As consultants, “we are paid to learn” and this constant learning process is what keeps us alive.
Or at least it used to be.
I have the impression, though, that newspaper consultants learn more, much more, from outside rather than inside our industry.
Why?
Because our newsrooms — trapped by the traditional 24-hour deadline cycle — are now more than ever a process and production operation instead of one of creation and innovation.
We don’t have time to interact with the new media mavericks.
We don’t have opportunities to visit the new media facilities.
We spend our time in front of computer and editorial systems.
We lose our time attending boring news meetings.
And we don’t have time to think.
To dream.
To create.
To innovate.
As a consultant for the last 30 years, I have seen many changes in our newspapers, and many of them have been reactive.
The last BIG IDEA in U.S. newspapers?
USA Today.
In 1982!
Since then, newspapers have been doing the same while expecting miracles.
The publisher of a $5 billion European newspaper group called me yesterday asking about innovative U.S. newspapers to visit.
“Sorry, but no one does things differently or better that you” I said.
“Go to Google.
“Go to Pixar.
“Go to Facebook.
“Go to Apple.
“Go to Microsofot.
“Go to Bloomberg.
“Go to Starbucks.
“Go to Amazon.”
After a long pause, he said: “Thanks, Juan Antonio, I had the same impression.”
Today, believe me, we need to learn more than ever from non-newspaper companies.
Without learning, there is no innovation.
Without innovation, there is no future.
Period.
(In the pictures, Google headquarters)
