Team building for media companies

The best team building for media companies fits the news cycle: a 60-minute hosted game show or improv class after the evening show or before the morning meeting, with editorial, ad sales, production and tech on mixed teams and every bureau or station on one call. Every activity has a live host and a live price.

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Journalists and producers in a newsroom laughing during a hosted team game on a video call with other bureaus after the evening show

Media team building activities for storytellers

Improv and comedy, quizzes a newsroom will argue about, and kits for an hour away from the deadline. Each runs about 60 minutes, and prices are live from our catalog.

Hosted games and workshops need about 2 weeks; kit workshops about 3 weeks for US addresses. See all activities.

Deadlines and on-air schedules: when a newsroom can stop

There is no quiet hour for everyone. Pick the slot for each part of the company, then run the same event more than once if you need to.

  • Broadcast

    After the evening show

    Start once the evening newscast is off the air and the next one is hours away. The late show crew gets its own session.

  • Morning show

    Early afternoon

    A team that starts before dawn is done by lunch. Book the hour right after, not at 6 pm when they are asleep.

  • Digital and print

    Before the morning meeting

    An hour before the news meeting sets the day's list, or the afternoon after an issue or edition closes.

  • Ad sales and business

    Away from quarter end

    Sales chases the quarter and the big upfront and renewal deals. Book in the first weeks of a quarter.

Editorial, ad sales, production and tech on one call

A media company is several companies under one roof. The event is the hour they share.

Is your company the agency that makes campaigns for clients? See team building for agencies. Planning for the marketing team alone? See marketing team building.

  • Keep it social, not editorial. No story pitches or coverage talk. Editorial and the business side can play on the same team without crossing any line.
  • Mix the desks. Put a reporter, a seller, an editor and an engineer on each team. They share a building and rarely a conversation.
  • Invite freelancers and contributors. Count them in the headcount, send the invite to the email they file from, and make it optional for people paid by the piece.
  • Leave room for breaking news. Someone always gets pulled out. A hosted game keeps going when a team loses a player mid-round.

Several bureaus or stations on one call

Station groups, bureaus and imprints rarely meet in one room. One video call brings them together.

  • Station group

    Every station on one call

    Each newsroom puts the game on its own screen, or people join on their own laptops so teams mix across markets.

  • Bureaus

    One session per time zone

    A bureau in London and a desk in Los Angeles can't share a 6 pm. Book a session for each side of the ocean.

  • Night and weekend desks

    Their own session

    The people who keep the site and the air live at night get the same event at a time they are awake.

Why creative formats suit people who tell stories

A newsroom is full of people who perform, write and argue for a living. Give them formats that use it.

  • Improv and comedy

    Listening, reacting and building on someone else's line is the daily work of a live interview. Here it is just play.

  • Game shows and quizzes

    Fast, loud and scored. Media people like to be right in public, and a quiz lets them be.

  • Writing and art kits

    Making something nobody will edit, rank or publish. For many in media that is the rare part.

Media holiday party: December 2026 book-by dates

Hosted games need about 2 weeks, kits about 3 weeks for US addresses and about 5 weeks with anyone in Canada or abroad.

Book-by dates for a December 2026 media company holiday party
Party dateHosted gameKits, US addressesKits, Canada or abroad
Tue, Dec 15, 2026Tue, Dec 1Tue, Nov 24Tue, Nov 10
Wed, Dec 16, 2026Wed, Dec 2Wed, Nov 25Wed, Nov 11
Thu, Dec 17, 2026Thu, Dec 3Wed, Nov 25Thu, Nov 12

Full party plans are on virtual holiday party.

  • Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Holiday coverage and travel staffing take that week. Keep it clear.
  • Mid-December is the window. Tuesday to Thursday, December 15 to 17, 2026, after the evening show or before the morning meeting.
  • Year-end coverage runs late. Year-in-review pieces and holiday programming fill the last two weeks, so the party goes before them.
  • Have a backup date. A big story moves everything. Rescheduling at least 2 days before the event is free on every activity on this page.

What it costs for a desk, a newsroom or a group

Totals from our live catalog prices for 20, 60 and 150 people.

  • Card or invoice. Reserve with a 50% deposit by card, or book on a purchase order and get an invoice instead.
  • One account for every station or brand. Enterprise accounts can use monthly invoicing and a budget per team.
  • Freelancers count as guests. Add them to the headcount like staff. A kit ships to whatever address they enter.
Total price for a media desk, newsroom and station group, by headcount
ImprovHosted improv workshop20 people$95060 people$1,350150 people$1,350
Your Favorite Game Shows!Hosted game show20 people$97560 people$1,415150 people$2,075
PaintingKit shipped to each home20 people$1,45960 people$3,619150 people$8,479

Kit prices include continental US shipping; Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, Canada and other countries cost extra per kit. Need your exact number? Get a free quote.

Media team building questions

What is good team building for media companies?

A 60-minute hosted game or improv class booked around the news cycle, after the evening show or before the morning meeting, with editorial, ad sales, production and tech on mixed teams and every bureau or station on the same call.

What works for newsroom team building?

Short, live formats that survive someone getting pulled onto a story: a hosted game show, a film or music quiz, or an improv class. Keep it social and away from coverage, and give the night desk its own session.

Is this different for publishing companies?

The calendar is. A magazine or book publisher works to issue closes and list dates rather than airtimes, so book the week after a close. Writing and painting kits suit editors and designers who want an hour off the page.

Can freelancers and contributors join?

Yes. Count them in the headcount and send the invite to the email they use with you. Kits ship to each person's own address, with continental US shipping included.

Can several stations or bureaus play together?

Yes. Everyone joins one video call on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Webex. Each newsroom can play as a team from its own screen, or people join on their own laptops so teams mix across markets. Bureaus far apart in time usually get a session each.

How much does team building for a media company cost?

It depends on the format and headcount: the improv workshop is $950 for up to 25 guests, and a painting kit workshop for 25 is $1,729. Each activity page shows the price for your headcount, and a 50% deposit holds the date.

When should we book a December 2026 holiday party?

For Tuesday, December 15, 2026: book a hosted game by December 1, a kit workshop by November 24, or by November 10 if anyone lives in Canada or abroad.

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