It's always interesting when a newspaper makes its own headlines.
The firing of New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson last month caused commotion that hasn't quite subsided just yet, largely because Ms. Abramson hasn't publicly commented on the reasons for her departure. As a result, others are all too eager to speculate on her behalf: Gender, pay discrepancies, brusque management style and a contentious relationship with NYT publisher Arthur Sulzberger — all have been thrown into the ring of likely possibilities.
Ms. Abramson's firing has triggered discussions about the broader field of management in journalism, which shares a few parallels with management in healthcare.
1. Brilliance does not excuse poor interpersonal skills. The caricature of tough, grumpy and intimidating editors is often romanticized in the media world, but this dynamic — albeit entertaining — doesn't work in a functional newsroom. Reporters expect respect and civility, and the ability to build consensus (among opinionated journalists, no less) is a prime skill set for an editor. To some seasoned journalists, the concept of a brash, imperial boss seems ridiculously outdated. NYT's newly named Executive Editor Dean Baquet told NPR last week: "I've seen many eulogies to the city editor who changed my life because he was really nasty to me for six months and made me a better person. I think that's nuts."
In healthcare, reform is ushering in a more collaborative environment, in which executives are expected to strengthen ties with other healthcare providers — physician groups, nursing homes, hospice centers and so on — in addition to strengthening bonds with community groups they may have hardly worked with before. That's not even getting into the collaborative nature leaders need when executing mergers or acquisitions, which are very much on the rise. For instance, Ruth Brinkley, president and CEO of Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health, the largest health system in the state, described her job as a "consensus builder" when executing the 2012 merger of two distinct hospitals and religious heritages, plus the addition of a secular hospital in 2013.
Mr. Sulzberger told staffers Ms. Abramson's firing had to do with her treatment of others in the newsroom and her lack of candor with him. Mr. Baquet also said his "rise to be executive editor was preceded by a period of turmoil," and he doesn't consider that to be any secret. Politico ran a story last year about contention in the NYT's offices, which noted that newsroom support was falling away from Ms. Abramson, who some staffers found brilliant, but often condescending and aloof.
2. It takes exquisite interpersonal skills to manage physicians and journalists in today's circumstances. Neither physicians nor journalists are especially easy to manage, and this is simply nature. Traits that can make them difficult to manage also make them exceptional at their jobs. Physicians are autonomous and motivated by evidence, and many are wary of hospital administration. Journalists are inherently skeptical, independent and accustomed to questioning authority. In addition to these complexities, many journalists and physicians are also concerned about significant changes in their respective fields, some of which are emotionally charged. For physicians, it might be the depersonalization and the corporate culture of "big med." Journalists are anxious about layoffs, buyouts and the possible dearth of lasting, investigative journalism and rise of viral "click-bait" in its place.
The NYT isn't exempt from these concerns. But as a leader, reports have suggested Ms. Abramson was not visible in times of trouble. She traveled to the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City and then to Cuba in the days before and after the newspaper underwent a round of buyouts in 2013, and staffers noticed her absence. In that Politico story from last year, many staffers were quoted as saying they found Mr. Baquet — the then managing editor — as more approachable and invested in newsroom morale. (But it should also be noted that Mr. Baquet is known for having a temper. He has confirmed that there are maps in the Washington bureau office strategically placed to cover holes he's punched in walls. "In each case I was mad at somebody above me in rank. That's not an excuse, but it's a fact," he told NPR.)
"The whole point of leadership is to make people feel good about going the extra mile for the reader," one staff member said in the Politico report. "Dean makes people feel good — which, under the circumstances, is something."
3. The lasting revenue model for hospitals and newspapers is — well, we'll get back to you on that. And this uncertainty only makes management tougher. Just as some hospital leaders are perplexed by how to thrive in a payment model that rewards patients being out of the hospital, journalism executives are trying to figure out how to preserve their legacy business while pursuing a more sustainable and modern revenue model. Newspapers' print advertising revenues continued their "precipitous free fall" and hit a 63-year low in 2013. Those revenues decreased more than 50 percent in just the last five years.
Some innovative milestones made headlines and distracted many in the media world from the stark reality, like World Wide Web mastermind Jeff Bezos' purchase of the Washington Post and Ezra Klein's founding of Vox Media, a "general interest news site." Media companies are also exploring new revenue streams, such as event hosting or web consulting. But the latest Pew Research Journalism Project found new money (i.e. not advertising or audience revenue) may be more about finding new methods of reporting and reaching audience members than building a new, sustainable revenue structure.
Hospitals are in a similar boat, as the volume-based payment model stubbornly begins to transition to one that is performance-based. Like newspapers, this will take time, innovation and trial and error. It's a balancing act to manage in either industry right now. Managers must to retain a healthy relationship with reality but resist pessimism, innovate in a way that preserves the product (high-quality healthcare and credible, important news), and take care of their current business models while figuring out the next ones.