SuperVision

Angie Shannon doesn't like to talk about her age. She knows some people judge newsroom managers by their years of experience; she wants to be evaluated on the merits of her work. But since we're talking about age and performance, the morning executive producer of WTSP-TV in Tampa decided to join other TV news managers, talking about the joys and challenges of being young and in charge. Not a bad way to commemorate her 30th birthday.

These 30-ish managers easily cited the advantages they bring to today's changing newsrooms. Sure, they have their share of struggles, and they reveal them. But let's start with a look at the positives, the benefits young leaders believe they deliver: tech-savviness, fresh ideas and a proximity to the front-line work of those they supervise.

RELATED RESOURCES

"The The Curmudgeon and the Kid: A Veteran Reporter and a Young Editor on Working Effectively" by Jill Geisler

TECH-SAVVINESS

Angie Shannon "grew up with Apple," she says. Technology, for her, is fun. She enjoys "being a teacher for things on the Net" for her newsroom colleagues. She knows that some of them remember producing news on typewriters, and some still type with two fingers. If they're intimidated by technology, she tries to help both her colleagues and her viewers figure it out.

Similarly, Kyle Grimes, news director at WPTZ/WNNE-TV in Plattsburg, N.Y./Burlington,Vt., recalls a recent staff meeting in which he focused the staff's attention on "the digital shift ... encouraging older employees to become Internet news consumers" to better understand the changing news habits of viewers. Grimes, 29, has been in newsroom management since he was 25 years old. He says, "I am in the first generation of people who don't really remember life without some form of a computer. That familiarity with technology has allowed me to adapt to our changing digital business. I think that adaptation would have been much more difficult if I had not been a child of the computer age."

FRESH IDEAS

Heidi Gojkovich became executive producer at KCCI-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, when she was 27. Now, at 30, she continues to feel that "my age and lifestyle now give me ideas that are often unique and wouldn't have occurred to others. We tend to bring up stories we're personally interested in, and oftentimes, your own life and surroundings and friends are great fodder; you just have to actively seek those ideas out." Like other markets its size, Des Moines isn't a hotbed of breaking news, so stations count on staffers for enterprising stories, and Gojkovich is pleased to deliver.

Nicole Graham, 28, morning executive producer at WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, says she doesn't exhibit the "sense of complacency" that can creep into any news operation. "I think I'm more open to new ideas, trying new camera shots, new segments for shows, etc., than someone who may have 'been there, done that' time and time again." Graham must be doing something right. Her news director, Brennan Donnellan, says she's one of the most talented young managers he's ever known. "She was an intern less than five years ago, but she has such great people skills and a singular vision, a great team-builder."

BEEN THERE, RECENTLY

Theresa Sechrist, 27, is a brand new executive producer at WYFF-TV in Greenville, S.C. She says she decided it was time to move into management when, at her last station, "I realized I was answering a lot more questions than I was asking in the newsroom. I had become the go-to person, and people respected my opinion enough to consult with me before making decisions." Sechrist has no trouble seeing the world through the eyes of the producers she supervises, since she was one of their peers so recently.

"As an EP, I can empathize with the producers' daily challenges because I was line producing myself several months ago. I know what kind of help and support would have made my life a lot easier ... and I can make sure these producers have those advantages. I also think it can open lines of communication. I don't seem very threatening, so some people may not feel as intimidated to ask me a question or bounce off an idea."

Melody Bostic became an assignment editor at 25, then an executive producer at 27. Now, at the grand old age of 28, the EP at WAGT-TV in Augusta, Ga., still feels a link to the youngest members of her staff. She says, "It's nice when someone fresh out of college looks to you for advice because they feel like they have an initial connection to you because you were in their position not too long ago. I want to draw something from everyone I work with, regardless of age, and encourage others around me to do the same."

PERCEPTIONS AND FEARS

For all the benefits they bring to the newsroom, young managers face plenty of professional challenges, too. Some hurdles are perceptions that others hold about them; some are insecurities that haunt them. And then there's the reality that they do, in fact, have a lot to learn. How they address those perceptions, fears and gaps in knowledge is key to their development as leaders.

