DOCSLIB.ORG

Ricks College Becomes Brigham Young University–I

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ricks College Becomes Brigham Young University–I A CASE STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND TRANSITIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: RICKS COLLEGE BECOMES BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY–IDAHO A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Education in the College of Graduate Studies University of Idaho by LaNae Hammon Poulter November 15, 2007 Major Professor: Roger L. Scott, Ph.D. iii ABSTRACT This qualitative case study takes advantage of the opportunity to focus on organizational learning during a season of change in higher education as Ricks College became Brigham Young University–Idaho. This case investigates an organization dedicated to higher education which is experiencing rapid and extreme change in its physical, institutional, and human infrastructure. Open-ended questioning during interviews and focus groups inductively led to a view of the grand tour question: “How was organizational learning demonstrated during times of extreme change and the ongoing transition of becoming Brigham Young University–Idaho?” The researcher listened to 27 participants and wove their stories together to present a tapestry of the transition. Participants described their mixed response to the announcement that Ricks College would become BYU–Idaho. Then the purposefully selected administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community leader shared their experiences of the first five years as BYU–Idaho. Interrelated aspects of the transition guided the discussion: (1) faculty, (2) budget, (3) space, (4) degree programs, (5) support services, and (6) students. Even though the participants share common values as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these adults learned individually to adapt to a changing world. The learning process is expedited and at times impeded by the culture. Concepts of a shared vision and trust are essential elements of successfully dealing with transitions. Leadership communicated encouragement in personal innovation and growth. The overall process became a helix of rising expectations. As the individuals learned to deal with change, the school became a university striving to respond to needs of the students: accessibility, affordability, and accountability. The case study is of one institution of higher education thrust into the midst of a major transition. As a private, non-profit organization, it has unique aspects; but as a university within a global society, there are also characteristics common to others. This case study of organizational learning in higher education is not about any one person’s contribution, but an appreciation for the integration of all. Transferability is left to the reader. Further research on organizational learning during transitions in higher education is suggested. iv DEDICATION Gordon B. Hinckley said, “The work of the world isn’t done by geniuses, it is done by ordinary people who learn to work in an extraordinary way.” This dissertation is dedicated not only to the participants who shared their stories, but to the many “ordinary people” who exemplify their trust and faith as they have accomplished what some have declared to be a miracle as Ricks College became Brigham Young University–Idaho. I also lovingly dedicate this work to my parents, Milton and Stella Hammon, for their exemplary lives and for encouraging me in my early youth to “see things through others’ eyes” and to “hoe to the end of the row.” May my children and grandchildren do likewise. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Some have said that our lives are always in transition. Today is never exactly the same as yesterday; nor can my tomorrow be a repeat of today. First, I express appreciation to my children who have become adults with babes of their own during my long trek as a nontraditional student. Thanks I give to you and your spouses for support, encouragement, understanding, and love. You bring me great joys. And now my grandchildren inspire me with their sage words of cheer that come just when I need them most. It is often through the actions of others that our lives are blessed. To Ken Howell and the Public Relations team during the Ricks College era, thank you for opening a door that led to a multitude of opportunities and blessings for me and my family. To my colleagues in University Relations at BYU–Idaho, thank you for your friendship, interest, acceptance, and encouragement. I express gratitude for the educational opportunities offered through Idaho State University and the University of Idaho. This “spud patch girl” feels very fortunate to have found excellent programs that stretched my capacities and helped me achieve my academic goals while still working to support my family. I acknowledge my participants who openly shared their experiences so that we might learn. I appreciate their frankness, trust, and diligence in the pursuits of excellence. Their openness deepened my appreciation for the efforts in the transition. Acknowledgement is given to those who believed in the potential of this study. The guidance of my committee chair, Roger Scott, has been invaluable. I also appreciate the support and encouragement of my committee: Robert Croker, Scott Bergstrom, and Michael Kroth. I am indebted as well to Cheryl, Sharon, and Sharyn who painstakingly reviewed the rough drafts and helped me polish it into a final manuscript. And last, but certainly not least, my acknowledgement to my Father in Heaven who sees my weaknesses and blesses me with strength beyond my own. