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Reconceptualizing the Workspace

Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 8:58 PM

In the news: How publishers and other companies are reimagining office layouts, and the concept of work, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

After a year-plus of remote work, some companies are opting not to turn back the clock to prepandemic conventions. Tony Case of Digiday.com explores how some companies are shrinking their office space footprint and reimagining work as “‘a set of activities, not as a place,’” to quote Daybase CEO Joel Steinhaus. Case examines how companies such as Daybase and Angi are adapting to a new way of working that will endure long after the pandemic is declared over.

At Angi, Case reports, CEO Oisin Hanran has opted to trim office space and will be “reinvesting that capital into his team and company culture initiatives…. Angi plans to reduce the footprint of two of its three offices in the U.S. In doing so, it is eliminating all personal offices (including that of the CEO) in favor of an open office plan and more conference rooms.” Read more here.

Also Notable

Gannett Sells 24 Publications to Local Owners

Recently, there’s been a trend toward larger publishing conglomerates selling local news outlets back to community-based owners. Kristen Hare of Poynter.org discusses this migration of local news ownership this week and offers a complete list of publications that have been sold to local owners, including the Miami News-Record and Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror. See the full list of titles here.

Challenging Times for Outside Magazine

This past winter, iconic outdoors magazine Outside was purchased by MapMyFitness app developer Robin Thurston, who also owns, among others, Backpacker, Climbing, and Trail Runner magazines. Thurston tells Murray Carpenter of the Washington Post that “print publications need to fight declining subscriptions and ad sales, attract younger audiences, and compete against an avalanche of free online content while also remaining authentic.” It’s a tall order, especially for a brand that has struggled with ailing print revenue in recent years. Carpenter says, “His solution is bundling digital subscriptions to all of the magazines into a $99-a-year Outside Plus subscription. Members get print subscriptions to Outside and another magazine of their choice, plus perks such as a mapping app, two books a year and reduced entry fees for athletic events.” Read more here.

White House Reporters Masking Up Again

This week, the White House announced that its reporters will be required to wear masks again. According to Alex Gangitano of TheHill.com, “The mask requirement for the White House press pool is reimposed for all indoor spaces at the White House.... The move follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which adjusted its mask recommendations on Tuesday to advise fully vaccinated people to wear masks in ‘public, indoor settings’ in areas of the country with ‘substantial’ or ‘high’ levels of transmission.” Read more here.

Self-Care for Burned-Out Media Professionals

This week, Hannah Storm of Journalist.co.uk shares her self-care tips for journalists feeling overworked and other media workers. Among them: reducing notifications and limiting meetings. Read the complete list here.

Is an Editorial Brain Drain Happening?

With magazine publishing in a constant state of flux, made more pronounced by the pandemic, some editors are using their positions as a stepping stone to jobs in other industries, particularly tech. Read about it in BusinessInFashion.com here. (Note: Content is behind a paywall.)

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