st American Society of Newspaper Editors McFarlin, Caesar Andrews, Ted Gest, Larry Hugick, John Bare, Yves News and the 21 Asian American Journalists Association Colon, Larry Meyer, Caroline Wingate, Tanya Nieto and Mimi Century: A Winding Road Associated Press Managing Editors Chacin. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Leads to Training . 44 Association for Women Journalists Knight Foundation’s Journalism Advisory Committee members are: Association of Capitol Reporters & Editors Sandra Mims Rowe (chair), editor, The Oregonian; John L. Dotson Association of Health Care Journalists Jr., retired publisher, The Akron Beacon Journal; Merrill Brown, Editors/News Executives Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication senior vice president, RealNetworks; Barbara Cochran, president, College Media Advisers Radio-TV News Directors Association; Nancy Hicks Maynard, presi- Questionnaire. 60 Criminal Justice Journalists dent, Maynard Partners Inc.; Rich Oppel, editor, Austin American Education Writers Association Statesman; James V. Risser, retired director, John S. Knight Fellow- Inter American Press Association ships for Professional Journalists, Stanford University; and James News Staffers Questionnaire . 70 International Women’s Media Foundation D. Spaniolo, dean, Michigan State University College of Communi- Investigative Reporters and Editors cations Arts and Sciences. Journalism and Women Symposium Methodological Report . 78 Journalism Education Association Copyright © 2002 by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation National Association of Black Journalists National Association of Hispanic Journalists All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Training Organizations, National Association of Minority Media Executives Conventions. Published in the United States by Knight Foundation, National Association of Science Writers Miami, Florida, Larry Meyer, Vice President of Communications; Fellowships and Web National Conference of Editorial Writers Penelope McPhee, Vice President and Chief Program Officer; and National Federation of Press Women Inc. Hodding Carter III, President and CEO. More information about Information Sources. 88 National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Knight Foundation is available at www.knightfdn.org. Survey results National Press Foundation can be found on line by typing “newsroom training survey” in the National Press Photographers Association Nelson search engine at www.Poynter.org. To request copies of this Throughout this volume: Quotes and Native American Journalists Association book, contact [email protected]. notes from advocates of professional Online News Association Organization of News Ombudsmen ISBN 0–615–12248–5 development for journalists. 4 . NEWSROOM TRAINING: WHERE’S THE INVESTMENT? . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5 . ‘I didn’t inherit a newspaper. I inherited an The idea behind the survey – sponsored opportunity.’ by the Council of Presidents of National — John S. Knight, Journalism Organizations and the John S. American editor and and James L. Knight Foundation – was publisher (1894-1981) to find out what had changed since 1993, when The Freedom Forum encouraged new newsroom training nationwide with its own study of the needs of journalists, No Train, No Gain. ‘Freedom is nothing but an opportunity to This volume’s consulting writer and edi- be better.’ tor is Beverly Kees, former Fresno Bee — Albert Camus, executive editor and co-founder of a French author and national network of newsroom trainers. philosopher (1913-1960) As Kees is fond of saying, what we found in 2002 is a news industry “inch- ing toward greatness, but still below average.” According to the data, though he largest newspaper in Florida – more journalists today get midcareer the St. Petersburg Times, circula- training than got it a decade ago, the T tion 313,000 daily and 397,000 glass is still more than two-thirds empty. Sunday – is owned by a nonprofit organi- zation. Not just any nonprofit, a nonprofit Common sense says more will be done. media school, The Poynter Institute. It definitely should be. Journalists face an ever more complex world. They The St. Pete Times has done well enough need more training just to stay in place, financially to send more than $55 million to let alone catch up. But who will lead Poynter to help train journalists nationwide, this next wave of professional develop- and put many millions more back into the ment, and when, and where, and how? newspaper’s products and its people. The Associated Press is doing more – “circumstances demand it,” says Presi- Make you want to take another look at dent and CEO Louis Boccardi. The the power of professional development? New York Times Co. is doing more, swapping staffers between big and If you do, this is the reference book for you. small papers in the group. So are folks at places like The Oregonian, Cox Newsroom Training: Where’s the Invest- Academy, Community Newspaper ment? is based on the biggest survey on Holdings Inc., and the Southern News- the subject of journalism training ever paper Publishers Association. done in the United States, and the first to cover all media. Under the direction of Though heartening, these efforts don’t Princeton Survey Research Associates, by themselves deal with the fact that 1,964 news executives and news staffers most American journalists feel ill- were interviewed by phone between Jan- equipped to cover the complexities of uary and March of 2002. the modern world. Though welcome, . 6 . NEWSROOM TRAINING: WHERE’S THE INVESTMENT? . 7 . 7 . 7 . 7 . 7 . 7 . 7 . The goal is to improve market share in these initiatives are not enough to cover higher standards can be set by an elite Lack of professional challenge is a key rea- a down economy. Part of that is training the estimated 85,000 journalists – cadre of well-trained journalists, let son cited by journalists of color for leaving people to do a better job. some seven in 10 – who say they get no alone a handful of individual stars, newsrooms, says a study commissioned regular training. Though substantial, though they can lead the way. by the American Society of Newspaper — Andy Barnes these efforts can’t be portrayed as a $100 Editors and funded by The Freedom Forum. President, CEO, billion-a-year industry taking ownership Accordingly, we join The Council of The study came after an ASNE survey Chairman and Editor of its own professional development. Presidents, a coalition of 40 organiza- found the number of journalists of color St. Petersburg Times tions spanning the news community, in working at daily newspapers fell from The “credibility of journalism in recent the hope and expectation that it will 11.85 percent to 11.64 percent in 2000. In a survey of 401 journalists commis- years has been under attack, in part help the news industry embrace more “We can’t pretend that we don’t know why sioned by the Foundation for American because inaccurate or incomplete stories fully the cause of professional training. journalists of color are leaving the industry Communications, a nonprofit journalism have been rushed into print or onto the That, we are convinced, is a clear way in large numbers. If the industry can imple- education organization, most say they’re airwaves,” writes Ted Gest, president of to journalism excellence. ment an aggressive strategy to reverse the poorly prepared to cover the most the Council of Presidents of National disturbing pattern, I think we will finally see significant issues facing the country. “At a Journalism Organizations. “Better train- —Eric Newton, progress,” said Jackie Greene, president of time when the media have been under ing of journalists can help remedy at Director of UNITY: Journalists of Color Inc., an alliance increased scrutiny by the institutions it least some of those