“We can see the tsunami, but can the others?” José García Avilés, head of the journalism institute of University Miguel Hernández and imim‘s host in Elche/Spain, chose a drastic metaphor to visualize what is currently going on in the media business. Decreasing advertising revenue and increasing usage of mobile devices are just two examples of influencing factors which can be seen both as causes and as symptoms of this tsunami, forcing legacy media to change and start ups to pop up.
The third attendance block of the Executive Master’s program in International Media Innovation Management – imim focused on the overall topic of “what the media does to society — and vice versa”. Tying in with his seminar in Berlin, Romanus Otte, General Manager at Welt Digital, started off the week with letting the students pitch innovative business ideas for the regions they come from, for the people who live there. The winning project, a passionate proposal for press freedom, came from Macedonia.
Together with José, Klaus Meier (University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt) not only discussed current concepts in journalism studies such as product vs. process journalism with the class, but also advised the students on their research proposals. Program director Andy Kaltenbrunner integrated national examples of media politics issues into his seminar, featuring a new law restricting the freedom of research in Namibia and Lafka kiosks controlling newspaper distribution in Bulgaria.
Karen Sanders discussed several examples of media ethics with the international group, asking them: “What is the right thing to do?”. Wrapping up this year’s sessions in Elche, Bill Horn, deputy editor of the New York Times’ video desk, shared information on workflow, audience and innovation management at one of the biggest brands in media business. He assigned the students to work on a video project they will have to present upon arrival in New York City, where the course of imim studies will take them to in November.
Photos by Félix Arias and Fátima Navarro.
-
- José García introducing the “tsunami model”.
-
- Lectures took place in the Innovation Building, Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), surrounded by lavender and palm trees.
-
- Romanus Otte, General Manager “Welt Digital”.
-
- Martina Pock delivering her “elevator pitch”.
-
- Students voting for their colleagues business ideas.
-
- Discussing the results.
-
- José García, Ongame Angala, Andy Kaltenbrunner, Klaus Meier.
-
- Visit at Elche’s Museum of History.
-
- Enjoying the view from Palacio de Altamira.
-
- Looking up, looking down.
-
- Tanja Paar.
-
- Manuela Kosch welcoming the guests to imim’s Thursday evening event.
-
- imim students presented 10 trends in media innovation to UMH students and media professionals of the region.
-
- Sonja Sagmeister.
-
- Michael Vielhaber, Martin Schipany, Tanja Paar, Ongame Angala, Markus Kichl.
-
- Manuela Kosch, Tanja Paar.
-
- Konstantin Vulkov, Georgi Makaradzhiyski.
-
- Karen Sanders getting the students into the topic of ethics.
-
- Andy Kaltenbrunner, José García.
-
- Michael Vielhaber, Manuela Kosch, Paulo Rebelo, Alina Tsonkova.
-
- Bill Horn, Karin Strobl.
-
- Bill Horn presenting examples of his department’s work at the NYTimes.
-
- Listening carefully: M. Vielhaber, M. Kosch, K. Strobl, M. Kichl.
-
- Patricia Käfer, Bill Horn.
-
- Fátima Navarro teaching Georgi Makaradzhiyski a Spanish dance.
-
- Fátima Navarro, Alina Tsonkova, Ongame Angala.
-
- Leaving Elche, the city of palm trees, for Madrid …