June 6, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm
CITI-IMMAA Seminar: Dr. Paula Miraglia, Publisher of Gama Revista and Founder of the Journalism & Tech Task Force (Brazil)
“Revisiting the Media Industry’s Relationship with Big Tech: Perspectives from the Brazilian Market”
Organized by Francisco Belda, São Paulo State University (UNESP)
Around the world, media organizations are facing multiple challenges linked to business models, changing consumer behavior, trust, and its relationship with technology, among many others. Although technology has always held an important place in the establishment and development of media organizations, the current relation between big tech platforms and the journalism ecosystem is characterized by unprecedented dependence and it is becoming increasingly a topic of concern. This relationship that is also defined by a great asymmetry of power. On one side are some of the most powerful companies in the world, and on the other an industry which is fighting to survive, has lost economic relevance and innovation capacity. Models of distribution, growth and revenue that once worked are no longer the answer and, apart from specific successful cases, journalism has not figured out new sustainable business models.
This session will discuss ways forward. Are licensing deals enough or do we need to talk about a new vision for the industry that gives us more agency when facing tech innovations?
Paula Miraglia is a media entrepreneur and advocate. She is the co-founder, director general and publisher of Gama Revista and the founder of the Journalism & Tech Task Force, a global initiative based in Brazil, funded by the International Fund for Public Interest Media. She also co-founded and directed for eight years Nexo Jornal. Ms Miraglia holds a Doctorate in Social Anthropology from the University of São Paulo, where she also completed her master's and BA in Social Sciences. She is a Sulzberger Fellow at Columbia University. Ms Miraglia sits on the boards of the Center for News, Technology and Innovation, the International Press Institute, the Peregum Black Reference Institute and the Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services/BPBES.
May 16, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm
CITI-IMMAA Seminar: Dr. Jonas Föhr and Florian Schmitt, Strategic management Consultants at Suedwestrundfunk (Germany)
"Understanding Today to Plan for Tomorrow: How a German Public Service Media Company Applies Strategic Foresight to Prepare for Tomorrow"
Organized by Uwe Eisenbeis, Stuttgart Media University
Public Service Media in Europe face strong competition. SWR, one of the major German media institutions, environment, is no exception. To gain a competitive edge, the organization engaged in a strategic foresight exercise to plan for public medias’ social, technological, and economic scenarios of the future. This webinar will present insights of this work.
Dr. Jonas Föhr studied Media Management at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands), and holds a PhD in Marketing and Consumer Behavior from the University of Bayreuth (Germany). He works as a strategic management consultant for SWR, a Public Service Medium in Stuttgart, Germany.
Florian Schmitt studied Technology, Operations and Processes at the University of Bayreuth and Hanyang University, South Korea and graduated with an M.Sc. degree. He previously worked at Google, implementing a partner management network with a focus on digitalization. He also worked at Daimler on the topic of future mobility. Today he serves as a strategic management consultant for SWR.
April 16, 2024, 11:00am-12:30pm
The UN's Global Digital Compact: Considerations on the 'Zero Draft'
On April 1st, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology released the ‘Zero Draft’ of the proposed United Nations Global Digital Compact (GDC). The final text will be annexed to the Pact for the Future to be adopted at the Summit of the Future in New York on 22-23 September 2024. The preparatory process involved multiple UN reports, proposals and consultations about global digital governance and cooperation. Some of these proposals got support, while others have proven to be highly controversial forays into sensitive policy spaces in which the international community is often deeply divided. The resulting Zero Draft reflects these dynamics. It includes proposals for new organizational structures and policy processes on such issues as artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, digital human rights, connectivity, information integrity, crossborder data flows and the system-wide coordination of UN digital work. On April 5th, the UN commences a series of intergovernmental and stakeholder consultations to help evolve a final text that can serve as a consensus landing zone.
How are the hot button issues reflected in the Zero Draft? Does the document suggest a different interplay between intergovernmental decision-making and multistakeholder participation? How might the proposed enhanced roles of the Secretariat in New York impact existing UN organizations and processes, including the Internet Governance Forum? Are the proposed new mechanisms likely to be fit for purpose and serve as effective responses to the rapidly evolving global environment? Or could these mechanisms be hobbled by the same international political differences and dynamics that have confounded previous global digital governance initiatives?
