Quality Management in News Organizations; EBU Radio News Conference, Prague 2012, Vinzenz Wyss

1. EBU Radio News Conference
Panel: Building Quality Journalism
Quality Management in Media Organizations
14-15 June
Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Wyss
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
vinzenz.wyss@zhaw.ch
Zürcher Fachhochschule 1

2. Licenses: Requirements
(UVEK 2007: 3, Article 6)
OFCOM gives broadcasting licenses to private
organisations. Requirements include:
- Quality goals and standards concerning form and
content of programme
- Defined production processes
- Sufficient personal resources
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3. Requirements concerning quality assurance I
1. Quality goals and standards concerning form and content of
the programme.
They are to reflect the programming mandate and to specify
the goals and standards of the single organization.
These goals and standards are to be included in documents
such as mission statements, editorial guidelines or editorial
handbooks.
The goals are to be made known among all employees.
Zürcher Fachhochschule 3

4. Requirements concerning quality assurance II
2. Defined processes which allow for an ongoing control of
whether stated quality goals are met.
This includes for example briefings, production approval
processes and institutionalized programme feedback, all in
relation to the above mentioned goals and standards.
Furthermore, the result of this feedback is to be made
accessible for all employees.
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5. Requirements concerning quality assurance III
3. Sufficient personal resources to fulfil the programming mandate.
As far as human resources are concerned, training to meet the
defined programme requirements is to be implemented.
Performance reviews with employees and written-down
agreements on goals to be achieved should help to
communicate the quality standards.
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6. Zürcher Fachhochschule 6

7. EFQM Excellence Model
ENABLERS RESULTS
People People Results
Key
Policy &
Leadership Processes Customer Results Performance
Strategy
Results
Partnerships
Society Results
& Resources
INNOVATION AND LEARNING
Zürcher Fachhochschule
EFQM

8. www.media-society.org/
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9. www.media-society.org/
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10. Quality assurance
• On the editorial level maintaining quality includes all the
systematically planed procedures which contribute to
determining journalistic production process or services or to
improve them and adjust them to previously defined
requirements – quality goals.
• Quality assurance thereby helps to define corrective measures
to meet the set standards and to overcome deficits.
• To develop, steer and ensure quality in the media companies,
suitable management concepts are necessary, which develop
the corresponding structures and creates internal guidelines.
Zürcher Fachhochschule 10

11. Media Quality Management Model
Rules Resources Output Outcome
Regeln Ressourcen Output Outcome
Quality
Norms Allocative Autoritative Content Audience
Objectives
Q-Ziele Normen Allokative Autoritative Inhalte Publika
Editorial Organisational Q-Standards:
Statutes People
Policy Redaktions- Structure
Organisations- Q-Standards: Effects:
Leitbilder Personal
statute struktur
Relevance Wirkungen:
Money, Relevanz
Diversity Information
Guidelines Ethic-Codex
Journalisten- Hierarchy Vielfalt
Leitlinien Infrastructure
Geld, Technik Hierarche Accuracy Understanding
Information
kodex Richtigkeit
Fairness Verstehen
Orientation
Aktualität
Orientierung
Transparency
Transparenz Identification
Knowledge Sicherungs- Partizipation
Concepts
Konzepte Standards
Ethik-Kodex Wissen
(Education) Processes
Prozesse
Interaktivität
Narrativity Partizipation
Narrativität
Interactivity
preventive accompanying ex-post
Briefing Coaching Feedback
Storyline Feedback Self-Criticism
Planning (Fact-) Checking Audience Research
Zürcher Fachhochschule

12. (a) Quality policy and rules
• The management should provide evidence of its commitment to
well-defined core values. The quality policy of the management
should be formalized in the form of a widely disseminated
document that is reviewed at least once a year.
• This document could for example include an editorial charter
that guarantees the independence of the media organization
from any kind of power, be it political, economical or other.
• A code for programmes or mission statement, an ethical code
or a quality manual includes e.g. professional norms of quality
journalism, such as pluralism of opinions and points of view,
consideration for minority groups, promotion of diversity etc.
Zürcher Fachhochschule 12

13. BBC Editorial Guidelines
1. THE BBC'S EDITORIAL VALUES 10. POLITICS, PUBLIC POLICY AND POLLS
2. Editorial Values 11. WAR, TERROR AND EMERGENCIES
3. ACCURACY 12. RELIGION
4. IMPARTIALITY 14. EDITORIAL INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE FROM
5. HARM AND OFFENCE
15. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
6. FAIRNESS, CONTRIBUTORS AND CONSENT
16. EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS AND FUNDING
7. PRIVACY
17. INTERACTING WITH OUR AUDIENCES
8. REPORTING CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
18. THE LAW
9. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AS CONTRIBUTORS
19. ACCOUNTABILITY
Zürcher Fachhochschule 13

14. BBC Guidelines
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/guidelines/
e.g. ACCURACY
– Principles
– Gathering Material
– Avoiding Misleading Audiences
– Managing Online Content
– Checking Programmes
– Correcting Mistakes
Zürcher Fachhochschule 14

