Media Management Cases and Analysis by Ameyu Etana

MEDIA MANAGEMENT: CASES AND
ANALYSIS
Ameyu Etana
Graduate student of school of Journalism and
Communication, Addis Ababa University
Located at Addis Ababa; off King George and Algeria Streets
Ameyu Etana, March 2014 Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Email: ameyuetana@gmail.com
Ameyu Etana (2014). Media Management: Cases and Analysis. Addis Ababa University,
Ethiopia. Available at: www.academia.edu
Introduction
Successful managers in the electronic media exhibit strong interpersonal skills and are
particularly adept at leading and motivating employees. Electronic media managers need to be
dynamic, visionary, and motivated in order to lead their operations effectively and create a spirit
of cooperation and participation among all employees (Albarran, Alan B. 2006:13).
As far as I am concerned about media management, the above statement will follow me at each
and every part of this case analysis. The point I want to stress is that, managing creative people is
not as easy as speaking. In spite of that, the professionalism has also influence on the structure of
media organization, no matter what the manager is expected to accomplish his/her task in
coordinating others for the betterment of the overall environment in the organization.
Since I am interested to go through, I did the analysis of both cases in accord with theories of
management, my experience in media industry and the discussion I made with my former
colleagues at the media industry.
Case One
A group of reporters at the Gazette approached the managing editor, Christy Bolden, and said
they wanted to talk about ethics.
What do you mean? she asked.
Well, began Steve Caselli, the senior member of the group, weve noticed some things that
may be conflicts of interest. The newspaper would be embarrassed if they ever got out. And wed
like to talk about it.
I think youve got your facts mixed up. Our standards are impeccable. Are you telling me that
my staff is unethical? she bristled.
Not exactly, said Caselli.
You better not, said Bolden
Can we talk about it?
Ill see.
A week later, Caselli poked his head in Boldens office and asked, Are we going to be able to
talk about ethics? There really are some things you should know.
All right, Bolden said. Im finishing up a project for the publisher. How about the end of next
week, say Friday afternoon at four? Bring the rest of your group and well see what this is all
about.
When the group of four reporters met with Bolden, they laid out several examples that raised
questions of conflict:
The newspapers restaurant critic has been getting free drinks and meals from the
restaurants he writes about. Shouldnt the newspaper be paying for what the critic eats
and drinks?
The city hall reporters boyfriend is an aide to the mayor, who is facing a tough
reelection fight. The boyfriend is slipping our reporter documents that are damaging to
the personal life of the mayors opponent. Isnt it a conflict for one of our staffers to be
covering the mayoral race and having a relationship with the mayors aide at the same
time?
The film critic owns stock in four major film companies. He buys and sells the stock
based on his inside knowledge of whats happening at these companies. Isnt this
unethical?
Last month, the desk killed a story about the sheriffs annual stag dinner at a private
hunting lodge outside the city. Its an invitation-only affair, attended by top local
officials and company executives, and features nude dancing and high-stakes poker, Is it
true the story was killed because the publisher was there?
Yes, I know about all of those instances and more, Bolden said. I guess these needs to be
fixed. Maybe we could work as a committee and write some guidelines.
The committee met every week for three months and wrote an ethics code.
This is a good job, said Bolden. Let me show it to the publisher and then well tell the
staff about it.
Six weeks later, Caselli asked Bolden what the publisher thought of the code.
Ive been busy and havent had a chance to talk to him about it. But I will next week.
Two months later, Caselli asked again.
The publisher had some problems with it, said Bolden. I had to cut a few parts out. But
its okay now and Im going to post the code on the bulletin board this afternoon.
But what about the committee? Caselli interrupted.
1. What do you think was the reason for Boldens defensiveness regarding the possibility of
conflicts of interest?
2. Explain why the level of staff satisfaction changed as communication about the ethics
problem moved from the chain of command to a committee back to the chain of
command.
3. Describe the examples of poor communication and suggest ways communication could
have been improved.
4. How did Boldens verbal and nonverbal cues betray her true feelings about the problem?
How might those cues influence the staffs respect for her work?
Case Analysis One

