Visualization: Motivation Theory and Journalists' Productivity

Journalists view themselves as creative people whose work requires critical judgement, a story sense of events and the ability to act quickly (Giles 1991). But the ability of these creative people are sometimes undermined by lack of motivation in the organization where they work.

Some media houses run their newsroom like a factory while others make theirs feel like Disney World. While some find the former less motivating, others would gladly embrace it, depending on what factors influence them. As I continue to read through different researches on motivation theory and employees' productivity, in this case journalists, I'm intrigued by the dynamic industry.

Anyway, I'm excited (like I'm sometimes excited by every challenge) about administering questionnaires that will shape my research and help visualize how the issue of motivation affects Nigerian media houses. I will be surveying two popular media organizations in Nigeria (print media).

Hopefully, Visual.ly will come handy in sharing my findings, for consumption online :-)

While reading through textbooks and journals, some words kept jumping out at me :-). Here are some of the excerpts that did not make it into my Chapter Two:

On the importance of utilising staff:

"The only real difference between one newspaper and another is the performance of the people on their staffs. Electronic editing systems, marketing strategies, modern presses and reliable delivery trucks are important but don't make the critical difference in performance. Only people can do that." Robert H. Giles, Newsroom Management. Media Management Books Inc (1991).

On the need for newsroom managers to actually learn and develop managerial skills:

"The people managing the newsroom are professional journalists- reporters and writers who have spent the better part of their careers developing and using their journalistic skills. They are experts in their fields- skilled in developing story ideas, news judgement and editing- but they have spent little or no time developing managerial skills or looking at issues of organizational structure and development, hiring practices and similar concerns." Paul Pohlman, codirector of management-development seminars at the University of Chicago (quoted in Newsroom management).

How are we doing in Nigeria? Case-study report coming soon!

Enjoy your weekend :-)