Media Innovation is Media Leadership
Medill’s unique, visionary specialization is evolving to address shifts in the media and technology sectors; innovation remains central
I won’t bury the lede: This post is long overdue. I mean, I did officially take on the role of specialization leader for Medill’s Media Innovation and Content Strategy (MICS) program way back in 2023, but you’d be right to forget. I haven’t been very visible on this channel.
Part of the reason I’ve been so quiet is simple: I’ve been busy getting my hands dirty. Over the last year and a half I’ve not only led a remarkably talented cohort through the program, but I also spent a lot of time learning about the intent and mission of the specialization from Professor Gordon, who has been nothing short of generous with her time and guidance.
Taking the time to immerse myself in the specialization was non-negotiable. I didn’t think it was appropriate or prudent to make any changes without first getting my bearings, and more importantly, understanding what worked. Now that I have done so, I feel comfortable sharing some news about one, upcoming change.
Beginning this Fall, the specialization will undergo a name change migrating from Media Innovation and Content Strategy (which the specialization adopted in 2020), to Media Management and Leadership (MML).
What follows is a brief overview of the rationale for the name change, and I trust it provides clarity around the decision.
Why Change the Name?
I should say at the outset that the change in name will not affect the specialization’s curriculum, which will maintain its focus on content, audience, product and business.
Given that we do not anticipate making any changes to the curriculum, it’s perfectly valid to wonder why we’re bothering to change the name in the first place. There were three, key factors that influenced the decision.
Shifting audience needs: While the specialization continues to attract people who want to build and launch new media products or ventures, our audience is growing increasingly sophisticated. Today, the people interested in the program want leadership and management training because they recognize that creating anything new — be it a digital media product or media startup requires the ability to work collaboratively and cross functionally, create alignment, and deliver a return on investment. These are hallmarks of effective leadership and core elements of managing well regardless of your role or title — and this is exactly what the specialization prepares students to do.
Product thinking, revenue management and human-centered remain at the core of the specialization, but the name change signals our recognition that in order for these approaches, practices and frameworks to be successful, we need to prepare our graduates for the responsibility of leadership within media organizations.
The growing need for business leadership in media: One silver lining to the turbulence in the media space is a widespread recognition that it needs more leaders who know how to run a business. This echoes sentiments in the technology space, where there is growing recognition that a core component of successful product managers is leadership — not technical skills. The overarching point of all of this is simple: we are at an inflection point.
Today, candidates who demonstrate the ability to think strategically and holistically — and who aim to break down siloes are the ones primed for leadership roles. This recognition has led to more calls for leadership, management and business training including in journalism schools. Fortunately for Medill we’ve been offering that type of training for a while including through the specialization — we just weren’t broadcasting it clearly enough. The new name should help us create better alignment between the audience needs, market needs and program intent.
Alignment with the core mission: The last, and most important factor in my opinion, speaks to a vital aspect of the specialization: why does it matter? In my view, the Media Management & Leadership specialization exists to produce professionals capable of leading transformative strategies within the media sector. But transformation requires courage and resilience — it also requires the ability to see the ‘story’ holistically and weave many different threads into a single one. These are the traits of effective leaders, no doubt, but they are also the hallmarks of Medill graduates. For more than a century, Medill has produced leaders who are humble, conscientious, unafraid of chaos, and intent on pushing for change in the service of the greater good. By renaming the specialization we are also reframing it: we are acknowledging that we produce incredible leaders regardless of whether they choose to pursue careers in product, audience, business or technology roles within media organizations.
Don’t just take my word for it. The facts speak for themselves. Over the last few years, our graduates have gone on to become leaders within media and technology organizations. Here’s just a sample:
· Harriet White, Senior Product Manager at The Philadelphia Inquirer
· Olivia Obineme, Director of Journalism and Engagement at Public Narrative
· Corinne Osnos, Vice President & Head of Subscriptions at Foreign Policy
· Gabrielle Cooke, Supervisor of Global Social & Digital Content at McDonald’s
· Julia Sifferlen, Senior Associate for Growth Strategy & Operations at DoorDash
· Ryan Kim, Growth and Lifecycle Strategy at Foreign Policy
· Ruhi Gilder, Audience Development, The Nod
This short list alone makes the point. Specialization graduates move on to a wide variety of roles, but no matter where they land — be it in media or non-media contexts — they lead strategic programs that operate at the intersection of business, technology, audience and content.
How Will the Curriculum Change?
Before I close out, I wanted to emphasize once again that the bones of the curriculum will not change despite the name change — because it does not have to.
At the risk of overkill, I’ll say that the specialization’s curriculum is already oriented toward leadership and management training because all of the courses students take are now table stakes when it comes to effective leadership and management regardless of industry or sector — and definitely in the media space.
The program will still feature courses in media innovation, digital product management, user experience design, audience analytics and insights, and storytelling, as well as maintain its focus on providing healthy doses of practical experience in a couple of different ways, including:
- An immersive quarter at Northwestern’s campus in San Francisco, where students engage in part-time internships at leading Bay Area media companies
- Opportunities to conceptualize and develop innovative technology solutions for the media sector in the Knight Lab, an R&D lab relevant to media and journalism
This combination of theory and practice is powerful and will ensure that graduates depart Medill with a spectrum of valuable, versatile and marketable skills calibrated to helping address the challenges media is confronting today, but equally well-suited to leadership roles beyond media should our graduates choose to chart a course outside the media space.
Ashir Badami leads the Media Management and Leadership specialization at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media & Integrated Marketing Communications. A graduate of Medill, Badami has more than 15 years of professional experience in content strategy, integrated marketing, and product-related roles in media and non-media contexts.
