COURSE SYLLABUS
JMS 440 – MANAGEMENT OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS
(Spring 2014)
Course time: Wednesdays 4-6:40 p.m.
Office/consultation hours: After class or by appointment
Email: lora.cicalo@utsandiego.com
Phone: 619-293-1376 (with voicemail)
Course description
Managing Media Organizations focuses on the principles, practices and
pressures of media management in a complex and rapidly changing world. In this
course we will examine the decision-making processes and practical realities
faced by managers in a range of areas – from personnel to operations to content
generation to finance. We will also study the challenges and opportunities
presented by new media sources and technology, as well as the demographic
and cultural trends affecting media industries.
Whether you aspire to one day lead a media organization or fervently hope you
won’t ever face the prospect, this course will help you understand and negotiate
the obstacles and uncertainties facing today’s media leaders.
We will cover a lot of ground in the next 16 weeks, but by the end of the course
you should be able to:










Describe and analyze current trends within major media industries
Identify the characteristics and behaviors of effective work groups
Describe typical media organizational structures
Explain how to foster open communication and productive working
relationships between managers and employees
Identify and explain several approaches to motivating employees
Understand the concepts of project management and strategic planning
Identify various communication strategies
Identify and describe internal vs. external customers, as well as their needs
and expectations
Understand the ethical obligations of media managers and their role in
ensuring ethical behavior among employees
Describe the interrelationship among news, advertising, marketing, human
resources and finance divisions in media organizations
General information
Students are expected to attend all class sessions (and to be on time), to
participate actively in class discussions and to arrive in class having read the
assigned course material for that week. These basic expectations are the
academic equivalent of managerial expectations in the workplace – to be
punctual, to be prepared, to be participatory and to be responsible for material
you need to know in order to help ensure the overall success of the organization.
In addition to the assigned readings and in-class discussions, we will have a
few guest speakers this semester. These are successful professionals willing to
take time out of their busy and demanding schedules to share their perspective
and insights with you. I expect you to extend every courtesy to them, just as you
would in a professional setting. The same goes for your fellow students. While I
anticipate – and will encourage – lively, thought-provoking discussions in class, I
expect them to be conducted with civility and respect for all individuals and points
of view. There are few “absolutes” in the media business today, so I encourage
you to remain open to opposing points of view and contrary ideas. Often, criticalthinking skills are the most important weapon in a media manager’s arsenal. I
hope this class will be a place where you can develop yours.
Required reading
We will be using “Balancing on the Wire: The Art of Media Management” by
James Redmond and Robert Trager as our text in this class. I will supplement
readings from the book with other material that I will post on Blackboard or link to
from the Blackboard site. In the event that you miss a class session, you will be
responsible for obtaining any additional reading assignments from a fellow
student or from me.
Assignments and grading
Your grade in this course will be based on two midterm exams, a final and inclass participation. The exams will be based on readings as well as in-class
discussions, including those with guest speakers. The midterms will each count
for 25 percent of your final grade, the final exam will be worth 35 percent, and
class participation will account for the remaining 15 percent. The participation
portion of the grade will be determined by attendance, participation in class
activities/discussions and completion of class assignments.
Grading will be done on a traditional scale:
100-90 percent
89-80 percent
79-70 percent
69-60 percent
Below 60 percent
A range
B range
C range
D range
F
No makeup examinations will be given, nor will extra-credit assignments be
made available.
Tentative class schedule
Week 1 (Jan. 22) – Introduction and overview of the course
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 1 in “Balancing on the Wire: The Art of
Managing Media Organizations” – “The Rise of the American Media Model”
Week 2 (Jan. 29) – Discussion of Chapter 1 and freedom of the press
In-class activity: The First Amendment – Which freedom would you give up?
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 2 in “Balancing on the Wire” – “Managing
in a Media Environment”
Blackboard readings
Week 3 (Feb. 5) – “All The President’s Men”
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 3 in “Balancing on the Wire” – “Human
Influences on Media Organizations”
Blackboard readings
Week 4 (Feb. 12) – Discussion of Chapter 2 and Chapter 3
In-class activity: Perception as reality
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 4 in “Balancing on the Wire” – “Equity,
Expectancy and Climate Factors”
Blackboard readings
Week 5 (Feb. 19) – Discussion of Chapter 4 / Midterm review (Chapters 1-4)
In-class activity: Organizations and their cultures
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 5 in “Balancing on the Wire” – “Media
Organization Effectiveness”
Blackboard readings
Week 6 (Feb. 26) – MIDTERM (Chapters 1-4)
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 6 in “Balancing on the Wire” –
“Communication and Power” AND part of Chapter 7 “Leadership” (Pg. 171-182)
Blackboard readings
Week 7 (March 5) – “The West Wing” / Discussion of Chapters 5 and 6
In-class activity: Who is a leader?
Reading assignment for next week: Last half of Chapter 7 (Pg. 183-200) and Chapter
8 in “Balancing on the Wire” – “Understanding and Applying Strategy”
Blackboard readings
Week 8 (March 12) – Discussion of Chapters 7 and 8
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 10 in “Balancing on the Wire” –
“Audience Theory and the Concept of Demassification” and Chapter 11 –
“Organizational Decline: Causes and Remedies”
Blackboard readings
Week 9 (March 19) – “News War” (Part I) / Discussion of Chapters 10 and 11
Reading assignment for next week: “State of the News Media 2014”
Week 10 (March 26) – Guest speaker / Midterm review
Assignment for next class: Review material for midterm (Chapters 5-8, 10 and 11)
Blackboard readings
* SPRING BREAK (APRIL 2) *
Week 11 (Apr. 9) – MIDTERM (Chapters 5-8, 10 and 11)
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 12 in “Balancing on the Wire” – “First
Amendment, Libel and Privacy” and Chapter 13 – “Advertising, Obscenity, Copyright and
Newsgathering”
Blackboard readings
Week 12 (April 16) – Discussion of Chapters 12 and 13
Reading assignment for next week: Chapter 14 in “Balancing on the Wire” –
“Regulating the Electronic Media” and Chapter 15 “Contract and Employment Law”
Blackboard readings
Week 13 (April 23) – Discussion of Chapters 14 and 15
In-class activity: Sexual harassment in the real world
Assignment for next week: Review Chapters 1-8 and 10-15
Week 14 (April 30) – Independent study
Assignment for next week: Review Chapters 1-8 and 10-15
Week 15 (May 7) – Final review
Reading assignment for next week: Review material for final
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 – FINAL EXAM (Cumulative – Chapters 1-8 and 10-15)
4 p.m.-6 p.m.