Journalism alum Stephanie Lulay wins 2025 College of Media Emerging Leader Award

May 21, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood Stephanie Lulay’s (BS ’08, journalism) start-up venture, Block Club Chicago—whose mission is to deliver reliable, nonpartisan, and essential coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods—has become a news staple for readers throughout the city since its founding in 2018. Lulay serves as executive editor and co-founder of the award-winning newsroom, which […]

Students from UI7 Newsroom win NATAS Mid-America Emmys, SINBA awards

April 29, 2025 Students from the UI7 Newsroom were recently recognized for their outstanding work by both the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Mid-America Chapter, winning two Crystal Pillar awards, and the Student Illinois News Broadcasters Association awards. “Both awards are contested greatly by surrounding schools and programs. Their accomplishments with wins, even […]

Senior lecturer of advertising Marisa Peacock wins two campus awards

April 9, 2025 Marisa Peacock, senior lecturer of advertising, won both a Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and a Student Success Impact Award. Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, are given for sustained excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate teaching, undergraduate and graduate advising and […]

Media faculty and TAs make list of teachers ranked as excellent

April 7, 2025 Congratulations to all the College of Media faculty and teaching assistants who were ranked as excellent by their students! This list is based on Instructor and Course Evaluation System questionnaire forms completed by students during the Fall 2024 semester and Winter 2024-25. Only those instructors who distributed ICES forms at least once during […]

Students win Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Award for Television Photojournalism

February 12, 2025 Students from University of Illinois and Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone won first place in the 2024 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Award for Television Photojournalism. Illinois journalism students Maggie Knutte, Faith Lee, Nour Longi, Piper Pascarella, and Stephanie Wayda, and agricultural communications student Elena Cleary, along with Fourah Bay […]

Alumna Cheryl Whitlow Thompson makes lasting impact with career as renowned multimedia journalist

December 12, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood Cheryl Whitlow Thompson (BS ’82, LAS; MS ’84, journalism) will be the first to tell you journalism is not just a job to her—it’s who she is.  Digging deep to uncover truths, holding those in power accountable, and asking the tough questions comes naturally to the investigative correspondent and senior editor […]

Illinois Public Media programs and staff garner awards

October 10, 2024 Illinois Public Media’s Prairie Fire nominated for seven Emmys UPDATE 10/29/2024:  WILL-TV’s Prairie Fire won four Mid-America Emmy Awards, including Best Magazine Program, for its first season. The show also won in the following categories: * * * Prairie Fire, a WILL-TV program featuring cinematic documentaries, profiles, and performances from downstate Illinois, has been nominated for seven Mid-America regional Emmy awards, […]

2024-2025 student award and scholarship recipients

October 3, 2024 Updated May 13, 2025 Congratulations to these College of Media students who received campus and college awards and honors, and scholarships and fellowships that were made possible thanks to our donors. HONORS Bronze TabletInscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class. […]

Ebertfest receives 2024 Tourism Impact Award from Experience Champaign-Urbana

May 16, 2024 For sharing its passion with film lovers worldwide for 25 years, and making the greater Champaign-Urbana area a better place to live, work, and visit, Ebertfest was selected as one of five winners of the 2024 Tourism Impact Award from Experience Champaign-Urbana. The Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation presented the awards at the 11th […]

Sarah Min selected for 2024 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

May 14, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood When Sarah Min (BS ’93, journalism) was appointed to President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in 2022, she knew her background in journalism would prove useful in government policy and nonprofit advocacy work.  “For people who practice journalism, it’s a job requirement to […]

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