With a focus on innovation strategies and integrating workforce practices and procedures, the Media Management Center launched a new leadership program.

The Media Executive Leadership Program participants come from commercial and public television, newspaper and online companies. The faculty are drawn from MMC's core team of professors from the Kellogg School of Management and the Medill School of Journalism, as well as professional associates.

"While keeping our eye on strategy and leadership," said MMC executive director Michael P. Smith, "We are trying to push the dual ideas of innovation and integration." Smith said that in order for media companies to be successful they must continuously innovate. "You must have an innovation strategy," he said. He said that integration - the combining of assets or functions - makes sense, "as long as companies think of the customer first and how the customer would best be served by the combining of activities."

In addition to innovation and integration, one of the approaches Smith talks about is "growing the media company through collaboration and partnerships." He shows examples of how many new media companies are already doing that. He predicted that many of the companies that media consider to be competitors will be partners in the future.

"I hope the unique makeup of the class - coming from TV, newspapers and online - will also help participants think about potential partnerships going forward," Smith said.

The curriculum for the program grows from MMC's research, said Smith, and then is enhanced with expertise from the faculty. Included in the faculty are:

Steven Rogers, director of the entrepreneurship and innovation programs at Kellogg, teaches about how established companies can be "intrapreneurial" by drawing upon the practices and procedures of entrepreneurial companies. His research center documents global best practices in innovation.

Rich Gordon, director of digital technology in education at Medill, lectures on the role of communities for building online audiences and ad revenues. His publications for MMC have focused on both aspects.

Tom Collinger, chair of the Integrated Marketing Communications program at Medill, focuses on the media brand and how to leverage the brand for greater loyalty and potential growth.

The program concludes on July 31.