TMIS101 – Management Information Systems

Major Assignment – The print media – What are companies doing ‘online’?

Due Week 10 (at start of lecture)

Value: 20 percent of final marks

Background

 

New and emerging technologies have often been touted as meaning the ‘death’ of traditional industries.

 

For example – the emergence of the home video recorder in the late ‘70s / early ‘80s was meant to be the ‘death’ of cinemas. Yet anyone who has tried to see a popular film at a cinema on a Friday or Saturday night will know that this is far from the case. Indeed not only are many cinemas flourishing but film companies have new (and lucrative) revenue streams such as cable TV, DVDs etc.

 

Many other industries have been largely ‘wiped out’ or fundamentally changed e.g. bookstores, travel agents, record (music) shops etc. as a result of technology changes / trends.

 

One industry that is facing major challenges from the Internet is the print media, especially newspapers.

 

Your first job after graduating from TOP is that of Special Projects Analyst for a major international media group: Carringbush Media that has interests in a wide range of media including Internet, ‘free to air’ television, cable television, magazines and a large number of newspapers.

 

The group operates all around the world.

 

You have been assigned to the Australian newspaper operations to assist them in understanding where their industry is heading in terms of their market’s use of the Internet and other technology issues or challenges.

 

You have met with the CEO of Carringbush’s Australian newspaper operations who has briefed you on how they operate in Australia, what he thinks the major challenges are etc.

 

 

 

Your Mission

 

He has asked you to prepare his a briefing paper on what media companies outside of Australia are doing to address the challenges of the Internet, tablets, apps etc.

 

He wants your report to cover two distinct areas:

 

1. Publishing

• attracting readers to its physical (paper) newspapers
• attracting readers to ‘electronic’ (tablet etc.) versions of its newspapers
• attracting visitors to its websites

 

1. Advertising

• continuing to attract ‘display’ advertising in its newspapers
• earning advertising revenue from its websites
• attracting ‘classified’ advertising for both its newspapers and websites

 

He wants your report to cover both areas.

 

(Lecturer note: each area will be 50% of your mark for this assignment.)  

 

He is aware of what his major competitors in Australia (News Corporation Australia and Fairfax Media) are doing in this area and doesn’t want your report to include the Australian market.

 

He wants to know what major newspaper and media groups outside Australia are doing in this area.

 

In particular he would like to know of:

• any ‘cutting edge’ (leading) uses of technology by media/newspaper companies overseas
• any unusual and successful business strategies being undertaken by overseas media/newspaper companies

 

 

He wants you to be ‘free’ with your research and reporting. Nothing can be considered too ‘left field’ (unusual).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions / Rules

 

1. The report should have appropriate headings and subheadings.
2. In your report include references to other websites and articles.
3. Ensure you have an appropriate Executive Summary.
4. This work should be in one document such as Microsoft Word.  This assignment should be typed using times new roman font size 12, single spacing with appropriate headings and attention to spelling and grammar.  The report should not exceed fifteen (15) pages (excluding the list of references).
5. You should read additional material which should be included your sources in a list of references at the end of your assignment.
   • Normal University referencing rules apply.
   • Students should use the Harvard (Author-Date) Style because it is the common style used in the risk management discipline.

 

6. You are able to use any e.g. graphics you want. Feel free to be creative.
7. Whilst the assignment should follow academic standards in relation to non-plagiarism, recognition of sources etc.; the report presented should be of a professional (business) standard in terms of content and layout. It should include:
   • A Table of Contents
   • An Executive Summary
   • Appropriate use of headings, sub headings etc.
   • Single spacing and no ‘widows and orphans’ (paragraphs that go over a page)

1. The assignment is due at the beginning of the lecture in week 10, otherwise it will be considered late (this attracts a 10% per day penalty or part thereof).
2. Before attending class you must submit your work to the Unit’s TOP Moodle website.
3. You should also physically hand your lecturer a hard (printed) copy of the assignment prior to the commencement of the lecture.
4. Your assignment must have the correct TOP cover sheet attached.
5. Please also attach a copy of the Report Rubric (page 5 of this document) as the last page of your report
6. Please ensure a thorough edit and spell check using English (Australian). Minor errors, typographical mistakes and poor spelling detract from the quality of any report will be penalized.

 

 

TMIS101 – Management Information Systems

Assignment Rubric

Assignment – The print media – What are companies doing ‘online’?

Due Week 10

Value: 20 percent of final marks

	Fail (0-49)	Pass (50-64)	Credit (65-74)	Distinction (75-84)	High Distinction (85-100)	Total
Organisation/ Structure	Lack of focus with no purpose or context.  Inappropriately structured.  0-12.25 marks	Clear purpose and context. Weak paragraph structure. Good use of headings and sub-headings.  12.5-16 marks	Appropriate use of structure.  Information is presented in a logical sequence that clearly addresses the questions asked. 16.25-18.5 marks	Student presents information in logical,   structure which audience can follow with some additional interest 18.75-21 marks	Student presents information in logical, interesting and entertaining structure which audience can follow. 21.25-25marks	/25
Subject Knowledge and use of Information Systems concepts	Inaccurate use of Information Systems concepts.  Lack of assertions, development and/or support. 0-12.25 marks	Limited grasp of Information Systems concepts.  Assertions exist but are not supported or developed adequately. 12.5-16 marks	Accurate but limited use of Information Systems concepts.  Developed and supported assumptions. 16.25-18.5 marks	Clear and competent use of Information Systems concepts.  Developed and supported assumptions. 18.75-21 marks	Especially skilful identification and analysis of Information Systems concepts.  Fully developed and supported assertions. 21.25-25marks	/25
Focus on Assigned Topic (answered the question asked)	No attempt to link assessment task to the Topic. 0-12.25 marks	Some of the task is related to the Topic but a reader does not learn much about the Topic. 12.5-16 marks	Most of the work is related to the Topic but occasionally wanders off into other unrelated areas.  The reader can still learn something about the Topic. 16.25-18.5 marks	All of the work is related to the Topic and the reader learns something more about the Topic. 18.75-21 marks	The entire work is related to the Topic and challenges the reader with new insights. 21.25-25marks	/25
Research and Referencing and  Mechanics and Language	No evidence of additional research or reading.  Students work has spelling and grammatical errors.  Poor referencing. 0-12.25 marks	Some research and additional references although poor quality or not related to the Topic.  Spelling and grammatical errors.  Limited referencing. 12.5-16 marks	Evidence of research and reading with some quality references mostly related to the Topic.  Some spelling and grammatical errors.  Some errors with referencing. 16.25-18.5 marks	Evidence of research and reading with some quality references all related to the Topic.  Some errors with spelling/grammar or referencing. 18.75-21 marks	Evidence of wide reading/research and inclusion of quality references (including academic references) related to the Topic.  No spelling or grammatical errors.  Referencing is appropriate. 21.25-25marks	/25
					Total Points:	/100
						/20