Last July I received an invitation from Annenberg’s Dean, Ernest Wilson to be its first Innovator in Residence. This is part of a program Dean Wilson is launching to bring people to Annenberg from different fields, who have real-world, practical understanding of the impacts of disruptive innovations, - because they have lived through it, as I have in IBM. His letter said:
“ . . . The communications and media sectors are in a state of great turmoil. Over a relatively short period of time, technological progress has altered everything from the media for information delivery to the revenue sources for the news, media and public relations business. At this moment, there is a remarkable confluence of social, economic and technological change - all of which affect vital information flows in our democracy.”
“Rather than seeing these changes as threats, I am encouraging my team to view them as unique opportunities to lead and contribute to innovative thinking and action in the communication field. The Annenberg School is expected to play a major role in shaping this future: we need to be able to step up to meet the expectations, offering bold and creative solutions for the communications and media industries, and a meaningful education for our students.”Dean Wilson’s invitation letter was very eloquent, but frankly, given my strong interest in the subject, he had me at “Dear Irving.”
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