This webinar assembles a panel of leading experts from the private sector, Internet technical community and civil society stakeholder groups to consider these and other questions. As always, the panelists’ conversation will be followed by an open dialogue among all webinar participants.
Introduction of the topic
Eli Noam is Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Business Responsibility, Emeritus, and Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia Business School.
Moderator
William J. Drake is Director of International Studies at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.
Panelists
Chris Buckridge is an independent consultant, an Internet technical community representative on the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group, Co-Chair of the MAG Working Group on Strategy and Strengthening the IGF, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Previously he worked for more than two decades with the Regional Internet Registries including the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) and the Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC). (Netherlands)
Anriette Esterhuysen is Senior Advisor for Internet Governance at the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Previously she was the APC’s Executive Director from 2000 until April 2017, and served as Chair of the IGF’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group from 2019 to 2021. Anriette was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013. (South Africa)
Timea Suto is Global Digital Policy Lead at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She leads ICC’s policy development and advocacy work on digital policy and Internet governance issues and works with global business experts to bring private sector views into international multilateral and multistakeholder processes. Previously she served as policy analyst for projects in the Visegrad countries and has had research and teaching roles in Budapest and Paris. (France)
April 4, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm
CITI-IMMAA Seminar: John Sargent, Former CEO Macmillan Publishers and Executive Vice President of Holztbrinck Publishing Group
"The Economics and Management of Online Book Publishing"
Organized by Eli Noam, Columbia University
The digital revolution drastically transformed all facets of the media sector, often causing industries to trade the proverbial analog dollars for digital pennies. How can the book publishing industry evolve in a world of new distribution and new formats? What are its opportunities, as well as threats?
John Sargent is the former CEO of Macmillan Publishers (Farrar, Holt, Macmillan, Springer, Nature, Palgrave, St. Martin’s, etc.), one of the five largest American publishing houses , and top manager of the still larger Holzbrinck Group of Germany. He will join the webinar of the International Media Management Academic Association and the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information. He will discuss how book publishers handle the transition to selling books online. He will also address how major publishers handle the online platforms and publish their books online.
Sargent serves on the executive board of the Association of American Publishers. He was the widely recognized leader in the book publishers’ and authors’ fight against Amazon’s e-book pricing system.
Sargent, a third-generation publishing leader, received a BA in Economics from Stanford and an MBA from Columbia. He is the author of the recent book Turning Pages: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher.
To register click Here.
March 19, 2024, 11:00am-12:30pm
The WTO's Digital Trade Negotiations in the Wake of its 13th Ministerial Conference
The World Trade Organization is struggling to respond to the proliferation of national restrictions and trade barriers in the global digital economy. The largely failed 13th Ministerial Conference that concluded on March 2, 2024 barely managed in its last hour to extend the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions until 2026. The 90-member Joint Service Initiative launched in 2017 has been unable to finalize a negotiating text even after dropping or indefinitely pausing work on its most important but contentious issues. These include: barriers to cross-border data flows, forced data localization, forced disclosure of source code, the non-discriminatory treatment of digital products, and online platforms, among others. A key factor in this downsizing of ambitions was the US government’s extremely contentious October 2023 decision to reverse its longstanding push for strong disciplines on such items. If the negotiations ultimately produce a result, it may be more the kind of minimalist trade facilitation agreement favored by China rather than the sort of ambitious liberalization deal previously championed by the United States.
What are the prospects for global digital trade negotiations in the years ahead? What would a minimalist outcome mean for the growth of territorial borders on global flows, and Internet fragmentation? Would the sidelining of inclusive multilateral institutions further strengthen the trend toward a spaghetti bowl of varying minilateral trade deals that exclude much of the developing world? Is a sharper geopolitical clash between diverging models of digital capitalism becoming likely?
This webinar assembles a panel of leading experts on global digital trade policy to consider these and other questions. As always, the panelists’ conversation will be followed by an open dialogue among all webinar participants.
Introduction of the topic
Eli Noam is Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Business Responsibility, Emeritus, and Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia Business School.
