Merton Conversation: The Global Media Revolution
Our third Merton Conversation took us to America’s vibrant city, with a thriving financial and cultural heart: New York. We brought together two Mertonians who have forged influential transatlantic careers in the Media – Sir Howard Stringer (1961) and Mark Thompson (1976) – to discuss global media in today’s 24-hour world, in the city that never sleeps. A reception followed the main event.
This Merton Conversation was timed to coincide with MC3’s own Anniversary Weekend - which included their Annual Dinner and AGM, a Friday evening boat trip, Sunday brunch and the Merton College Choir Tour to the US.
Speakers
Sir Howard Stringer (1961) was Chairman of the Board of Sony Corporation until June 2013. Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and President of Sony Corporation. Prior to joining Sony in 1997, Sir Howard had a distinguished career as a journalist, producer, and then President of the Broadcasting Network CBS. Sir Howard serves as Chairman of the American Film Institute Board of Trustees and has just been appointed Chair of the School Board at the Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford. He is an Honorary Fellow of Merton and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oxford in June 2012.
Mark Thompson (1976) is a media executive and current President and CEO of The New York Times Company. A former Controller of BBC2 and chief executive of Channel 4, he is best known as having been Director-General of the BBC from 2004 to 2012. In 2012, he served as the first Humanitas Visiting Professor in Rhetoric and the Art of Public Persuasion at the University of Oxford. He is an Honorary Fellow of Merton.