In 2001, the university dedicated the new School of Media and Public Affairs building at the corner of 21st and H Streets after nearly two years of construction.

[7] It has also hosted many other high-profile speakers, including Barack Obama,[8] Joe Biden,[9] Hillary Clinton,[10] Janet Napolitano,[11] Jon Huntsman Jr.,[12] Chuck Todd,[13] Cory Booker,[14] Christine Lagarde,[15] and Eric Cantor.

[16] Since 2016, the auditorium has been a frequent site for CNN Town Halls, featuring such guests as Bernie Sanders,[17] Paul Ryan,[18] John McCain, and Lindsey Graham.

The Richard Eaton Broadcast Studio includes four cameras, teleprompters, news and interview sets, a greenscreen and a professional control room.

[21] An Emmy Award and National Press Club Award-winning journalist, as well as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Sesno previously served as the chief political correspondent for CNN and created PBS's Planet Forward.

[22] Along with the Elliott School of International Affairs, SMPA administers the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication, which is housed in its building.

The IPDGC administers the MA program in Global Communication, hosts a public diplomacy fellow, and runs a blog, TakeFive, which features student and faculty contributors.

[27] Unlike students in other programs, such as the Elliott School of International Affairs, SMPA undergraduates are part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.