Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Reviewed by Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor, Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder on 6/11/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book offers an excellent overview of mainstream perspectives on media entrepreneurship, particularly in the mold of tech startups. It manifests the shift from media organizations as locally bounded entities to digital ones seeking national or global scale. As such, it is an extremely useful guide to the state of the art—frequently with a strong emphasis on practical skills and pragmatist thinking. In addition to the venture-capital approach, it also includes discussions of topics including nonprofit models and “intrapreneurship” within more established organizations. The main shortcoming my students and I encountered is the lack of critical perspectives on many of these models. We found the need to supplement each chapter with readings that included such perspectives.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The material is very accurate and reliable—both from my perspective and that of my students who had previous experience in media entrepreneurship.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is very of-the-moment in a fast-changing media environment, and I do not expect it to age very well. There are many references to specific companies, technologies, and business trends that will probably loose currency within a few years unless the text remains actively updated. I don’t necessarily regard this as a bad thing, however; the topic is intrinsically subject to rapid change, so I’m not sure this can be avoided. While the book remains current, it reads as very fresh and relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

The contributors for each vary in their styles, but on the whole the prose is conversational and accessible, which makes the text very useful for beginners in the subject matter.

Consistency rating: 4

The book is an edited collection including many authors, so their voices and perspectives vary. This is inevitable for such a format, and on the whole the variety is a positive feature.

Modularity rating: 5

As an edited collection, it is highly modular. Each chapter stands on its own. There are also supplements along with the main chapter texts, and these too stand on their own.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The structure and organization are very sensible and intuitive.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is excellent, built on the Pressbooks system. Some people might find the Hypothesis annotations distracting, but they can be easily hidden.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I do not recall encountering significant errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The text does an excellent job presenting what is often a highly privileged entrepreneurial subculture in an accessible way. However, in its lack of critical engagement, the text falls short in capturing some of the deep cultural obstacles that prevent media entrepreneurship from being as inclusive as it needs to be. Similarly, the section on international entrepreneurship is highly Euro-centric and does not offer much insight on other contexts, aside from a brief sidebar on Ethiopia.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Hornsby, Assistant Professor, Southeastern Louisiana University on 12/20/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I found the text extremely comprehensive in terms of addressing the breadth and scope of the subject matter. Given the concept of media innovation and entrepreneurship is broad, the authors did an excellent job effectively indexing the content in a way that makes logical sense for readers. Furthermore, the abundance of reference links allows readers to delve deeper into topics of particular interest.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The authors have included updates for Fall 2019 that have added even more accuracy to the information provided in the text. The everchanging media ownership landscape is integral in understanding media innovation and entrepreneurship, so to include a sidebar on media industry developments is very important. The authors present research-based objective information throughout the text.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Although the media landscape is constantly changing and shifting the information presented in the text is extremely relevant. Particularly, the chapters detail various business models, nonprofit model development and freelancing/consulting which provide foundational tools and strategies. The effort of including updates for Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 also shows the high regard for the longevity and relevance of the information provided in the text.

Clarity rating: 5

I found the language used throughout the textbook clear and free from unnecessary jargon. I find as a communication professor who teaches courses in media innovation and entrepreneurship that the reading materials are laded in with business school jargon that students from other disciplines are not familiar with. However, the authors have not used exclusionary jargon and when specific acronyms appear, such as HCD (human-centered design), everything is well explained in plain language.

Consistency rating: 5

The set- up for each chapter is extremely with a brief introduction, the learning objections, links to what is inside the chapter. Also, the authors were all consistent in hyperlinking their sources and providing context for any terminology used.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is organized in a way that can be either used in its entirety or specific chapters. It could be used for shorter/summer term courses of full-semester courses.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text moves very logically through the processes of innovation and entrepreneurship. From ideation to funding and pitching, to marketing, to management a student is exposed to the full scope of the media entrepreneurial world. The sub-topic within each chapter are fully connected with the main ideas of the chapters and fully aligned with chapter learning objectives. However, the way the information is grouped it could be reorganized to fit specific needs as each section is rich with hyperlinked research, allowing for a stand-alone format.

Interface rating: 5

I read the PDF version, online version, and eBook version and all were easy to navigate. The different book formats allow for different uses of the text which could fulfill various instructor needs while addressing accessibility concerns.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Excellent writing and copy editing. I found no grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I found the text culturally sensitive and extremely inclusive. For example, in the Customer Discovery chapter, the discussion of Blavity, a digital media outlet created for black millennials and influencers was used as an example of successful market segmentation. This discussion then led to a conversation regarding inclusive competitiveness an important issue to address in terms of representative segmentation.

