Final answer:
A spokesperson's role is to convey information about an organization to the public, which was what Spiegel's management did when announcing their reorganization plans. As a company stabilizes, the personal knowledge of managers becomes less crucial due to the availability of company financial data. The media serve as both a business and a source of unbiased information, with political and business entities using it to manage public perception.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Spiegel announced to the media in March 2005 that it was nearing the completion of its corporate re-structuring and was close to emerging from Chapter 11 status, the managerial role adopted to make this announcement would have been that of a spokesperson. According to Henry Mintzberg's managerial roles, a spokesperson is responsible for communicating on behalf of the organization to the external environment. This role involves sharing information about the company's plans, results, and actions with stakeholders outside the company, such as the media, in order to shape the public perception of the firm.
When a company becomes established and its strategy signals potential profitability, the necessity to know managers personally diminishes because financial information about the company becomes widely available, attracting outside investors like bondholders and shareholders. The role that the media plays can be complex, as they are businesses themselves requiring revenue but are also expected to deliver information without bias. Politicians and business leaders alike have utilized media strategies, now commonplace, to manage the flow of information and control the narrative surrounding their actions and policies.