The High-Five: 5 Questions with Kevin Whitmer, President of Whitmer Consulting, LLC

For this High-Five, where we interview someone who is a close connection and who has expertise about a particular topic of industry and ask them five questions related to their sphere of influence, we welcome Kevin Whitmer.

Whitmer served as the top editor at The Star-Ledger and NJ.com from 2009-2021 before founding Whitmer Consulting with his wife, Regina. Whitmer’s career in daily journalism spanned 36 years — 30 of them in New Jersey.

Most recently, he served as Advance Local’s lead editor in New Jersey, responsible for all content on NJ.com. When he retired from daily journalism at the end of 2021, NJ.com was averaging 21 million unique visitors a month, easily making it one of the largest local news and information sites in the country.

Q: When it comes to storytelling, how can utilizing the Inverted Pyramid draw in a reader quickly, particularly as it relates to today’s digital delivery?

A: Digital journalism, it turns out, is a lot like fashion – wait long enough and those baggy jeans and velvet boots come back again and again.

A lot of people in our industry kept the inverted pyramid in the back of our closets during the narrative and long-form booms, and the ill-conceived pivot to video, but look at what happened: Digital has forced us to go back to the first thing we learned in Newswriting 101.

And that’s a good thing. Here’s why: Digital is infinitely more competitive than print. It’s no longer Newsroom A vs. Newsroom B in your city. Today, we’re competing with anything and everything a user can do on their phone, laptop or iPad. That’s the truth. So if we’re good, we might steal a few minutes between scrolling TikTok, setting fantasy football lineups or doing Wordle. And if you can’t position your content as timely, relevant and digitally intentionally, you’re screwed.

Of course, the inverted pyramid isn’t the only way to win a few minutes here and there, but I would argue it’s the best starting point for at least three reasons:

• Aggregators and search engines love it. Winning there is everything – unless you don’t want the free audience multipliers.

• Readers love it. There are people I trust and respect who will say we’re dumbing down society, but digital has trained readers to graze and graze quickly. That means you better show your cards before they move on and keep doing it to win trust and return visits.

• Bosses love it. Writing fast, clean and smart is hugely in demand right now. And going back to the basics is a great way for writers to develop and sharpen digital skills because it forces them to quickly assess the most important elements of a story and then clearly communicate those points. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a skill the dinosaurs also recognize.

Q: You partnered with your wife to form Whitmer Consulting in January. Now that you are business owners, what have you learned about yourself, each other and any lessons you may have taken from leading a newsroom that can be applied to running your own shop?

A: First off, we enjoy working with each other and being able to really share, appreciate and understand the good, bad and absurd. We haven’t had that on this level since we last worked together in a newsroom, back in 1989. Regina also happens to be a great editor and she, of course, has a special gift for … let’s just say keeping me grounded.

“Newsrooms, including the one I led for 13 years, have failed to represent their readership and the markets they cover, while also failing the journalists of color
on their staffs.”

— Whitmer

Making the transition from running the largest news organization in the state to working for clients and partners hasn’t always been easy, especially in the early days. But we’ve generally had good clients and even better teachers, who have helped us learn and navigate the world.

One big surprise? You can really connect with a client, tell them how you can help and lay out a plan for each engagement. But there are detours that put you in situations you never imagined, doing work you never imagined

Those detours have become something I look forward to – it’s kind of like journalism in that you never know what’s around the next corner.

Q: In a recent Pew Research Center survey, it asked nearly 12,000 US-based journalists in a pair of open-ended questions to write down the one thing the news industry does the best job of these days and what it does worst. Journalists most commonly say the industry is the best at getting the news out, the worst at getting the story right and issues related to bias.

In an effort to get the news out, and compete for a share of audience, are we in a rush to get it right?

A: Sure, but journalists understand competition and the industry attracts people who thrive on the pressure to be first. Bigger picture, it’s true that we make more mistakes than ever – often silly mistakes – but that’s been part of a digital transformation that has piled more and more responsibilities on front-line reporters and photographers. Twenty years ago, a reporter was a reporter and an overwhelming majority of time was spent on reporting, writing and source development. Today, they still do all that while also being copy editors, photographers, videographers, SEO specialists, travel agents, mentors, public speakers, comment moderators, social media specialists, event hosts, their own IT specialists, digital researchers and about 83 other things. So, yeah, there’s a lot going on!

Q: Some news outlets now have dedicated staff positions devoted to diversity and inclusion. What were some of the ways in which you dealt with the DEI challenges in your newsroom, in terms of assigning, covering and reporting the news? Do you get a sense that journalists of color feel like these efforts have become box-checking exercises of the news outlets’ decision- makers?

