RTNDA - News Leadership - RTNDF News Leadership Project

News Leadership

RTNDF News Leadership Project

Sponsored by The McCormick Tribune Foundation

The Radio and Television News Director Foundation's News Leadership Project works to enhance the leadership skills of local news managers.

Facilitator Kathy Williams, VP/News director at KRIV-TV in Houston chats with leadership workshop participants in Nashville, TN.

Why Leadership Training is Needed

RTNDF's research clearly indicates a strong desire and need for leadership training; the greatest obstacles to obtaining that training are time limitations and lack of financial resources.

RTNDF addresses the obstacles by providing:

Affordable, ongoing training workshops

Web and print materials

Meetings and forums with news directors and general managers

During the RTNDF/McCormick Tribune Leadership track at the convention participants work together on a coaching exercise.

Training for Success

News leadership training workshops and resources include these topics:

Managing during change and challenge

Motivating employees

Giving feedback and conducting evaluations

Leading difficult conversations

Recruiting and retaining talented employees

Coaching employees

Managing your boss

Working with other department heads

Developing your leadership style

Managing your time

Creating a positive newsroom culture

Conducting effective meetings

Training sessions bring news professionals together for role-playing exercises, case studies, facilitated discussions and other adult learning methods.

Angie Kucharski, then news director at KCNC-TV, gives one-on-one advice to Rick Dawson, reporter at WISH-TV, during a workshop.

Laying the Groundwork

RTNDF launched its News Leadership project in 2001 with an "Electronic Brainstorming" session with 24 diverse local television news directors. The purpose of this meeting was to assess leadership training needs.

Based on the information from the 2001 "Electronic Brainstorming," RTNDF conducted a needs assessment survey of local television news directors on leadership and management training.

Then RTNDF brought general managers and news directors together for another "Electronic Brainstorming" session to discover ways to improve relationships between general managers and news directors. RTNDF uses the information from the research to guide our efforts.

INCOMING! Advice for the Newly Named News Director

This handbook is designed to help not only those in their first news director job but also those news directors changing stations or markets. This resource promises to make your transition easier, whether it's your first news director job or your tenth! Produced through RTNDF's News Leadership Project, supported by the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

To order and download book, click here.

News Leadership at the Head of the Class

Designed to help those who want to coach and teach others to become better at leading and managing. Produced through RTNDF's Leadership Project, supported by the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

To order and download book, click here.

Ready, Set, Lead! The Resource Guide for News Managers

This easy-to-read reference is designed with the busy news manager in mind. Produced through RTNDF's Leadership Project, supported by the McCormick Tribune Foundation. To order and download book, click here.