'Change'  isn't a four-letter word
By Amanda R. Hiatt

  Change. A word that strikes fear in the heart of most anyone. Let's face it, we all say we are ready for it, but once it arrives, the whining commences. And any type of change in a newsroom is often met with opposition because the truth is, journalists are really good at griping and hardly ready for change.
  These days the changes could be the ever-encroaching presence of the Internet and broadcast media (sometimes in your own newsroom), pagination or new computer systems meant to bring you to your knees before the MIS technicians.
  Well, worry no longer, at least on how to deal with it.
  Marietta Dunn of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mike Waller of the Baltimore Sun and Elaine Kramer of The Morning Call have a few tips for wading through the dozens of changes that face anyone in the publishing industry.
  Dunn and Waller have experienced their fair share of change over the years. Both are veterans of the business. Dunn has been with the Inquirer since 1980. She has held a variety of positions including deputy business editor, deputy features editor and the chief of the features copy desk. Currently she is assistant managing editor/copy desks at the Inquirer. Before she came to the Inquirer, she worked at the Kansas City Times, where she served as copy chief, makeup editor and night city editor.
  Waller, who has about 40 years experience in the business, is the publisher and chief executive of the Baltimore Sun. Previously he was the CEO of The 
 

 Hartford Courant in Connecticut. He started his career at The Decatur Herald in Illinois. He has done it all, serving as sports clerk, reporter, copy editor and wire editor at the Herald. He has also worked at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times.
  Kramer also has substantial experience in
newspapers. Currently she is the editor and vice
president for news at The Morning Call in Allentown,
Pa., where she has also served as managing editor.
Before coming to The Morning Call, she spent 12 years at The Hartford Courant, where she was Page One editor, copy desk chief and a copy editor in the
features department.
   In the Handling Change seminar, Dunn and Waller focused on some basic things to make change a little less painful. They talked about the biggest mistakes people make when confronted with change, including acting like a victim or trying to control the uncontrollable. 
   They also focused on how to deal with those resistant to change. They suggested finding out what a person's real fears are and understanding the reasons for resistance. When implementing change, they suggested that those in charge listen and have a clear direction. Most important is to explain what is going on to those affected and to provide adequate training.

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Amanda R. Hiatt is a copy editor and slot editor at the Winston-Salem Journal. She can be reached at  arhiatt@yahoo.com.