Characters in the case are as follows:
Media Company: Gazette
Publisher: Name not mentioned
Managing editor: Christy Bolden
Senior member of reporters group: Steve Caselli
What did the act of publisher, managing editor and reporters represent in accord with
theories of media?
Gazette media organization seem to be following a mix model of formal and informal
organization (modern management approach) in which workers are responsible than their
managers, whereas, the managing editor is irresponsible and displayed a laissez faire. However,
as supposed to, she showed as the greatest loyal to her boss (publisher). In this case the publisher
characterized as a manager whose hand is long and can have the upper hand in the organization
regardless of the interests of journalists. Theory Y of Douglas McGregor can exactly resembles
this.
Theory Y does not mean that everything is a free for all; there is still some level of control and
guidance, just not as much as there is with Theory X (assumes managers are responsible and
workers are lazy). One issue that strongly proof this is, in the theory Y when something get
wrong not manager but the management technique that takes responsibility. Thats why the
responsible nature of workers (reporters) that let them asks the issue of ethics in Gazette media
institution. This means, workers are responsible and creative in solving organizational problems.
Additionally, as Stephen Lacy and other stated in their media management book, one of the
informal influences of media structure is professionalism. Those journalists mainly highly
concern of media ethics (conflict of interest) are in need of getting certain of what is going on in
the organization theyre working in. Either the organization hasnt awaked or indoctrinated its
workers with the rule or regulation of the media organization or the style guides of the institution
less addresses the issue of media ethics. I.e. loyalty to journalistic integrity may conflict with the
managements profit motives. For example, management may resist printing a controversial
story that involves an advertiser. Furthermore, the very re-occurrence of the same problem
(media ethics) depicts as other external environment factors necessitate the problem of conflict
of interest in Gazette media institution.
1. What do you think was the reason for Boldens defensiveness regarding the
possibility of conflicts of interest?
Because she knows well of what consequence would it bring if what was asked was applied
before by her staff. Thats why she kept the pace of producing the guidelines slow and told as it
wasnt new for her when asked by reporters. Though the job of managing editor is directly
overseeing all other editors, acting as a supervisor, mentor and guide, it also may communicate
with the advertising department. This is often the case when the advertising department chooses
to publish a special section and needs the editorial sides assistance in providing copy. In
addition, a managing editor typically reviews every article produced by the writers. At every
review, he or she can demand material to be added to or subtracted from the piece; demand or
make corrections; or kill the story, which means that the piece is rejected and never published by
the news company.
Therefore, we can conclude as the very reason why Christy Bolden defended the conflict of
interest issue is the connection of the Gazette with other sources outside, mainly, advertisers,
sponsors or shareholders of the media institution. I.e. connection power. Simply exposing the
existence of conflict of interest may let her and her staff to lose credibility from workers. Thats
why she defended though accepted abused it later.
2. Explain why the level of staff satisfaction changed as communication about the
ethics problem moved from the chain of command to a committee back to the chain
of command?
The level of satisfaction changed for the fact that the boss was already assumed by reporters as
among the dancers whom the story written on was rejected. They lacked credibility from him in
what he does. For one thing, maybe, a member of reporters were aware of the guideline was
about going to be published without the consent of the boss or member of reporters werent
aware of the upper hand of the boss at last. Furthermore, to bring the guideline, the publishers
editing or decision of all what they came across after discussing for three months with managing
editor strictly affected them without having their say.
As Albarran stated in 2006, out of four ethical issues in media management, ethics in news and
public affairs is one. Journalists should avoid situations that produce a conflict of interest,
compromising their ability to cover a story properly. Although, as a manager giving
responsibility for journalists to produce guide line is good, however, at last, rejecting what they
put without their say would be terrible. I think this will change the level of satisfaction of
reporters.
For that matter, this code of ethics is still going to be practiced by these reporters and many other
in future. If so why should he let them do the guide line if not involving them at last? The
decision of the publisher may not wonder us because he was supposed to do so. However, how
could he become loyal to his employers without any interpersonal communication with
reporters? This means, again what happened is yet again going to happen. This means terrible for
the institution since it initiate doubt in the mind of creative workers (reporters).
3. Describe the examples of poor communication and suggest ways communication
could have been improved?
In most instances, the managing editor was not loyal to what she has been saying. In such cases,
misunderstanding and doubt arises and the communication became poor as it didnt achieve its
goal. From the outset, the way she answered the question was offensive. As a managing editor,
she was not supposed to act in a manner she acted since reporters are there to work under her
management. Bristling is an example of poor communication. Rather, it would be best and
ethical, if she had reacted like a wise woman since she is there to listen and discuss with them.
In addition, she has been lying them which is again against management principles. She was not
timely in responding to the questions reporters raised and it would be more vital if she had
contacted reporters with the publisher so as to solve the problem timely.
4. How did Boldens verbal and nonverbal cues betray her true feelings about the
problem? How might those cues influence the staffs respect for her work?
As a managing editor, and as she has told later, she knew everything. However, they way she has
been acting depict as she tries to hide the problem. This is clear betrayal of workers interest since
what she said later and before contradicts. It had been best if she had have acted assertively. In
media workers are creative people. To manage such people needs additional skill. Not only
speaking, but also approach matters. Eloquent speaking, convincing, genuine and verbal
language also contains paralanguage which includes; volume, speaking style, rate, pitch, rhythm,
and pronunciation. All these have meaning which reporters are experienced with.
Unfortunately, the managing editor Christy Bolden lacked many of her true feelings when
speaking and this strongly influence the staffs respect for her work. Members of reporters who
have asked her are under her management including their editors.
Therefore, how could they develop a trust in such a way that what they are going to write is not
going to be vanished? By having this in mind, they may save the respect they have for her. In a
nutshell, way of communication let the managing editor to fallacy. This in turn affect her
reputation within workers again which in turn affect the staff credibility. Finally, this will bring
chaos in the organization.
Case Two
Norman Gardner, the editor of the Gazette, thought of his publisher as a bully. It was awful,
he said to Christy Bolden, the managing editor, after an angry encounter with the publisher one
morning. He acted as if I were a moron whod been sitting around doing nothing before he
came. He banged into my office and started shouting because he thought I should be out in the
newsroom running the show, as he put it. He yelled about missing deadlines and failing to
cover a meeting of bankers last week. He even made a snide remark about the features editor
called her an old biddy.
Maybe hes having an off day, suggested Bolden.
No, this sort of thing is getting to be routine. The other day I took him our plan for
reorganizing the city desk. I showed him the chart of the new lineup that the art department
drew up. He pushed it aside and said, I dont have time for this kind of garbage, Then he
mentioned a story he had seen on television,
What was that?
Some little feature about a fox hunt. We didnt have it and he chewed on me for not staying on
top of the news, said Gardner.
Christy, this guy is giving me ulcers. When I try to explain things to him, he refuses to listen.
He always says, Gardner, your job is to get results.
May be you should just tell him what he wants to hear, said Bolden.
Maybe I should quit, replied the editor.
1. How might Norman Gardner initiate a dialogue with his publisher?