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Authorization to Submit Dissertation ....................................................................................... ii Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii Dedication ............................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................v List of Figures........................................................................................................................... x Chapters I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Background to the Study................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study .......................................................................................2 Research Questions ........................................................................................3 Definition of Terms .......................................................................................4 Delimitations and Limitations .......................................................................... 5 Delimitations..........................................................................................5 Limitations .............................................................................................6 Significance of the Study...................................................................................7 Chapter I Summary ........................................................................................8 II. Literature ..................................................................................................................9 Organizational Learning (and the Adult Learner) .............................................9 Dealing with Transitions .................................................................................14 Issues in Higher Education ............................................................................. 18 Accessibility and Enrollment Trends ...................................................21 Affordability and Costs ........................................................................22 Accountability in View of Global Competition....................................23 Chapter II Summary ..................................................................................... 27 III. Design of the Study ...............................................................................................29 Rationale and Appropriateness of Qualitative Case Study Approach ........... 29 The Research Design ...................................................................................... 31 Data Collection Procedures .............................................................. 32 Criteria for Selection of Participants ..................................................33 Human Subjects ...................................................................................34 vii Addressing Credibility and Trustworthiness ...................................... 34 Role of the Researcher.................................................................................... 35 Chapter III Summary ...................................................................................... 38 IV. Redefining an Institution .....................................................................................39 Commentary/Introduction................................................................................39 Pre-Announcement/ Catalyst for Change ........................................................41 Chapter IV Summary ......................................................................................48 V. Ears to Hear—Listening to Participants’ Stories ...................................................49 Announcement
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Backgrounder: Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah
    Backgrounder Deseret News: Interviewed 5/16/11 Newspaper Deseret News Owner Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, a for-profit business holdings company owned by the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Address 55 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Phone number 801-236-6000 URL Deseretnews.com Circulation Daily 73,075; Sunday 79,433 President & CEO Name Clark Gilbert Start Date 2009 as CEO Deseret Digital; 2010 as CEO Deseret News Phone number 801-333-7497 E-mail [email protected] Newspaper Staff Total FTEs Publication cycle 7-days, a.m. Current Circulation Weekdays 73,075 Sundays 79,435 E-edition 20,261 Price Weekday newsstand $0.75 Sunday newsstand $2.00 Subscription annual $208.00 E-edition $43.80 Ancillary Businesses of Deseret News & Deseret DeseretNews.com, KSL.com, DeseretBook.com, Digital MormonTimes.com and LDSChurchNews.com Digital Pay wall? No Considering a pay wall? No Advertising Is your advertising staff able to provide competitive Yes digital services to merchants? Do you use "real time" ads? Yes Does your advertising department sell "digital services" Yes such as helping merchants with website production? Does your ad department sell electronic coupons or other Yes modern digital products? Other? Do you generate revenue in partnership with outside Yes, remnant providers digital vendors such as Yahoo? If so, who are they? Managing Editor Name Richard Hall Valid Sources, “Who Needs Newspapers?” project; 1916 Pike Pl., Ste 12 #60, Seattle, WA.98101 www.whoneedsnewspapers.org Backgrounder Deseret News: Interviewed 5/16/11 Start date Phone number 801- 237-2110 E-mail [email protected] V.P.
