LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs

What LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs does

The LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is an academic research and public programming center housed within Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded in 2000, its stated mission is to generate thoughtful dialogue, research, and programming about mass communication and its relationship with public policy, operating at local, state, and national levels. The center's portfolio includes the Louisiana Survey (a statewide longitudinal public opinion research initiative), the Public Policy Research Lab, the annual John Breaux Symposium, the Civic Sips community dialogue series (part of the Common Ground Project), the Lamar Visiting Scholars program, Public Policy Fellows, a Media & Public Affairs Book Series, and the LA Women in Politics Oral History Project.

The center serves three constituent audiences: Louisiana residents and the general public, the academic community and students connected to the Manship School, and policymakers and civic leaders seeking research-based insights. It does not sell products or services and generates no commercial revenue; all programming and research outputs are provided free of charge as part of LSU's educational and civic mission. Operating funding derives from university allocations, grants, and charitable contributions. Its distribution is conducted through LSU campus venues, a Constant Contact newsletter, Eventbrite event listings, the LSU.edu website, and co-marketing with strategic partners including PAR and the Louisiana America 250 Commission.

The center is not a conventional investable entity. It is a non-profit academic unit within a public state university system, with no external shareholders, no commercial technology stack, and no disclosed headcount growth beyond approximately ten staff. Leadership is currently provided by Director Michael DiResto (appointed February 2025) and an industry Advisory Board. Any investment-relevant assessment must therefore be framed in terms of programmatic impact, reputational positioning, and partnership momentum rather than financial returns.

Name

LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs

Legal name

Louisiana State University

Website

https://lsureillycenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is an academic research and public programming center within LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication, producing statewide opinion research, policy analysis, and civic dialogue programming for Louisiana residents, scholars, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Affairs Research Center

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAEAO

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Magazine Publishing (Consumer & B2B/Trade Magazines)

SECONDARYMPABADAG

Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Public/Nonprofit Broadcasting (PBS/NPR-style)

SECONDARYMPAAADAI

Media Relations & Press Office Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications Agencies

Keywords

• Public affairs research
• Media policy studies
• Civic engagement programming
• Public opinion surveys
• Academic research center

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is a university research and public programming center that generates research, events, and dialogue on mass communication and its relationship with public policy. It produces the Louisiana Survey public opinion research, operates the Public Policy Research Lab, hosts the annual John Breaux Symposium and Civic Sips community dialogue series, runs fellowship and visiting scholar programs, and publishes the Media & Public Affairs Book Series and the LA Women in Politics Oral History Project. All programming is provided free of charge as part of LSU's educational mission.

Product overview

The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs operates as a research and public programming center focused on strengthening public discourse and media's role in democracy. The Center offers a portfolio of research programs (Louisiana Survey, Public Policy Research Lab), annual events (John Breaux Symposium, Civic Sips series), fellowship programs (Public Policy Fellows, Lamar Visiting Scholars), and research archives (LA Women in Politics Oral History Project, Media & Public Affairs Book Series). These offerings work together to generate thoughtful dialogue and research about mass communication and public policy at local, state, and national levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Louisiana Survey

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PAR (Public Affairs Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PAR collaborates with the Reilly Center on the Civic Sips series, a program designed to bring people together in relaxed settings for meaningful conversation about public affairs topics. This partnership is part of the Common Ground Project.
• Louisiana America 250 CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborates with the Reilly Center on Civic Sips programming to explore how the nation's founding ideals can help foster common ground today, aligning with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
• Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Reilly Center is an integral part of the Manship School, committed to strengthening its national leadership in media and public affairs. The center operates within the school's facilities and academic infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pew Research Center: Nonpartisan public opinion and demographic research organization producing the largest publicly available public opinion datasets in the US. Closely comparable to the Reilly Center on the Louisiana Survey-style public opinion research mission, though operating at much greater scale.
• Rockefeller Institute of Government: State-focused public policy research institute affiliated with the State University of New York. Comparable as a university-based, state-focused policy research organization with an applied research mission similar to the Reilly Center's Public Policy Research Lab.
• Annenberg Public Policy Center: University-based public policy research center at the University of Pennsylvania that studies media, public opinion, and civic engagement. Directly comparable as a peer university-affiliated center with overlapping mission around media, policy, and democratic discourse.
• Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy: University-based research center studying media, politics, and public policy, focused on how media and journalism interact with democratic governance. Closely comparable in mission, university setting, and academic-policy hybrid programming.
• Duke DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy: University-based center studying media's role in democracy, including research on journalism, misinformation, and civic life. Direct peer in mission and university setting, focused on media and democratic participation.

Broad incumbents

• The Aspen Institute: Nonpartisan educational and policy studies organization running dialogue-based civic programming similar to Civic Sips/Common Ground. Comparable on civic dialogue and bipartisan convening activities, though broader in scope and not university-based.
• Brookings Institution: Major public policy think tank producing research on governance, media, and democracy. Comparable on the public policy research and discourse mission, though operating as a larger, non-university-affiliated think tank.
• USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: Larger university school at USC encompassing broader Annenberg centers and academic programs. Comparable institution in the same media and public affairs space, though much larger and academic-program focused rather than a standalone research center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reilly-center-for-media-public-affairs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs