This lesson plan is designed to help journalists understand what is required to plan for news events, programmes and products.
This lesson plan is based on the articles Project development for a media organisation, The skills of media project management, and The media project management process which we suggest you read before adapting for your own purposes.
Introduction
Effective project management is essential for any media organisation looking to innovate or solve specific operational challenges. Whether launching a new digital platform or improving newsroom workflows, media professionals must understand how to move from a vague idea to a structured, successful implementation. This day-long course provides a comprehensive framework for identifying needs, managing resources, and leading teams through the lifecycle of a media project.
Sessions Timetable
09:00–10:00 – Session 1: Identifying the need and defining the project
- Aims: To understand the origins of project ideas and how to align them with the organisation’s mission.
- Presentation: Discuss the ‘top-down’ vs ‘bottom-up’ approach to project development. Explain the importance of the project brief, ensuring it addresses a specific problem or opportunity within the media landscape.
- Activity: Participants work in pairs to identify one current challenge in their newsroom or organisation and draft a 200-word outline for a project to solve it.
- Discussion: Why could some projects fail at the conceptual stage? The importance of ensuring the project serves the audience and the business.
10:00–11:00 – Session 2: The project management lifecycle
- Aims: To familiarise trainees with the four essential phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution, and Closure.
- Presentation: Break down the lifecycle. Focus on the Definition phase (setting objectives) and the Planning phase (mapping resources and timelines). Use the MHM model to show how these stages overlap.
- Activity: Using the ideas from Session 1, participants create a basic Project Definition document listing goals, constraints, and necessary resources.
- Discussion: Which phase is most often neglected in a fast-paced news environment? (Usually Planning or Closure).
11:00–11:15 – Break
11:15–12:45 – Session 3: Essential skills for media project managers
- Aims: To identify the core competencies required to lead a project team effectively.
- Presentation: Outline the six key skills: leadership, communication, problem-solving, time management, negotiation, and technical knowledge. Emphasise that a project manager is a facilitator, not just a boss.
- Activity: The crisis room exercise. The trainer provides a series of project setbacks (e.g., a key developer leaves, the budget is cut by 20%, the deadline is moved forward). Groups must decide which project management skill to deploy to solve the issue.
- Discussion: Can a great journalist be a great project manager? Discuss the transition from content creation to process management.
12:45–13:45 – Lunch
13:45–15:00 – Session 4: Planning and the work breakdown structure
- Aims: To learn how to deconstruct a large media project into manageable tasks.
- Presentation: Introduce the concept of the work breakdown structure (WBS) and the Gantt chart. Explain how to estimate time for tasks and the importance of buffer time.
- Activity: Participants take their project idea and break it down into at least 10 specific tasks, sequencing them in order of priority and dependency.
- Discussion: The planning fallacy in media: Why we always think things will take less time than they actually do.
15:00–15:15 – Break
15:15–16:15 – Session 5: Risk management and quality control
- Aims: To identify potential threats to a project and establish standards for success.
- Presentation: How to create a risk register. Discuss quality control in a media context – ensuring editorial standards are met while project milestones are hit.
- Activity: Participants perform a pre-mortem – imagining their project has failed and working backward to identify what went wrong and how to prevent it.
- Discussion: How do we balance the need for speed with the need for high-quality journalism?
16:15–17:00 – Session 6: Monitoring, evaluation, and closure
- Aims: To understand how to track progress and properly conclude a project.
- Presentation: Explain the importance of the Post-Implementation Review (PIR). Discuss how to measure success against the original brief and the importance of handing over the project to the operational team.
- Activity: Draft a template for a final project report, including sections for lessons learned and key performance indicator (KPI) achievement.
- Discussion: Why is it important to celebrate success and formally close a project rather than letting it fizzle out?
Assignment
Participants are required to create a formal project proposal for a new media initiative (e.g., a podcast series, a digital subscription drive, or a mobile journalism training programme). The proposal must include a project brief, a basic work breakdown structure, a risk register, and a definition of what success looks like. This should be submitted as a three-page document.
Materials needed
- Handouts of the MHM Project Management process flow.
- Flipchart paper and markers for the WBS activity.
- Gantt chart templates (paper-based or digital).
- Example project briefs from real-world media organisations.
- Access to laptops or tablets for drafting proposals.
Assessment
- Participation: Engagement in group discussions and the crisis room exercise.
- Quality of drafts: Ability to break down complex ideas into logical tasks during the WBS session.
- Final Proposal: The coherence, realism, and structural integrity of the assigned project proposal.
Summary
This lesson plan provides a structured approach to managing media projects, moving from the initial idea through to planning, execution, and review. It equips participants with the practical tools and leadership skills necessary to drive innovation within a media organisation.
This plan is based on the following resources:
- Project development for a media organisation
- The skills of media project management
- The media project management process
