Center for Media At Risk

What Center for Media At Risk does

The Center for Media at Risk is an academic research center housed within the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 2018 by Barbie Zelizer in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It convenes scholars and practitioners to address threats to media freedom worldwide — including intimidation of journalists, disinformation campaigns, and risks posed by authoritarian, racist, misogynist, homophobic, classist, and settler-colonialist regimes. The Center operates as a university-affiliated nonprofit and does not generate commercial revenue; all programming and content are provided free of charge, with funding flowing through Penn institutional support and grants.

Its core offerings are knowledge products and educational programs rather than technology products. Content outputs include research publications, reflections, reviews, talks-to-text transcripts, a podcast series, infographics, and videos — all distributed freely through its website (ascmediarisk.org), YouTube playlist, LinkedIn page, Bluesky account, and a quarterly newsletter. Educational programs include the Lisbon Winter School (co-organized with international academic partners), an undergraduate fellowship program (two fellows per year, up to $1,500 each), a competitively funded visiting scholar and practitioner program (one scholar and one practitioner annually), and a graduate student Steering Committee.

The Center's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored at the Annenberg School in Philadelphia with global reach. Its reach is amplified by a network of more than 30 affiliate organizations spanning the press freedom ecosystem (Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Internews, Witness, Freedom of the Press Foundation, IWMF, and the Rory Peck Trust, among others) alongside Penn-affiliated centers such as CARGC, C3, and MIC. Core staff consists of three people — Director Barbie Zelizer, Director of Research and Outreach Sophie Maddocks, and Program Coordinator Madison Miller — supplemented by the Steering Committee and visiting faculty. There is no proprietary technology stack and no commercial customer base.

Name

Center for Media At Risk

Legal name

Center for Media at Risk

Website

https://ascmediarisk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Media at Risk, founded in 2018 at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School, convenes scholars and journalists to research threats to media freedom. It produces free publications, podcasts, videos, and fellowships through institutional funding and a 30+ organization affiliate network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Center

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarly & Academic Multimedia (Research Videos, Interactive Figures) (EDAGALAJ), Campus & Educational Screenings (Universities, Schools) (MPADAKAI)

Keywords

• Media freedom research
• Press freedom advocacy
• Journalism education
• Media risk studies
• Academic research center

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: As a center housed within the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, the Center operates through institutional funding from the university and grants.
2. Undergraduate Fellowship Funding: Fellows receive up to $1,500 in funding available for research, travel and project materials. Funded opportunities for graduate students to produce reports, infographics, interviews, podcasts, film reviews or multimedia work.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for Media at Risk is an academic research center housed within the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. It convenes media scholars and practitioners to strategize responses to threats against media freedom worldwide, producing publicly accessible research, podcasts, infographics, videos, and event programming. It also runs fellowship and visiting scholar programs for graduate students, undergraduates, and visiting media practitioners.