A: Newsrooms, including the one I led for 13 years, have failed to represent their readership and the markets they cover, while also failing the journalists of color on their staffs. There are no excuses here; facts are facts. So the momentum behind these changes is long overdue and there must be structural changes that do more in recruiting, hiring and, especially, developing the next generation of editors and newsroom leaders.

And I certainly do not view this as a box-checking exercise.

Q: Our last question, which is a constant I share with all my guests is around the notion of daily growth. Allow me to tee-it up. Life in perpetual BETA is essentially the notion that you are constantly and continually in the state of becoming. You’re never quite there and always are striving to improve. This concept is one I introduce when I speak about rapid organizational change and individual development and growth, particularly in a current environment where it’s been hard for some folks to acclimate to their realities.

I have introduced BETA as a mnemonic to explore ways in which one could bring about positive change in one’s life or organization.  The mnemonic begins with B for Belief, E for Empathy, T for Trust, and A for Advocacy. Would you share how you would apply these words as it relates to your personal or professional life?

A: Belief: I can’t say I woke up today expecting Fun with Mnemonics, but there are similarities running an organization and working with clients. Both require believing in yourself, your experiences and the ability to connect with people and put them in the position they can be most successful. And, yes, I do believe everyone in every organization has a perfect spot where they can be their best.

Empathy: Empathy and understanding are things I wish I had more of as a younger manager. But as you grow older and get your fill of the technical work, you learn what a difference you can make when you care and show compassion for people outside of their work lives.

Trust: This might sound a bit like my belief answer, but I wish people would trust themselves more. We all make mistakes and we can all grow to trust in ourselves to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them. We all fail. So it’s important we trust ourselves to keep getting up.

Advocacy: –We all need to be advocates for ourselves and the people closest to us, right? Those are the table stakes. The next level is working to elevate people on the next ring out – people who know and know you. Maybe that’s a former colleague or acquaintance you can help without them expecting it. That feels less expected and less transactional. As a result, they can be pretty rewarding experiences.

The High-Five: 5 Questions with Stacey Finkelstein, Associate Professor and Area Head of Marketing at the University of Stony Brook

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Q.. As the area head of marketing for Stony Brook's marketing department, what advice have you given to your students who just graduated, as they look to brand, market and differentiate themselves in this challenging job market?

A. This is such a great question - I have so much empathy for what my students are experiencing. I was first on the job market during the last recession and I remember seeing job postings disappear and hearing stories of hiring freezes. My advice was that students just need a job so that they can pay the bills, and, ideally, they find a boss and team that will mentor them and offer professional coaching so that they can build skills in whatever facet of marketing or business they find themselves in.

This might mean following a different career path than what the student initially envisioned, but finding the right company culture and fit is so much more important than what job title they have. While the economy struggles and businesses pivot or, sadly, close, students should build their skills in the area they eventually want to end up in. For instance, if a student wants to end up in digital marketing, they can take free courses through Google Academy and earn certifications and there are other places offering free education as well, including HubSpot. If a student wants to end up in advertising, now is the time to boost their written communication and consider MOOCs in journalism. So, generally, my advice is to find a good company culture and if it's not in the industry they want to end up in, to use their time to boost skills using free coursework or MOOCs so that when the economy DOES recover, they can transition with relative ease. 

Q. Flash forward to September: What do you believe the classroom experience looks like?  What learnings from the tail-end of this year are you currently bringing forward in conversations with your peers and colleagues to help shape and inform those experiences this Fall?

A. I wish I had a crystal ball as this question is on everyone's minds. I am not sure what Fall will look like. My own experience and discussions at SBU have focused on readiness and experience with technology. Many of us had experience teaching online and had time to work with instructional designers to build over months - or even years - well thought out online courses. Some of us had less experience. I've been happy to see the faculty and staff come together to promote the best outcomes during a tough time - students still learned so much in our courses and made progress towards their degrees.

As face to face instruction resumes, it will probably look very different. We might be wearing masks or be in distanced classrooms and we might rely on some of the same tools we used this Spring to promote experiential learning (such as group break out rooms in Zoom when groups can't meet face to face). There are other potential apps that can boost engagement - i've heard from some faculty at other universities that Slack channels limited to class registrants can allow for a robust real-time discussion. It's encouraging to see innovation that solves the need to connect and promote experiential learning.  

“I have so much empathy for what my students are experiencing. I was first on the job market during the last recession and I remember seeing job postings disappear and hearing stories of hiring freezes. My advice was that students just need a job so that they can pay the bills, and, ideally, they find a boss and team that will mentor them and offer professional coaching so that they can build skills in whatever facet of marketing or business they find themselves in. ”

— Finkelstein

Q. As the world shifts to a new way of life in the midst of a global pandemic, marketers are facing new challenges, scrambling to adapt to changing consumer needs and experiences. What do marketers and brands need to do now to adjust their strategy in order to help ensure they will be viable in the future?