    [Show full text]
  • New Media Training
    new media training January 19, 2011 Salt Lake City Agenda SESSION 1: WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA & WHY DOES IT MATTER BALLROOM C Tom Love (Love Communications) Laura Mayes (Blog Con Queso, Kirtsy, Mom 2.0, Mighty Events) Clark Gilbert (Deseret Digital Media) SESSION 2: BREAKOUT SESSIONS Choose from one of the following Breakout Sessions: BREAKOUT A – CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING BALLROOM D (PRODUCTS, ISSUES, OR CANDIDATES) Liz Mair (Hynes Communications) Vincent Harris (Harris Media) Andrew Roos (Google) BREAKOUT B – SIX TOOLS IN SIXTY MINUTES BALLROOM C YouTube – Andrew Roos (Google) List-building – Rachael Herrscher (TodaysMama.com) LinkedIn – Jason Alba (JibberJobber.com) Facebook – Kuulai Hanamaikai (Love Communications) Geotagging – Monica Danna (Cosmopolitician.com) Twitter – Troy Pattee (Mom It Forward) SESSION 3: EFFECTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES BALLROOM C Chris Nichols (utahREpro) Mike Petroff (Deseret Digital Media) Neil Chase (Federated Media) Julie Bazgan (Love Communications) Speakers JASON ALBA JULIE BAZGAN NEIL CHASE JibberJobber.com Director, Digital Marketing, Federated Media Love Communications Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of Julie is the Digital Marketing Director Neil Chase is Senior Vice President for JibberJobber.com, a web-based system at Love Communications. As an online Editorial at Federated Media, where he to organize and manage a job search marketing strategist and planner with works with more than 100 of the best (and the networking you do between job over 15 years of digital and marketing independent publishers on the Web. searches). Jason is a certified Personal communications experience, she has He has worked as an editor and page Branding Strategist and popular blogger developed digital branding, online lead designer at several newspapers and was and speaker about career management generation and eCommerce strategies Managing Editor at CBS MarketWatch, and social tools for professionals.
    [Show full text]
  • Byu-Idaho Spring 2015
    WELCOME BACK BYU-IDAHO SPRING 2015 INSIDE: President Clark reflects Map of Rexburg Simple secrets to success Places to ride Eight places to visit Amphitheater BYU-I Rexburg 2 Welcome Back BYU-I Spring 2015 S ta geCenter StageCenter SPRING 2015 BR IGHA M YO UNG UNI VERSITY -IDAH O P ERFORMI N G A R T S S ERI E S A. LINCOLN MIDAS WHALE PATRIOTS AND PIONEERS FEATURING BYU-IDAHO STUDENTS A ONE–MAN PLAY SATURDAY, MAY 30 FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, MAY 1-2 7:30 P.M., KIRKHAM AUDITORIUM AND SPECIAL GUESTS THE DALLAS BRASS 7:30 P.M., SNOW DRAMA THEATER SATURDAY, JULY 11 e folk rock duo Midas Whale features Jon is one-man, two-act play by actor Steve 7:30 P.M., BYU-IDAHO CENTER Peter Lewis and Ryan Hayes. Holgate dramatizes Lincoln’s life and presidency. 6 P.M., PRESHOW DINNER Tickets go on sale May 4. Tickets now on sale. e BYU-Idaho College of Performing and $6 BYUI students, $12 public $6 BYUI students, $12 public Visual Arts will present a major July concert to celebrate American patriots and pioneers. e Dallas Brass will join more than 200 THE FAB FOUR students, including Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir and Symphony Band. FRIDAY, MAY 8 7:30 P.M., HART AUDITORIUM Tickets go on sale June 1. 6:00 P.M., PRESHOW DINNER $3 BYUI students, $6 public e L.A. Times calls it “e best Beatles show in the world.” Tickets now on sale. $6 BYUI students, $12 public Preshow dinner $15 extra DUE WEST FRIDAY, JUNE 5 7:30 P.M., HART AUDITORIUM Due West is a country trio based out of Nashville.
    [Show full text]
  • Day 1, April 19, 2013: Morning Session - 8:40-9:45 A.M
    14th Annual International Symposium on Online Journalism Day 1, April 19, 2013: Morning Session - 8:40-9:45 a.m. Strengthening Journalism in an Era of Digital Disruption Chair: Tom Rosenstiel, Executive Director, American Press Institute Keynote Speaker: Clark Gilbert, President and CEO, Deseret News Publishing Company, former professor at Harvard Business School Q & A: Tom Rosenstiel and Clark Gilbert Tom Rosenstiel: People like to use the word ‘disruption.’ I actually think it’s the wrong word now. This is opportunity. The technology provides those who want to produce journalism with so many more tools, it’s as if we were building houses with a saw, a hammer, screwdriver, and now we have all the tools that you could get at Home Depot to do that job better. People who felt disrupted need to feel as if there’s enormous potential and opportunity. The future of journalism—as it does for anything else—belongs to people who believe in the future. And optimism is extremely important to this. And in this first session, you’re going to hear from somebody who is really doing it on the ground. If you don’t Clark Gilbert, you are in for a really significant treat. Clark is the CEO of Deseret News Publishing Company and Deseret Digital Media. And he will explain to you why those are two different companies. He was Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at Harvard Business School. He worked closely with Clayton Christensen, who if you don’t know, is the author of Innovator’s Dilemma. Clark was involved in trying to innovate the university when he was Associate Academic Dean and Vice President of Brigham Young University in Idaho, in charge of online learning and distance education.
    [Show full text]
  • Reaching the One Realizing the Extraordinary Potential in Everyday Students Genius CLARK G
    BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY-IDAHO | FALL 2016 | VOL. 16 NUM.3 Reaching t the One t UPCOMING EVENTS Spori Summit R&CW Conference November 3 and 4 December 8 at 4:30 - 6:30 pm | BYUI Center The Spori Summit is patterned after the Great We invite faculty to encourage students to Teacher’s Seminar model and is designed to participate in this important showcase of learning. allow open discussion about teaching challenges and successes with colleagues. SAVE THE DATES Faculty Workshops Brown Bag Luncheons hosted by Instructional and PIE Talks Development October 13 and 14 November 17 and 18 October 6 and 7 November 3 and 4 t EDITOR IN THIS ISSUE OF PERSPECTIVE Getting my work done or seeking after the one. When teaching, members. Ignoring repeats, that would be close to 13,000 these two goals, at times, seem to conflict and make it difficult students every semester being affected by faculty seeking after to find a proper balance. For instance, I can remember times the one through the Holy Ghost. This is a simplistic calculation, when I felt pressed for a deadline and needed to get some work but shows if we regularly seek after the one, we would greatly done, so I closed the door so I wouldn’t get distracted. Then I impact the entire university. Every faculty and student can feel the got what seemed to be the inevitable knock on my door from a “Spirit of Ricks.” This reminds me of how the Savior fed the five student who wanted to talk about his grade or to go over things thousand: “And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the that he struggled with in my class.
    [Show full text]
  • Religious Freedom and the Common Good
    THE BYU INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LAW AND RELIGION STUDIES PRESENTS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE COMMON GOOD 2018 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ANNUAL REVIEW | 1 2 | Presenters elcome to the fifth annual Religious Freedom Annual Review! We at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies are delighted that you’re able to join us for a chance to focus together on the question of religious freedom and the common good. In this often-polarized political climate, we don’t always have the opportunity to sit down with people from a variety of backgrounds and listen to each other. If we do listen, it’s often only to find fault rather than to understand and find common ground. Our hope with the Religious Freedom Annual Review is to provide a forum for thoughtful engagement on the important issues of religious freedom and religion in public life. You may not agree with everyone you hear, but we hope the Review will be a place where we can discuss these topics in mutually respectful ways that can help foster understanding and genuine pluralism. This year our topic focuses on how religious freedom can contribute to the common good. We’ll hear discussions on media coverage of religious freedom and how advocates of religious freedom and LGBTQ rights can find common ground. Through these and other sessions, we hope to explore how we can bridge the very real personal and cultural divides that often occur on these issues and how civility and respect can help us understand and promote the common good. This year we’re making new efforts to encourage discussions and networking among conference participants as well.
