I write about outsourcing a lot, for publications like Workforce Management and IncTechnology.com, so I know companies are outsourcing more of what they consider to be non-essential business tasks: processing payroll checks, staffing health benefits call centers or other back-office human resources or finance department duties. Sometimes it’s to reduce overhead costs. Sometimes it’s to modernize certain processes by teaming up with a third party that specializes in that area.
Still, it was a surprise to read this AP story that the Orange County Register is conducting a one-month experiment to outsource some copyediting and page layouts to an editorial outsourcing firm in New Delhi, India. According to the AP account, the month-long trial with Mindworks Global Media will start by the end of June. In it, Mindworks will edit some stories for the Register and lay out one of community papers published by the Register’s parent company, Orange County Register Communications Inc. (Disclaimer: I worked at the OC Register from 1988 to 1995.)
The Register is only the latest newspaper to shift work to India: Mindworks started working with The Miami Herald in January. Late last year the Sacramento Bee said it would outsource some ad production to India, according to the AP report.
I’ve previously written about what newspapers could gain by shifting more editorial work to freelancers. It’s a logical combination of companies wanting to outsource costly functions – like paid editorial staff – to less costly providers – freelancers. It’s also feeds on the trend toward entrepreneurship, especially among Millennial workers who, according to experts, want to be their own bosses so they have more control over their work lives, work/life balance and get rich without having to climb the corporate ladder.
Why aren’t more newspapers going this route? Are they more comfortable outsourcing what could be termed the family jewels – a paper’s editorial product – to a country fall from home rather than to freelancers in their own backyard? That doesn’t make sense. It does point out, however, how little standing writers who are independent contractors have with newspapers and magazines. Maybe it’s up to freelancers to band together and create content and design outsourcing companies that they can pitch to newspapers. It might be out of the normal realm of many freelancers’ businesses, but given how many papers are laying off workers and folding whole sections – or folding entirely – it’d definitely be worth a shot.
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[...] scramble to cut costs in the face of falling advertising, a handful have announced plans to outsource copyediting and page layout to editorial services firms in [...]