Comments

As a professor in a communication and media studies department, it is always challenging to find a textbook that adequately addresses the business of media with a communication/media focus. I enjoyed reading this text because it meets this need while going above and beyond providing resources for my students who want to learn more about specific topics/concepts. The authors present the information in an unassuming yet insightful way making this text an intriguing and informative read. I look forward to incorporating this text in my future courses.

Reviewed by Steve Krizman, Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 10/24/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I am developing a media entrepreneurial course for my university. I don't have to go further than this open resource. It provides a broad scope of what constitutes an entrepreneur: from the required mindset, to the business terminology, to the nuts and bolts of setting up a business, marketing, pitching ideas and researching audiences. I want my course to appeal to all the fields encompassed in my department: journalism, public relations, digital and technical communications and social media. This resource will help our budding journalists better understand market segmentation and idea promotion. It will help budding PR pros better understand the turbulence in the media landscape and what threats and opportunities that brings. It opens up career paths for writers, photographers, web designers, videographers and marketers. Readers are exposed to business principles and terminology and how those can be applied to communication endeavors. The introduction is a direct message to students about what they need to know to be media entrepreneurs, written in the voice of and advocate on their behalf. I feel challenged to deliver!

Content Accuracy rating: 5

As a former journalist and corporate communication leader, the principles that are described are in line with best practices I have seen and that I teach.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Examples that are used are timely enough as of today (October 2019). The authors provide date references where necessary so the reader can judge the currency of data that are used. The authors appear to be concerned that the content remain fresh. They have updated it twice since its first launch in December 2017. For example, in the opening chapter, a section that describes the turbulence in the media is updated with a sidebar. There are links to dynamic resources, where up-to-date information is available.

Clarity rating: 5

Overall, the reading level is appropriate for college students. Chapters are written by different writers, so there is some unevenness. For example, the chapter on "Customer Discovery" is snappy and includes colorful graphics, while the next chapter on "Business Models" is more dense. That does not bother me much, but as the resource is updated, it would be nice to see more graphic treatment such as is found in the Customer Discovery chapter.

Consistency rating: 5

The resource brings together all the latest business concepts around innovation and startups. Chapters fold in references to Lean Startup, Agile Methodology, Design Thinking, Content Marketing and Jobs to be Done Theory. Because chapters are written by different authors, concepts and terminology may be emphasized differently, but I did not see any disagreement in the basic definitions.

Modularity rating: 5

I will easily use chunks of this resource in my course. I even may peel off some of the content for discreet students or groups of students, depending on their expressed interests. Each chapter also has sidebars and reports from the field that can be used in conjunction with the chapter or to illustrate a lecture.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The chapter organization makes complete sense: first establishing the current state, then describing the way entrepreneurs and "intrepreneurs" can impact the media industry, then getting into details of how to do that. It concludes with a new chapter on product management, which suggests a career avenue for people interested in the media and who also have a project management / product design mindset.

Interface rating: 4

The version I read is annotated via Hypothesis. I am a big fan of Hypothesis and use it in a couple of my classes. However, in the version I read, I do not know who the annotators are -- other faculty or students? If I want to have my students do group annotation, I would prefer that they start with a "clean" copy.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Very clean. It has been in the public domain since Fall 2017 and has been cleaned up, thanks to feedback from users.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

This is an area for improvement in future iterations of the resource. In the "Pitching Ideas" chapter, there is a section that refers to bias against women who make presentations (unless they adopt masculine mannerisms). I would like to see more bits of gender and cultural observations such as this. The media examples tend to be for mass audiences. It would be nice to see examples of media innovations in culturally diverse markets. The final chapter on media entrepreneurship "abroad" is a good start. It focuses primarily on innovation differences in Europe and has a couple of sidebars on China and Ethiopia. I would like to see an article that compares media consumption differences across major world markets.

