- Hey folks, we have our good friend Dr.

Keith Strudler, the Dean of the College of Communications and Media at Montclair State University back with us.

Dean, good to see you.

- It's great to be here.

- You got it, by the way, before you go any further, we'll put up the website for Montclair State University.

And also after that our website will come up, SteveAdubato.org.

Check out the in-depth interview that I did, a two-parter on "Think Tank" with Dr.

Jonathan Koppell, the President of Montclair State University, about a range of issues.

Hey, Keith, let me ask you this.

PS, to disclose, Keith and I talk about media offline all the time.

What is the role, as you see it, of Montclair State University in particular, and higher ed overall in the future of media/public media in the state of New Jersey and the nation?

- Look, I think, and we're obviously well aware of some of the challenges that are acute here in New Jersey with public media, which are maybe particularly acute here, but are not, you know, certainly isolated to us across the country with stations, networks, states are trying to figure out a sustainability plan.

Look, I think we're pretty clear at Montclair, and I think it's consistent with what we've considered from our inception, which is we believe that we are a leader in sustaining and growing and coming up with the future plan for how public media should operate in the future.

And we think that we will have a significant role in ensuring that public media's sustained in a couple of ways.

One is certainly in conceptualizing the operations of what comes next.

And that's something obviously we're all having a lot of conversations about how.

- As you do, Keith, lemme bring folks into this.

I'm sorry for interrupting.

To be clear, what the dean is talking about is WNET, our longtime partners in New York, the PBS flagship station for 15 years, since 2011, have operated the New Jersey Public Television Station.

It is in fact that location, if you will, the license to it is owned by the state of New Jersey.

But the operator is an outside entity.

That is what the dean is talking about.

And that ends, WNET will no longer operate NJ PBS as of July 1st, 2026.

Keith, pick up your point, I'm sorry.

- Sure, and so we know that we're going to be an important part because of our facilities, because of the expertise we have here on campus, our faculty and in places like the Center for Cooperative Media that, you know, their lifeblood is figuring out a sustainable path forward for journalism in a world in which people no longer consume news in the same way.

So we want to be integral and central to that conversation about operating, you know, kind of what comes next.

But on top of that, and I think this is really important, is we also want to make sure that we are central to figuring out, one, how there's a collaborative process so that we are hearing voices across the state.

And I think one of the things that's gonna be essential to the future of public media, which is very much what the center does, is figuring out how we're connecting with communities and connecting with storytellers across the state.

And I think that's integral.

And second, if there's going to be a future of public media, which we all know is essential, there needs to be a plan by which we are training the next generation of storytellers, journalists, filmmakers, sports media experts, to be engaged in that process.

So there needs to be both kind of a top down and a bottom up process by which we are working with kind of the next talented group of storytellers, but also we're hearing the voices of people that come through places like Montclair State to understand what is it that they want and they need.

So if we tell them this is what we're giving you, and they're telling us we're on TikTok all the time, then there's a disconnect that's not gonna be sustainable.

And so I think it's important, essential, vital that we are listening to the next generation.

- So, Keith, let me ask you this, and again, you and I keep talking about this.

This is part of our larger Media Matters series, and Keith and I talk about an initiative that I created a while back.

We've been talking about doing a course at Montclair State on media leadership and innovation.

But is it all ultimately here, Keith?

I mean, we're doing this, this is gonna be on broadcast, it'll be on digital outlets, but do you believe ultimately that it all winds up here?

- You know, I wish I were smart enough to be able to give you, because then I'd be investing differently.

Right, right?

It's easy to say that, but I think, I don't know, you know.

To tie yourself.

- Is it a hybrid, Keith?

Will it always be a hybrid?

- Yeah, look, people are, people, until they don't, people are gonna have TVs in their houses.

What they use them for, you know, we'll have to figure out.

But there is still the communal process of consuming media on large devices in your living room.