15. Media Quality Management Model
Rules Resources Output Outcome
Regeln Ressourcen Output Outcome
Quality
Norms Allocative Autoritative Content Audience
Objectives
Q-Ziele Normen Allokative Autoritative Inhalte Publika
Editorial Organisational Q-Standards:
Policy Statutes
Redaktions-
People
Structure
Organisations-
Leitbilder Personal Q-Standards: Effects:
statute struktur
Relevance Wirkungen:
Money, Relevanz
Diversity Information
Guidelines Ethic-Codex
Journalisten- Hierarchy Vielfalt
Leitlinien Infrastructure
Geld, Technik Hierarche Accuracy Understanding
Information
kodex Richtigkeit
Fairness Verstehen
Orientation
Aktualität
Orientierung
Transparency
Transparenz Identification
Knowledge Sicherungs- Partizipation
Concepts
Konzepte Standards
Ethik-Kodex Wissen
(Education) Processes
Prozesse
Interaktivität
Narrativity Partizipation
Narrativität
Interactivity
preventive accompanying ex-post
Briefing Coaching Feedback
Storyline Feedback Self-Criticism
Planning (Fact-) Checking Audience Research
Zürcher Fachhochschule

16. Minimum Standards for Editorial Statutes
The editorial staff represents the moral and intellectual
capital of the public service broadcasting station;
The appointment and dismissal of the editor-in-chief, or
equivalent by management must be confirmed by the
editorial staff by majority vote;
The editorial staff must be consulted on decisions
which affect definition of editorial policy and content of
the broadcasting station;
The editorial staff has the right to participate with
management in the joint development of editorial
codes/guidelines;
Zürcher Fachhochschule 16

17. Quality Assessment: Documents & Processes
Media Type TOTAL
Public BC Private BC
(Radio & TV) (Radio & TV)
Print Online 2008
Quality Policy /Guidelines 75 60 43 37 52
Ethic-Codex 66 38 24 29 35
PR-Guidelines 43 30 19 23 25
Discussion about quality 63 52 28 29 36
Always check of
forwarded information
60 39 34 24 41
Check a segment before
transmission
73 37 59 60 59
Institutionalized feedback 77 53 45 22 52
Performance reviews with
employees
Zürcher Fachhochschule
78 51 38 48 47 17

18. uration process in the media organisations
rules of
resources of domination
signification/legitimation
concepts: facilities:
e.g. „invesitigative journalism e.g. time, manpower,
norms: knowledge, archive,
e.g. independence, accuracy processes
recursive process
to communicate / to exert
to legitimate power

19. (b) Resources and processes
• The management should identify and document all the
processes having a direct impact on the quality of editorial
content, the relationship with advertisers, the relationship with
external suppliers of content, the measurement of audience
figures and listeners/viewers’ satisfaction, and the management
of human resources.
• The organization should have clear rules of recruitment and
professional development options for all its employees.
• The organization should establish an in-house critic, or a
“content evaluation commission”, and put in place a quality or
ethics committee and mediation mechanisms (e.g.
ombudsman) to deal with external complaints.
Zürcher Fachhochschule 19

20. People: Human Resource Management
• Annual evaluation of each employee / employee satisfaction
• Periodic goals setting for each employee
• Job descriptions for all positions
• Clear and transparent procedures to appointment and
resignation of employee
• Clear and communicated rules for salary and professional
evolution
• Assessment of training needs of each employee
• Specific policy and appropriate budget for on-going training
Zürcher Fachhochschule 20

21. Input Quality Policy
C Segment of
Fact Studio
M radio
Sheet Control
S program
Sources Archive
Contacts Dokuments
Audience
Research /
People Infrastructure
HR Evaluation Report
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22. Planning process: „Message wish“
„The listener should…
…experience / understand / know / recognize etc. …
…why / that / if / how much etc. …
… the protaginist / the hero / the victim …
… only slowly / fastly / successfully etc. …
… helped / decided / supportet etc. …
… this decsion / the event / the victim etc.
… altough / while / despite… etc …“
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23. Check/Feedback:
„What do You think about my program…“
Zürcher Fachhochschule

24. Check/Feedback:
„What do You think about my program…“
Idea of
Quality !
Zürcher Fachhochschule

25. Quality Assessment: Documents & Processes
Media Type TOTAL
Public BC Private BC
(Radio & TV) (Radio & TV)
Print Online 2008
Quality Policy /Guidelines 75 60 43 37 52
Ethic-Codex 66 38 24 29 35
PR-Guidelines 43 30 19 23 25
Discussion about quality 63 52 28 29 36
Always check of
forwarded information
60 39 34 24 41
Check a segment before
transmission
73 37 59 60 59
Institutionalized feedback 77 53 45 22 52
Performance reviews with
employees
Zürcher Fachhochschule
78 51 38 48 47 25

26. Evaluation BAKOM
Massnahmen
Commitment
Quality Goals / Documents Ressourcen & Prozesse Evaluation
intern extern
Education system Verantwortliche Sendeleitung Dokumentation
Infrastrukture
Personal- Vereinbarung mit
Organisation / workflow n,
Organisationsstruktur:
entwicklung Evaluationsstelle
Arbeitsplätze
Aufbau- und Ablauf-Struktur
Planning Analyse Ist-Zustand
Sicherungsprozesse (Briefings,
Aus-/Weiterbildung/Feedback:
Abnahme, Sendungskritik) Evaluations-
Feedback Processes
Workshops, Sendungskritiken
bericht
Idea of / contact with audience Coaching Evaluationsstelle:
z.B. Certimedia,
Zürcher Fachhochschule
z.B. MQA
0800 /

27. Check/Feedback:
„What do You think about my program…“Idea of
Quality !
Zürcher Fachhochschule