How the Service Characteristics of News Require Media Organizations to Transition to a Marketing Orientation

Abstract

Societal and industry changes, like increasing competition, lower profits, ownership concentration, inequality, and interference from stakeholder groups create a management environment where media organizations will only succeed through appropriate marketing philosophies. This article outlines how a production orientation traditionally guided media organizations. The production-orientation approach, however, seems outdated and the authors argue that by adopting a marketing orientation and treating news as a service to citizens rather than a commodity to consumers, media organizations might be more effective and efficient.

KEYWORDS:

• journalism
• media organizations
• news
• production orientation
• service industry
• marketing orientation