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Untitled Document
How I became an MTV BIGWIG
Stephen Friedman

Head of MTVu
Wesleyan University, ‘TK, TKMAJOR

By Rory Murphy

Stephen Friedman went from Wesleyan to consulting to shaping the minds of the MTV generation.  

I received my B.A. at Wesleyan University in the College of Letters. It is one of those degrees that prepare you for nothing and everything all at the same time.

When I came to MTV, my boss told me “I want someone to use MTV’s super powers for good. MTV is a brand people recognize; use it for issues of relevance to this audience. That’s your job.” And I thought, ‘this is a frickin’ incredible job, to use the channel not just to entertain, but to educate and empower.’

One of the best parts of this job is to go and watch a band before everyone else knows about them. And then what do you want to do? You want to go and tell everybody! It’s about developing a passionate fan base and growing virally. If you look at a band like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, who has a huge fan base, our audience loves them.

College was such a great time in your life, it seemed like everything was possible. I loved that you could explore and experiment in anything. If you think about being a 17-year old in high school and an 18 year old in college, suddenly your entire worldview has changed.

This audience that I have the privilege of working with is leading the way in MTV’s Darfur Campaign. When people say never again and yet we’re witnessing the first genocide of the 21st century, I realize that it’s important to scream loudly.

My proudest moment is that I can give our audience a bigger voice. All we try to do is be a megaphone that we hand our audience to amplify their voiceThis new generation is so tech savvy, there is a demand for immediacy and when they do something they want an immediate response.
I know many of us came to MTV because the power of music. When you think about the way music can move you, that why we’re here. Music is also a powerful force for activism and change

I think Bono is a leader that goes way beyond what his music brings to people. He’ll say “Listen, I’m a dumb rock star and I use that to my advantage.”Then you realize that he is not dumb at all.

I think college students in general are activists. I think they feel passionately about topics that are close to them and they do something about it. It’s not surprise to me that college students are leading the way. They did it with the anit-apartheid movement in the late 80s, they’ve done it for civil rights. There’s a passion and a belief that they can have a real impact, and they do, and they are. Thank God!

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STEPHEN’S RESUME

Stephen K. Friedman
Education: B.A. with Honors from Wesleyan University

Past Work: Director for the PEN American Center, Vice President at Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery.

Currently the General Manager of mtvU, the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students.

Activism: created the Emmy Award-winning Fight For Your Rights (FFYR)campaigns which have included Take a Stand Against Violence, Take a Stand Against Discrimination, managed the “Choose or Lose”campaign. Co-executive produced two of MTV’s global events, MTV’s World AIDS Day concert from Cape Town and Seattle, as well as Be Heard: An MTV Global Discussion with Colin Powell. Supervised MTV’s Sudan campaign.