Twenty-four newspaper executives representing eight countries are studying media management through December 13, as part of a joint effort between Northwestern University’s Media Management Center and the Press Institute of the Inter American Press Association.

The seminar, held in Miami and conducted totally in Spanish, exposes the executives to issues affecting the media and new ideas and curriculum from the Kellogg School of Management and the Medill School of Journalism, who are affiliated with the Media Management Center at Northwestern.

Courses include media strategy, financial analysis and planning, media marketing, new media strategies, organizational development and interpersonal skills. The program, called the Executive Development Program, also includes functional issues such as improving the quality of journalism, developing new content products, and increasing advertising and circulations sales.

Countries represented include México, Panamá, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Guatemala, Bolivia and Puerto Rico.

In its second year, the EDP is supported with grants from the McCormick Tribune Foundation in Chicago and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Miami. It is coordinated by Michael P. Smith of the Media Management Center, and Ricardo Trotti of the IAPA Press Institute.