On April 13, Ethan McCarty, a lecturer in the Strategic Communications program, will open the 2023 Page Spring Seminar, conducting a live, onstage interview with Ezra Klein. Klein is the cofounder of Vox media, author of Why We’re Polarized, and host of the popular podcast The Ezra Klein Show, presented by The New York Times. The podcast won “best podcasts” awards in 2021 from the magazines Esquire and The Atlantic.
Page is a professional association for executives and well-respected academics in communications and public relations. The Columbia SPS M.S. in Strategic Communication program is a sponsor of the 2023 Page Spring Seminar. McCarty, who teaches courses such as Digital Media and Analytics and Activating Employees, is a Page network member and chair of this year’s seminar, themed “Influence at Work: New Rules to Reach and Persuade Those Who Matter Most.” Seminar speakers include Tina McCorkindale, CEO of the Institute for Public Relations; Chris Foster, CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group; and Rich Ferraro, chief communications officer of GLAAD. McCarty is the CEO of the international employee experience and brand consultancy Integral.
“I was excited to chair the Spring Seminar because I had the opportunity to choose the theme,” McCarty said. “The nature of influence is in flux in our society; it’s an increasingly urgent matter for businesses facing crises and disruption. It’s critical for communications professionals to understand how to earn influence at work so that they can join the decision-makers in successfully navigating the changing tides of business and society at large.”
Rapidly changing technologies and economies are disrupting traditional sources of authority and redistributing influence across new and old players, from policy-makers to content creators. Klein and McCarty will take a deep dive into the role of influence in a global society, examining how it can advance or hinder democracy and how various players wield it in politics, the workplace, and the news as well as on social media.
Previously a journalist, McCarty launched his corporate communications career with IBM in the early 2000s, developing the company’s global intranet and social media programs—and becoming the global director of strategic consulting for IBM’s Marketing and Communications Labs. After IBM, McCarty became the global head of employee and innovation communications for Bloomberg LP.
About the Columbia SPS M.S. in Strategic Communication Program
The business world’s around-the-clock communications challenges are demanding a new level of strategic thinking. Columbia University’s Master of Science in Strategic Communication graduates emerge equipped with all the essential skills and tools for a successful career in a wide range of communication fields. The program is available in three formats for professionals of varying experience levels and locations: the Executive M.S., for experienced (6+ years) communication leaders (36 credits in 16 months for degree completion); Full-Time M.S., for early-career communication professionals and career changers (36 credits in 12 to 16 months for degree completion); and Part-Time M.S., for working professionals looking for flexibility (36 credits in 24 months to 3 years for degree completion).
Application deadlines for fall 2023 enrollment are quickly approaching. Visit the admissions deadlines pages for your chosen format for dates: Executive M.S.; Full-Time M.S.; and Part-Time M.S.