Reviewed by Sarah Lindenberg, Affiliate Faculty, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 7/25/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I was looking for a book to complement material in my Streaming Media class, and I stumbled upon this great read! I am always challenging my students to create media with an entrepreneurial mind and I'm glad I found more like minded educators. This text, at about 400 pages, is very comprehensive. It covers developing the entrepreneurial mindset, ideation, customer discovery, business models for content and technology ventures, and many many 'from the field' reports. It delves into startup funding, pitching ideas and marketing your ventures to audiences. I even approach project management in my classes and venture capitol, so it is nice to see it in text here. This book would be a perfect addition to any media production class as well as any media management, marketing, distribution or media sales class. In a landscape where everyone is a content creator nowadays, it's important to investigate innovation, engagement and monetization.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the book very accurate and timely.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The relevance to today's learners was really ahead of the pack. How can we advance our digital smarts, identify opportunities, engage with our audiences, develop our data skills, plus build our revenue ?!? It is more relevant than any other media studies 101 text. And at a time when we need to fully understand the business side of social and utilize it! This text does have some outdated examples, where in today's world a media company changes every few minutes, it would be difficult to keep up with M&A's, company mentions and folds. I would like to see more on AI and current media technologies.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is very clear and provides adequate context for any media related terminology.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent in it's prose and does provide individual summaries, key reports and collaborations "from the field".

Modularity rating: 5

The online text is divided into 10 modules, with summaries and learning objectives. There is also some great supplemental reading material at the end of the chapters, as well as all of their reference material, you could read through.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in the text are organized and presented in a easy to follow manner. There are summaries and learning objectives as well as field reports and interviews from other authors.

Interface rating: 5

The text is inviting and has no interface issues. I downloaded the PDF version as well as clicked through the online version. I did not have any issues with distortion of images or charts. The only chart I struggled with was the Conversation Prism 5.0 by Brian Solis, where when I clicked on to enlarge it, it wasn't enough to read it.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

This must have had a serious team of copy editors, because I did not find any grammatical errors. I also liked how they invited readers to comment or complain, so they could adapt the text. I like the collaborative space they have provided.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I did not find any culturally insensitive pieces of text. I found it interesting on the entrepreneurship abroad chapter that only Europe and China were mentioned. Huge leaps and bounds are being made in India, as well as the Middle East. Southeast Asia is also a hotbed of innovation.

Comments

A very impressive read, I didn't feel like I was reading a text book. I would love to see an update for Fall 2019, or even Fall 2020 if they are working on one. I think all media creators could benefit from reading this text and also get inspired about integrating some of the findings in their future projects.

Reviewed by Chase Mitchell, Assistant Professor, East Tennessee State University on 10/5/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text is very impressive in its comprehensive, both in term scope and granularity. It addresses subtopics under the banner of media/comm + entrepreneurship that include: content + tech business models, nonprofit media startups, startup funding, ideation, customer discovery, freelancing + consulting as business models, pitching ideas, marketing entrepreneurial products and services, product management, intercultural + international media entrepreneurship, and global markets. Each of the subjects is addressed by qualified and experienced professionals, and the sheer amount of quality information presented and data cited is commendable (393 pages worth). There is a fairly comprehensive glossary, but no index; the latter would be helpful given the text's length.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and backed by ample source citations. There are no apparent errors such as typos, misspellings, etc., that I can find. Given the inherent--and increasingly contentiousness--bias in contemporary mass media, it's possible for texts addressing the industry to get caught in the weeds in addressing related issues. With this text, though, it's not as big of a consideration because the book's purpose (entrepreneurial media) has more to do with understanding and leveraging creative assets to build new business. Political bias does influence business, of course, but in the case of this text I could not find any instances in which an author's bias shaped the text's content.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text's mission--what it sets out to cover--is very relevant to media/communication education landscapes because entrepreneurship is an increasingly important mindset, as well as skill set, in today's professional media ecosystems. Innovative freelancers, small companies and nonprofits, and hyperlocal outlets now outpace larger, slower-moving media conglomerates in driving innovation and shaping industry practices. Most higher ed departments of media/journalism/PR/communication are adept at teaching: a) theoretical foundations re: media production and consumption; b) requisite tech skills for content creation, marketing, etc.; and c) research methods. What they struggle with teaching students, however, or rather don't address at all, is how to become business-minded creative professionals. That is, most programs spend little-to-no time discussing ways in which media markets influence creative work, how entrepreneurial creatives can establish new value assets, and, most importantly, how to develop the mindset and skill set to combine creativity with business savvy. It's an important gap that needs addressing. The question, here, is, does "Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship" successfully address those holes? The answer is yes. By authoring an entire textbook that makes it focus entrepreneurship across various media landscapes, instead of the more common approach of cramming a token chapter or section about business/entrepreneurship into a more generalized media/comm text, the authors have created a useful resource for educators in the field. They've also done a nice job authoring content that will remain relevant for some time. There is an appropriate balance between more general, foundational principles that shape communicative practices, and specific examples and case studies to illustrate those concepts in contemporary media landscapes. Given the fast-evolving nature of the field, of course--as a result of new technologies, markets, and consumer trends--it's impossible to create a media/comm textbook that stays up-to-date for too long. OER's such as this one, then, are especially important for the media/comm field; they allow for re-adaptation, collaboration, and sharing in ways that combat reuse of stale our outdated information. The ultimate goal of the text is to provide a resource to teach and foster an "entrepreneurial mindset" amongst media/comm students. The core principles of the text, and this worthy goal, will likely remain very relevant for the foreseeable future. It will be relatively easy for future authors/contributors to revise the text to incorporate newer, contemporary examples to illustrate core concepts.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is well-written and easy to digest. It helps that the authors employed footnotes for in-text citations instead of parenthetical citations. The latter would have been distracting because there is so much data cited. I find the prose to be well-calibrated to challenge upper level undergraduates and graduate students; it is not oversimplified (as many textbooks are), but is also not convoluted and overly academic.

