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What does it take to build thriving media organizations, accountable to the communities they serve? At a time of global platform monopolies and local newspapers struggling to survive, the future of media will depend on the kinds of business models we design today.
The Media Enterprise Design Lab is a think tank for community ownership and governance in media organizations. It creates space for researchers and practitioners to challenge the conventional norms and explore possibilities offered by neglected histories and possible futures. Drawing on diverse fields such as cultural studies, law, management, media archaeology, organizational communication, and sociology, MEDLab holds space and time for better kinds of business.
Programs
- Collaboration with startups and established organizations alike to imagine and develop transformative business models, ownership structures, and governance practices
- Research on under-explored strategies for organizational design, with a particular focus on models that support community wealth-building and appropriate accountability
- Education on media enterprise design through student fellowships and collaborations, together with public events and publications
MEDLab offers consultation services and produces public events. For more information on these and more, contact us at medlab@colorado.edu.
Personnel
Director
Nathan Schneider (assistant professor, Media Studies) is a journalist who works at the intersections of technology and social change. He co-organized the New School in 2015, Platform Cooperativism, and has been a leader in efforts to develop more democratic business models for the online economy. He is the author of three books, most recently Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition That Is Shaping the Next Economy, and he co-edited Ours to Hack and to Own: The Rise of Platform Cooperativism, a New Vision for the Future of Work and a Fairer Internet with Trebor Scholz. His articles have appeared in publications such as Harper's, The Nation, The Guardian, Vice and The Catholic Worker. Find more information at nathanschneider.info.
Research fellows
Mark Fairbrother (MA student, Media and Public Engagement) aims to build media productions and products that challenge injustice, promote civil dialogue, and inspire collective action. His interests include entertainment media, dynamic education, and sustainable development throughout the Americas. Prior to his graduate work, he enjoyed lengthy stints in Latin America (y por eso sí habla español). He holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and leadership from Central Michigan University.
Rachel Nyhart is passionate about community involvement in creating inclusive public spaces. Currently she is pursuing her master's in Media and Public Engagement from CU Boulder and a master's in Urban and Regional Planning at CU Denver. In merging the two programs, Rach hopes to dive deep into conversations on public engagement. Her goal is to create public spaces where all members of society, especially traditionally marginalized groups, feel and know that they belong.
Faculty fellows
- Lori Emerson - Associate professor of English and Intermedia Arts, Writing, and Performance, founding director of the Media Archaeology Lab
- Mark Meaney - Executive director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility
Community fellows
- Cadwell Turnbull - Speculative writer and grassroots activist, author of The Lesson
- Jason Wiener - President, Jason Wiener|p.c.