ASSIGNMENT 1: ESSAY THREE

Assignment 3: Essay Three

Organizations, Media and Competing Interests
Caryl Dolinko - # 332385
Royal Roads University
PCOM633: Strategic Communication Management
Tom Workman
Sunday, December 12th, 2015

ASSIGNMENT 1: ESSAY THREE

Organizations and the news media do have competing interests in terms of disclosure and differing
views on the value of announcements and news releases. The line between the two has become somewhat
blurry as news media organizations purchase other media organizations, such as Time-Warner, Inc. With the
ownership of organizations by news media companies, there is a definite barrier to providing an unbiased
view as well as protecting the integrity of news itself. The tricky line is that all new media is powered by
revenue generated by advertisers, and those advertising dollars can influence views and perspectives on
newsworthy events.
Media conglomerates are powerful organizations that are able to influence public opinion yet are
themselves influenced by the outside motivations of stakeholder interests. Dependent on the salience of their
relationship and level of influence, these organizations can suggest that certain perspectives are more
newsworthy than others, based on their own power and influence over the news agency. As noted by Mitchel
et al (1997) whatever magnitude of their stake, each stakeholder is part of the nexus of implicit and explicit
contracts that constitutes the firm. These stakeholders have different intensities of connection that offer
greater legitimacy, power and urgency with their claims and influence over outcomes. As there is an inherent
viewpoint that comes with reporting news in media, and it is often disguised and slanted to promote owner
views and to protect stakeholder interests. The implications to communication managers is that all
stakeholders interests must be considered when evaluating strategies and plans. It is crucial to both news
media and organizations that they are continually perceived in a positive light to ensure that revenue is
generated and stakeholder interests are supported.
In todays new world order, there is little faith or trust in large media conglomerates as people assume
that pure financial interests drive these outlets. However the people that work at these organizations have a
sense of journalistic integrity and have the professional training and expertise to serve reader by keeping the
story factual and honest. But, they are still going to be influenced by the organization that owns the media.
Communication management in these terms must relay that integrity of journalist truth to the public to gain
trust despite the ownership of the outlet.

ASSIGNMENT 1: ESSAY THREE

Giant news media organizations, like Time Warner Inc., a global leader in media and entertainment,
uses its industry-leading brands to create, package and deliver the same content worldwide on multi-media
platforms. For communication management, there is a need to understand that inter-related landscape and
nature of these relationships within different media in broadcast, print and online outlets.
Communication managers must have an understanding of the views and develop media and
messaging content that reflects the perspectives of the corporation or conglomerate. Some news media stay
clear of stories that might cause issue with the organizations ownership. These news stories are placed low in
priority in being release or announced at all. When a company owns the news media, you can see the direct
effect of how there are competing interests and for communication management, it means there is a need to
understand this dynamic relationship.
Many of the media conglomerates have distinctive voices that are consistent across each of the outlets
that they own. A liberal message in a conservative publication will most likely reframed in a way that the
story can be told to reflect stakeholder views. For example, the ideology of the New York Post and Foxs
news channel both espouse the perspectives of Rupert Murdochs NewsCorp. Although the companies appear
different, their viewpoints and perspectives are owned by their corporate owners. The implications for
communication management is that there is a need to understand the bias of the company you are working
with. In order to have your message heard, you need to create communications that speak to their perspective
so that it is received. You have to keep the interests of the media outlet in mind in order to achieve the
organizations communication goals.
In todays world of information access, social media and instantaneous global communications, there
are now a tremendous amount of alternative sources for news and easy access to information. Ironically
fewer news stories being written as many major news outlets now recycle news stories into different formats
for their diverse outlets. There are also fewer reporters covering fewer stories, and because of the amount of
news needing to be covered, reporters are prevented from including in-depth analysis and coverage of a story.
Organizations are competing for limited time to create maximum impact so the implications for

ASSIGNMENT 1: ESSAY THREE

communication management is that there are not as many reporters to tell the story or as many mainstream
media outlets to capture public interest. It is difficult to compete for the attention of viewers and readers
when stories are released into the rapid-paced 24 hour news story cycle. For communication manager, the
primary focus is to relay the news before competing channels capture the attention of the public. It is
imperative to find other channels for media opportunities where messages can be heard.
The online world has a tremendous amount of power with pundits and public opinion leading global
movements. Thanks to the speed of online communications, news can spread faster than ever and voices that
once may have gone unnoticed are now building communities of consensus which can be threatening to
organizations. The implications of this for communication management is the need to keep vigilance on these
differing views on alternative mediums.
There are competing interests between organization and media in terms of disclosure and differing
views on the value of certain news and announcements. The role of communication management is vast and
expansive and that of a high-level, executive facilitator to implement and identify best practises.

REFERENCES
Gillis, Tamara L. (ed). (2011). Chapter 1, Characteristics of excellent communication; Chapter 2, The
corporate communicator a senior-level strategist. The IABC Handbook of Organizational
Communication: A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership,
2nd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: USA. Jossey-Bass.
Mitchell, R.K., Agle, B.R. & Wood, D.J. (1997). Toward a theory of stakeholder identification and salience:
defining the principle of who and what really counts. Academy of Management review, 22(4), 853-886.
Seeger, M.W. (2006). Best Practices in Crisis Communication: An Expert Panel Process. Journal of Applied
Communication Research, 34(3), 232-244.