1. Improving Communication in a Student Newsroom
The Beacon
Improving Communication in a Student Newsroom
Shawn McIntosh
Jake Mendel
May 17, 2016

2. So, where is the news?

3. A real-time messaging and archiving app that is changing how many professional newsrooms communicate internally. (
Will examine how it has changed Beacon workflow and communication
Will explore how it can be used in other classroom settings

5. A Bit About the Beacon
Weekly student-run 12-page tabloid newspaper, with website ( and social media sites
Two advisers: Jen Augur and Shawn McIntosh
Students working at The Beacon are taking one of two official classes, either News Editing Practicum (staff writers, copy editors, ad reps) or Senior News Editing Practicum (editorial board)
Prerequisite courses: Writing and Reporting the News I
Co- or prerequisite: Writing and Reporting the News II
Writers do at least one story/week; editors typically write one or two stories/week, plus manage staff, do production and layout

6. Typical Weekly Beacon Schedule
Sunday night
Section editors send out story assignments to staff writers
Photography editors make photography assignments to photographers
Due date for photos and stories is following Sunday
Copy editors start copy editing stories for upcoming issue
Monday-Wednesday (3 p.m. Wednesday production deadline)
Stories are copy edited, late stories come in
Editors do design and production
Web editors start posting stories and planning for online publication schedule
Editorial board meeting to discuss story assignments for coming Sunday, post- mortem on previous week’s issue, dealing with any other issues
Thursday morning
issues arrive from printer and are distributed by Beacon staff on campus

7. Repeat 12 times throughout the semester, with a 16-page final issue
(and oh yes, while students are taking other classes)

11. How Slack Works
Channels can have any number of members in them, by invitation, or by setting up what channels new members join automatically
You can describe the purpose of channels you create and invite others
Direct messages go to individuals, and can also be created with a small group to communicate with

12. An example of private channel communication
You can describe the purpose of channels you create and invite others

13. How Slack Works Improving Workflow
With some pushing from the editor, section editors quickly saw benefits in terms of the story assignment process, eliminating the need for chains of s back and forth
You can describe the purpose of channels you create and invite others

14. How Slack Works Better Communication
Students quickly learned how to use the tagging and other functions to make sure that peers got the messages.
Using in front of a user name sends an alert to the user that they have been tagged in a message

15. How Faster Communication
Having the phone app made it easy for students to communicate with each other quickly on their phones…
(There is also a desktop app that alerts you)

16. Better, Faster Communication
…which helped build group identity and a sense of shared mission among staff and a chance for people to joke with each other and offer help when needed

17. Better, Faster Communication
…and let mischievous advisers a chance for some fun as well…
Students also started to develop “memes” that were used for humorous effect

18. File Uploads and Links
Files and links can easily be embedded in messages and shared with individuals or in channels

19. File Uploads and Links
Files and links can easily be embedded in messages and shared with individuals or in channels

20. File Uploads and Links
Students could easily upload from their phones and get responses on issues

21. Student Engagement and Learning
Students quickly adapted to Slack and started using it for their own purposes, including creating new channels, discussing relevant issues, and learning in the process

22. Student Engagement and Learning
Students quickly adapted to Slack and started using it for their own purposes, including creating new channels, discussing relevant issues, and learning in the process

23. Slack: Pros Pushed information makes it easy to get messages
Improved workflow and communication among group members, especially for smaller or frequent tasks where information needs to be shared quickly
Improved communication helps build a sense of shared mission and group identity among members
User interface makes it easy to adopt and feel familiar with
Increased student engagement and self-learning
Simple weekly analytics for messages sent and files uploaded
Free version (last 10,000 messages archived)

24. Slack: Cons
Lack of social context cues in written messages can lead to hurt feelings and spats (emojis don’t always help)
Speed of communication sometimes means thoughtfulness gets left behind in heat of the moment
Those without smart phones and/or high-speed Internet connections can get left out of conversations and decisions
Over-reliance on Slack as the main mode of communication, sacrificing face-to-face communication as a more important way to create a positive organizational culture

25. Slack Beyond the Newsroom
Useful in classes where small groups must work together
Easy to monitor communications in channels
Easy to settle disputes quickly
Useful where sharing of lots of information between students or between students and the professor is done
Uploading articles
Commenting on articles or readings
Can provide a knowledge base between semesters with past material that has been shared