    [Show full text]
  • 39 Chapter IV: Redefining an Institution
    39 Chapter IV: Redefining an Institution Commentary/Introduction “Do we have eyes to see, and do we have a heart to understand and a mind that is open enough to be able to really hear what is happening?” (K. Cook, personal communication, May 31, 2007). I was reminded of the need to cast away any bias and be open to better understanding by a faculty member as she wisely and patiently responded to my inquiries. I have pondered those words often during the ensuing weeks and months of analyzing the data and reflecting on the events between the announcement that Ricks College would become Brigham Young University–Idaho and then the subsequent first five years as BYU–Idaho. Initially, I purposefully selected six individuals and invited them to be participants in responding to open-ended questions about their personal experiences. The study then progressively focused by following the leads that came from their responses (Stake, 1995). The study unfolded line upon line and precept upon precept as a total of 27 people shared their perspectives in personal conversations with me, with one decline, and one who did not respond to the invitation. They describe change and how learning was woven into “the fabric of everyday work experiences” (Watkins & Marsick, 1993, p. 2). The participants involved represent a spectrum of view points: seven students, one representative of the Board of Trustees, three executive officers, six academic leadership/faculty, and eight mid-level administrators/staff from the support services, one volunteer leader, and one from the city/chamber of commerce. Names of the participants have been changed unless specific approval was granted to include their identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Newspapers Turning Ideas Into Dollars Four Revenue Success Stories
    February 11, 2013 Newspapers Turning Ideas into Dollars Four Revenue Success Stories FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Amy Mitchell, Acting Director, Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism Mark Jurkowitz, Associate Director, Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (202) 419-3650 1615 L St, N.W., Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20036 www.journalism.org Newspapers Turning Ideas into Dollars Overview In America’s embattled newspaper industry, some business innovations are showing clear signs of success, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. While many of these are occurring on the digital side, some papers are generating new print revenue—through circulation gains, niche products and even sales reorganization. The report follows a year-long effort to identify newspaper successes in the search for new business models. This report analyzes four such dailies whose executives explained, in detail, the motivation and strategy behind their experiments and shared internal data about the results with the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. Their innovations—ranging from sales force restructuring to rebranding the print product to web consulting for local merchants—are generating significant new income. One paper, contrary to a downward industry trend, has enjoyed an increase in overall revenue in both 2011 and 2012. Another has seen digital revenues average nearly 50% annual growth since 2010. A third has developed a fast-growing revenue stream outside of the core business while the fourth has seen the growth of digital revenue largely offset print losses. All these organizations embarked on business-side experiments in the past two or three years after suffering major economic losses in the second half of the last decade.
    [Show full text]
  • BYU–Idaho Pathway: a Gateway to Global Church Education
    BYU–Idaho Pathway: A Gateway to Global Church Education benjamin c. peterson Benjamin C. Peterson ([email protected]) is the assistant principal at the Bountiful Viewmont Seminary and wrote his master’s thesis on the history of Pathway. ith the announcement of BYU–Pathway Worldwide on 7 February W2017, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf identified the occasion as a “very special day for the Church Educational System (CES), and a day of hope and joy for many of our young people worldwide who are seeking to educate themselves and to prepare for successful livelihood.”1 This new higher edu- cation online organization continues to revolutionize the way in which the Church provides opportunities of higher education to an increasing number of individuals around the world. At the heart of BYU–Pathway Worldwide is the BYU–Idaho Pathway program that has for the last eight years bridged opportunities toward college education for individuals who otherwise would not have them. It also serves as a “pathway to opportunities for successful livelihood.” Pathway has combined online learning and religious education within a household of faith while being grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The program inspires increased hope and faith in the Lord and opens up new opportunities in higher education to ‘learn by study and by faith.’”2 Courtesy and Archives. History Library Church The name “Pathway” has become a buzzword among members of In 1888, when the Bannock Stake Academy at Rexburg was established, President Thomas E. Ricks said, “The seeds the Church around the world, but few members are as familiar with the we are planting today will grow and become mighty oaks, and their branches will run all over the earth.” RE · VOL.
