Publishing runs on people, yet it is easy to invest in technology faster than in the staff who have to use it. As AI changes how the work gets done, the skills that matter most are the ones hardest to automate: judgement and the willingness to keep learning.
Getting good people in is the first problem. Graduate-only hiring has narrowed the pool, and some of the most successful schemes now recruit apprentices through blind, strengths-based selection, funded through the apprenticeship levy. Keeping them is the second, and pay remains the sore point. Journalism still pays less than comparable professions, and talented people leave because of it.
Fundamentally, all the frills and benefits in the world are not going to keep people working for you if the work is not rewarding, if people don’t have autonomy and you don’t pay them well enough.
Amanda Barnes Faversham House: our people strategy and why it's worked for us
Culture does the rest. Publishers recognised as good employers tend to train their managers properly, protect time for learning and treat wellbeing as part of the job rather than a perk. Hybrid working has made all of this harder, particularly for new starters who used to learn by sitting next to experienced colleagues. And with more work going to freelances, how they are treated is part of the picture too.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on people, recruitment and training in publishing, from apprenticeships and talent strategy to pay, culture, hybrid working and leadership, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
In today’s fast-changing media and tech world, publishers need to rethink the way they recruit, train and develop staff, says David Reay.
Are we ready to admit it?, asks Mark Hudson. The journalism pipeline is broken. To fix it, News UK is investing heavily in its apprenticeship scheme, which has brought fresh and diverse new talent into the business.
Of the many awards Faversham House has won over the years, winning ‘PPA Employer of the Year 2024’ was special and meant a lot to Chief Executive Amanda Barnes. Here, she explains why.
Technological upheaval, changing consumer behaviours and intense commercial pressures are threatening the future of journalism. Joanne Forbes, chief executive of the NCTJ, looks at the investment choices the industry faces.
After you’ve gone to the effort of recruiting a good journalist, it’s worth putting in the effort to keep them. Making them feel valued is a key part of that, says Peter Sands.
A bright future is within the grasp of news media – but it is not assured. It requires imaginative cross-industry effort and resources: fail at this and a blizzard of conspiracy theories, infotainment, and relativism could overwhelm dependable news.
The last few years of the mediafutures benchmarking project have shown how managing people has become increasingly complex for most media companies. The new mediafuturesPULSE tracker survey shows that staff issues are now top of the agenda.
At this week’s PPA Leadership Summit, one of the panel sessions looked at the future of work. James Evelegh listened in.
Freelancers are an increasingly important resource for editors, so it’s in publishers’ best interests to treat them well. Yet too often, wittingly or unwittingly, they are treated casually. How we can get the best out of our freelance contributors?
Good leaders enable the people in their team to thrive. To do this, they need to do these three things.
Paying lip service to improved diversity and inclusion is one thing, putting someone in charge of putting it right is another. Ridhi Radia, who was given that role at Immediate Media, explains why ED&I matters and outlines the steps they have taken.
What have the *Academics ever done for us? The age-old mistrust – sorry, debate – between journalists and academics is taking a forward-thinking turn. Alan Geere goes behind the headlines.
Important things need doing, but how can they get done, when no one has any time.
The Financial Times has announced that the FT Newsroom Apprentice programme, in partnership with the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N), is open to applicants.
New starters demand a lot more care and attention than perhaps once was the case.
Successful companies need motivated and talented teams. That’s why, says AdvantageCS’s Dan Heffernan, looking after your people is so important.
Despite some high profile female editors currently, women journalists still face a number of career hurdles.
Forbes has announced that Ali Intres has been promoted to chief human resources officer, reporting to Forbes CEO Mike Federle.
People are at the core of this year’s mediafutures survey results. An early read of the figures is already picking up some significant changes from the last survey back in 2020.
Research publisher Frontiers has announced the appointment of Kanika Suri Mehra as chief people officer (CPO).
The first step on the ED&I journey is the most important.
Six Journalism Diversity Fund (JDF) recipients have been awarded specialist bursaries as they begin their NCTJ training.
Newspaper print sites are major industrial operations that rely on skilled workforces to keep them running. We grab 5 minutes with Michael McGookin, currently completing his apprenticeship at Reach Printing Services, to hear about his experience.
The 2022 winners of The Shine School Media Awards, supported by the Worshipful Company of Stationers’, have been announced.
Reach have announced a raft of family-friendly policies, including IVF, pregnancy loss and carers leave.
