Highlights: Zoom Event Feat. Sean McLaughlin, SVP of Local News at The E.W. Scripps Co.

Sean McLaughlin, SVP of Local News for the E.W. Scripps Company, joined TalentBlvd members in an insightful conversation about the changing landscape of local news and how journalists can adapt to better serve their communities. He also took the time to answer questions from anchors, reporters, meteorologists, and MMJs looking to learn from his decades of experience.

Get to know Sean McLaughlin.

Sean McLaughlin is senior vice president of local news for The E.W. Scripps Company. He is responsible for developing and overseeing company-wide strategy for news operations in 41 local television markets. McLaughlin works with stations to customize content strategies across broadcast, OTT, digital, and social media platforms using qualitative and quantitative market research. He has helped lead initiatives related to diversity in newsrooms and diversity in news coverage with a commitment to high-impact community journalism. McLaughlin has been with Scripps since 2014. Previously, he was executive news director and creative services director for KMOV-TV in St. Louis for over 6 1⁄2 years. He also served as news director at KTUL and KOKI, both in Tulsa.

Keep reading for the highlights, or tune in to watch the recording here:

TalentBlvd Virtual Event Feat. Sean McLaughlin

Passcode: R$.^9JIL

Changes in the Newsroom

The E.W. Scripps takes research seriously. They conduct different methodologies and studies rooted in a strong data field before applying any changes in the newsroom. These are some of the relevant discoveries Sean McLaughlin and his team have found:

• Viewership has declined in local news because viewers claim that the news is too negative or untrustworthy - journalists must balance negative and hopeful stories.

• People in their 30s and 40s consume content very differently than how and what their parents were watching.
• Brand loyalty is evaporating. People see all news stations the same - it's a wake-up call for journalists.
• Every station does more news and is on more platforms than before, yet "We have a boring problem." Local news is predictable since the stories feel and sound the same.

Changes in Storytelling

Through these insights, Sean McLaughlin states, "The Anchor role needs to change."  Before digital media, anchors could be very successful if they looked and sounded good on camera. This is no longer the only requirement. The #1 thing that people care about is expertise in that community. 

The success of a news anchor is measured by the authenticity and the ability to connect and relate with everybody out on the field. Journalists need memorable stories that represent their expertise and authenticity. "Catching your humanity is an important role of journalism."

Journalists have the opportunity to become an indispensable voice in their community. "Question your mayor, question your representatives… People get to see memorable sides of you on the field. They don't happen on the anchor desk".

Sean also mentioned that a modernized version of beat reporting is pivoting again, and a modernized version finds a local voice. Journalists should all feel empowered to find a local voice and raise their hands to speak their minds in the newsroom. News directors can create creative environments for people to share stories. Both managers and journalists should be continually pushed out of their comfort zones.

8 Things You Can Do to Succeed in the Future

Sean McLaughlin shared eight ways to succeed in journalism's future by connecting with the community. 

1. To provide good journalism and storytelling, journalists must take the time to make real commitments, understand the people, and make trusting connections. 
2. He also encourages journalists to develop a strategy to understand their community.
3. Journalists can have a tangible impact on the community by focusing on its people.
4. Find new ways to tell stories by going on YouTube to see what people are watching. Journalists can get as creative as they do on social media. 
5. Have an expertise. Have a good understanding of what drives the community you're serving.
6. Be real, not a caricature of a TV reporter. The reporter/anchor voice from the 80s has to evolve. Be authentic 
7. Do digital. Most monetization comes from social media and digital. Make it meaningful. Think of what you'd respond to.

Virtual Q&A

Answer by Sean - I'm an avid sports enthusiast. I never tune in to local TV stations to learn about sports. I go directly to the source. We must be honest about the info we provide and our role. It takes a lot of work to do good local sports journalism. Reporters are only welcome in locker rooms if they don't ask tough questions. The jobs at local stations are the nuance and the expertise. How are you authentically local?

Question by Chris - Do you find that you have a one-size-fits-all kind of plan, or are you telling specific stations what they should be focusing on in terms of coverage?

Answer by Sean – (There are things) that we kind of believe all of our stations should do, and then (there) are kind of local decisions. … The news looks and feels completely different inside each of our local markets. The newscast in Buffalo should look and feel like Buffalo, while the newscast in Cincinnati should look and feel like Cincinnati.

Question by Arion - What are we doing in newsrooms to recruit more reporters? And how do we create a diverse community in news?

Answer by Sean - There are changes in the staffing models. We train newspaper reporters to become video reporters. If you're committed to telling stories, you will increasingly find this business willing to train you.

Question by Arion - How do we connect millennials?

Answer by Sean -  Do you, as a millennial, care about what's going on in your local community? If not, it's because our definition of news is too small. First, we need more reporters since this allows for more geographic coverage. Currently, rural communities only see reporters when something terrible happens in the community. There is an opportunity to re-engage people with positive news. 

Question by Cailley - How is Scripps working at investing in character-driven stories, or how can journalists convince their managers to invest in stories?

Answer by Sean - Vice News did some really good stuff. If you have more reporters, you have the luxury of letting people do more things. I believe in local journalism. That said, we have to change. The economics of our business are challenged. Are we a journalism or live production company? Do we have to make a choice? Live production takes up a lot of budget and work when journalists could focus on researching stories instead of going live every few hours to share the same story.

Answer by Sean - Climate stories are significant. Mets have done a great job demonstrating expertise. Good journalism can absolutely be done by the Mets—the best I've seen set themselves apart. Understanding the science behind climate change makes great reporting.

Question by Mike - What's your opinion on AI in the newsroom?  Where do you see AI going?

Answer by Sean -  It's a way to free up time for journalists. AI gives a lot of opportunities to create content for digital media; it helps the process but keeps journalism in the hands of journalists. I think how we use AI will vary dramatically by company and industry. It might help with workflow and analytics to understand the audience. The most significant danger is the ability to tell what's real and what's not. People will start wondering about everything they see as journalists lose trust.

TalentBlvd as a Resource

At TalentBlvd, we constantly share resources for journalists and look for ways to connect our members, including the hundreds of anchors, reporters, MMJs, meteorologists, producers, sports directors, hosts, news directors, hiring managers, and talent agents. 

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