A. I think many businesses are seeing the way they do business undergo a massive revolution. The restaurant industry has to figure out how to still turn a profit when businesses reopen to reduced capacity and the retail space will certainly see massive shifts. There's certainly much room for improvement in website development, social media efforts and how to manage effective campaigns and identify new customers and messaging tactics to reach them, and to use incoming data to understand how business decisions are impacting profitability. Many small businesses in particular will grapple with all of these considerations under uncertainty and messages related to hope and community will probably resonate and cut through the cluttered media space. 

Q. Healthcare decision-making and consumer behavior are just a couple of your research specialities. In the wake of COVID-19, the delivery of healthcare, and the decisions affecting it, will likely prompt an increase in virtual health platforms and tele-medicine models. Against that potential eventuality, what roles do you believe marketing and technology will play related to the shift in consumer behavior and experiences in this emerging space?

A. Funny you ask since I just spent 90 minutes today in a roundtable at the Marketing and Public Policy conference talking about exactly this! I think telehealth poses unique opportunities and challenges for consumers (in this case, the consumers are patients) and providers. Of course people might be concerned about privacy, but there are also differences and disparities in access to technology and internet service and comfort with technology and this will shape a lot of when and how patients decide to access care. Additionally, many consumers are engaging in decisions about when to see a doctor and whether or not seeing a doctor or receiving care at an ER or Urgent Care Center for something non COVID related poses so great a risk that they decide not to seek care at this time. While telemedicine can help, many physicians find that they are unable to offer diagnostic tests and so some in-person visits might be required for labs, testing etc and how risky this in person exposure is varies as a function of cases in the area, medical capacity, and individual patient risk. Privacy and how information is kept confidential is also probably top of mind for consumers. 

Q. Life in perpetual BETA is essentially the notion that you are constantly and continually in the state of becoming. You’re never quite there and always are striving to improve. This concept is one I introduce when I speak about rapid organizational change and individual development and growth. I have introduced BETA as a mnemonic to explore ways in which one could bring about positive change in one’s life or organization. The mnemonic is below. Would you indulge me and share how you would apply these words as it relates to your personal or professional life?

1. Belief - I think people who have the ability to update their opinions and change their mind will go far in life, especially during this time of societal polarization

2. Empathy – I often speak to my students about what's called the fundamental attribution error or the tendency for people to under-emphasize situational explanations for an individual's observed behavior while over-emphasizing dispositional and personality-based explanations for their behavior. What this means is that if someone lets you down, instead of thinking of them as being a "mean" or "bad" person, ask what in the environment might have prompted them to act that way. Thinking more broadly about the environment and situational factors that shape behavior allows space for empathy - to put oneself in another's shoes and consider how you would react if you were in their situation. This relates to how negative rumors are spread through organizations, professional assessments/evaluations, and any number of other interpersonal issues in the workplace. 

3. Trust – I firmly believe (and research supports) the role of authenticity in building trust. 

4. Advocacy – I think of this in two ways. The first involves advocating for junior talent when you are in a position of power and lifting up voices that are traditionally marginalized. The second relates to advocacy in that business plays a large role in societal well-being and collectively organizations can shift to more sustainable and equitable practices as relates to how they treat their employees and also the products/services they offer to consumers. 

How I Grow Good Relationships

In Social Media, everyone has something to say, but few are actually listening - that is, first trying to understand before responding. Social media has changed how and where many people do their listening and fact-finding, but not the fundamental need to listen.

Listening is an art that requires daily dedication, discipline and skill-honing. It is the subtle half of a meaningful conversation. For many today, with earbuds tucked into their ears, the art of listening has taken on a different meaning. Fewer conversations, it seems, take place face-to-face. For those that do, it feels like the art of listening has evaporated, and we’re left with a series of one-way exchanges.

If you’re tuned in and genuinely interested, you’ll want to visit, in-person, with [warm] social media contacts to see whether there is an opportunity to help each other.

The practice of connecting on social media can give the appearance of creating something that, on the surface is genuine, but in reality is hollow and meaningless. For many, it’s simply a cold way to name-pile, without truly knowing or understanding who the connections are, and what value or needs you can provide or satisfy - on their terms.

I created a learning mnemonic — C.R.O.P. — which helps me grow good relationships, both digitally, and in-person.

1. Commonality — What is the thread that unites you and the person you’re engaging - fellow alumni, shared values?

2. Reciprocity — Once you have the thread established, how do you provide and give, without expecting anything in return?

3. Opportunity — What are the ways in which you can visit with the person, either face-to-face or, if need be, via Skype or Zoom, for example, and see what it is you can offer?

4. Purpose — What is the underlying nature of the relationship? What does the follow-up look like? What are you trying to nurture?

Give this learning aid a go; you’ll be surprised to see how effective it could be provided you’re listening and giving first, and often.