Difficult Conversations: How to Deal with Conflict in Newsrooms

by Lindsey Wray

We all deal with conflict on a daily basis, and in a newsroom, it can be exacerbated by tight deadlines.

Consider a newspaper reporter who constantly turns in stories late. This would hold up editors and the copy desk and could even delay the production schedule of the newspaper. Avoiding the issue would make the problem worse and disrupt workflow. The reporter’s manger should plan to approach the reporter about why deadlines are being missed and how to best resolve the situation so that newspaper production can stay on track.

Difficult conversations, such as this one, involve the discussion – and hopefully resolution – of conflict. They can include everything from talking to someone about a missed deadline to laying someone off because of budget cuts.

People may react to issues that cause conflict by becoming confrontational or avoiding the situation completely for fear of hurting a co-worker’s feelings. When considering whether to take action, people may fear the other person won’t listen, that the situation may worsen or even that broaching a sensitive subject could result in job loss.

But by managing conflict and engaging in difficult conversations with awareness, you will turn the dialogue positive and make your newsroom more productive. Here are some tips to use before, during and after difficult conversations.

Before	During	After
Prepare: gather specific facts about the issue you plan to address	Keep cool by anticipating a person’s response	Determine necessary documentation (for personnel files, etc.)
Weigh the options: is the issue worth addressing now, later or at all?	State the problem directly, without emotional language and with the appropriate level of detail	Catch the other person doing something right – praise is appreciated in light of something negative
Analyze the situation from the other person’s perspective	Ask open-ended questions, such as asking them to explain their side of the story	Follow up as planned
Identify the ideal outcome of the conversation	Listen closely to understand the other person’s point-of-view	Be committed to helping the person and permanently resolving the situation
Consider the positive aspects as well as the problems associated with the issue	Stick to the issue at hand
Deal with the problem as soon as possible instead of letting things pile up	Encourage the other person to come up with possible solutions
Get support from supervisor if relevant; inform the human resources department if necessary	Mutually agree on outcomes, next steps and timeframe
Practice what you’re going to say before having the conversation	Identify any obstacles to meeting goals
	Explain the consequences if behavior does not change
	Schedule a follow-up discussion

This article was based on a workshop conducted by Marci Burdick, senior vice president of broadcasting for Schurz Communications, for the 2007 International Women’s Media Foundation U.S. Leadership Institute in Chicago. For more information on the next leadership institute, visit www.iwmf.org/programs/leadership.

Lindsey Wray is the IWMF’s communications coordinator.