Living in a Digital World

“Welcome to Cyberspace, I’m lost in the fog, everything’s digital, I’m still analog…” Joe Walsh captured the cry of a generation in these lyrics from his song Analog Man in 2012.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLaQUU_VLMk). 

We live in a world where the new catch phrase you hear around every corner is, “going digital…”  What does that mean?  What does it entail?  Who is up for the challenge?

For generations USA TODAY has been synonymous with a paper product, but to compete in this new world there had to be a change, really a transformation.  I joined Gannett two years ago to be part of that transformation.  100 years of history.  100 years of success.  100 years of connecting communities.  Connect.  Act.  Thrive. 

We spun out on our own two years ago and have made tremendous progress.  I am proud of our employees.  Our team.  We have stood up a new business and become #OneNetwork.

The USA Today network is a great source of pride as we are the only media company that truly can connect local-to-national and then back to local.  We have 3600 plus journalists all over the country.  We have done some great investigative journalism.  The bad teacher’s stories, the lead in the water, the gymnastic coaches, and many more.  These all happen at a local level but when we have the ability to string these together across the country to a national platform – this is what fuels the passions of great journalists.  This has also led to many awards. 

Just recently our talented news teams at The Desert Sun, Fort Myers News-Press, and Detroit Free Press were recognized for their recent national Edward R. Murrow Award honors:

• The Desert Sun was awarded the Small Digital News Organization News Documentary award for its outstanding work on Freed But Forgotten: A Proposition 47 Investigation. This piece aimed to uncover just how Proposition 47 - a ballot measure passed to offer mental health and substance abuse treatment as an alternative to incarceration - affected California's criminal justice system.

• The News-Press took home two Murrow awards: the first for Excellence in Writing for its series "Save Our Water" and one for its incredible coverage of Craig Sager's very public cancer battle - his third - which ultimately took his life.

• Detroit Free Press won two Murrow awards in the Large Digital News Organization category.  Predator/Prey: The Fight for Isle Royale Wolves was named for its Excellence in Video. The piece looked at how the National Parks Service is dealing with the dwindling numbers of wolves and the juxtaposition of a booming moose population on Isle Royale.

• The Free Press was also honored in the News Documentary category for its reporting on the Flint water crisis - more specifically Don't Forget About Flint. This documentary gave our readers an up close look at the people of Flint, Michigan and shined quite a light on the faces of their day to day suffering, which one resident described as "like being in war, but without violence." Reporters at the Free Press were at the forefront of this issue from the time it was first discovered, and their coverage helped lead the way for change in the Flint community.

The Murrow Awards have showcased excellence in electronic journalism every year since 1971, and have long been considered a prestigious honor among the journalism community. This is another incredibly proud moment for the USA TODAY NETWORK, and I applaud each and every one of you for continuing to produce first-class content for our consumers.

Great journalism covers many platforms.  Yes the “paper” still exists, but we also serve over 110 million uniques.  We have a digital presence with the Millennials that is larger than Vice or Vox.  We are building great things at Gannett.  I came here from AOL on the promise that we will build the next 100 years of success and we are on our way.  Mostly because of the great culture and great talent we are developing and also bringing in to join our journey. 

“Becoming a meaningful part of a consumer’s daily life both requires and makes possible a new set of realities—one where our sense-making and storytelling skills must emerge in more fluid, personalized products and experiences; where our passion for finding the common ground makes us the go-to resource for those looking to transcend bias; where our brands enjoy new relevance with the next generation of media consumers; where our deeply loyal users have become our greatest advocates; where our unique nationwide presence has established a network that spans the nation’s communities; and where SMBs turn to us as an indispensable partner in growing their businesses. This future, where our consumers, marketers, employees and investors thrive, is built on the bedrock of loyal, daily relationships.”  -Bob Dickey, President and CEO of Gannett

It is hard work changing systems, simplifying processes, breaking old habits – but it is rewarding seeing change and growth.  I took my chips and pushed them all in – come join us at Gannett and challenge yourself.

Together.  We.  Win.  

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Follow Dave and other USA TODAY NETWORK highlights at: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse and Gannett Careers