Analysis and Prioritization of Indigenous Strategic Thinking Indicators in Newsrooms of Iranian Media Organizations

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing and evaluating strategic thinking in the newsrooms of media organizations. The primary objective of the study was to identify key indicators within four dimensions—vision-oriented thinking, time-oriented thinking, resource-oriented thinking, and improvisational thinking—and to prioritize them based on their importance for improving newsroom performance. This research was designed using a mixed quantitative–qualitative approach, and data were collected through standardized questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Friedman test to determine the mean ranks and priorities of the indicators, while qualitative data were examined through content analysis of interviews and field observations to verify and deepen the quantitative findings. The quantitative findings revealed that within the resource-oriented thinking dimension, the indicator content quality had the highest importance with a mean rank of 36.600, followed by capital waste (35.890) and human resources (35.570). In the dimension of time-oriented thinking, the indicators proactive and collaborative performance (35.860) and attempting to be the first news publisher (33.960) held high priority. Within the vision-oriented thinking dimension, the indicators broad objective (34.700) and goal setter (34.330) demonstrated the highest importance. In the dimension of improvisational thinking, the indicators instant decision-making (35.090) and striving to defend personal rights in crisis situations (34.880) ranked highest. The qualitative findings of the study indicated that the practical experiences of newsroom staff were consistent with the quantitative results, highlighting team collaboration, goal transparency, resource management, and the ability to make rapid decisions in critical situations as essential elements of strategic thinking. The overall conclusion of the research suggests that strategic thinking in newsrooms is a combination of long-term planning, optimal resource management, and swift decision-making under crisis conditions, and that resource-oriented thinking and improvisational thinking hold the highest priority for newsroom performance. This study may serve as a valid framework for analyzing and enhancing strategic performance in media organizations.