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

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 
  • "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. Read more.
     

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: