Media Advisory - Canadian Journalism Foundation and Rotman School of
Management revamp Media Management Executive Education Program

Guest Panellists, Experts-in-Residence and New Initiatives Announced

TORONTO, Aug. 17 /CNW/ - Veteran media professionals and U.S.-based guest panellists will augment this year's Media Management Executive Education Program (MMEEP), an intensive three-day program tailored to meet the needs of Canada's media managers, jointly produced by the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Richard Siklos, a Los Angeles-based columnist, reporter and former editor-at-large at Fortune magazine; Chrystia Freeland, the global editor-at-large at Thomson Reuters; and Jonathan Goodman, a senior partner of the Monitor Group business consulting firm, will form a guest panel to discuss critical issues facing the industry. Additional guest speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Some of Canada's most senior media professionals, including attendees of last year's program, will act as "experts in residence" and provide insight into how lessons learned can be applied in the workplace. Also new this year, registrants are encouraged to submit their own management issues ahead of time, providing living case studies for faculty and participants to examine together.

The first program of its kind in Canada, the 2009 MMEEP drew participants from across the country and housed them at the Bank of Montreal's Institute for Learning in Toronto, a state-of-the-art training facility and residence. By the end of the three-day period, participants had not only become better acquainted with core business concepts such as finance and operations; they had made valuable allies within their industry.

Scott White, editor-in-chief of The Canadian Press, found the experience to be incredibly rewarding.

"Given the tumultuous changes happening in our business, newsroom managers need to be smarter and more innovative when deciding where we're going and how we'll get there," he said. "The stuff you learn here isn't the usual things you take away from an industry convention. This is real knowledge by real experts, in a setting that is challenging and even fun. There is no other journalism training course like it in Canada."

This year's program will be held again at the Institute for Learning, from October 15-17. The fee is $3,500, which includes tuition, residential fees, all program materials, supplies and most class-day meals. The registration deadline is September 30, 2010.

For more information and to register, visit http://rotmanexecutive.com/mmeep.

About the Media Management Executive Education Program (MMEEP)

The MMEEP was launched in 2009 after John Macfarlane, editor of The Walrus and chair of the CJF's board of directors, approached the Rotman School with the idea of developing a program targeted to media managers. He had observed that journalists are often promoted to managerial positions without substantial business training and education. The Rotman School is internationally recognized for its innovation approach to business education and is a leader in the design and delivery of executive programs tailored to the unique needs of specific industries. The MMEEP is intended for news media executives with a minimum of 8 to 10 years of experience working in print, broadcast and online outlets who need to manage across departments or media platforms. It provides invaluable learning in core business concepts including leadership, strategy, finance, operations, negotiation and decision-making. The faculty is academically world renowned and grounded in real-world expertise.

The MMEEP takes place at the Bank of Montreal's Institute for Learning (IFL) at 3550 Pharmacy Avenue in Toronto. IFL is a purpose built training facility with classrooms, break-out rooms, role play rooms and other state-of-the-art facilities. It also has a residential wing where there are single occupancy rooms available for participants along with a gym, swimming pool, comfortable lounges and numerous dining and study areas. IFL offers an ideal atmosphere for peer group learning and informal interaction along with all the benefits of having accommodations within the same area.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes excellence in journalism by celebrating outstanding journalistic achievement through an annual awards program; by operating journalism websites, J-Source.ca (English) and ProjetJ.ca (French), in cooperation with the country's leading journalism schools; and by organizing events that facilitate dialogue among journalists, business people, politicians, government officials and academics about the role of the media in Canadian society.

About the Rotman School of Management

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world's most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves.

For further information: Media Contact information: Natalie Turvey, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, phone: [phone], e-mail: [email protected], www.cjf-fjc.ca; Ken McGuffin, Rotman School of Management, phone: [phone], e-mail: [email protected], www.rotman.utoronto.ca