I don't think that's going away, but I do think the way, A, we know that, you know, we all get the message on Sunday when it keeps telling us that we consume media another 42% higher than the week before.

And you're like, how did I spend six hours a day on this thing?

Right?

So we know that this is the primary way in which people are consuming information.

I think it's more important though, beyond thinking about the device itself, thinking about the way in which they want to get that information.

- Meaning?

- So it might mean.

- Meaning?

- They probably want smaller chunks of information.

They want them in ways that are more easily digested and understood.

They probably want them on multiple platforms, including platforms that we once thought, you know, were not utilitarian for news consumption.

So I think it's perhaps less about the actual device that they're using, although the phone obviously is, you know, is the thing.

Although look, I mean, how many times have you talked to someone and they're like, oh yeah, I'm coming to you from my watch?

Right?

That's why it's like, it's the phone right now.

It might be something else in the future.

- But here, Keith, lemme push back a little bit on this.

So I think we've known each other long enough and you've seen this and which was what we did with President Koppell, it was two, and it's one hour of programming, two half hours.

Again, you check it out on our "Think Tank" series.

But here's what I'm trying to get at.

I think about long form podcasts.

I think about long form interviews like that.

And I go, first of all, no disrespect Keith, I have no interest in doing a three minute back and forth with Keith Strudler, the Dean at the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State.

Let's do it fast, let's get it.

Like, I don't even know what that is.

So my question is, where's the place for long-form substantive dialogue?

How the hell, how do you, how the heck do you do that in three minutes?

- So I, look, again, that is the billion dollar question, but I think, I don't think it's a binomial, right?

And obviously often your three minute piece leads to your 30 minute consumption, right?

And you're right, people have, look, and I know Joe Rogan's kinda the poster child, but Joe Rogan figured out how to get people.

- It goes on for hours.

Keith, it goes on for hours.

- Hours.

And by the way, not for nothing.

I just watched, to talk a little bit about my consumption habits.

I watched three hours of Charlie Sheen talking about the different abuses he has put his body through, three hours.

That's a story that could have been told in 10 minutes, but it was, you know, like it was pretty good over three hours.

You are right that there is an appetite for longer form work, right?

I just don't know that it looks the way that we thought it did.

But I do know that to get that audience, you need to be able to chunk your information in a way that draws people in.

You know, and Steve, you know, we both have kids.

My kids are sports fans.

My kid, like it was a few years ago when he told me he never watched a full basketball game, but he watched it in this like 45 minute compressed version where they basically turned a two-and-a-half hour game into a 45 minute highlight reel.

Something we have to consider.

- It works when I'm looking at the NFL, what's it called?

Red Zone, I don't know, it's called something Zone.

You can see every game on Sunday in about 10 minutes.

It may not work for meaningful substantive public policy conversation, which ain't gonna get you a lot of clicks.

Nevermind.

See, Keith, you got me on my soapbox.

I said I wasn't gonna get there.

- Yeah.

- Before I let you go, your students, how many students in the College of Communication and Media at MSU?

- About 2000 students in the college.

You know, obviously really fast growing, amazing work, just I'll brag for them just a little bit.

Nominated again for two Student Emmy Awards, the College Television Awards in news.

In news, Steve, in news.

And recently won two Edward R. Murrow Awards in the student division.

And we are one of two universities.

Another's a one I happen to have a particular interest, one of two universities in the country that won two of those.

And so they're doing, look, our students do amazing work.

We are training the future, but as we say, we're listening to them about how we can help reach them differently.

- And then interesting as we wrap up, Keith Strudler, the dean, mentioned Edward R. Murrow, the great Murrow.

I always wonder how he would've done on TikTok.

That's another issue.

But that's that Dr.

Keith Strudler, who's the Dean of the College of Communication and Media at my alma mater, Montclair State University.

Good to see you, my friend, we'll talk soon.

- Absolutely, have a great one.

- You got it, I'm Steve Adubato, that's the dean.

We'll see you next time.

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