Hybrid working in newsrooms has impacted some staff’s sense of belonging, latest Reuters Institute research finds.
More than a third (38%) of newsrooms that have adopted hybrid or flexible working say these working practices have weakened staff’s sense of belonging, new research from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) finds.
Two-thirds (65%) of newsrooms leaders said their organisations have now implemented hybrid or flexible working, according to the findings of the Institute’s latest annual Changing Newsrooms report.
The annual report is now in its fourth year and is based on a survey of 135 senior industry leaders from 40 countries and ten in-depth interviews conducted between 6 September and 18 October 2023.
Other key findings include:
- 74% think that generative AI will help newsrooms increase productivity and improve workflows but only 21% think it will transform workflows and processes, fundamentally changing every role in the newsroom.
- Only 29% of news leaders report that their organisations already have in place high-level principles to guide their AI plans, but 39% say they are working on them.
- 90% of our survey participants feel their organisations are doing a good job in gender diversity but numbers are lower when it comes to political diversity (55%), supporting staff with disabilities (54%), or ethnic diversity (52%).
- 57% identified finding diverse talent as a challenge in having a diverse and representative workplace while 29% identified talent retention.
The report was written by RISJ’s Director of Leadership Development Federica Cherubini and Ramaa Sharma - Digital Editor, Consultant and Executive Coach.
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is dedicated to exploring the future of journalism worldwide.
