The most promising media models today are fast, lean, and tech-savvy—but real success comes from remembering that people and their talent are still at the heart of it all.
This has been stressed by Communications Fiji Limited's Group Human Resources Manager Yvette Samson while speaking during the Women in Media Conference panel discussion on Business of Media at GPH.
When asked about what emerging business models are most promising for sustainable media operations, Samson says people are important.
She says if we are going to automate a certain process, what does that mean for the people who were working on the process before this automation.
Samson say two things should be considered in tandem - where we are moving into this space is to streamline our business, to make us lean, but at the same time, not losing sight of our values.
She says if your value is to deliver the best quality content and entertainment to your audience, then you are going to need real talent behind that—and that comes from your people.
Samson adds emerging business models are leaner, quick to market, quick to adapt, and high-tech and in the midst of all of that we should remember that we have to consider our people when we are moving to that change.
When questioned about navigating business transformations and what strategies have proven successful for women in leadership, Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation Commercial Manager Sussie Sewere Kilman says there was a lot of pushback from a lot of men, thinking they can do better, are more capable, or better suited for the job.
She says in the Melanesian culture, it's very uncomfortable for them to take instructions directly from a female so as a female, to overcome that, she was proving that she is capable and well suited for the job, not just as a team player, but a team leader.
Kilman says recently, she has been put in the succession plan along with two male senior managers and two female senior managers.
When questioned about financial resilience, MaiTV Manager Sales and Marketing Rosie Ruth says they are involved in sponsored programs and editorial content and every time something happens, they always see the sales side of things but on the editorial or news side, they cover whatever they choose—whatever reflects the truth.
She says for financial resilience, they focus on diversifying income through a combination of commercial development and public interest funding.
She says they also invest in local content and in training multi-skilled teams.
Ruth says they also maintain transparent and unbiased guidelines for sponsored editorial and news content.
The conference continues today.
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