Diane Mermigas

Diane Mermigas applies the knowledge, skills and high-level sources of her distinguished 35-year career reporting on entertainment, media and Internet businesses to teaching at Emerson College and to writing books.

Bringing her real-life reporting experience and passion to the classroom in two special topics courses she created—Women in Journalism and Business Reporting—represents a unique opportunity to address timely industry issues and challenges. After a lively examination and discussion of some of the best journalism in both courses, students identify, master and integrate new skills, concepts and views to improve their competence and competitiveness. Mermigas invites other seasoned professionals to share their perspectives and lessons as guest speakers. She is proud that both of these courses have been adopted into the permanant Journalism Department curriculum.

Mermigas coauthored The Wright Stuff, Bob Wright’s leadership autobiography (Rosetta, 2016). It focuses on the principles he used as NBC Universal chairperson and chief executive officer, and as founding chairperson of Autism Speaks. She is coauthoring 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 realm of interactivity in the 1970s, 1980s, and beyond. The book taps scores of interviews Mermigas held with media and entertainment power-brokers during major industry events and changes over three decades. Her collaborator, Ron Miller, who interviewed top directors and performers during that period, helps her to draw stark parallels to today's streaming sea change. Separately, Mermigas also is completing an interactive guide to business reporting for college students and journalism professionals.

Her long-time signature “Mermigas on Media” column was an industry must-read for its unique contextual big-picture analysis, strategic forecasts, and exclusive news and executive interviews critical to understanding the dramatic and rapidly changing media landscape. Mermigas contributed as an editor, senior reporter and columnist to The Hollywood Reporter, Advertising Age and its sister publication Electronic Media, MediaPost, Business Insider, Seeking Alpha, TrueSlant, BNET, CNBC and other news organizations.

Mermigas has participated in leading industry and business conferences such as the World Economic Forum’s Media and Entertainment Strategy Partnership, Monaco Media Forum, American University's Center for Social Media, Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, and numerous broadcasting and cable industry meetings.

Before her time at Emerson, Mermigas was an adjunct professor of new media studies at DePaul University in Chicago, and a strategic consultant to a variety of service providers such as Yankee Group, Velocity, PricewaterhouseCoopers, NBC and GE.