Subject Overview

Media Management examines how media organizations, platforms, content, audiences, technologies and revenues are managed across print, broadcasting, film, music, advertising and digital media. The syllabus integrates foundational theory with strategy, economics, operations, analytics, governance, AI and contemporary industry practice.

Learning Goal

Students will be able to analyze media industries, develop sustainable media strategies and business models, manage content, people, finances and audiences, use data for decisions, evaluate digital and AI applications, and address legal, ethical and governance responsibilities.

Syllabus

1. Foundations of Media Management

Learning Objective: Define media management and its terminology, functions, historical development and distinctive characteristics; examine media as cultural goods, public institutions and commercial enterprises.

Category: foundation

2. Media Industries, Institutions and Ecosystems

Learning Objective: Map print, television, radio, film, music, advertising, gaming, streaming, social media and creator ecosystems; analyze stakeholders, value chains, convergence, globalization, ownership and platformization.

Category: foundation

3. Media Economics and Industry Structure

Learning Objective: Apply scarcity, public-goods theory, economies of scale and scope, network effects, two-sided markets, attention economics, concentration and competition concepts to media markets.

Category: core

4. Organization, Leadership and Talent Management

Learning Objective: Examine organizational structures, culture, leadership, editorial–commercial relationships, team design, motivation, creative labor, diversity, workforce planning and change management in media organizations.

Category: core

5. Strategy and Media Business Models

Learning Objective: Use environmental scanning, stakeholder analysis, SWOT, PESTLE, Five Forces, resource-based analysis and competitive positioning; evaluate advertising, subscription, licensing, transaction, freemium, membership and hybrid models.

Category: core

6. Audience, Consumer and Market Research

Learning Objective: Analyze audience behavior, segmentation, targeting, media-use theories, customer journeys and communities using ratings, surveys, interviews, focus groups, experiments, social listening and digital research.

Category: core

7. Content, Product and Intellectual Property Management

Learning Objective: Manage ideation, commissioning, production, portfolios, scheduling, distribution and content life cycles; address branding, format development, copyright, licensing, royalties, rights windows and localization.

Category: application

8. Media Marketing, Distribution and Revenue Management

Learning Objective: Develop integrated marketing, acquisition, retention, engagement and monetization plans; assess advertising sales, subscriptions, sponsorship, syndication, partnerships, pricing, bundling and channel strategies.

Category: application

9. Media Operations and Project Management

Learning Objective: Plan budgets, workflows, resources, timelines and quality controls for media projects; apply agile and traditional methods, supply-chain thinking, vendor management, performance standards and crisis continuity planning.

Category: application

10. Financial Management for Media Organizations

Learning Objective: Interpret financial statements and apply budgeting, forecasting, break-even analysis, unit economics, cash-flow management, investment appraisal, valuation and financial risk analysis to media decisions.

Category: core

11. Media Metrics, Analytics and Decision-Making

Learning Objective: Define KPIs and apply reach, frequency, ratings, engagement, conversion, churn, lifetime value and profitability metrics; use dashboards, attribution, experimentation, forecasting and evidence-based managerial decisions while recognizing data limitations.

Category: application

12. Digital Transformation, Platforms and Artificial Intelligence

Learning Objective: Evaluate digital operating models, cloud systems, automation, recommendation engines, generative AI and synthetic media; plan responsible implementation, human oversight, data governance, cybersecurity and organizational transformation.

Category: contemporary

13. Media Law, Ethics, Governance and Social Responsibility

Learning Objective: Examine freedom of expression, privacy, defamation, intellectual property, regulation, platform accountability and competition policy; address misinformation, bias, editorial independence, transparency, accessibility, sustainability and ethical AI.

Category: strategic

14. Innovation, Entrepreneurship and the Future of Media

Learning Objective: Apply design thinking, lean experimentation and scenario planning to media ventures; assess creator economies, immersive media, decentralized technologies and changing audience behaviors, culminating in an integrated media management strategy or venture plan.

Category: advanced