Consistency rating: 4

In future iterations, some chapters could be fleshed out a bit more, or trimmed, so that there is not as large a discrepancy between chapter lengths. Otherwise, I find the framework well implemented. Terminology across chapters is consistent, which is an important consideration when multiple authors are contributing to a single text and I imagine may be challenge in some OER platforms.

Modularity rating: 5

I really appreciate and enjoy the way the text's content is presented. Chapters have been conceptualized and authored in a way that keeps the reader engaged. Each begins with a quickly-digestible summary, list of learning objectives, and outline of chapter elements. The chapters all begin with one or more essays from an expert in the relevant subfield, which are not cumbersome or overly academic and cite many contemporary examples and data to illustrate the authors' point(s). Chapters then include one or more sections styled "From the Field," case studies that illustrate the real-world work of students, professors, and practitioners that employ the concepts, tech, and skills outlined in the essay. Some chapters also include interviews (Q&A style) and/or exercises. Although each chapter's content is structured slightly differently depending on how many/which elements are included, it is easy to follow. In future iterations, some chapters could be fleshed out a bit more, or trimmed, so that there is not as large a discrepancy between chapter lengths. There's also a brief "Looking Ahead" section that concludes each chapter, which function as nice transitions. The book is not difficult to read or text heavy, as is the case with many texts for junior/senior level undergraduate and graduate courses.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The order of the chapters makes complete sense. I have no suggestions re: ways I might consider changing it. The logical progression of concepts (and examples to illustrate) function well together to forward the text's main argument--that media professionals need to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets.

Interface rating: 5

The textual interface is very easy to maneuver within any PDF viewing software. The images, diagrams, and tables are also clear and well-positioned, and white space/layout is utilized to good effect.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical problems that I can discern.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is culturally sensitive and incorporates intercultural insights. In addition to including a chapter on the subject, the need for the text itself is a result of the democratization of media on a global scale. The proliferation of digital and mobile media has afforded media production and consumption to a broader range of people and cultures. Although prejudice is, unfortunately, still an active force in the world--one that affects media professions--it's also true that entrepreneurial opportunity has increased with the democratization of media. New technologies and access to markets, as well as the transfer of information across geographic, ideological, and socioeconomic boundaries, have made it more possible for more people to create, share, and monetize content without many of the traditional limitations in place before the information revolution. In that way, the text is actively perpetuating the positive phenomenon of lowered barriers to media participation across cultures.

Comments

I will definitely be drawing from this book in teaching the graduate level course Media Management next semester at ETSU. Thanks for your work!

Reviewed by Rachel Olsen, Instructor, University of North Carolina Wilmington on 5/21/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I found this text to be comprehensive, especially for use in undergraduate courses. I appreciate the many links within the text where students (or the instructor) can learn more. Each chapter has a linked list of related resources at the end. In one chapter I accidently clicked on a graphic (the empathy map) that had no indication of being linked to anything, and it opened to a website where the graphic was sourced which discussed the concept in further detail.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This text is well-researched, well-documented and as far as I can tell, unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text was created in 2017 and the material within is current. For instance, Pew Research on mobile usage from 2017 is quoted, and Facebook’s advertising revenue is reported from the second quarter of 2017. There are many such stats and figures in this text. In terms of longevity, the media landscape is always changing but I would feel comfortable adopting this text and planning to use it for a few years, at least, as is. The beauty of open-texts is that updating can be done quickly and relatively easily.