Tracy Vreeland, news director at WNEG-TV in Toccoa, Ga., moved from reporting to management at 28. Now, a year later, she remembers her early concerns: "In the beginning, you're afraid to make mistakes." She now takes a more mellow approach, because "everyone makes mistakes. The thing I didn't realize is that managers are people." Her secret to learning as she leads is two-fold: she asks lots of questions, and she keeps her hand in the daily work of her troops. From time to time she goes out to shoot and report, so she can see the world through the eyes of her staff.

Mariana Laas, executive producer at Telemundo's KBLR-TV in Las Vegas, thinks most young managers face a "false perception about the lack of experience and responsibility that comes with youth." She moved into management at 30, and, three years later, says she built credibility with her staff by learning all she could about each of their jobs -- and even doing them -- and by building relationships with each person. She recognizes that one thing managers of any age have is information about what's going on in the station. Information is power, and she shares it by keeping people in the loop.

Justin Antoniotti, assistant news director at WISN-TV in Milwaukee, was 28 when he became an EP in Houston. Though he had proved himself as a go-to line producer, he realized that in his new job, it was often much harder to define success or failure on a daily basis. "Many times young managers are simply regarded as someone who won't last long in a role they weren't qualified for in the first place," he says. "Some in the newsroom can also be threatened ... a young manager is sometimes seen as competition instead of another team leader." He was fortunate, he says, to have forged strong relationships with newsroom veterans and to have proved himself in tough situations as a producer. That sounds easy, but today, at 32, he looks back and recognizes that the long hours he put in learning new management responsibilities telegraphed his dedication to the staff, and helped him succeed.

WLWT's Graham says she constantly "has to prove that I am worthy of my position" and to be more knowledgeable about what goes on in the newsroom than her staff, or she may lose respect. "To me," she says, "that means I have to be more well-read, have extensive contacts in the community, be aware of all day parts and what stories we are working each and every day." She also puts in 12- and 13-hour days. Little wonder people have another perception. According to the young EP, "I believe being young gives the perception that I should not tire easily or be easily frustrated. I hear the 'Oh, you're young; you can handle it' comment more often than I'd like to admit!"

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MANAGERS

When asked to give advice to current or aspiring young managers, these up-and-coming news leaders were generous and creative and, in some ways, repetitive. Time and again, they counseled: Ask questions.

KCCI's Gojkovich believes too many young managers avoid asking questions for fear they will lose credibility. "On the contrary," she says, "I think asking questions gives you credibility. It shows you're passionate about the product, thoughtful about the decisions you make and eager to be part of the team by drawing upon others' opinions and experience."

The young managers also stress the importance of building bridges to the most experienced people in the station. WTSP's Shannon relies on 25-year-plus newsroom veterans like senior reporter Mike Deeson and chief meteorologist Dick Fletcher, both of whom have encyclopedic knowledge of the market and the station. She's not afraid to ask them, "Is this a big deal?" or, "Has this happened before?" and to let them know she respects their experience.

WPTZ's Grimes understands that young managers often try to prove themselves by out-working their colleagues, but they need to be careful. He advises: "Try to find balance. Newsroom management can be all-consuming -- just ask my wife! As a new manager I have often felt guilty for closing my door for phone calls, leaving the office for meetings and for taking those two consecutive days off that most people refer to as a weekend! When I am most in balance, I find that I do the best work. When the pendulum starts to shift the other way, it becomes more difficult to keep productivity high. So my best advice: Make time for yourself and try not to feel bad about it."

Oh yes, and keep a sense of humor. WAGT's Bostic recalls a conversation with an older manager who quipped that she probably didn't know that "The Honeymooners" was a TV show. Sure, she replied, who doesn't? But his response was, "Yeah, but you know it through re-runs. Young people!" The offhand comment left her a little unsettled, unsure if it was a joke or an evaluation. Then, recently, she found herself in conversation with a bright 19-year-old associate producer, talking about 1980s TV shows. At one point, she found herself explaining who the "Smurfs" were. "Young people!" she laughed. It seems we all have something to learn.

Jill Geisler heads Poynter's Leadership and Management faculty. She became a TV news director way back in 1978, at the age of 27.