From Headlines to Deadlines: 5 Journalism Skills Every Internal Comms Pro Should Use

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a journalist. By 11, I was editing the school newspaper; by 18, my CV was full of top (local) media brands. I tried radio, TV, websites and women’s magazines. I spent years writing for a living; chasing the next story, interviewing artists, and living off stale pastries from press conferences.

I loved the rush of getting a story out first, and the pride of spotlighting emerging talents. I also watched newsrooms shrink. Magazines and channels closing. Eventually, I made the inevitable pivot to tech (God bless). And now, here I am, working happily ever after as a comms pro – or as I explained to my child, “I edit the company school newspaper”.

At first I felt like an immigrant, learning a new language and all. Thankfully, I’ve brought a suitcase full of journalist instincts with me. And some things didn’t change: I still tell stories that matter to people, even if those people are now my colleagues and the story is about a new expense policy.

And let me tell you, journalists make brilliant comms pros. 

We’re used to getting thousands of complete strangers to read 800 words about the latest government scandal. Now we know exactly who our audience is and what they care about, getting them to read an internal update or post on our Workvivo platform shouldn’t be hard.

So if you’re a comms person trying to learn newsroom trick or a journalist wondering if internal comms might be your next move, stick around, grab your press pass, and read all about the five essential journalism skills that will change your audience reactions from ‘mark as spam’ to ‘OMG, I love the comms here’.

Skill #1: The art of the headline 

Let’s be honest.

‘February Newsletter’
‘Ops Policy Update’
‘Message from Leadership’

These aren’t headlines. They’re sleeping pills in text form. 

A good headline creates curiosity. It sets expectations. It makes people want to click, open, or tune in. You don’t have to stoop to ‘You Won’t Believe What HR Just Did’, but you can take a page from the clickbait playbook. Try something specific and valuable, like: ‘How Three Teams Saved $200K With One Smart Tweak’. 

Just don’t fake the drama. If your update is about the new coffee machine rules, don’t pretend it’s a corporate revolution.

Try this: Take your next internal announcements and write headlines that would work on the front page of a newspaper. ‘HR Announces Flexible Working Policy’ can become ‘Work From Your Bed (Sometimes): New Flexibility Rules Explained’.

Is this clickbait? Not if the article delivers on the promise. 

Skill #2: The inverted pyramid

In journalism, the inverted pyramid is sacred. It’s how reporters respect readers’ time – starting from the essential details, and moving on in descending order of importance.

In internal comms, we often do the opposite, don’t we? Starting with a background story, accompanied with a few quotes from leadership, some context about the process, and then we reveal the actual update. Think of it as making someone sit through a 20-minute explanation of how flour is milled before telling them there’s cake.

Try this: Start with the most important piece of information so readers can get the main point. Then with each paragraph, ask yourself: if someone stops reading here, do they still get my message?

If not, re-order.

Skill #3: Finding the human angle

When Meta changes its algorithm, reporters don’t lead with code. They write: ‘Your Friends’ Thailand Pics Just Got Harder to Avoid’.

Humans care about other humans. If your update doesn’t make that connection, it gets ignored.

‘Our Q2 Results Are In’ is forgettable.

‘Our Best Quarter Yet: What It Means for Your Bonus and Job Security’ will get clicks.

Try this: For your next announcement, ask yourself: how does this change someone’s daily life? Your new expense system isn’t just a process improvement; it’s ‘How You’ll Get Reimbursed Two Weeks Faster’. Mic drop.

Skill #4: Ruthless editing 

Back in my magazine days, I once had a 2,000-word interview cut down to a single paragraph minutes before we went to print. I managed to breathe through it, but it taught me the most valuable lesson: no one has ever complained that an article was too short.

Yet internal comms often reads like it’s being paid by the word. We bury the message in backstory, disclaimers, and over-explaining. The result? Information overload that guarantees no one reads to the end.

Try this: Take your next draft and cut it in half.

Then trim anything that’s not essential.

Read it again.

Is it painful? Maybe.

Is it better? Absolutely.

Skill #5: Meeting deadlines 

Journalists don’t have the luxury of spending days perfecting a piece. When news breaks, they write and publish their story whether they feel ready or not. In internal comms, we often delay announcements as we wait for more information, the full credit list or approval from seventeen different stakeholders. 

Meanwhile, the rumor mill runs wild, filling the information gap we left behind.

Try this: Adopt the journalist mindset: done is better than perfect. Set a hard deadline for your next comms piece and hit ‘send’ even if it’s not flawless. Because if you don’t tell the story, someone else will, and they might get it wrong.

Can’t find an experienced comms manager? Hire a journalist

When you're looking for someone who can cut through the noise and make important (boring) corporate comms interesting, hire a journalist. They've been training for this their entire career.

Ex-journalists don’t need fancy tools or templates to get started. They are used to becoming instant experts on any topic. They also don’t need AI as crutches; they bring originality, sharp angles, and editorial instincts that AI just can’t replicate (yet).

They’re comfortable interviewing both the CEO and the new hire.

Ex-journalists have no problem pushing back. They don’t flinch at crisis comms, they thrive under pressure and don’t crumble when deadlines loom. They’ll know exactly how to communicate bad news without sugarcoating, spinning, or causing a panic. 

Give journalists a chance.

From corporate announcements to human stories

The corporate world doesn’t need more announcements. It needs stories that connect people to purpose, information that’s actually useful, and comms that respect employees’ time and intelligence.

So channel your inner journalist: find the human angle, respect your readers’ time, and give them a reason to care.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a deadline to meet.

Don’t we all?