Abstract:
It has become timely necessity to utilise new management concepts to increase the productivity
of the television news room. New managerial concepts such as Planning, organizing,
administration, leadership, motivation, assessments and encouragements, brain storming
discussions, performance review and feedback are being used fully in the news sections of the
developed world. Do the television news managers of Sri Lanka utilise the new managerial
concepts productively? If yes, how? Inquiring the effects of the new managerial concepts on
the productivity of the television news room is the aim of this research. The television news
managers of Sri Lanka do not utilise the new managerial concepts effectively is the Hypothesis
of the research. Interview method and participatory observation were the two main Primary
data gathering methods. Planning reports, progress reports, annual reports, copies of news, shift
duty roster and other files of the 6 television news rooms including documents pertaining to
the subject were the secondary data gathering methods. Amongst the multiple local media, only
6 television news rooms were selected for the research while the research focused only on the
new managerial concept out of the broad subject area in the management. This study found that
5 out of 6 television news rooms (83.33%) did not utilise new managerial concepts productively
as a whole. Many news managers have turned to imitate international news channels and did
not adhere due to managerial procedure in recruitment for news section. Managers are
concentrated only on the outside training and they do not even follow an assessment procedure
as per accepted managerial rules. All the news managers agreed on the quality of the news it
was revealed that there are internal issues on it. Confirming the hypothesis, main conclusion
was that the news section of the local televisions does not utilise the new managerial concepts
productively. To offer better quality news through Television media, Television news
managers should utilise new managerial concepts. It will lead for effective and productive
activities in the television news section.
