708-752-2555 dcmermigas@gmail.com

Diane Mermigas

Diane Mermigas

Diane Mermigas

Award-Winning Business Journalist and Columnist

Putting my career reporting skills and knowledge to work in new ways: Developing and writing media executive autobiographies, Advising companies on inventive digital strategies, Providing analytical research on what’s next, Teaching students to master the business of digital media.

Email: dcmermigas@gmail.com
Phone: 708-752-2555

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Co-author of the book The Wright Stuff: from NBC to Autism Speaks with Bob Wright (Rosetta Book, March 29, 2016).
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In The Works

When Television Came of Age: I am thrilled to be tapping my expertise, skills and passion to fill gaping holes that exist for media even in this digital age. I am collaborating with Ron Miller on When Television Came of Age (working title), a scholarly compilation of great interviews and milestones that explore the innovative people and dynamics that brought ordinary TV into the interactive realm in the 1970s, 1980s and beyond. Stark parallels are drawn to the challenges and opportunities confronting multi-screen streaming today. More to come on this exciting effort.

 Women in Journalism: Bringing women journalists and their works alive for senior and junior journalism students at Boston’s Emerson College has prompted me to embrace the forces that shaped my own reporting career and writing. It has inspired me to create a vital exploration of ground-breaking women journalists of the past two centuries in politics, science, business, sports, civil and social rights, education, the arts, international affairs, war and movements such as feminism and #Metoo. We take a deep dive into all forms of the best investigative reporting, op-ed, personal columns, documentaries, breaking news, essays, blogs and even fiction based on real events. Regular guest speakers, multimedia team projects and student-led discussion align student experiences, concerns and hopes with women journalists past and present. The course will be offered again in January 2020. I am working on Women in Journalism – The Forces that Shaped their Work and Lives; a companion book exploring and assessing the impact of women journalists and their works on historic moments and movements.

 Business Journalism: The enterprise business reporting process that has defined my career can help restore accountability and trust to journalism and protect First Amendment rights. So I am sharing the lessons and craft of my 35-year business reporting career with journalism seniors and juniors at Boston’s Emerson College. Based on the premise that money and power are at the heart of every great story – and everything in life, the course explores the best of business journalism across all beats and media platforms to help students integrate fundamental business reporting skills and concepts into their own multimedia toolkit. I am working on a companion electronic Business Journalism road map to reporting on money and power in all media.

 The Wright Stuff by Bob Wright with Diane Mermigas: Working with media executives to retell their leadership stories comes easy for me since for years I interviewed so many of them for my daily news stories, signature columns and big picture analysis. I can help translate their interests in meaningful ways for succeeding generations working in a radically different media and entertainment marketplace.

 One thing’s for sure; I am more fortunate than ever to do the work I love as a writer, reporter, editor, researcher and project manager about all things media. Every day is an opportunity to work with interesting people in new spaces to learn and create something that can make a difference.

Let me know what you have in mind…

 

The Wright Stuff book cover

The Wright Stuff: From NBC to Autism Speaks

A career of reporting on big media stories and issues, interviewing industry leaders and analyzing trends has come together in The Wright Stuff, a book I have co-authored with Bob Wright.

The former chairman and chief executive officer of NBC Universal and vice chairman of General Electric, which owned NBC for many years, approached me about helping him put together a brief remembrance of his business career for his family and friends. Like other of his media peers–such as Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner and Chuck Dolan–, I had come to know Bob well after countless interviews and years of reporting about his and other media business developments.

A year into the project, Bob realized he should be delving more into the NBC years. Little had been published about his time at the peacock network outside of periodic trade and business press accounts. He asked me to interview select executives who were part of his efforts.

Diane Mermigras with Bob Wright Photos by CAPEHART

Diane Mermigras with Bob Wright
Photos by CAPEHART

Another year passed, and Bob realized that his work with wife Suzanne founding and developing Autism Speaks as a global advocacy, research and support nonprofit, had become too important a part of their lives to ignore.

As it is published March 29, 2016 by Rosetta Books, The Wright Stuff straddles the corporate and philanthropic worlds in which where Bob created value using common leadership principles. It celebrates the legacy of both Bob and Suzanne Wright and their unique partnership.

The book is available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble

There likely will be other media executive stories to tell just as there is much more to be done in analyzing and mining the emerging digital landscape. I will resume my big picture analysis and commentary on some new platform.

As always, I also look forward to assisting companies develop new business models that use their existing resources, and helping undergraduate and college students understand how best to bring their ideas and energy to the digital marketplace.

On to the next adventure….

The Wright Stuff

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