Rigor and Relevance : Enforcing dialogue between media management research and practice

There is a strong demand in media management to strengthen the bridge between theory and practice. Following the debate on rigor and relevance, the approach of engaged scholarship and arguments from our community, we see the need to develop a research agenda in dialogue with practice. Therefore, we explore the following questions: Which topics do media managers consider relevant to research? How can these issues be contrasted with the research agendas proclaimed by media management research?
To answer these questions, we first summarize current issues in media management research through a literature review. Second, current issues in media management practice are captured based on an online survey with German media managers (N=46). Finally, the two perspectives are contrasted to develop relevant questions for media management research and practice.