JRN4401 Auburn University Managing an Actual Media Outlet Analysis Essay

Major Project for JRN 4401-Managing An Actual Media Outlet

Choose one or two situation(s) and/or “groups” to address. This assignment must be in essay format. Your essay should be a minimum of 1,000 words. You must use correct grammar, correct punctuation, and complete sentences.

Your essay must also be in MLA, APA, or AP format. If you are not familiar with these essay formats, please refer to The Purdue Owl website and use whichever essay format you prefer.

Use your book to help you with this assignment. Use key terms from the chapters we have read so far, and you may read ahead, as well. However, please make sure your assignment is written in your own words. If your assignment contains more than 20 percent of material from outside sources, you will receive a 0 for this assignment. If you choose to use outside sources for this assignment, you must include a Works Cited page.

This assignment must be completed by Wednesday, October 9 at 11:59 p.m. CST. For each day this assignment is late, you will receive four points deducted from your final score. For example, if your assignment is one day late, the best you can make is a 16/20 (or an 80). Any assignments submitted after October 11 will receive a 0. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Wiregrassstudentradio.com is a Troy University official student-run on-line radio station. It “broadcasts” from noon until midnight weekdays (central time). It needs to raise about $200 a month to meet its expenses, license fees, etc. This puts it in competition for advertising dollars with every other media outlet in Pike County, including the Troy Messenger, Troy Cablevision Channel 52, and WTBF-AM (1947) and WTBF-FM (1997), the only commercial stations in Pike County.

WTBF-AM is a “local” station, playing primarily to the Troy population of approx. 15,000 and to a lesser extent, Pike County, with about the same number or residents.

WTBF-FM is an “oldies” station, with older demographics (35-65), and is more local than most but also carries news and information to appeal to the entire Wiregrass, which their signal covers well.

Troy Messenger is the only local newspaper, and it is published five days a week. They skip Monday and Sunday.

Group One is managing wiregrassstudentradio.com. What do we play in order to attract our core audience, how much are commercials, and what can we do to promote it?

Group Two gets to be the new owners of WTBF-AM/FM. How do we maintain the current level of service and profit against this new upstart? What do we play and why? How do we promote? What do we charge?

Group Three gets to be the new owners of the Troy Messenger.

Group Four gets to start a new TV station in Pike County.

You will be a part of any group (you choose). And you can choose up to two situations (groups) to address. You can also just address one—that’s entirely up to you.

Please be as detailed as possible with this assignment. I want to know your game plan, your budget, your target market, your ideas, your schedule, your social media campaigns (if applicable), your channels of interest—everything. You can include real or fake information—that is up to you. It just needs to be believable and logical.

You will have more than your usual week to complete this assignment. You will also need to find time to complete your final exam by the required due date. Use your time wisely as there will be no extensions granted for these two assignments (your final project and final exam).