“When you are the editor in chief of Rusbase”: a new podcast about working with content and a career in technology media

    This is a podcast with those who write, edit, shoot photos, videos and manage content creation. Today we have prepared for you a text version of the fifth issue.

    His guest is Svetlana Zykova, the chief editor of Rusbase , a publication on technology and business. We are talking about career, working insights, "kitchen" and new edition projects.


    In the photo: Svetlana Zykova - chief editor of Rusbase - technology and business publications



    alinatestova : Svetlana, hello. We are very glad to see you in our podcast. I'll start right off the bat. Tell me, please, how did you start your journey in Rusbase?

    What did you do then what are you doing now? How did you come to this?




    Svetlana: I have an unusual story. I did not want to be a journalist. But it so happened that I went to journalism. After that, at some point, I thought that being a journalist, writing and changing the world was great. But I did not know in what area of ​​journalism I want to develop.

    Later I realized that I wanted to work in an IT company. I became interested in the media on the topic of technology. At that time it was Rusbase and vc.ru. Then I thought that it is possible to combine IT and journalism - go to work in the media, where they write about technology.

    Then my classmate Elina Kirillova worked as the editor-in-chief of Rusbase. I immediately wrote to Elina. It turned out that they had two vacancies, and I went to one of them.

    For me, it was all a series of accidents. I did not set a goal to get into Rusbase, but gradually I realized that this is what I want. I am glad that everything happened that way.

    I was taken to the vacancy of the UGC-editor (UGC - User-generated content). We have such an editor engaged in copyright columns - working with external authors. Despite the fact that we have become more, all this work is still performed by one person.

    External authors are representatives of companies, although there are also independent experts. They need to communicate, approve topics, help to adapt materials to our format. This is a great editorial work, and not something that can be called classic journalism.

    I worked for a position of a UGC editor for a little over a year. Elina, editor-in-chief, changed the field of activity and left the publication. Everyone decided that it was logical to take the place of Glavred person from the team and chose me. So in 2016 I became the head of the editorial office of Rusbase.



    A: Tell me, please, what do you have to do as editor-in-chief? How have your responsibilities changed compared to the position of the UGC editor?



    S: These are very different things. In UGC, you have many authors, huge correspondence in the mail, but this is one section. You do not go into what other editors are doing. Each has its own area of ​​responsibility. I had to study from the inside what other sections do.

    I gradually formed an understanding of how to prepare material of any format on Rusbase, and not just the author’s columns. Understood what is suitable, what is not suitable.

    At the position of a UGC editor, a person knows how to make an ideal material from the position of UGC content. But as an editor-in-chief, you should understand everything and quickly respond to any situations - I also had to learn this.

    As an editor I worked a lot in the mail and with texts. As the chief editor, I need to set tasks on all platforms. For example, we have a Telegram and other channels that need to be controlled to a greater extent than a person in the editorial position does.



    A: So, the chief editor is a multi-layered profession. It is clear that Glavred editor-in-chief is different, depending on the publication and site. Tell me, please, what else does the chief editor in Rusbase do? Defines a news or thematic agenda?



    S: It is important for Glavred to see the big picture: look at all the processes, determine where they are going. Glavred tries to make the publication cool, so that the reader likes it.

    Glavred has no control over our news agenda. This is handled by the news department, which has grown a lot in recent years. We used to have one newsman, now there are three of them. There is a head of the news section. I would like to immerse myself in the news more, but this is a huge part of the work, constant monitoring of content. Therefore, the news agenda is not determined by me.

    I have more global tasks. I define a common vision of topics and format, I work with long materials that require more elaboration. I also select people to the editor. I am trying to catch everything and make sure that I like the content of the publication myself.




    A: Given the huge number of tasks, platforms and formats for communicating with people, please tell us what your day looks like? What is the day of the chief editor?



    S: I wake up, wash my face, have breakfast. Then I first look at what is happening on Rusbase. I start working in the morning - I try to complete all the complex tasks before noon. The most productive time for me is from waking up to 12 days.

    In the afternoon, I perform less complex tasks — those that do not need a lot of mental resources, something more mechanical. If in the morning I can do, for example, a plan that requires thoughtfulness, then in the evening I reply to letters in the mail.

    Editors usually work remotely. We have people who love to work in the office. There are those who love to work from home. I can not come to the office early in the morning, like everything in the editorial. Therefore, there is no such thing that you first go to work, and then “turn on”.

    I can come in the afternoon or work from home, but I am always in touch. This is one of the requirements not only to me, but to all editors: during the working day everyone should be in touch.



    A: Tell me, please, is it possible to manage a large media, such as Rusbase, and at the same time keep remote employees and work remotely yourself? Or is it necessary to collect people in one room and say: “Everything, let's work”?



    S: It seems to me that this is counterproductive. Historically, an office is optional for us. Therefore, people who come to us to work immediately understand that no one will stand over you and control.

