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

October 17, 2024

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Award-winning journalist Kevin Blackistone, of ESPN's "Around the Horn" and The Washington Post, spoke to Rider students on Oct. 17 about "The Myth of Sports and the Mythmaking of Sports Journalism" as part of the Business of Media Lecture Series sponsored by Rob Hagedorn '81. His talk challenged conventional notions that sports – and media coverage of athletics – are pioneers of social change. Instead, using historic examples from baseball, horse racing, professional football and collegiate athletics, he examined issues of racial segregation in sports; the promulgation of racist stereotypes in sports journalism; and continued use of culturally insensitive or historically offensive team names, symbols and mascots.

A native of Washington, D.C., whose childhood was filled with rooting for the hometown professional football team, he explored how even while being raised in a progressive and activist home, he only began to think deeply about the team's former offensive name and logo when he saw Native Americans protesting outside a stadium (the team retired the name and logo in 2020, and are now known as the Washington Commanders). His lecture reflected how both sports and sports media are massive and culturally powerful business institutions in America.

Afterward, Blackistone met with a small group of Rider sports media and journalism majors to discuss his own career and give advice regarding entering the highly-competitive businesses of sports media and journalism.

March 5, 2024

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Guest speaker and Rider alumna, Meghan Longo '12 spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at Rue Auditorium where she discussed the growing role of social media influencers. Meg is one of New Jersey's top social media influencers (Instagram: Megthings_) who regularly produces content highlighting restaurants, fashion, and lifestyle activities across the state. In her lively presentation, Meg gave students firsthand advice and best practices on how to use their own social media platforms to become influencers and monetize their social media presence. She not only interacted with students interested in jumpstarting their own careers as influencers as she did but also with students who follow her closely on social media for her engaging content. 

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: