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As pandemic restrictions ease, WAN-IFRA launched a survey to gauge what working arrangements publishers envision going forward, with executives from 72 newsrooms based in more than 30 countries participating in the survey.
Close to half of respondents opting for hybrid model  
Some 52 percent of survey participants currently have a hybrid arrangement in place, while 25 percent have staff in the office full time. Some 22 percent of respondents say staff are still working from home full time.

In the short-term, the majority of those surveyed say the future involves a hybrid model, whereas some 12 percent say staff will continue to work from home compared to some 22 percent who would like staff to return to the office full time. As for longer term plans, 46.5 percent of respondents picture a hybrid newsroom. Some 28 percent see their staff in the office full time, 14 percent envision a full time work-from-home model, and seven percent remain undecided.

For one respondent, “hybrid is the future. We need to embrace it, not find excuses to escape from it.”

Another is also convinced that the hybrid newsroom is here to stay, saying that “all of us will not work at the same place, together, ever again.”
Benefits and drawbacks of the hybrid newsroom
Some of the main benefits survey respondents associate with a hybrid working model are increased flexibility, efficiency, productivity, speed and a better work-life balance. However, it…