Center for the Study of Media Business

The mission of Rider’s Center for the Study of Media Business is to enable students to understand, adapt to and ultimately help shape our rapidly changing ecosystem of information and entertainment.

We fulfill this mission through our dynamic Business of Media Lecture Series that has brought a number of prominent media professionals, practitioners and personalities to Rider, including activist, writer and scholar Angela Davis, editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence magazine Susan L. Taylor, Silicon Valley visionary Jaron Lanier and Comcast Senior Executive Vice President David Cohen.

In addition to the speaker’s series, the center has helped sponsor students in their efforts to study and navigate the business of media. The Center for the Study of Media Business is made possible by a generous gift from Rob Hagedorn ’81.

Business of Media Lecture Series

Past Lectures

2021

Speaker: Amy Chu
Chu a full-time comics writer, who graduated from Wellesley College, MIT, and Harvard Business School. She started Alpha Girl Comics in 2010 due to a concern she had about a lack of female voices in comics, and she addresses these topics by speaking at numerous comic industry events.

Chu spoke in Dr. Sheena Howard’s Script Writing for Comic Books course about female representation in comics, careers in comics, and a Q and A session with students. 

Speaker: Peter Tooke
Tooke is an accomplished sound designer who has worked in film, television and for corporate clients. He spoke about the importance of sound design and recording in film and television and discuss the professional opportunities available to students who choose this profession. 

Speaker: Marc Farzetta
Farzetta has moved from terrestrial radio and TV (WIP Philadelphia, NBC Philadelphia, 97.5 Fanatic Philadelphia) to making his own sports media content for YouTube and social media (The Farzy Show). By creating his own platforms, he no longer needs to work for traditional media outlets to provide sports content to a national or international audience. 

He spoke to Dr. AJ Moore’s Sports Media course on how to create your own sports media platform during a period of highly specialized media channels, and how students can pursue sports media career without having to work for a traditional operator.

2020

Speaker: Angela Davis
Activist, scholar and writer
Lecture topic: "Media and the Movements: Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter
This event was produced by students in Tapestry.

Speaker: Coach Jason Brown
Head football coach of Independence Community College on the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U
Lecture topic: "The Growth of Unique Sports Content on New Media Platforms”

2019

Speaker: Susan L. Taylor
Editor-in chief emeritus of Essence magazine
Lecture Topic: "Pioneering Voices in Media”
This event was produced by students in Tapestry.

Speakers: Deborah Frances-White and Tom Salinsky
Lecture details: Screening of the feature film "Say My Name," written by Deborah and directed by Rider Professor Jay Stern.
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2018

Speaker: Jaron Lanier, computer scientist and author
Lecture topic: "Social Media: Addiction, Deceit and Manipulation”

2017

Speaker: Kevin Maney
Media Columnist, Newsweek
Lecture topic: "Fake News & Fractured Audiences: Media in the Age of Artificial Intelligence"

2016

Speaker: David Cohen
Executive Vice President, Comcast
Lecture topic: "The Business and Politics of Media"

Sponsorship

2020

The Center for the Study of Media Business helped sponsor: 

• Twelve public relation students to attend the Public Relations Student Society of American District Conference in Boston, MA.
• An event for Rider students to network and explore careers with Rider University alumni who work in the Los Angeles media industries.

For more information about the Center for the Study of Media Business, please contact: