Is a corporate newsroom only useful to big organizations and corporations? Far from it. Small companies, SMEs and other organizations with limited resources (associations, NPOs) may more successfully navigate the pace, complexity, and diversity of communication channels and measures thanks to the integrative understanding a newsroom offers. Through this article, we want to defuse some of the fear of the ‘A380 cockpit’, and encourage you to consider your own miniature newsroom.
The experience of large and complex organizations goes to show that in our world characterized by VUCA, which demands highest levels of flexibility and overview, communication management in newsrooms is an effective approach.
One of the main lessons learnt from many projects in recent years is that a functioning newsroom does not require large meeting rooms, screens and lots of comm tech. All of these amenities can certainly provide support and motivation, but at its core, a newsroom is a shared understanding right up to the company management level. This mindset is not a question of size. We are therefore convinced that an understanding of topic ownership, input planning and the division of roles and responsibilities can be transposed to teams and organizations of any size. As such, we see the miniature newsroom as a compact and efficient solution for smaller companies without breaking the bank. We are exploring this innovative approach in detail to find out how small companies can also benefit as much as possible from the miniature newsroom boost. The approach can help to optimize and sharpen communication strategies. Not only in an international public relations network like ECCO, but also in regional or national environments.
A structured plan for the creation of content and measures that considers the company’s goals and the needs of the target group. The expertise, appeal and network of internal experts should be utilized (see stakeholder diversity).
A new understanding of channel diversity and the targeted distribution of content on different platforms and with interconnected measures allows for reach, interaction, and proximity to the audience.
Cultivation of relationships with journalists and opinion leaders in order to share knowledge and thus position yourself strongly and sustainably in the opinion, specialist and sales market.
The newsroom crew explores new possibilities – from monitoring and evaluation to generative and creative AI – together. It is far more efficient to do so in a structured way rather than have everyone try on their own topic and in their own channel.
Our “Basic Agility Training for Communication Professionals” (more information available in German only) shows: the agile mindset with values, principles and methods such as Scrum or Kanban can be implemented perfectly in the newsroom. This agility is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for mastering diverse communication challenges. The miniature newsroom combines these elements in an efficient way and allows smaller teams to rethink and implement integrated communication.
Access to the ECCO Global Communications Network is simple. Contact information for a specific geography is available on the agency overview pages accessed here or contact the ECCO Global Communications office via email info@ecco-network.com.