Moderator
William J. Drake is Director of International Studies at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.
Panelists
Mira Burri is Professor of International Economic and Internet Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lucerne. She is the principal investigator of the ‘Trade Law 4.0’ project, and was previously a senior fellow at the World Trade Institute, University of Bern. She is the co-author of The Classification of Services in the Digital Economy and the editor of Trade Governance in the Digital Age and Big Data and Global Trade Law. (Switzerland)
Anupam Chander is the Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown Law School. He was previously the Director of the California International Law Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law at UC Davis. He is the author The Electronic Silk Road: How the Web Binds the World in Commerce, and the co-editor of Data Sovereignty: From the Digital Silk Road to the Return of the State. (USA)
Martina F. Ferracane is a Research Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence and academic manager of the Digital Trade Integration Project. She acts regularly as a consultant for several organizations, including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum and the World Bank. Martina also founded and manages FabLab Western Sicily and was listed in Forbes30U30 for her work with an innovative startup. (Italy)
March 12, 2024, 10:00am-12:35pm (Washington, DC)
Research Roundtable: AI Governance - Overcoming the Problems of AI: Regulation & Alternative Approaches
Sponsored by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan
Eli Noam and Jason Buckeweitz presented their paper: Overcoming the Problems of Artificial Intelligence in the United States: Regulation and Alternative Approaches
March 7, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm
CITI-IMMAA Seminar: Xavier Oliver, Former President of Tiempo BBDO Advertising Agency and Professor fo the IESE Business School
"The Paradox of the Content Consumer"
Organized by Mercedes Medina, University of Navarra
The digital market for video is still relatively new, but it is already changing the way people behave. For example, some may wonder why they feel tired and angry after watching a movie that is longer than an hour and a half, yet they are willing to watch an entire season of a TV series in just three days. With so much content available, people can feel overwhelmed by the choices and respond in the same way they do when faced with too many options in other areas of life.
To overcome this, brands need to be innovative and find new ways to appeal to potential customers. This may involve identifying niche markets and using techniques that have been successful in other industries. For example, branding can be a powerful tool in capturing viewers' attention.
In this webinar, we will explore strategies for breaking through the "boredom barrier" and creating engaging content that resonates with audiences. By learning from other sectors and understanding how to effectively brand content, we can identify ways to connect with viewers in meaningful ways.
Xavier Oliver is professor at IESE Business School, at the ISEM Fashion Business School, and in the Faculties of Communication and Economics at the University of Navarra.
He has been Chairman and CEO of BBDO Spain, a holding company of advertising and communications agencies with 1,200 employees and 13 commercial companies. BBDO, headquartered in New York, is one of the world’s largest advertising networks. He has been a member of the board of directors of BBDO Worldwide and BBDO Europe for 24 years. He created and for a number of years managed BBDO University, a corporate university with four campuses worldwide. After 32 years of service, he left BBDO to devote himself to teaching and his winery and consultancy.
Prof. Oliver has written and contributed to books published by the United Nations and IESE Business School, such as (1997) and Ethics in Marketing and Publicity (1998). His latest three books are: "Publicidad: no thank you!", "Atrapados por el consumo" (Trapped by Consumption) and "Marcas que sueñan. Solo las empresas que sueñan sobresalen" (Brands that dream. Only companies that dream stand out). At IESE, he has developed various cases in the areas of marketing and strategic branding.
February 1, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm
CITI-IMMAA Seminar: Luisa Ribeiro, Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Board at Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP)
"How Public Service Media can Manage in the Age of Streaming and Online?"
Luísa Ribeiro combines research and managerial experience. On the academic side, she holds a PhD in Finance from the Faculty of Economics of Porto. Having completed executive training courses at Insead, IMD, and Hult Ashridge, she has delved into fundamental research on the evolution of business models within the television industry. Her academic pursuits have included a focused examination of the impact of digital platforms on traditional television business structures.
On the mangerial side, she serves as the Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Board at Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). RTP is the Portuguese public service media organization responsible for 8 television channels, 7 radio stations, and an online platform for live content .
She oversees the following areas as her direct reports: finance, planning and control, human resources, engineering and information systems, commercial operations (covering linear, radio, and online advertising, as well as national and international distribution), procurement, and an RTP Production Center.