Clarity rating: 4

Jargon used is defined, such as MVP (minimum viable product). Key terms used, such as “business model,” are also defined. As each chapter has a different author, brevity and accessibility rises and falls to some degree, but overall I found the writing clear.

Consistency rating: 5

Each chapter has a different author and some write in a first-person conversational tone while some sound more “academic” or “professional.” This did not bother me, but it is noticeable and could be addressed. I did not notice inconsistency among the authors. Consistency is maintained through the organization and framework of the book. Every chapter has the same components: a summary of the chapter upfront, list of learning objectives, list of related resources to explore at the end, an exercise to apply, end notes, additional supplemental materials, and a “look ahead” at what’s coming up next.

Modularity rating: 5

The text has sub-headings and the occasional pull-quote or bolded point, which help make it easily readable and “skimmable.” Chapters also contain color, graphics or photos to break up and enhance the text. The text as a whole is designed to move the student systematically or “chronologically” through the stages of media-based entrepreneurship: from ideation, on to prototyping, and on to securing funding. Nonetheless, the information can be used as individual, standalone modules.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The big-picture flow of this text is logical and the chapters are clearly organized. Each chapter starts with a short summary of the main point, a list of learning objectives, and a mini table of contents (minus page numbers). Each chapter ends with a list of related resources, end notes for cites within the chapter, additional supplemental material such as interviews, and a prompt or tease for what’s coming in the next chapter. What's in-between the structured chapter beginnings and endings can vary with the different authors, as well as the supplemental materials at chapter ends. These chapters are not "cookie-cutter" in their uniformity but they do not lack discernible structure.

Interface rating: 5

I read this book as a PDF download and had no issues with that interface.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

For a multi-author, open, first-edition textbook, grammatical errors were quite minimal.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

While diversity did not necessarily strike me as a prominent “goal” of this text, this text contains examples and input from a variety of genders and backgrounds.

Comments

I teach communication courses within a communication studies department and entrepreneurship courses within a business school. This text brings those two fields together in a well-researched, applicable way many students will appreciate. I would not hesitate to use it in my courses.

Reviewed by Phil Beskid, Instructor, Bowling Green State University on 2/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text definitely covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately. I am particularly impressed with the attention to detail and consideration for the future of entrepreneurship in media. However, the glossary seems to be a bit overlooked and I'm sure could/should include many more terms or industry jargon that would be useful for students.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This text seems to be well-researched, accurate, and written without any particular bias.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Although the text is up-to-date as of this minute there will no doubt be changes in the landscape that will necessitate either additional changes or complete overhauls to particular sections. Thankfully, most of the text is written and presented in a manner that will make these necessary changes relatively easy to implement.

Clarity rating: 5

Though long-winded at times, overall this text is accessible to even the most passive student. I find that it holds back on some of the technical and industry jargon that may be beneficial for students interested in internships and professional work, but the concepts and ideas are all there.

Consistency rating: 5

Terminology and structure are consistent throughout the text and make for a logical progression through relevant course material.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is divided into easily comprehensible sections that can not only be used for specific sections of a course, but can be easily digested and better understood by students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Each topic of the text is presented in a logical order and serves a purpose. It is important to note that the text focuses on only modern ideas of media entrepreneurship and analytics and does not cover any material related to traditional audience analysis.

Interface rating: 4

Navigating this particular text is exceptionally easy and is conducive to the best possible learning experience.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

After analyzing the entire text I have found no major errors or inconsistencies in grammar.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I realize that this must be a touchy subject but I have no reason to believe that the text's relatively limited cultural perspective should have any influence on the quality of the information it provides. The text aims to present information in a certain context without regard for general cultural situations, and it accomplishes this.

