The audit and management of a museum's media image

Abstract

This study provides a coding framework to audit empirically a museum's image in the media. The final aim is to help museums consider the media as active participants and co-constructors of their image and, therefore, as key actors building credibility, institutional power, prestige, familiarity and trust toward the organization. The application of the audit, in a museum which was in the media's spotlight for scandals, shows that the proposed methodology provides two main insights. First, it provides a picture of how media portray the museum in its functional and emotional/representational image, with the advantage of knowing how it is covered in its uniqueness and inimitability. Secondly, it gives details on which features of the museum's image receive positive, negative or no coverage at all, with the benefit of recognizing which critical issues and opportunities should be managed to improve the museum's image in the media.