Fred+Davis+--+EDUC+8843+Leading+and+Managing+Educational+Technology,+Class+Project

Fred Davis -- EDUC 8843 Leading and Managing Educational Technology, Class Project

The Poynter Institute ([|http://www.poynter.org])

__Organization__

The Poynter Institute is a non-profit journalism training organization, based in St. Petersburg, Fla. It was founded in 1975 by newspaper publisher Nelson Poynter, who believed independent journalism was the key to journalism success and would promote the profession's excellence and integrity in the execution of journalistic principles and leadership. During Poynter's history, thousands of journalists and media throughout the United States and the world have undergone training at the facility in all phases of journalism.

__Problem__

However, in recent years Poynter, which is organized similar to a university school or college, with a dean as the head of the academic unit, is facing its most difficult challenges ever in journalism, as print, broadcast, and online news organizations have succumbed to budget cutbacks and ethical scandals involving some of the world's most distinguished news and media organizations. Consequently, a growing number of media organizations are sharply curtailing news coverage and/or dismantling news departments altogether because of a paradygm shift by news consumers in favor of opinionated news and tabloids, instead of traditional news and information.

__Need__ Traditional news organizations -- print and electronic -- must find alternative means to arm journalists with requisite tools without sacrificing ethics or engaging in questionable tactics in the delivery of news and information. The onus falls on journalism training groups such as the Poynter Institute to help bridge the gap in the quality of news coverage through increased journalism training in leadership and reportorial performance.

__Key Personnel__

Among the key Poynter personnel who can provide insights through possible interviews regarding the organization's performance problem that is delineated in this project are Stephen Buckley, Faculty Dean and former Digital Publisher for the St. Petersburg Times, along with senior Poynter faculty members Paul Pohlman and Jill Geisler, all of whom can add significantly to this class project. Both Pohlman and Geisler focus on management and leadership training at Poynter, and their expertise in this important area lies at the heart of this class project, as well as the course itself.

__Stakeholders__ Media governing boards, community advisory groups, professional journalism associations, and governmental media oversight agencies must ensure the Freedom of the Press provision in the First Amendment is upheld and preserved. The enactment of additional shield laws for journalists by lawmakers and a lessening of photographic restrictions in the federal court system are good first steps. Accordingly, the Poynter Institute can be a valuable asset for the news media in helping to bring about meaningful journalistic reforms during economic uncertainty and ethical lapses on the part of some news media groups.

Assignment 2.1: PII -- Human Performance Problem (Performance Gap)