Programming and Product Management in the Media Industry
The need for media industries to embrace programming and product management skills to help with news distribution and marketing strategies has gained scholarly attention, more increasingly in recent times.
Cindy Royal of Texas State University, among other journalism and communication scholars have conducted various research which highlights the potential benefits of these computer skills for the media industry and journalism schools.
In her 2016 NiemanLab Prediction, Royal discussed the evolving role of product management within media organizations and emphasized its future significance.
She suggested that media companies and journalism schools would begin to recognize and define product management as a critical career path. Royal stressed the importance of individuals in product management roles being equipped with a mindset encompassing storytelling, ethical considerations, and legal knowledge just like traditional journalism.
“Shouldn’t people in these roles be trained to have the storytelling, ethical, and legal mindset of a media professional? What is the market for individuals with strong tech savvy and media sensibility? How can we incorporate this mindset in journalism curriculum?” (Royal, 2016).
Today, it is evident that programming and product management skills are reshaping media industries that have realized their potential. The rapid expansion of digital media and its evolving trends have shifted the focus of journalism, extending beyond mere interviewing, writing, and reporting to encompass digital product development and management.
According to a 2021 Pew Research Center study, despite concerns regarding misinformation, a significant portion of Americans still rely on social media for news consumption, with nearly half (48%) of U.S. adults reporting that they get news from social media either often or sometimes.
This shows the importance for media companies to employ journalists proficient not only in traditional reporting but also in programming and product management to create interactive and engaging digital news products.
As highlighted in Royal’s “Managing Digital Products in a Newsroom Context” article, “these digital products, often with an audience-centric mission, provide opportunities for constituents to participate, contribute and interact with the media and one another and comprise the primary platform the audience now uses to consume journalism.”
The integration of programming skills in journalism as exemplified by top newsrooms like The New York Times, signifies a paradigm shift towards more immersive storytelling experiences leveraging technology.
Moving forward, media industries must adopt a more technologically integrated approach to news distribution with programming and product management becoming central to the storytelling process. However, several challenges hinder the integration of these skills and mindsets into media companies.
Challenges in Integration
One of the primary challenges is the lack of journalists with expertise in programming and product management. As noted by Royal in her 2022 NiemanLab Prediction, the proliferation of new digital products necessitates skilled professionals to manage them effectively.
Significantly, journalism schools must adapt their curricula to incorporate computer skills such as coding, website design, mobile app development alongside traditional journalism training to meet the demands of the evolving job market.
The article “Coding for Journalists: Why It’s Useful & Where to Start” by PR Newswire discusses the growing importance of coding skills for journalists by highlighting how coding can enhance data analysis, visualization, and overall storytelling. The article suggests that starting with HTML, CSS for web presentation, and Python for data manipulation provides resources for journalists to begin learning these skills.
To further address this integration challenges, media companies must organize workshops and training sessions to equip their staff with essential computer skills, including UX design, website development, coding, and video editing.
Anderson & Borges-Rey (2019) study on “Encoding the UX: User Interface as a Site of Encounter between Data Journalists and Their Constructed Audiences” emphasizes the significance of user experience in data journalism. According to their study, UX design bridges the gap between complex data journalism and its audiences, ensuring that stories are not only accessible but engaging.
By establishing a culture of continuous learning and skill development, media companies can ensure their teams are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of modern journalism and meet the expectations of today’s digital audience.
Indeed, the integration of programming and product management skills into the media industry is crucial for creating an interactive, engaging, and visually compelling storytelling tailored to the preferences of the current digital media audience. By addressing the challenges associated with this integration, both journalism schools and media companies can adapt to the evolving media landscape and thrive in the digital age.
As I recognize the importance of these skills, I am committed to increasing my understanding of various digital media skills, including but not limited to graphic design, video editing, web development, and social media management. By mastering these skills, it will help me create engaging and interactive content across various media platforms.