Changing newsrooms 2021: Hybrid working and improving diversity remain twin challenges for publishers

The return to the office is underway but with COVID lingering in a number of countries, progress remains uneven and uncertain. This report, which is based on a survey of 132 senior industry leaders from 42 countries as well as a series of in-depth interviews, makes clear that ‘hybrid working’ will soon be the norm for the vast majority of journalists in many news organisations – with some people in the office and others working remotely. As news organisations think about the future, they must balance operational requirements with new expectations from employees around flexibility and personal autonomy, and handle the shift to hybrid work in the context of ongoing challenges around attracting talent and addressing lack of diversity. In the light of the Black Lives Matter movement and greater awareness of historic injustices, ethnic diversity remains the biggest priority for media companies – identified by 37% as the single most important priority in terms of improving newsroom diversity.