ENTREPRENEURISM IN MEDIA WORK
Albert Einstein once said, ‘creativity is making connections other people can’t see.’ To apply that sentence to the idea of entrepreneurship gives a very reasonable and clear definition of the word. According to the Oxford dictionary, entrepreneurism can be defined as a state of mind. John Hartley, author of Key concepts in the creative industries, defines entrepreneurship as an action, one in which potential concepts are created in the market context, aiming to create new worth. Moreover, enterprise can be described as a bold company or business venture. Therefore, an entrepreneur is explained as an individual who commences such business or enterprise with a risk of profit or loss. Hartley says, ‘the entrepreneur seeks to discover new sources of value.’
Media theorist, Mark Deuze, explains media work ‘as a particular set of professional values and practices within a wider context of cultural production.’ Media work is an industry which embraces diverse practices, including but not limited to traditional works involving theatre, architecture, and philosophy, as well as contemporary culture industries such as public relations, digital and social media management, new journalism and advertising. These can also be described as creative industries. Hartley defines creative industries as those ‘which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent which have a potential for job and wealth creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.’
Drawing from Deuze, defining the media work industry encompasses a ‘uniquely blended perspective on the industrial and commercial context of cultural production.’ This article will explore enterprise and entrepreneurism within the media work industry. It aims to investigate how entrepreneurism is changing media culture, the innovation and creativity needed to stay relevant, and the influence the digital world is having on the vastly advancing industry.
As an industry changes, so must its professionals. Using the journalism sector as an example, in recent years we have seen news migrate from print to online, changing lives and working conditions. With previous redundancies, individuals vying to join these workforces now progressively work without contracts, for instance freelancers very rarely have an official working relationship. Interns are a perfect example of individuals who at times work without pay. The face of media culture is changing, and will continue to change. Conversely, innovative businesses and entrepreneurs are being embraced as they employ new opportunities by removing traditional enterprise models. RMIT University’s Entrepreneur in Residence, Dr Marcus Powe, says if you want to be an entrepreneur curiosity must drive you. Powe believes it is hard to be a solo entrepreneur, he says, ‘you need to do it in teams… you need to work with people.’
Innovation and creativity are key skills needed for an entrepreneur to even consider generating anything. Innovation involves modification through commencement, employment and maintenance of new ideas. ‘Over-application’ and ‘clichéd’ are terms Hartley associates with the word innovation. However, he says that, ‘a deep connection between creative industries and innovation remains a key concept.’
Creativity like innovation is difficult to produce, Marcus Powe, says creativity is hard to come by today because nothing is new. We are pattern people, we repeat, re-label and reproduce, but very rarely do we have a brand new idea, never heard of or seen before. Powe says creativity is impossible without being, ‘fit, both emotionally and physically,’ and you must know the value of your time, he says the number one resource is time and you must be smart with it. According to Powe, for creativity and innovation to succeed, ‘you need someone to step up and drive.’
John Hartley explains that entrepreneurs especially in creative industries, are ‘highly independent and above average intelligence and imagination.’
He says they have patience for uncertainty and have personalities where risk thrills them. Jennifer Thompson of Thompson & Co Public Relations, says each day she tries to step outside her comfort zone, ‘…because everyday I try and do something that makes me a little afraid. I try to do something that’s a little bit risky.’
Today we live in an idea generation, but Marcus Powe says that doesn’t matter unless you have the ability produce concepts, ‘can you deliver?’ The three most important words in enterprise, no matter which industry you strive to succeed in. Powe says that social entrepreneurism is a fad, but there are some benefits attached to his theory. Entrepreneurs create new employment opportunities in a time where creative industries struggle with job security. Deuze stated, that to be popular, these creative processes must submit to the ‘demands of a global market saturated with media.’
Inconsistency is a risk within the media work industry; with a lack of job security and individual creators threatening the way trained professionals conduct their work. Phoebe Harris Elefante, co-author of Media work, career management, and professional identity: living labour precarity, writes that the media industry has been in disarray for sometime, even though consumers expend more of their time with media more than ever before.
Mark Deuze, author of Media work, says ‘the media industries are the pioneers of the digital age,’ but in a world thriving on digital media it seems technology is not everything. There are significant challenges constantly being combated to allow working professionals to reach their full potential.
‘The internet is so yesterday,’ Powe says. Digital platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter mean consumers can try their hand at professions such as publicity and social media management, because anyone can run a social media account, right? Wrong, and here is why. Speaking a second language is a commended skill, in the twenty-first century; fluency in social media is much like being able to speak another language. Targeting a specific audience and utilising the appropriate linguistics for the right platform are just the basics of crafting a simple Instagram or Facebook post. Digital media is a vital facet for businesses, and if done incorrectly, they will incur negative repercussions. So, no, not just anyone can run a social media account, trained professionals are a pivotal part of success.
Elefante says there is a contradiction within the creative industries. With media formats being produced more and more each year, somehow, there are fewer jobs in creative industries than ever before, specifically in advertising, journalism, and film and television. ‘As people engage with media in an increasingly immersive, always-on, almost instantaneous and interconnected way, the very people whose livelihoods and sense of professional identity… seem to be at a loss on how to come up with survival strategies.’
Being able to acclimatise to the frequently changing nature of media work appeals to individuals aiming to join the industry. However, we need to remember that significant risk can be posed on occupations and lives. We live in an immediate, need-it-now era where screens are the first and last visual we see each day, an age where change is the only constant. In a time of individual creators, digital mediums and do-it-yourselfers, entrepreneurism and enterprise in collaboration with innovation and creativity help to stabilise, support and benefit our creative industries.