Leaders of U.S. newsrooms face a range of challenges, from shrinking editorial budgets to talent retention. 

Tackling these shared obstacles is better done communally, says Brian McGrory, chair of journalism at COM. That’s why he convened seven of the country’s top editors for an exchange of newsroom best practices, triumphs and challenges, with the goal of charting a collective path forward. The first-of-its-kind colloquium took place at COM on October 28—and journalism students were able to join in on some of the action. 

In attendance for all or part of the event were were Katrice Hardy of the Dallas Morning News, Michele Matassa Flores of the Seattle Times, Kimi Yoshino of the Baltimore Banner, Stan Wischnowski of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mitch Pugh of the Chicago Tribune, Audrey Cooper of WNYC (and formerly of the San Francisco Chronicle) and Nancy Barnes of the Boston Globe.

A presentation from Joan Donovan, an assistant professor of journalism and emerging media studies at COM, kicked off the colloquium, as she spoke about disinformation and misinformation in the presidential campaign. An editors-only dinner served as the anchor for the day, where McGrory says a “lowkey” yet “valuable” exchange of ideas and industry check-ins occurred. And, in between those events, students were invited to watch six of the editors speak on a panel moderated by McGrory, where industry insights and professional counsel were offered to the more than 150 rising professionals in attendance.

“Students were lining the walls, they filled every chair available, they sat on the floor in front of the room,” says McGrory. “The editors were blown away by the enthusiasm of the students and the questions they had.” 

We believe so much in this profession and what it means to society and to democracy, and it’s very important and meaningful to see smart people wanting to enter the profession.

Matassa Flores

The panel offered advice on applying for entry-level positions, including honing reporting skills, building strong portfolios and cultivating a professional social media presence. They encouraged students, many of whom came prepared with résumés in hand, to apply for open internships across their respective newsrooms. 

“It was a good opportunity to talk about what being a journalist is,” says Hardy. “We meet a lot of out-of-school and still-in-school journalists who say, ‘I want to be an investigative reporter.’ If that’s your ultimate goal, fantastic, but don’t go in [believing] that’s the only job you’re going to get, because most of us aren’t going to look at you for that. Here’s why. And here’s the path to getting that experience.” 

Those concerned about the overall stability of journalism also looked to the panelists for a gut check. 

“[The students] had a lot of questions about how much hope we have,” says Matassa Flores. “And in spite of the challenges in our industry, we all do have a lot of hope. We believe so much in this profession and what it means to society and to democracy, and it’s very important and meaningful to see smart people wanting to enter the profession.” 

Praising what he believes is an already robust journalism program, McGrory says he plans to continue working with COM’s faculty to ensure courses equip students with the top skills these newsrooms require. 

“We’re looking at how to modernize the curriculum, which we were already in the process of doing,” he says. “How do we make sure these kids know how to write newsletters, understand analytics, know about audience engagement? How do we better reflect what these editors are asking for?”

McGrory isn’t new to catalyzing state-of-the-industry conversations. During his decade as editor of the Boston Globe, he would invite editors for an annual check-in meal. 

“We began calling them our group therapy sessions,” McGrory says of the winter dinners, the last of which took place in February 2020 in San Francisco. “There weren’t a lot of people for us to talk to. It really was helpful in building connections with each other.” Networking opportunities are especially necessary following last year’s dissolution of the News Leaders Association, the membership platform that powered the training of news professionals at all levels, McGrory adds.

That tradition was an inspiration for this year’s reimagined colloquium. And to keep serving this industry need, McGrory plans to continue evolving the event annually, with hopes to offer more in-depth programming for attending editors in future years. 

“When I got to BU, I had it in my head that I’d really like to be the convener,” says McGrory. “It helps the health of the industry.”