    At the same time, I understand that working completely remotely is also not an option. We are going once a week for planning. It is easier to approve a section plan if you talk to a person personally and not write him something in Telegram. There are many things that are better done in person.

    At the same time, four people work in Rusbase completely remotely. Our newsman worked for a long time from Latin America. This is also a normal option for us.

    K: And how did you cope with the time difference?

    S: We distribute the news so that people on their duty “cover” the maximum number of hours in a day. Therefore, a newsman from Latin America worked on "his" time. For us, this was a plus, because in Moscow at this time of day it is not always possible to find someone who would happily go to work every day.



    A: Surely there are people among editors who plan to develop into managers, chief editors, managers. What competencies that are not related to journalism and writing need to be “grown” by the editor-in-chief?



    S: First of all - the desire and ability to work. Many people love to work from nine to five with a lunch break. And that's all. I’m not for that workaholism when you have to work 24 hours a day, but I’m talking about getting rid of laziness, doing quality work so that you don’t have to check for you. We must try not to work "on the back". All this can be done only if you like the process itself, you want to work for the result.

    Still need to develop the ability to plan. Plans are important not only for the chief editor, but also for section editors. You must be able to make a plan, to comply with it. To understand why this or that does not work, what needs to be changed. This also includes the planning of the working day and time. Therefore, planning is the second core competency.


    The third is love for people. Even if you're a desperate misanthrope, you can work together with anyone. If you have common goals, and you understand how to find an approach to a person in a working environment. It will be easier if people (especially colleagues) like you. Therefore, it is an important quality.

    A: It turns out that in addition to planning and things that are associated with competences, the mindset is very important - the mood for your publication to develop as successfully as possible.

    S: I agree. The love of publishing - your place of work - is very important.



    A: On the day of the recording of our podcast, Rusbase celebrates its sixth birthday. Tell me, please, how has the edition changed since the beginning of your work?



    S: First, we have become more and, in my opinion, better. With the growth of the edition, both the editors and the traffic are growing, the content is changing. We started with the publication about startups and business. Then we began to talk about business in general. Since 2016 (when we bought rb.ru) another big part has been added - “Career”. Now we are adding the direction "Children."

    A: Tell, please, about this direction.

    S: We want to take up the thematic block “Children”. Not in the sense that we will write about parenting, although this is also possible. We will remain within the framework of the basic concept - business and technology, but now we have them “for adults only”. Mainly for those who have already launched their business or want to develop as a specialist in technology companies.

    Working with children is working with our future audience, as well as with parents who want to bring up entrepreneurs, technical specialists or “professionals of the future” from their children. The latter will work in new industries: from the colonization of Mars and to the development of technologies and ideas like free cars.

    These are the professions of the future, about which there is still little content. We want to create more materials on the topic and not only for an adult audience, but also for the younger generation.



    A: This direction is not entirely obvious. Not all media support similar topics and concentrate more on education. Why did you decide to occupy this niche?



    S: We saw that at the junction of our educational topics there is a niche that is still free. We have already published articles about courses for children , about what needs to be studied now in order to become a sought-after specialist in the future. We see that the audience is interested. The theme of the future, the theme of the generation that will do business after us is very interesting.

    A: Tell me, please, what will change in Rusbase after the appearance of a new direction? Will new headings appear? Will the reader have something radically new on the site?

    S: In the global sense, the new direction will attract not only entrepreneurs, but also parents who have not been interested in technology and business before. So we would like to.

    We’re joking that comments from the series “you don’t understand anything, I know how to” appear. Now we do not have this. If there are such discussions, it will be more interesting.

    A: In your opinion, is it necessary to provide content for teenagers in some other way?

    S: It all depends on those whom we consider adolescents. Part of our content is already aimed at first-year students, high school students who want to start their business. If we talk about this audience, it is important for them to feel involved in large-scale and global things. However, they do not want to associate themselves with children. They do not want to read articles on how to start a business student. Even if it is a schoolboy, he will not read an article with such an obvious title, because he considers himself an adult.

    Therefore, we are working on language and presentation for this audience. I think that in our formats and materials for an audience of a certain age, a lot of things will change.



    A: Do you think other media will come to this model? Will they reach a young audience? Is this a trend that everyone is taking to work, or is a completely new niche so far?



    S: It seems to me that this is a trend. Many media are already working with video. Using video content is often an attempt to capture an audience that does not want to read texts. Such an audience prefers to watch something performed by bloggers. These people are 18–20 years old, and the media already want to work with them. I think we are joining the trend of “working with young people” and at the same time we are capturing a new niche, adapting this model for ourselves.



    A: I still have a blitz of two short questions.



    First question: A cool text should ...

    C: ... sell :)

    And the second: Managing the editorial board is ...

    From: ... being the editor-in-chief :)

    A: Excellent. Thank!



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