Feature

Hunters and gatherers

For most corporate editors, gathering news is a tedious and tiresome chore. The exercise of finding a new and innovative story consists of networking with employees and managers, sitting in departmental meetings, sending out slews of e-mail, and always being on your toes. Whether it’s strategic business or employees’ news, the task is equally tough.

We spoke with four editors who offer their practical reporting techniques and tips that make the newsgathering process a bit more manageable, and a little more fun.

At GTE newsgatheringis a team sport Editor Donnell Brown benefits from an internal communication structure that makes newsgathering easy. GTE Directories implemented a system a couple of years ago called ‘liaison roles.’ Brown and her team split up all the major departments in the company, and act as ‘internal communication consultants’ to those functions. Brown, who works directly with marketing, sales, and directories publishing, says ‘people in those departments would come to me if they had a communication need, or I keep in touch with them to keep my ear to the ground with what’s going on there.’