Reflections on the ascendancy of technology in the media and its implications for organisations and their leaders.

Abstract

Technology is placing new demands on the media industry. Creative output is no longer simply the content itself, but the ‘containers’ in which it appears. Media industry leaders and practitioners must now understand the strategic importance of technology in all its dimensions. Yet more than this, they must be able to make the necessary – and often difficult – adjustments inside organisations. This essay draws on two exploratory research projects into technology transitions in the media industry. The findings suggest the ascendancy of technology does not necessitate a diminution in the importance of creative content. However, it does raise two key challenges: first, a need for new ‘editorial-technological’ competencies, and second, a shift in media workplace culture to recognise the equivalency in importance between classic media creative skills and the newer but equally intellectually demanding tech-media skills.