'Media can make or break you'. To what extent is this true in media management.

 Media is a term used to refer to components of the mass media communication industry.
Media in modern application is defined as the means or channels of communication in
recognition of media convergence. Convergence is the blending of media forms into one
platform for purposes of delivering dynamic communication experiences. Media management
is a business administration discipline that identifies and describes strategic and operational
phenomena and problems in the leadership of media enterprises (Katz, 2016). Media
management contains the functions of strategic management, production management,
organizational management, and content management amongst many of its functions.
Planning is the foundation area of management. It is the base upon which all areas of
management are built on. Planning requires management to assess appropriate courses of
actions to be implemented. Since planning is an unending course of action, there may be
sudden strategies where media management must face uncontrollable conditions to alter its
course of action in accomplishing certain goals.

According to Bryant and Oliver (2009), a media manager must be very practical and abreast
of key trends. As the first or focal point of transmittal of correspondence with the
organization's external and internal publics a media manager must know what media to use to
create content and to capitalize on the surge of online communities. If not manged correctly
online communities can destroy the reputation of a brand and the name behind the brand. It is
important for media managers to be able to separate their personal lives and the brand they
represent. Hence most media managers use pseudo names for media management, to detach
the media manager from the brand in case communication goes wrong the media manager is
protected by remaining unmentioned by name.

Media managers must be well versed with the company's financial welfare as resources such
as human capital and finances go hand in hand. Brown (2016), postulates that media
managers must organize resources before putting into practice the course of action that has
been planned. Through this process, management will establish and maintain relationships
that will be favourable for them in the long run. For example if company x is invited to an
event, it is the duty of the media manager to familiarise themselves with the event prior to
attendance, gather relevant equipment for the event, delegate relevant human capital for the
event so that they manage the event professionally. Displaying clumsiness and confusion will
discredit the reputation of the media manager and the organisation. If company x sees the
harmonization of staff popularity can be bountiful.
In our increasingly digital world, social media is becoming an increasingly important
business tool. The far-reaching power of sites such a Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram,
enables brands to interact with their customers, attract new ones and increase their exposure.
However, as much as these sites have the power to build a brand, if not used properly, they
also have the potential to take it down. The right words can distinguish a story or a
communication and lift it above mediocre and the wrong words can ruin a message and
damage credibility. A media manager should be able to plan outside the perceived message of
their communication how their communities will respond should be of paramount
importance. However, this professional trait of being mindful of the media user has seen
many media managers losing moral ground by fabricating stories and undertaking unethical
routes to kill or elevating a story to status.

When communication goes wrong it is important for media managers to be able to come up
with mitigating measures such as making decisions on how to redress the damage. It is the
duty of the media manager to be able to measure the extent of damage that has been caused,
this action may call for the media manager to do press conferences, news releases, press
conferences or ignore the matter depending on the organisation they work for (Kueng, 2007).
For example, scandals such as that of the 8th of March 2021 where a ZB bank Manager
Ronald Mutnadagayi assaulted his wife in full view of their 16-year-old daughter. In some
newspapers it was reported that the ZB bank is taking necessary measures to address the issue
which can be a media management strategy by the Public relations and Communications
department of ZB bank to put the fire out.

A media manager should be able to exemplify leadership skills that adapt to the ever-
changing world of technology. They must be tech savvy as being a media manager means
being able to instantly respond to the pulse of the media communities they serve. They must
be innovative cognisant of the latest information that interests their publics, and design
engagement platforms that are recursive (Deslandes, 2016). The traditional means of
interacting through print media have since seen its days and while it can not be ruled out as a
practical form of media that has shaped the digital environment. It is important to be
innovative, creative on cue about what and how what is portrayed by the media manger to the
organisation's media communities is ethical. Not all media managers are to manage fluidity
of interactions with their publics. According to Lowe 2016, media management is specifically
concerned with the negative that arises within media social spaces.
Convergence and digitalization have changed the newsroom to a paperless workplace, where
working from alienated spaces has changed the concept of media management. In today's
world there is less face to face interaction with authorities because of technology. A media
manager nowadays assumes the greatest responsibility of being analytical in publishing
content. Grammatical error can easily change the meaning of a perceived communication or
can put off media communities. A media manager needs to be able to differentiate and
accommodate the needs of their consumers, broadsheet consumers have different
consumption patterns from online consumers. Versatility is the key element for media
management (Shao2017).

