The Change Business Hates Change

Management and Wisdom are two different words for good reason.

I was once a newspaper boy on a bike. This is a more glamorous rendering.

News people report change for a living. Try changing them.

News and Comms people are predictable and hate reading that.

News is about reporting change. Comms exists because somebody wants people to know something changed. Change is the currency for both fields.

So it’s ironic they are both remarkably resistant to accepting change at work.

You had to live through some of it to appreciate the pattern. I worked through the manual typewriter, the electric typewriter, then the keyboard. The field crews and the control room crews had much more change, and the skills required changed. Some gripes were fair. For example, expecting high-end animations meant for movies to render in time for the next newscast had predictable consequences. Imagine trying to make Instagram work on a walkie talkie.

Change is the one thing that keeps, well, changing.

If you’re from New York and old enough, at WCBS Newsradio 88, Lou Adler and Jim Donnelly in the morning. Lou doubled as news director. (See? It was already happening, 50 years ago…). An engineer sat on the other side of the glass. Jim raised a hand for an audio cart. The engineer pushed the button.

“I’m Lou Adler.” “I’m Jim Donnelly. This is WCBS, NewsRadio 88. The CBS World News Roundup is next. It’s 8 O’Clock.“ DING! @1978. Black Rock. 51 W. 52nd St. 16th floor.

Dedicated news guys. Terrific “pipes.” Wonderful system.

Until some CBS boss noticed that if a news anchor could raise his hand to tell an engineer to push a button, perhaps the anchor could push the button.

Every generation remembers its methods as a little purer than whatever comes next.

And they might have a point. Think how the quill pen fell when Guttenberg came along. Probably like the hammer and chisel. Which brings us to this week.

Caroline Collins at FOX 26 Houston: anchoring, producing, directing and handling audio during a live streaming newscast.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE TAKEN CONTROL

News item: FOX 26 Houston anchor Caroline Collins went viral showing herself anchoring a streaming newscast while also punching cameras, graphics, audio and video sources.

She called it “incredibly stressful” as she flashed a big warm anchor smile into a selfie video she was recording to post online. More people have now seen her on social media than the streaming news she was doing.

There’s something wonderfully 2026 about that.

TV people around the country immediately donned their beads from Mardi Gras to clutch something. It’s been years since they were paid enough to buy pearls. Many were aghast. One widely circulated LinkedIn reaction called the setup “GUT WRENCHING.”

Maybe they’re right.

We don’t know.

That’s what experiments are for.

Management gets to change things.

That doesn’t make every change wise.

Yet another good reason to keep your door closed.

News Item: PLEASE CLOSE THE REFRIGERATOR

Meanwhile, NBC News weighs in with the comic relief.

While television people were commiserating that Houston might not have enough humans doing the news, the very well-resourced NBC News organization promoted this helpful piece of information:

Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed if you want the food inside to stay cold during a power outage.

The Internet responded appropriately.

Before the well-staffed people in the bow of the boat laugh too hard at Houston taking on water in the aft, somebody might remind them:

It’s the same boat.

Humans remain perfectly capable of embarrassing moments without any assistance from automation.

Mr. Met sees a better 2027 ahead.

O.A.T. Update: GOODBYE 2026

We started the lost season with #FireStearnsFirst on social media.

When manager Carlos Mendoza was fired, we began the #FireStearnsNext. Yes, that was us. And it became a loud drumbeat from many fans.

Steve Cohen’s heard it, read it, all season long.

And he did two things managers can admire: First, Cohen publicly backed Stearns. The loyalty is admirable, and if you’re outside NYC, that was a gutsy call.

But the second thing is just as notable: he smoothly announced he’d be adding help to the front office. He did it as he sat in the TV booth, then the radio booth, to wrap up the season with the guys, and pay homage to the retiring Howie Rose.

“More voices and opinions.” He didn’t give Stearns up. But he did say he’ll be adding help. And, it was clear, that is his call. As a leader sometimes needs to take charge.

More high-level front-office experience around David Stearns, whom we’ve written about is what’s ahead. That’s healthy and good.

Mets fans can be happy that Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey is joining the Mets as a senior adviser, and David’s wings are getting clipped.

His laughable “run prevention” b.s. likely drove Steve as nuts as the rest of us.

Still, stick with your guy.

Don’t humiliate him. When you do, it says a lot to the rest of the organization.

But at the same time, don’t be aloof. Recognize that absolute power hasn’t been producing acceptable results and add some experienced people in the room.

In management, “help” can be a wonderfully polite word.

Pete Alonso is the RBI king this season in the AL. And the first player ever to be that in both leagues.

“Run prevention” was camouflage when David chose to let Pete walk without even talking or making an offer. It was bad cover fed to a lazy sports press corps who dutifully reported it as zombies might. Until even David dropped it.

Fans will never let go of that. Nor should they.

Let’s call this our Saturday evening post, okay?

News changes.

Technology changes.

Audiences change.

Management gets to change things.

And sometimes the wisest management decision is not to.

Get your work done faster, easier, more accurately. Switch from Cision and the others. You’ll save so much you’ll be able to be down in the front row with your clients.

Change is also what we’re living every day at Eponymos.

Communications teams are being asked to accomplish more with fewer people, while using an assortment of tools and workflows assembled last century.

We’re trying to simplify that for the 21st century demands and changes all around us.

How’d you like some time back? Make your work easier? Our clients are embracing this change.

Take a look at Eponymos or reach out and we’ll give you a live demo.