The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the various media industries, highlight the common characteristics mentioned above and familiarize students with the key drivers of industry dynamics. Specifically, the course has three distinct objectives. First, it intends to survey the media industries to make sure that students have a broad understanding of the various media sectors. Special emphasis is given to describing the important platforms that largely define a media sector’s ecosystem. The course covers all content domains, from entertainment and news to B2B content (information). Second, it intends to provide students with relevant experience in “media industry analysis”. This experience is important for other elective classes offered by the Media and Technology Program, which are often based on company projects within specific media sectors. Finally, it intends to discuss the fundamental drivers of the media industry in terms of consumer psychology/behavior, key economic drivers and also relevant historical background.

The foundations course should be the starting point for students who intend to follow other media elective classes. While it is not strictly required, it is strongly recommended to students taking other media electives.

The final exam for this course is administered as a take-home exam.

Miklos Sarvary

Carson Family Professor of Business

Miklos Sarvary is the Carson Family Professor of Business and the faculty lead for the Media and Technology Program at Columbia Business School. Miklos' broad research agenda focuses on media and information marketing. His most recent papers study ad blocking, online marketplace design and content bundling on social media. Previously, he worked on user-generated content, online/mobile advertising and media and telecommunications competition. He...

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