In Episode #17 of Better Leaders - The Podcast, I’m speaking to Jane Barrett, Global Editor for Media News Strategy at Reuters. We talk about her exciting career path through a variety of innovation roles; how to craft jobs that haven't existed before and how new generations have different expectations regarding their careers. We also tap into the importance of deliberate culture change, and the need to preserve what is essential to journalism, but change many of our processes and traditions to make the media industry better. Finally, we hear Janes advice on the importance of building and fostering strong, diverse teams.
About Our Guest
Jane Barrett has worked in journalism and at Reuters for more than 20 years but jokes that she has had five careers in that time. Her passion is to lead people positively through change and has been at the forefront of some of the industry battles through digital disruption and transformation.
She's currently the Global Editor for Media News Strategy at Reuters where she has led several waves of digital transformation. As part of the Editorial leadership team, she now has responsibility for editorial innovation and new business, including AI, audio, fact-checking and events. She also works closely with Reuters global media clients to improve the agency’s output and modernise journalistic formats and content.
Previously, Jane led a huge multimedia transformation of global newsroom to better serve clients and consumers in a digital age. She has also been the business editor for EMEA, started up a financial video service and was a reporter in Italy and Spain. Outside Reuters she is a trustee of Podium.me, a charity that gets young people into journalism and storytelling through podcasts, and is a board member of the World Editors’ Forum.
About Your Host:
Anita Zielina is the CEO and founder of Better Leaders Lab. She's also an Executive in Residence at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, where she spent the last few years leading all continuing and executive education initiatives. Anita serves as the inaugural Board Chair of News Product Alliance (NPA) and is a member of the board of directors at the Austrian Public Broadcaster ORF.
For the past 15 years, Anita held senior executive positions focused on product, strategy and innovation in various media and education organizations as Chief Product Officer, Managing Editor Digital, Editor-in-Chief and Director Strategic Initiatives. She has worked with around 500 managers, leaders and entrepreneurs as a consultant, coach and educator.
She holds a Master in Law from Vienna University and an Executive MBA from INSEAD. Anita is an alumna of the Stanford Knight Journalism Fellowship and the Oxford Reuters Institute Fellowship.
About Better Leaders Lab:
Better Leaders Lab is a Do and Think Tank for good leadership and smart management in media and beyond and a boutique strategic advisory firm. BLL specializes in organizational change, strategy and scenario planning, leadership development and executive recruiting research. Its goal is to empower managers, leaders and organizations in the broader media, digital & innovation space to build successful, sustainable, modern and healthy businesses.
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