A recent article by Poynter, a journalism institute, says the phenomenon of organizations publishing their own news is becoming a staple of the modern marketing diet.
“Brands have recognized that in a social media world, telling true stories is a better way to win hearts and minds than interrupting people with ads,” author Shane Snow states in the article titled, “As brands start building digital newsrooms, what do they need to succeed?”
Axiom News has been “telling true stories” on behalf of organizations for more than 12 years — along with publishing those stories to client’s websites and managing a range of distribution activities after publication.
Axiom’s services are similar to the brand newsrooms the Poynter article describes in that they involve journalists engaging with people to tell their own stories. This is an innovative approach that has much more potential to be tapped.
The Axiom News service differs from brand newsrooms in that it is not so much a branding vehicle as a tool to use in building the culture of a workplace or other system, as well as identifying new opportunities for an organization and its stakeholders.
Stories published by the Axiom team on behalf of organizations have tended to focus primarily on what’s energizing people in their work and personal lives, celebrating successes and bringing to light new possibilities for the organization or people’s roles.
Another article on employee publications backs this particular focus for the news, citing research that staff loyalty and commitment derive powerfully from a factor called “perceived organizational support.”
“Workers, the authors found, view their company in human terms and respond to it almost exactly the way they see it treating them. If the organization’s words and actions convey respect and a desire to help employees succeed, staff are more apt to judge it as caring, trustworthy and deserving of their support,” the article, titled “How Employee Publications Missed a Chance to Matter,” states.
Personal stories about employees’ interests and successes can act as one of a number of tools to convey respect and facilitate a form of support within a workplace.
There is also opportunity to expand on this approach, according to the same article, which suggests exploring in a thoughtful way issues that are bothering team members, researching solutions and responses already underway, and summing those up in the news as well.
“Often, what’s bothering workers doesn’t need a grand management fix,” the article states. “Often, the best answers are coping strategies that employees can learn for themselves — and all the ‘organizational support’ an employer needs to offer is proof that it’s listening, understands, offers counsel and wants its people to win.
“That’s evidence workplace journalism can provide. Strategically, but beautifully, too.”
You can comment on this article below, or e-mail michelle(at)axiomnews.ca.
