Working Knowledge
Business Research for Business Leaders
COVID-19 Business Impact Center
Filter Results: (8) Arrow Down

MediaRemove Media →

New research on the media from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including mass communication, internet platforms, challenges of digitization, and the future of newspapers.
Page 1 of 8 Results

Can Gimlet Turn a Podcast Network into a Disruptive Platform?

John Deighton and Jeffrey Rayport discuss how two former public radio producers launched the Gimlet Media podcast network, entering the last frontier of digital media. Can they turn a content supplier into a disruptive platform? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Does Facebook's Business Model Threaten Our Elections?

by George Riedel

America's 2016 presidential election was the target of voter manipulation via social media, particularly on Facebook. George Riedel thinks history is about to repeat itself. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Fearing Fox News, Democratic-leaning Companies Delayed Negative Announcements

by Jen Deaderick

Jonas Heese and Vishal P. Baloria explore strategies used by companies to reduce the risk of potentially negative press, focusing on Fox News and the 2000 presidential election. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Digital Change: Lessons from the Newspaper Industry

In a podcast, Professor Bharat Anand discusses Norwegian media giant Schibsted’s resounding success in the newspaper business through modernization of classified ads, bringing users together, and adopting a digital-first approach. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Impact of Campus Scandals on College Applications

by Michael Luca, Patrick Rooney, and Jonathan Smith

This paper explores the prevalence and impact of negative incidents at top United States colleges covered in the media, looking at data from 2001 through 2013. During this period, the authors identified 124 widely covered scandals. Scandals lead to large reductions in applications; a scandal covered in a long-form article has roughly the same impact on applications as a 10-ranking drop in the influential US News and World Report College Rankings.

Advertising: It’s Not ‘Mad Men’ Anymore

by Michael Blanding

Three major forces have changed advertising since Don Draper last prowled the corridors of Sterling Cooper. Professor Emeritus Alvin J. Silk's decades of research finds an industry that, while evolving in fundamental ways, is healthy and creative. Open for comment; 5 Comment(s) posted.

Why Good Deeds Invite Bad Publicity

by Michael Blanding

Many executives assume that investments in corporate social responsibility create public goodwill. But do they? Felix Oberholzer-Gee and colleagues find surprising results when it comes to oil spills. Closed for comment; 21 Comment(s) posted.

HBS Cases: Clocky, the Runaway Alarm Clock

by Carmen Nobel

There had not been an innovative breakthrough in alarm clock design since the snooze button until entrepreneur Gauri Nanda created Clocky. Her runaway hit has been the inspiration for several cases written by Professor Elie Ofek. Closed for comment; 8 Comment(s) posted.