Comments

no

Reviewed by Hans Meyer, Associate Professor, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University on 2/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I enjoyed this textbook for its comprehensiveness. It covers elements you wouldn't normally expect to see outside of a business textbook, but it does it with a focus on the media. This is lacking in most media entrepreneurship texts. The examples the authors and editors chose all related directly to media. I could see students understanding and emulating most of the examples.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text did a exceptional job documenting its sources with hyperlinks and endnotes. It references scholarly work and industry reports. It was careful to attribute all of its charts and graphs and provide accompanying links. I also appreciated that it tried to contact the original sources of the information it used as much as possible. The chapter from Batsell on the Texas Tribune was an excellent inclusion because it's well known that he spent nearly a year researching and performing an ethnography at the organization.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

With a topic such as media entrepreneurship, it's difficult to predict relevance and longevity. The industry changes frequently as the pace of technology accelerates. However, I really appreciated how up to date the book was. In many instances, it seems as it the editors updated information with the most current data possible. I loved seeing all the 2017 citations. I think the authors and editors also tried to ensure the people the text featured as experts were people with staying power. Amy Webb, for example, was quoted several times, and she has established herself as a forward thinking media expert who annually addresses larger and larger crowds at the Online News Association conference and several others. I also appreciate that many of the cited authors and examples featured diverse voices and backgrounds.

Clarity rating: 4

For the most part, I think this text will be pretty straightforward and easy to understand for college students. I can see how each author at times tries to have a more conversational tone. I liked those touches a lot.
However, there were times when I thought I was reading an academic journal article. Some writers relied too much on academic literature and this gave them an authoritative tone, which I think might be off putting for students. I would have also liked to see more industry sources in some chapters.

Consistency rating: 4

The editors did a good job keeping the different authors of each chapter consistent, but I think with any book that has multiple authors consistency can be challenge. I would have liked to see the editors enforce a more consistent organization style and more focus on voice and industry sources so some of the chapters wouldn't seem as dry and academic.

Modularity rating: 5

The book said at the beginning that it could easily be divided up into sections, and I think it fulfilled this promise well. When reading the book from cover to cover, I found it redundant at times, but I think this was in service to modularity. In the end, I appreciated that because I could see myself using chapter for classes other than media entrepreneurship. The Batsell chapter, for example, could be easily used as a case study in a media business class or even an ethics class.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The chapters themselves are organized in a clear and logical fashion. The book does a good job walking you through the process and all the important decisions an entrepreneur must make. Some of the chapters, however, could be organized better. I found some redundancies in them, and I felt like many could be much shorter. Some spent too much time discussing background information before really getting to the heart of what an entrepreneur can and should do.

Interface rating: 3

I read the book on the Amazon Kindle and I thought the text seemed too large and spaced out. I loved that you could click on the links or go to the comment section on each chapter at the end, but it was difficult to find my place in the book again after that. I also wished you could have enlarged some of the images and charts to make them easier to read. I loved the inclusion of all the charts and links.
I also loved the sidebars, but I thought their interface could have been a bit better. The green background on my Kindle helped set them apart, but the text touched the edges of the boxes too much and made it hard to read.
I also wish the comment forms were embedded in the textbook. That would have made it easier to comment. I don't know enough about creating ePubs to know how difficult that is to do or if it is even possible.
I also thought about commenting several times, but I didn't quite understand the process. I know with Kindle books I read I can just highlight a passage and leave a comment that other readers of the book can see. This text made it seem like I had to create an account on another server, and frankly, I was too lazy to do that.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

One of the things I wanted to comment on were minor grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the text. I think the book seemed a bit rushed at times. I appreciated the editors' comments at the beginning that this was version 1.0 so I can accept some typos. I would hope a lot of these would be fixed in version 2.0.
I might just be a stickler for these things as a journalism professor as well. Maybe students wouldn't notice them as much. None of the errors are particularly egregious.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As I said before, I loved that many of the example featured people from diverse backgrounds and in diverse industries. I think that added to the cultural relevance of this text immeasurably. I also think the text did a good job at the beginning justifying with statistics and expert opinions why more journalists will have to strike out on their own as the media landscape adapts and changes. I think that adds to the cultural relevance of this text as well. While I loved that this text focused on entrepreneurship in the media industry, I don't think that only media professionals will get something from this text. I think it does a good job establishing how to build an idea into a sustainable business regardless of the idea. Not all of the examples are strictly media companies either. It was great to hear from the student who is starting a music-based service. I think this adds to the book's cultural relevance as well.

Comments

It is so appropriate that a text on media entrepreneurship is offered under a creative commons license. I'm grateful to the editors and the Rebus Foundation for making this happen. If we want to train students to be entrepreneurial within the increasingly open media environment, we need to follow our own advice. I think this text does that.