A journalistic effort that delivers more than the sum of its parts.
That's the goal as Gannett Co., Inc., this week officially launches a resource-sharing effort by its metro Phoenix media operations.
More than a year of planning and construction has brought 12 News operations into the Republic Media building at 200 E. Van Buren St. Starting this week, the television station will broadcast from a high-tech street-level studio that welcomes attention from downtown pedestrians.
The combined news staff will be part of a broadcast, print and online collaboration designed to add breadth and depth to coverage for readers and viewers.
A daylong celebration Wednesday, kicked off with an appearance by Al Roker of the "Today" show, will mark the official melding of The Arizona Republic, 12 News, azcentral.com, various community Republic operations and Spanish-language newspaper La Voz - all under one roof.
Working to avoid pitfalls that other collaborations have encountered, 12 News and Republic executives opted to keep some functions separate while combining in areas that could pay big dividends in improved coverage.
Collaborative efforts by 12 News and Republic journalists initially will focus on four areas: breaking news, sports, features/entertainment and photo/video. Ultimately, many of the roughly 450 newsroom employees could work more closely together to cover news in metro Phoenix and Arizona.
"It's a huge opportunity," said Christopher Callahan, dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. "Being in the same place and working side by side, they can slowly build a richer news experience."
Street-side studio
The most visible signs of collaboration involve improvements to the Republic Media building itself. These include a 4,000-square-foot ground-floor studio with windows that face two downtown landmarks - the Herberger Theater and St. Mary's Basilica.
"You'll see pedestrians and auto traffic in the background," said John Misner, general manager at 12 News and chief operating officer at Republic Media, the unit that oversees the various Phoenix entities.
There's also a small outdoor plaza with mounted monitors that will allow passers-by to watch live broadcasts, with opportunities for TV journalists to interact with the crowd. The street-side studio is patterned after the one used by the "Today" show in Manhattan.
"Rarely does someone get the chance to build a new television set these days," Misner said. "There's lots of excitement building something like this."
The transition involved some major logistical work as new studios were built, roughly a dozen satellite receivers repositioned, and sensitive control-room equipment and Winnebago-size air-conditioners transported from the station's former home on Central Avenue, which is currently for sale.
Staff for 12 News (KPNX) moved into the building in mid-December. Misner said conducting the move while maintaining uninterrupted broadcast service was like "changing an aircraft's engine while keeping the plane flying."
Other improvements in the renovation project include a sports-broadcast desk on the seventh floor of the 10-story building, a separate TV set for cooking shows on the ground floor and a raised breaking-news desk or platform that overlooks the combined Republic/12 News/azcentral.com newsroom on the ninth floor.
The building, at 200 E. Van Buren St., has been dubbed "200 EVB."
"We took that nickname, and we're running with it," Misner said.
Better quality
The more subtle, yet substantive, change will involve improved journalistic breadth and quality, news executives said.
Like any merger, this one involves combining separate workplace cultures, values and approaches to the job - no easy task.
"What we bring to the game is a high degree of energy and spontaneity done in a less process-driven environment," Mark Casey, 12 News vice president and news director, said of the broadcast side. "There's a sense of showmanship that comes naturally with TV."
Newspapers, by contrast, tend to be more sophisticated and provide more depth, with writers who often are experts in their fields of coverage, he said.
The increased collaboration already is bearing fruit.
Republic photographers have been shooting video for 12 News. Breaking-news coverage of Wednesday's shooting at Chandler Fashion Center and recent storms in northern Arizona was coordinated among the newspaper, broadcast and online channels. Also noteworthy was a preseason ASU football package produced jointly by The Republic, 12 News and azcentral.com.
Callahan said that for the venture to work, journalists from the various entities will need to communicate with one another and embrace a collaborative spirit.
A venture of this type is a rare opportunity. Relatively few media companies have tried sharing resources in large markets, because few companies own newspapers and television stations in the same city, as Gannett does in Phoenix.
"The reality is there are only a couple of markets that have a true converged effort that included digital, TV and newspaper," said John Zidich, president and publisher of The Arizona Republic and chief executive officer of Republic Media. "The few that do exist are relatively new."
The Federal Communications Commission since 1975 has frowned on cross-ownership in an attempt to preserve diverse news sources, although various waivers have been granted, including in Phoenix.
The FCC's stance had been predicated on making sure there are multiple and diverse voices in specific communities, especially as corporate consolidations have reduced the number of major media companies. The rules don't prevent companies from owning broadcast stations and newspapers in different cities or regions.
But one important aspect of the Phoenix broadcast market is that 12 News is one of eight Valley stations that cover the news, including two Spanish-language stations and the Public Broadcasting Service.
"The TV market here is very competitive," Casey said.
The Tampa experience
Media General was a pioneer in convergence when it combined TV station WFLA onto the same site with the Tampa Tribune and TBO.com in 2000, but the effort faced some initial resistance.
Broadcast and newspaper journalists often tackled assignments from a different perspective, and many weren't comfortable working in a new platform, said John Schueler, president of Media General's Florida Communications Group.
"The cultures were materially different - night and day different," he said.
It didn't help that the company also pursued staff reductions, and there were pay differentials among the platforms.
Advertising sales, he said, was a particularly challenging area, in part because of different commission structures.
But the process has improved, Schueler said. The various entities routinely share story leads and other information, especially those involving major news events like hurricanes.
Not all Tampa newsroom employees work for multiple platforms, yet those who do eventually realized "there aren't as many differences as they thought," he added.
In his view, it's important for managers to clarify the desired changes and explain why they're happening, what the changes mean to each employee and how workers are supposed to interact.
"It takes patience but also tenacity," he said. "Get real clear that we're burning the boats on the shore and not retreating."
Individual strengths
In Phoenix, the convergence effort is being phased in gradually, with no specific timetables. Other areas, such as Republic and 12 News "watchdog," or investigative, reporting, will be kept separate, at least initially.
"We can't lose sight of what makes each platform successful," said Randy Lovely, editor and vice president for news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. "We'll start small and learn as we work out the kinks."
Republic Media will measure customer satisfaction in various ways. These include audience ratings for 12 News, page views for azcentral.com and circulation numbers and reader-feedback surveys for the newspaper.
The new collaborative effort has put Phoenix in the spotlight nationally as newspapers, online-news sites and TV stations try to maintain their customer bases in an increasingly competitive digital age.
"There are news leaders around the country looking for the answer," Callahan said. "There's no one answer but a series of answers. This is one way to do it."
The effort also means more of a unified effort in reaching local and national businesses.
"Very simply, area businesses will get more media choices with increased resources under one roof," Zidich said.
Advertisers will be able to target audiences through the Phoenix metro area's biggest newspaper, largest local website, one of the top TV stations in the Valley and other avenues, he said.
"The result to businesses will translate to greater return on their investment."
by Russ Wiles The Arizona Republic Jan. 9, 2011 12:00 AM
12 News, Republic Media converge
