Like previous editions, the 5th edition of Management of Electronic and Digital Media is an excellent information resource for anybody responsible for electronic and digital media. In terms of content it is certainly well pitched and suited for its target audiences: undergraduate and graduate students. I find the price of US$165.95 very expensive, and although an excellent publication, I am not sure if I can recommend it as good value. That being said, it is the kind of textbook that made me realise again how many interesting topics there are for teaching, and the value of a well-structured textbook, pulling key issues together in one publication for the benefit of lecturers and students.
Chapter 1 concerns the spectrum of media to be managed; Chapter 2 the markets, mergers, alliances and partnerships making up the media marketplace; and Chapter 3 covers the ethics of management. Chapter 4 concerns the theories of management, Chapter 5 financial management, Chapter 6 managing personnel, Chapter 7 audiences and audience research, and Chapter 8 the strategy and distribution of content. Marketing is covered in Chapter 9, news and news management in Chapter 10, regulatory influences in Chapter 11, technology influence on media management in Chapter 12 and in the final chapter covers social media influences on media management. The content is cutting-edge, and although aptly reflecting the complex and dynamic nature of contemporary electronic and digital media, it is written in a clear and easy to follow style. Chapter 7 on audiences and audience research immediately drew my attention. The concept of “audience research” does not feature strongly in the LIS literature, and this is a welcome reminder of its importance. In addition to the principles of audience research, it might be worthwhile to bring in the body of literature on user studies, e.g. Dobreva and Felciati (User Studies for Digital Library Development, Facet, 2012) and Case on information behaviour (e.g. Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs and Behaviour, 3rd ed. Emerald, 2012) to readers' attention. A brief mention of participatory audience research might also add value to the chapter.
This book has many strengths – including a list of abbreviations and acronyms and an impressive variety of case studies. For Chapter 1 three case studies are included: assessing your potential as a manager, management versus leadership, and growing as a manager. Each chapter reflects an appropriate selection of detail on core issues: the chapter on managing personnel starts with the hiring process, interviewing, orientation, performance reviews, promotion, and termination, and even addresses equal employment opportunities and sexual harassment. The interesting case study for this chapter is on dealing with an employee's illness.
The book concludes with a glossary of key terms and a good, detailed index. The only additional topic I can think of adding is the use of alerting or current awareness services and recommended websites to stay abreast of trends and developments.