Product overview

The Center for Media at Risk is an academic research and programming center, not a technology product company. It offers a unified platform of knowledge products and educational programs centered on fostering free and critical media practice and scholarship. The core offerings include Research Publications, Reflections, Reviews, and Talks to Text Transcripts (under the Takeaways section), complemented by a Podcast Series, Infographics, Videos, and a Newsletter. The Center also operates several programs including the Lisbon Winter School, Undergraduate Fellowship, Visiting Scholar and Practitioner Program, and Steering Committee membership. All offerings are designed to convene scholars and practitioners to strategize in response to threats to media freedom worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Publications Reports and scholarly publications offering strategic guidance for media practitioners at risk, examining the patterning of threats to media freedom worldwide. Targeted at media scholars, journalists, and policymakers.
• Podcast Series Audio series in which media practitioners and scholars discuss ongoing threats to their autonomy and how they push back against these occurrences. Targeted at the general public, journalists, and media scholars.
• Public Events Program Public lectures, symposia, exhibits, workshops, and colloquia held at the Annenberg School for Communication providing ongoing and in-depth discussions of media practices and practitioners at risk. Open to students, faculty, and the public.
• Undergraduate Fellowship Year-long fellowship for undergraduates producing research projects, long-form investigative pieces, or multimedia projects related to media and risk, with up to $1,500 in funding for research, travel, and project materials.
• Visiting Scholar and Practitioner Program Competitively funded fellowship welcoming one media scholar and one media practitioner annually from anywhere in the world to collaborate on media projects and contribute to the Center's activities.
• Lisbon Winter School Jointly organized doctoral and early-career researcher program with the Faculty of Human Sciences at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, coordinated with Annenberg Schools at UPenn and USC, Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Journalism and Communication, University of Helsinki's Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities, and The Europaeum. Offers opportunity for doctoral and early career researchers to strategize around media studies.
• Steering Committee Graduate student membership body offering collaborative community, research funding, alumni mentorship, and event curation experience at the Center. Composed of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, visiting media practitioners, visiting media scholars, and staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produces multiple research publications, reviews, and reflections annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate organization forming a collaborative network advancing critical inquiry into media freedom. CPJ is an international nonprofit that promotes press freedom worldwide.
• Center for Ethics and The Rule of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate organization at Penn dedicated to ethics and rule of law issues, contributing to the Center's collaborative network.
• WitnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit that helps people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights, affiliated with the Center's network.
• InternewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit that supports independent media in developing countries, part of the Center's affiliate network.
• Reporters Without BorderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational NGO defending freedom of information, affiliated with the Center's network advancing media freedom.
• Freedom of the Press FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit supporting press freedom through encrypted journalism tools and journalism support, part of the Center's network.
• World Press PhotominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation that showcases visual journalism through annual photo contests, affiliated with the Center's network.
• International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting women journalists worldwide, part of the Center's collaborative network.
• WAN-IFRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Association of News Publishers, part of the Center's affiliate network for media freedom inquiry.
• Rory Peck TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust supporting freelance journalists and media workers at risk, affiliated with the Center's network.
• Global VoicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational community of writers, translators, and media activists, part of the Center's affiliate network.
• Media Foundation for West AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation working on freedom of expression and press freedom in West Africa, affiliated with the Center's network.
• Perry World HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn institute addressing global policy challenges, part of the Center's collaborative network.
• Wolf Humanities CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn humanities institute, affiliated with the Center's network advancing critical inquiry.
• Andrea Mitchell CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn institute for the study of democracy, affiliated with the Center's collaborative network.
• The Warren CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn institute for architecture and urban studies, part of the Center's network.
• Internet Freedom FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival supporting digital rights and internet freedom, affiliated with the Center's network.
• Data RefugeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on preserving climate and environmental data, part of the Center's affiliate network.
• Lisbon Winter School ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organized with Faculty of Human Sciences (Universidade Católica Portuguesa), coordinated with Annenberg Schools of UPenn and USC, Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Journalism and Communication, University of Helsinki's Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities, and The Europaeum. Offers opportunity for doctoral and early career researchers to strategize around media studies.
• Center for Collaborative Communication (C3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnenberg Center for Collaborative Communication, part of the Penn Annenberg centers network.
• Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication (CARGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnenberg Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication, collaborates with the Center on events and programming including the annual symposium.
• Media, Inequality and Change Center (MIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnenberg Center focused on media inequality and social change, co-hosts events with the Center.
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing legal resources for journalists, part of the Center's affiliate network.
• Kelly Writers HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn literary arts center, affiliated with the Center's network.
• Penn SP2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn School of Social Policy and Practice, part of the Center's affiliate network.
• CIMAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter for International Media Assistance, affiliated with the Center's network.
• World Editors ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of editors, affiliated with the Center's network.
• IDAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Documentary Association, part of the Center's network.
• Media Center at PeabodyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeabody Awards' media center, affiliated with the Center's network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Internews: International nonprofit supporting independent media in developing countries, listed as a Center affiliate. Direct overlap in mission around media freedom in fragile contexts.
• Reporters Without Borders: International NGO defending freedom of information, also an affiliate of the Center. RSF is more advocacy- and monitoring-focused, while the Center complements it with scholarly research and convening.
• Tow Center for Digital Journalism: Columbia University research center investigating digital journalism. Comparable as a university-based research center producing scholarship and convening on journalism challenges, with overlap on platform accountability and media risk.
• Witness: International nonprofit using video and technology to defend human rights, listed as a Center affiliate. Both focus on protecting media practitioners, with Witness emphasizing video-based human rights work.
• International Women's Media Foundation: Organization supporting women journalists worldwide and a Center affiliate. Both target media practitioners facing risk, with IWMF providing direct support and the Center providing research and convening infrastructure.
• Committee to Protect Journalists: International nonprofit that promotes press freedom worldwide and is one of the Center's listed affiliate organizations. Both focus on defending journalists facing threats, but CPJ operates as an advocacy NGO while the Center is an academic research and convening hub.
• Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Oxford-based academic research center studying journalism and media, producing high-profile reports on trust, technology, and news ecosystems. Comparable as a university-housed research center on journalism/media issues.
• Freedom of the Press Foundation: Nonprofit supporting press freedom through encrypted journalism tools and listed as a Center affiliate. Direct overlap in mission; FPF focuses on tooling and litigation, while the Center focuses on research and convening.
• Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy: Harvard Kennedy School research center studying media, politics, and public policy. Comparable as a top-tier university-housed center producing research, fellowships, and convening around journalism and democracy.
• Annenberg Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication (CARGC): Penn Annenberg peer center collaborating directly with the Center on events including the annual symposium. Closely comparable academic sibling focused on global communication research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLUc8oJcp2VBfewSnksjthtwN2lJgnenY6
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascmediarisk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Media At Risk