2. Would it help to acknowledge to the publisher that some of his criticism is justified?
3. How might Gardner stick up for himself and his staff and, at the same time, put his relationship
with the publisher on a more positive level?
4. Should Gardner quit? Why or why not?
Case Analysis Two

Characters in the case are as follows:
Media Company: Gazette
Publisher: Name not mentioned
Editor: Norman Gardner
Managing Editor: Christy Bolden
Feature Editor: Name not mentioned
What did the act of publisher, editor and managing editor represent in accord with
theories of media?
Promising well, we could understand that, the boss assumed workers of Gazette media institution
as lazy and need to be motivated by fear and punishment. This has happened twice in a story; as
the editor told to managing editor he suffered a lot with the demoralizing words of the publisher
(owner) by saying missing deadlines and failing to cover a meeting of bankers and the
publisher also insulted the feature editor by saying old biddy. This would remind us theory x of
Douglas McGregor.
Theory X states managers are autocratic, responsible and active, whereas, workers are passive
and irresponsible. Managers view their employees as people who generally dislike work and
need strict direction and threats of punishment in order to get a job done. In this theory if an
employee is not performing well, it is seen as strictly the employee's problem. Therefore, we can
say that a manager in this Gazette media is against participative management. When the
managing editor answered to the editor by saying, Maybe hes having an off day. This has a
connotation of the publisher assumed workers are passive and without his presence theyre not
doing what is expected from them or the editor who is supposed to manage them is not efficient,
though, Gardner is in need self-esteem of Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs which stresses
recognition he lacked from the publisher. However, still there is a possibility to bring what is
needed.
Or I can see of the publisher as he aims a product and outcome than a process (scientific
management). The publisher is result oriented and not process oriented (The hub-and-spokes
model; UNESCO media management manual 2009: 31). Thats why he said I dont have time
for this kind of garbage, when Gardner showed him plan for reorganizing the city desk. He
stress the end by ignoring the means, maybe, this is due to he is off day. UNESCO model says,
autocratic and dictatorial is the ultimate top-down management style. The tyrant rules by edict
and may suppress dissent or alternative thinking by intimidation or bullying. Its sometimes
known as the fear and loathing school of management, after the Latin tag oderint dum metuant:
let them hate me, so long as they fear me.
When the publisher says, Gardner, your job is to get results, it is blaming the editor for not
following each and every aspect of media production. Thats why he chewed on him when
Norman Gardner didnt include the issue of fox hunt in the Gazette. This means he is presumed
by the publisher as lazy.
On the other hand, the managing editor seems democratic or less terrible, maybe, she is speaking
to her editor or she has an advice as the editor needs to be cool when talking with the publisher.
1. How might Norman Gardner initiate a dialogue with his publisher?
Norman Gardner can initiate a dialogue with the publisher by understanding what the publisher
is looking for. Sometimes, as I have experienced, there are genuine managers with offensive
behavior or attacking words. As media is a team work, still keeping what the publisher wants
should be identified by Gardner. Media companies are not in business to lose money. The
publisher wants good profit having included the hot news on the Gazette. He wants to win the
competition. The publisher is still expecting many things from the editor. Therefore, Norman
Gardner should tell him as he has the creativity the institution wants so as to defeat the
competitors. Missing deadlines, not covering a meeting of bankers last week and telling others
express that the publisher has no trust on the editor or he assumed he has been sitting at the place
when the publisher leave out.
For that matter, there could not be a job without a joint work of publisher and editor as they are
top level managers. Norman Gardner should identify what the publisher needs and on what
aspects of area he was not happy. By the way, as I experienced, managers shouldnt have to be
happy and create fantasy in their office whenever something is done. As it is media, there is high
competition of content, technology, audience and advertisement.
Therefore, we shouldnt wonder of with the interest of the publisher. However, it was quite
terrible for workers as he sees them all as they are lazy to do their job. In this context, the burden
of initiating dialogue is still lies on the shoulder of the editor or what we call editor in chief.
2. Would it help to acknowledge to the publisher that some of his criticism is justified?
Yes. It is after Gardner justified the criticisms of the publisher that he can understand what he