One challenge of the brave new digital world is figuring out a way to get enough advertising
revenue to cover the costs of providing news and information. Traditional print media
charged subscribers a yearly fee to have the news delivered to them. This provided an
additional income stream beyond advertising. But with so much free content available over
the Internet, consumers are less willing to pay for subscriptions. Media managers at times
rely heavily or, in some cases, exclusively on ad revenue, therefore this makes it extremely
difficult

As communication becomes globalized, media managers must adapt to an increasingly

international audience. This means adapting content to suit audiences from different cultures,
socioeconomic backgrounds, and political affiliations. For example, a company that intends
to produce content for residents of both South Africa and Zambia would have to consider the
standards of both cultures, including laws related to free speech and decency, attitudes toward
the roles of women, and religious beliefs.

In 2000, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube had yet to be invented. Ten years later, these kinds
of content delivery systems are commonplace. Traditional media companies that once relied
on television, radio or print have had to adapt to new forms of content delivery. Therefore
media managers have to be prepared to modify their technology to accommodate whatever
new application comes down the pipeline.

Many people use media as an outlet for emotional rants. The media manager has to be very
cautious with the information they publish or are tied up in. The problem however, is that as
long as a managers name is tied to the media publisher, quotes will always be under fire.
Hence as a media manager whatever you publish online may be scrutinised by the public and
if they are upset by the information given to them in terms of biasness or false news, the
media manager may be under attack and their reputation may be placed in jeopardy.

No matter how illogical this may sound, it’s in human nature to make presumptions and draw
conclusions from what little information they are given in the media. Sure, those several
images that you have uploaded don’t represent who or what you are, yet, this won’t prevent
people from taking stances on your media house. While likeability isn’t an objective metric,
not being likable can seriously hurt your reputation and news. This is the main reason why
media managers need to keep their personal beliefs and stances off their social media unless
they’re 100 percent certain that they’re relevant to its industry and business.

Ad blindness in the media can also make or break you. Over exposure to content that pushes
your message forth blindly and indiscriminately will create a significant drop off in
engagement no matter how interesting you feel your news or message is. Content to your
audience should be published in a way that does not feel forced. Use emotional marketing.
Tell a story that either educates, entertains, or both. This adds a more personal touch to media
content and establishes a personal connection to the public.

Follower fatigue too can make or break you in terms of media management. It seems that
with few exceptions, no matter how good your content is, your audience’s level of interest
may eventually wane.  Now, this is especially the case when there a lack of variety and
freshness in the content posting strategy. When you put aside the intensely loyal portion of
your audience, there will always be those who want a taste of something a little different and
it is a social media marketer’s task to figure out what that is.

Find a fresh take and put a unique spin on your content to shock your audience in the right
way. Change up your color scheme or attack it from a different angle by possibly adding
humor, music, or interactive polls, and giveaways.  Use your social platform to create live
events where you can meet your followers face to face for the ultimate in experiential
marketing.
 References
Arikan, A. 2008. Multichannel marketing, New York: Wiley.
Aris, A. and Bughin, J. 2009. Managing media companies: Harnessing creative
value, 2nd, New York: Wiley. 
Brown, C. (2016). Media Management: A Critical Discipline?
Bryant, J., and Oliver, M. B. (2009). Media effects: Advances in theory and research.
Deslandes, G. (2016). Leadership in Media Organisations: Past Trends and Challenges
Ahead.
Katz, H. (2016). The Media Handbook: A Complete Guide to Advertising Media Selection,
Planning, Research, and Buying. Milton: Taylor and Francis.
Kueng, L. (2007). Does Media Management Matter? Establishing the Scope, Rationale, and
Future Research Agenda for the Discipline. Journal of Media Business Studies.
Kung, L. (2008). Strategic management in the media—Theory to practice, Sage.