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In our last issue, I wrote about the implications of journalism’s “always-on” culture and how it’s localized in the panic in our guts when we hear the Slack knock brush notification sound. If Slack is the new office, then Slack culture is our work culture, and it’s worth thinking about how we structure it more intentionally.
We’re two years into the pandemic and working remotely, so I wanted to hear from you about what your new Slack rules are:
“I no longer download Slack onto my phone and I don't check for messages after I've logged out for the day (rather than telling myself I won't check and still doing so ‘just in case’).” - Jess
“One place I freelance has a 10 a.m. check-in where editors say very briefly what they're focusing on that day (e.g. "reporting and transcribing"). Makes you feel like you're all working together even when remote.” - Sally
“Treat it like text messages. People will get back to me when they get back to me. I also try to communicate the same for others. It's not really instant anymore.” - Carren
I also have a few tricks: I’m Team Do Not Disturb at all times. My phone has been on vibrate mode since 2014. I’ve turned off all Slack sounds and disabled the red dot notification (yes, even when I’m tagged! Freelancer privileges.). And I swear by hiding the little red number to show how many emails you have on your phone.
These solutions are helpful, but they’re also individual solves for the larger systemic issue that is chaos in our digital lives. So what can be done on an institutional level to make things better for everyone?
I’ve been a member of the Journalists of Color Slack for years and I have always appreciated how thoughtfully it’s moderated to create a productive, fun and respectful environment for so many people working across newsrooms, specialties and time zones. So I reached out to one of its admins, Sisi Wei, who is also co-executive director of OpenNews, to see how she thinks about running an intentional and humane Slack community. |
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Start with the culture you want and build your Slack to reflect that. It’s easy to think of workplace culture as one thing and Slack as another, but Wei says that’s a mistake. “Just think about it as a digital place where we're all talking to each other,” she said. “How do you want that place to feel? And then everything specific to the technology is just, ‘What can I take advantage of to create that feeling?’”
For example, moderators of JOC are aware that people are working across time zones and that their Slack isn’t a primary workplace Slack. So whenever someone mentions @channel, which tags everyone in a given channel, a bot responds to ask them to please refrain from tagging everyone.
Use Slack to solve problems (not create them). Slack has been around for nine years. There’s no reason we should still be using it in default mode. If you notice that people are posting the same questions over and over, consider creating a bot that’s triggered by a keyword.
Wei gave another example of a Slack at a larger organization where, during remote work, it was difficult for people to meet across teams. So they created an opt-in channel that randomly paired people up each week to meet for a digital coffee. “In a world in which your employees are not all working in the same place, it’s a wonderful tool to help people get to know each other and their colleagues better.”
Anyone can set boundaries. If you’re an individual in a workplace that hasn’t thought so carefully about how workplace culture extends to Slack, it can feel impossible to change the culture. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn't try. “There are too many people who are scared it won't work and so the culture isn't able to shift yet. But I’m pretty sure it will,” Wei said. If one person can articulate the boundaries that work for them, then that can open doors for their colleagues or direct reports to think about what they need from their work culture, too.
If you want to read more about building an intentional Slack community, check out this piece that Wei wrote with Sophie Ho about creating and moderating the DEI Coalition Slack as well as Amanda Hickman’s guide to fostering community on Slack. |
In every other newsletter issue, I highlight someone who is looking for a journalism job. If you’d like to submit yourself to be featured, fill out this Google Form!
This month’s featured job seeker is Isabeth Mendoza (she/her). She’s looking for remote full time work or freelance work in audio production and writing. |
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Isabeth Mendoza (she/her) |
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Here’s what she had to say:
Isabeth is a freelance audio journalist and writer from Southeast Los Angeles. She loves to explore stories where identity, social science, and culture intersect. Isabeth is part of the inaugural cohort of NPR’s Code Switch fellows where you can listen to her most recent work as well as on NPR’s Life Kit and KQED’s Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosley, among others. Isabeth is an NPR Next Generation Radio alum and mentor, an IWMF Gwen Ifill Fellow, and a former NPR National Desk intern. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley.
Work she’s proud of: Can therapy solve racism?
Get in touch with Isabeth: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn |
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