Previously, she was a manager at a financial software house and a Partner at a venture capital fund where she played a key role in initiating a portfolio of IT and MedTech companies. She was on the founding team of the telecom and IT venture subsidiary of Sonae, the largest Portuguese conglomerate, and participated in numerous mergers and acquisitions.
Throughout her academic journey she conducted in-depth studies on the audio-visual sector, with published work exploring the cable television industry, advertising dynamics, and media management. She served as a board member of the European Media Management Association (emma).
January 23, 2024, 11:00am-12:30pm
The UN Cybercrime Convention Negotiations: Implications for Human Rights and Internet Openness
Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/un-cybercrime-convention-negotiations-implications-for-human-rights-tickets-794617230527
In December 2019, the UN General Assembly approved on a 79-60 vote (with 33 abstentions) a resolution calling for the negotiation of a comprehensive international convention on cybercrime. Sponsored by Russia with support from China, Iran and other like-minded countries, the resolution established an Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) charged with elaborating a text. The AHC held six sessions in 2022 and 2023 and will have a concluding session from January 29 to February 9, 2024 in New York. The draft treaty will then be taken up by the UN General Assembly in September.
The treaty’s ardent proponents maintain that existing intergovernmental mechanisms like the 2001 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime are inadequate, and that a stronger and more broadly scoped UN mechanism is needed to tackle the evolving landscape of cybercrime. The treaty’s critics counter that the draft text is far too expansive (and indeed goes beyond cybercrime), criminalizes an arbitrary laundry list of speech and behavior, undermines multiple civil liberties, unduly constrains technology providers and users, and promotes extraterritorial surveillance and mutual law enforcement procedures that could extend the reach of repressive policing. Other governments have taken various positions along the continuum between these polar stances.
Convened a week before the final AHC negotiation, this webinar assembles a panel of leading analysts and participants in the cybercrime treaty debate in order to illuminate the state of play. We will assess the major issues with the draft text, the international coalitions and bargaining dynamics that are shaping the process, and the possible scenarios for a negotiated outcome in the months ahead. As always, the panelists’ conversation will be followed by an open dialogue among all webinar participants.
Introduction of the topic
Eli Noam is Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Business Responsibility, Emeritus, and Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia Business School.
Moderator
William J. Drake is Director of International Studies at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.
Panelists
Nick Ashton-Hart is the Senior Director for Digital Economy Policy at APCO Worldwide. He participates in the UN cybercrime convention negotiations as the Head of Delegation of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, a coalition of over 150 companies. Nick also participates in other international organization processes, including as a member of UK delegations to the International Telecommunication Union. (USA)
Katitza Rodriguez has been the Global Privacy Policy Director of the Electronic Frontiers Foundation since April 2010. In 2018, CNET named her one of the top 20 most influential Latinos in tech. Previously, Katitza directed the international privacy program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. (USA)
Tatiana Tropina is Assistant Professor in cybersecurity governance at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University. She is a co-chair of the Freedom Online Coalition Advisory Network, and has held various leadership position at ICANN community. Previously, Tatiana was a senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law. (Netherlands)
January 11, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm
CITI-IMMAA Seminar: Dr. Christopher Bauer, CEO, DuMont Group (Germany)
Market and Institutional Challenges in Leading the Transformation of a German Regional Publisher into a Digital Asset Holder – Dumont Group as a Case in Point
Dr. Christoph Bauer is the Group CEO of DuMont, a leading media company in Germany, with its foundation going back to 1620. At DuMont, he has initiated and leads the transformation journey towards profitability and has set the company on a growth trajectory for becoming a digitally driven company. Through his entrepreneurial strategy, he is leading the transformation agenda along three business units: content (regional media activities), data (business information services) and technology (marketing technology software as a service), ensuring both, profitable growth and resilience.
Dr. Bauer holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration, and studied at University of Mannheim, Arizona State University and University of Oldenburg. Since the advent of the Internet in the mid-1990s, he has been a pioneer in the digitization of media companies and business models of all genres. He has over 20 years of experience in the media industry, with executive positions at Bertelsmann, NZZ, Ringier, AZ Medien.