Taking a 360° view of your media outlet’s viability!

Media viability is the cornerstone of every media outlet’s existence, no matter if commercial, non-profit or community oriented. But it's a complex issue. It's not surprising that for years many media outlets around the world have been struggling to get a grip on their viability. One thing has become evident: Media viability is not just about the business model or merely a question of paywall vs. membership program. It’s about taking a strategic look at all areas that make up a media outlet: from staff structures to ensuring journalistic quality; from security aspects to connecting with your audiences. Rather than a final state after a long journey, media viability is a constantly developing endeavor that needs to be taken on jointly with key staff members.

However, it can be difficult to know where to start. This is why DW Akademie has developed the VAM360°—a Viability Assessment Map that helps media managers, media owners, and anyone else interested in developing a viability strategy to look at viability from all angles. 
Based on DW Akademie’s Media Viability  model, the VAM360° combines a classic business canvas with human centered design elements. It provides a guide through the elementary aspects of media viability, starting from the vision and mission of a media organization, leading on to identifying the most pressing viability issues before arriving at the question of costs, revenue and measurement of success.

The VAM360° offers insight into and analysis of the key aspects that affect media viability. On this basis, media managers can develop or adjust their viability strategy. For best results, it is crucial to ensure that key members of all organizational departments are involved—from journalists to administrators, from editors to audience engagement officers. This will help to make this exciting journey much easier!

The VAM360° is now available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian.

If you need help with reassessing your viability strategy, especially in the light of the current COVID-19 crisis, you might be interested in DW Akademie’s V-Sprint––an interactive and facilitated media viability assessment based on the VAM360°.