Case Method for Students

Case studies describe a real situation in which a decision must be made by a media professional—often a reporter, editor or newsroom manager. Unlike in a lecture class, a case instructor’s role is not to offer arguments, evidence and solutions, but rather to facilitate student discussion and create an environment for students to contribute and learn from each other.

Before class, you will be asked to read a case and formulate strategy and recommendations as if you were the protagonist in the story. You might be asked, for example, how the Albany Times Union should reorganize its newsroom to better serve a redefined mission; or how the Christian Science Monitor should respond to the kidnapping of a stringer. The paramount principle behind the Case Method is that the most lasting kind of learning happens when you, the student, are an active participant. The instructor will not tell you what the “answer” is; this hard work is up to you and your classmates.

In Case Method teaching, the instructor does not lecture but rather moderates a classroom discussion, highlighting and synthesizing the issues involved. You will learn from your classmates, as well as from the instructor, and together reach a richer and deeper understanding of the dilemmas involved in the case. You may also start to see how a theory or model works in reality. This is why your preparation for class is so important. You will be asked to share your insights and perspectives on the case, and to explain the reasoning behind them.

Most cases will require at least two read-throughs before you can begin to formulate your own position. Before class, try to imagine yourself as the decisionmaker and take his or her problem to heart. What would you do? What do you need to know to decide? What will be the consequences if you are wrong? Your instructor may want to focus on particular aspects of the case and furnish discussion questions in advance of class. As in real life, you may feel that you don’t have all the information to make the best decision, or that the information you do have is contradictory. You may want to assemble a team of “colleagues” to solve a challenging problem. Navigating the road to a decision asks you to consider real-world dilemmas and come to a better understanding of their political, practical and economic implications.