needs to be done. As I said earlier, understanding is essential since media work is a team work.
Maybe, their way of look differs in some ways. Therefore, discussion is essential. Otherwise, if
Gardner is not successful in providing the publisher what he wants to hear from him, the Gazette
wouldnt be successful. The Gazette would face the worst scenario than it faced.
Missing Some little feature about a fox hunt, and the missing of bankers meeting can really
affect the competitiveness of the Gazette. This should be justified. Norman Gardner should be
wise to let him understand why this has happened. It is not wondering the publishers would
drive itself to crazy if they lack what is essential in competitive environment.
3. How might Gardner stick up for himself and his staff and, at the same time, put his
relationship with the publisher on a more positive level?
I think the very job to be done left from the side of Gardner and his staff. The problem is not his
only, it directly affects the Gazette. For instance, he has good relation with managing editor.
Therefore, both need to do well for the betterment of the institution and they should let the
publisher know to review if there is a problem in its management style. If he had done the very
issues for what the publisher blamed him, there wouldnt have been this much debate and
problem.
In other way, it is obvious that managers need to be consistent, so that your employees know
what to expect of you, but realize that there will occasionally be a time when you need to loosen
up or tighten up. And in general, most employees will respond to you better if you treat them like
a person instead of a commodity. This means, it is better to tell to the publisher that to think of
human relations too, not only thinking of workers as mechanical. In other words, thinking of
motivational expectations of workers needs to be assumed by the publisher.
However, as far as both bosses under him, Norman and the managing editor and other are
working for the same goal, I can say the responsibility not only lies on Gardner but on all. But as
he is editor he is supposed to coordinate every force under him.
4. Should Gardner quit? Why or why not?
Why should he quit? Quitting means running out of challenge. Let he understood what was the
basic problem and the option of quitting may come later.
As Griffin & Moorhead (1986) stated, equity theory assumes that people compare themselves
with their pears to determine how fairly they are being treated (cited from Stephen Lacy and et al
1993: 115). Therefore, if the person has a feeling of inequity, he faces six options. But, quitting
is the option less option, placed at last. Having said this in mind, it is difficult to assume Gardner
will quit. Though not stated in the case, I assumed that all five options havent happened to the
editor.
As we grasped from the case; Gardner is a man of principle who wants to be him. He wants to
quit for nothing but for the sake of lacking good communication with the publisher. We can
relate this to Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs which says social needs as the editor needs a
motivation of having good connection with the publisher and in need of esteem from others(from
the publisher) which is recognition. This is not enough for Norman Gardner to quit his job. For
that matter, all are a people of communication. If they are not able to solve their problem, who is
able to try it then?
The other issue we should bear in mind is, mainly in media organization, one cant quit for the
sake only he wants to quit. There are days one should stay even if he informed the media
institution to quit his job. If he decided to quit I am sure he would follow the steps of informing
the institution. This means he would stay sometime there. And again his case wouldnt be far
from the publisher. As a result of this, I dont think so he would be going to quit.
References
Albarran, Alan B.(2006). Management of Electronic Media. Third edition, Holly J. Allen,
Thomas Wadsworth Worth, University of Texas, USA
Albarran, Alan B. et al, (2006). Handbook of Media Management and Economics. Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, Inc. , New Jersey, USA
Bagshawe, Anthony (2011). How to improve motivation; How to Get Everyone in Your
Business Motivated. Free download at www.bookboon.com
Pringle, P. K. & Starr, M. F. (2006). Electronic Media Management. Fifth Edition, Elsevier,
USA
Sarah Simpson (2012). Top ten leadership skills - Book1 (skills 1-5). Free download at
www.bookboon.com
Thomas, John P. (2009). UNESCO Media Management Manual; A Handbook for

Television and Radio Parishioners in Countries-in-transition. Macro Graphics
Pvt.
Ltd., New Delhi, India

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MEDIA MANAGEMENT: CASES AND

Case Analysis One

1. How might Norman Gardner initiate a dialogue with his publisher?

Case Analysis Two

Thomas, John P. (2009). UNESCO Media Management Manual; A Handbook for

Ltd., New Delhi, India

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