In June 2004, Crispin Tulay, editor of The Vanguard newspaper, based in Liberia, travelled to South Africa to participate in a week-long newspaper management course with a select group of editors from the Southern African region. The newspaper editors were trained in various aspects of newspaper management such as: Leadership Skills, Change, Circulation, Budget, Advertising and Team Management. In the second instalment of a two week series, RAP 21 publishes excerpts from the report that came out of this unique experience.

We must honestly point out that journalists in Liberia are not good managers. Ownership of the media is mostly in the hands of journalists themselves, given the reality that the media industry has not reached the threshold of profit making. Newspapers are mainly a source of self-employment. It is also sad to note that newspapers are not properly organized as we recently observed in the Southern African region and other parts of Africa.

The majority of media practitioners and managers are amateurs and apprentices. The University of Liberia, which has been the fulcrum in the training of journalists over the years, is understaffed, virtually unequipped, and without an updated curriculum. I realized that the topics discussed at the management course are the code for the survival of any newspaper. Crispin Tulay, Editor

This week: Leadership Skills and Managing Change

Leadership Skills During the discussions we learnt the qualities of a good leader. Leaders are to develop strong ideals for others to follow. In Liberia, institutions are seen for a select few. Reporters and other staff see themselves as outsiders only fulfilling their obligations. I have learnt that as a leader, your responsibility is to create a team where each one feels a part, and success depends upon the other. Taking decisions is very frightening even when you are a leader, especially when it will hurt others. It is important that the leader consults members of his staff and others outside of our newsroom, but he is to take the final decision, and to stand by it. It is important that the leader is sensitive to the needs of our employees. This can be achieved by monitoring the growth and progress of each member of the newsroom.

If you want to set goals for others to follow, simply being the head of the newsroom is not enough. The leader has to be practically involved in achieving the goals. Setting an example motivates reporters in achieving their own goals. At the course we learnt that following by example is very important. Inspiring members of the newsroom is also a very important concept. Working for a salary at the end of the month is not just enough. We have seen inspiration as commending those who have worked outstandingly, and openly serves as a challenge to others. Rewarding hard work and creating training opportunities also links up the inspiration for staff to do better.

The following leadership skills were highlighted:
  a leader creates a team
  a leader communicates
  a leader sets targets
  a leader takes decisions
  a leader gets involved
  a leader inspires
  a leader monitors

Managing Change The nature of man is often embittered towards change. There are so many reasons why we reject change. But summing it up, change makes us uncomfortable. It is important to note that the media industry is dynamic, constantly undergoing change. Media executives have to cope with this. Through the discussions on managing change, we encountered several of the causes and the various factors that trigger change. The discussions outlined the following factors as being on the forefront of necessitating change within a newspaper.

They include:
  financial factors
  change of ownership
  political factors
  regulatory factors
  technology
  market forces

In Liberia, managing change has been very difficult. Change has happened within the political system, the state of the economy and the market forces. According to our observations, the improper management of such changes have resulted in several media houses folding up. In the Liberian context, the often suggested downsizing for maximum efficiency and productivity would be very difficult, as media houses are already understaffed.

The state of Liberias economy is very appalling. The lack of advertisers has greatly hampered the media. The government, which is the biggest advertiser, muzzles the media through withholding needed advertisements and warning private business houses not to do business with media institutions perceived as being critical against it. The struggle between market forces is another factor. All Liberian newspapers are operated and consumed in the capital, probably because of the security situation created by the civil war.

As we further discussed change, we got to understand why people resist change. They should not be taken by surprise if change is to be made. If they believe that the change is going to make things worse, people will resist change. Also, they fear change will mean a loss of security, money and position. For sure, these reasons are genuine. Therefore, consultations during change is very important. Employees should be encouraged to suggest ways of adapting to change. They must understand why the change is being made.

If we are to succeed in managing change, the team must identify the change and carefully plan the method of implementation. The managing editor and editor must exhibit that they are in control of the process. Leaders must respect laws on the books, and should engage unions constructively. We also learned that the effective management of change must encourage significant input from employees; truth should be the hallmark instead of the good news and clearly defined vision of the end result.