• Starting date

    15-17 April

  • Duration

    3 days

  • Fee

    €3,400

  • Language

    English

  • Format

    In-person

The media landscape has changed, and new players are imposing new strategies on communicators. Shifts in the political environment as well as new technologies are driving this evolution. Meanwhile, a major implication for communications professionals is that their role is widening and becoming far more strategic. Beyond shaping messages for mainstream media, they are obliged to monitor a growing number of actors who possess their own media outlets, and to devise effective channels of dialogue that lead to shared solutions. Meanwhile, a “fake news” industry that respects neither the norms of journalistic discourse, nor minimal professional standards of veracity, increasingly targets businesses.

Students in classroom

The following topics will be addressed in this course

Day 1

Stakeholder-driven media

  • The roots and dynamics of stakeholder-driven media
  • The power of hypotheses
  • Stakeholder-drive media in crises
  • Group discussion
  • Question bursts
Day 2

Stakeholder influence

  • Using the mechanics and dynamics of stakeholder influence
  • The stakeholders within: The Carlos Ghosn playbook
  • Exercise: follow that word
  • The storyteller's toolkit: timelines and stakeholder maps
  • Storytelling as stakeholder strategy
Day 3

Fire-proofing firm

  • Fire-proofing firm
  • Group work
  • Guest lecture: Fighting the fakes
  • Group discussion

Learning objectives

The ways that media impact reputation have grown more diverse in recent years, and the power of those impacts can be unprecedented. Stakeholder-driven media, owned by activists or partisan groups, demonstrated their clout in the US by helping Donald Trump to become President. So did fake news media, a demonstrated threat to leaders like Hillary Clinton or Emmanuel Macron. Firms now have a multitude of channels to communicate directly with stakeholders, yet few are using them well. In this Masterclass we will consider these phenomena from the standpoint of best practices, while keeping in sight an underlying transformation of the communications function, from service to strategic.

  • You will be able to identify strategies appropriate to stakeholder-driven media, social media, and fake news.
  • You will see the possibilities and limits of current best practices.
  • You will be provided with tools and principles to guide engagement.
  • You will be guided and coached in designing their own strategic media proposals.

For Whom

See where other participants come from

This course is for communications professionals who seek new concepts and tools for media and stakeholder engagement and management. 
Particularly when you view communications as a strategic function. You benefit from the course if you are a:

  • senior communication manager
  • press officer
  • director corporate communication
  • media relations professional
  • external communication manager

Testimonials

Read what previous participants say about this programme

This course focuses on the agenda-setting power of stakeholder media and the use of the story-based inquiry method. It offered me very useful insights and tools that help to develop a strategic communication plan that aligns with organisational goals and values, and that responds to the opportunities and challenges of the fast-changing media landscape. Professor Mark Lee Hunter has built this course on the Stakeholder-Driven Strategic Case Analysis (SDSCA) method, which he developed together with his colleagues at the INSEAD Social Innovation Centre.

Tanja Kliphuis - Senior Communication Professional - Rabobank

The contents of this course are highly useful for every communication professionals across all industries. The theories, tools, frameworks, the timeline and the stakeholder maps are immediately applicable for my daily work. Mark is an experienced teacher who is always in contact with the class.

Karen Loos-Gelijns – Senior Staff Officer International Operations – Ministry of Defense

My experience attending the Navigating the Stakeholder Media Landscape masterclass at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam School of Management was truly enlightening. Led by the engaging lecturer Mark Lee Hunter, the three-day programme provides deep insights into the realm of stakeholder-driven media. Professor Hunter skillfully navigates through various case studies and discussions, highlighting the growing presence and significance of stakeholder media in today's media landscape. The masterclass not only underscored the impact of stakeholder media, often surpassing that of traditional media, but also equipped us with strategies to effectively navigate and leverage this dynamic environment. As a communications professional, I found the emphasis on understanding and harnessing the power stakeholder media particularly valuable. Overall, it was an enriching experience that has undoubtedly enhanced my professional toolkit and I can highly recommend this to everyone interested.

Brandon Palmer - Remarketing Partner - Tesla

Faculty

Dr. Mark Lee Hunter

Mark Lee Hunter is a recognized innovator as a scholar and media practitioner. He is a founder of the Global Investigative Journalism Network and the lead author of its manual for practitioners, Story-Based Inquiry, published by UNESCO in 2009 and currently available in 14 major and minor languages. 

Susie Kuijpers

Susie Kuijpers is Global Manager External Communications and PR at Danone. Susie Kuijpers works for the specialized nutrition business of Danone. She is part of the team that is tasked with protecting and building the reputation of the early life nutrition and medical nutrition business and its brands. 

Practical information

Dates

15-17 April 2024
9.00-17.00

Dates

Fee

The total costs for participation in the Navigating the Stakeholder Media Landscape course are €3,400.

Fees

Location

The programme takes place in the Bayle building on the Woudestein Campus of Erasmus University Rotterdam. 

Bayle building on the Woudestein Campus

General terms and conditions

Our general terms and conditions apply when you register for an open programme. Please review them to learn more about our policies for cancellation, deferral and substitution.

Replacements

The participant can be substituted by someone from the same organisation on the same course without extra costs.

Interested in an executive master degree?

This course can also be taken as part of RSM's part-time Executive Master in Corporate Communication, a flexible and accredited master programme for professionals.