How can newsrooms survive and thrive in an era of less?

Creative Circle Media Solutions and the Inland Press Association are co-sponsoring a conference that will tackle the most difficult questions facing editors and newsrooms today as they confront new demands for content with shrinking staff, news holes and budgets.

"One of the things our clients have found most challenging is truly changing their content to match their shrinking resources and, at the same time, becoming more relevant to their audiences," said Bill Ostendorf, founder and president of Creative Circle. "Either challenge would be daunting in the best of times, but cutting staff while shifting direction can be especially difficult."

Content 2.0 will explore alternative approaches to content creation and presentation – all with a focus on maximizing impact on the audience and the media organization's bottom line.

"I believe the biggest issue facing newspapers today isn't which social network or digital channel to focus on," said Ostendorf. "It is 'What should I cover with half the reporters and half the news hole I had a decade ago?' There just hasn't been enough focus in the industry on that core question."

Content 2.0's program will follow a unique format: A small group of speakers, many of them Creative Circle consultants, will interact with participants over the course of the two-day workshop to develop realistic solutions for today's hard-pressed newsrooms. How do we create content that excites and engages people?

Content 2.0 will address the tough questions challenging editors and publishers everywhere.

Among them:

• What can I stop covering, and where should I initiate new coverage to maximize our audience?
• How can I best use young reporters with new skills that I myself might not even understand?
• How do I maintain quality when the budget cuts never seem to stop?
• How can I change the culture of our newsroom?
• What is the role of user-contributed content and paid content – and how do I protect our organization's integrity while deploying these new approaches to content?
• How can our newsroom best handle the personal side of layoffs and new job responsibilities while keeping our team motivated?
• How can I improve my product without spending more money?
• Is print dying? Should I shift more resources to digital or video or social efforts? And how much or how fast?

"There is a need to have a lot more dialogue about these kinds of issues than there has been up to now in the industry. These are tough, personal, real-life issues," said Ostendorf. "Our goal must be to improve content by changing in big, and small, ways."

"We're excited to again partner with Bill and Creative Circle in this conference," said Patty Slusher, Inland's director of membership and programming. "We have always found their programs to be targeted and deeply informative.  And Bill himself is an energetic and motivating workshop leader."

Ostendorf, who will lead the faculty, is very much a change agent. He has helped redesign more than 500 newspapers and magazines and led thousands of training sessions in 23 countries. He's still in client newsrooms on a regular basis, helping editors work through daily coverage issues. The Content 2.0 faculty team will include editors from papers of all sizes. They come with experience at large chains, including GateHouse Media and Gannett, as well as family-owned newspaper operations.

Content 2.0 sessions will be conducted at the Seyfarth Shaw Conference Center at the Citadel, 131 S. Dearborn St. in downtown Chicago.

Hotel accommodations are nearby at The Palmer House, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago. For reservations call (312) 726-7500.

Register for Content 2.0: Changing our approaches to coverage and storytelling at www.inlandpress.org.