Newsrooms seem to be changing, based on what’s discussed during PR conferences. Practically speaking, how are they are changing and at what pace?
Those were some of the questions Tow Center for Digital Journalism fellows Matthew Weber (Rutgers University) and Allie Kosterich (Pace University) had as they launched a study examining the careers of 6,116 news staffers in NYC employed at print, digital-first and television outlets.
Their analysis found the presence of a new type of news worker, one possessing data, analytics and platform-oriented skills (DAP). As you can see in the charts, DAP jobs grew significantly, though mostly in newspapers and online media.
During the years of the study, 2010-2015, DAP jobs accounted for an estimated 9% of all positions at media companies in the NYC metro area. In addition, the share of traditional, non-DAP newsroom jobs decreased 8% at online media companies, 9% at newspapers and 5% in broadcast newsrooms. The researchers’ conclusion: such skills have become “critical” to the day-to-day running of newsrooms.
The study also looks at where the DAP workers originated, providing another insight into the changing newsroom. What Weber and Kosterich found was an insignificant number of DAP hires coming from outside journalism. Hires from tech companies, such as Google, were seen, but they were neither “central nor influential.” Larger media companies, those paying higher salaries, were beginning to hire DAP employees from industries other than journalism, the data showed. Absent hiring from outside journalism, media companies will need to increase training in data skills, the study suggests.