    [Show full text]
  • Clark Gilbert
    Clark Gilbert Clark Gilbert is the president and CEO of the Deseret News Publishing Company and Deseret Digital Media (DDM). The Deseret News is Utah’s longest running business and one of the nation’s fastest growing newspapers, both in print and online. Deseret Digital is one of the largest targeted media networks in the country managing the commercial Web properties of the Deseret Media Companies: DeseretNews.com, KSL.com, DeseretBook.com, MormonTimes.com and LDSChurchNews.com. Prior to DDM, Brother Gilbert was an associate academic vice president here at BYU– Idaho, where he oversaw the university’s online learning and distance education initiatives. He was also a professor of entrepreneurial management at the Harvard Business School and has a background in media innovation. As a professor at the Harvard Business School, Brother Gilbert published numerous award-winning articles on innovation, including lead articles in the Harvard Business Review and MIT/Sloan Management Review. He also authored the book "From Resource Allocation to Strategy," published by Oxford University Press. He has an extensive background in digital media and has published numerous articles on media innovation and the growth of the Internet. Brother Gilbert is a board member at Lead Media Partners, a Web prediction and lead generation company. He has also served on the New Ventures Boards at Landmark Media and Scripps Publications. He was a founding partner of Boston-based consultancy Innosight, where he built an advisory practice with media and healthcare clients targeting disruptive innovation. Brother Gilbert graduated from BYU, earned a master’s degree from Stanford University and a doctorate degree from the Harvard Business School.
    [Show full text]
  • 58174 Journalism School-Journal CVR 6X9 Final.Indd
    The Story So Far: Far: So Story The What We Know About the Business of Digital Journalism Digital of Business the About Know We What The Story So Far What We Know About the Business of Digital Journalism A REPORT BY Bill Grueskin Columbia Journalism School Dean of Academic Affairs, Columbia Journalism School Ava Seave Principal, Quantum Media Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia Business School Lucas Graves | Tow Center for Digital Journalism Ph.D. Candidate, Columbia Journalism School Columbia Journalism School | Tow Center for Digital Journalism Table of Contents Introduction . 1 Chapter 1 . 7 News From Everywhere: The Economics of Digital Journalism Chapter 2 . 21 Traffic Patterns: Why Big Audiences Aren’t Always Profitable Chapter 3 . 39 Local and Niche Sites: The Advantages of Being Small Chapter 4 . 57 The New New Media: Mobile, Video and Other Emerging Platforms Chapter 5 . 69 Paywalls: The Price Tag for Information Chapter 6 . 87 Aggregation:‘Shameless’ – and Essential Chapter 7 . 97 Dollars and Dimes: The New Costs of Doing Business Chapter 8 . 111 New Users, New Revenue: Alternative Ways to Make Money Chapter 9 . 125 Managing Digital: Audience, Data and Dollars Conclusion . 135 Executive Summary. 139 Acknowledgements . 143 The Authors . 145 Columbia Journalism School | Tow Center for Digital Journalism Introduction Few news organizations can match the setting of the Miami Herald. The paper’s headquarters is perched on the edge of Biscayne Bay, offering sweeping views of the islands that buffer the city of Miami from the Atlantic Ocean. Pelicans and gulls float near the building; colorful cruise ships ply the waters a few miles away.
    [Show full text]
  • State of the News Media 2013” Chapters on Local Television News, Network News and Cable News Digital: As Mobile Grows Rapidly, the Pressures on News Intensify
    Overview In 2012, a continued erosion of news reporting resources converged with growing opportunities for those in politics, government agencies, companies and others to take their messages directly to the public. Signs of the shrinking reporting power are documented throughout this year’s report. Estimates for newspaper newsroom cutbacks in 2012 put the industry down 30% since 2000 and below 40,000 full‐time professional employees for the first time since 1978. In local TV, our special content report reveals, sports, weather and traffic now account on average for 40% of the content produced on the newscasts studied while story lengths shrink. On CNN, the cable channel that has branded itself around deep reporting, produced story packages were cut nearly in half from 2007 to 2012. Across the three cable channels, coverage of live events and live reports during the day, which often require a crew and correspondent, fell 30% from 2007 to 2012 while interview segments, which tend to take fewer resources and can be scheduled in advance, were up 31%. Time magazine, the only major print news weekly left standing, cut roughly 5% of its staff in early 2013 as a part of broader company layoffs. And in African‐ American news media, the Chicago Defender has winnowed its editorial staff to just four while The Afro cut back the number of pages in its papers from 28‐32 in 2008 to around 16‐20 in 2012. A growing list of media outlets, such as Forbes magazine, use technology by a company called Narrative Science to produce content by way of algorithm, no human reporting necessary.
    [Show full text]