News 13 | College of Media

College of Media Career Week

Join us for the College of Media’s 2026 Career Week, organized by Media Career Services. Events are scheduled on Monday, Feb. 23, through Friday, Feb. 27, featuring workshops, guest speakers, and media professionals who will offer great insights for students as they prepare for their post-graduation career!

Monday, February 23

Rapid Resume Review

1:30-3:30 p.m.
18 Gregory Hall
Presented by Media Career Services

Conquer career fair season by visiting Media Career Services and getting your resume reviewed during our Rapid Resume Review drop-in hours. Experienced media professionals, including a Broadcast Creative Director, Digital Media Associate Director, and Communication Coordinator will be participating and meeting with students.

This event will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to bring a printed copy of your resume.

Media Career Night: Young Alumni

5-6 p.m.
213 Gregory Hall
Register here to attend
Presented by Media Career Services

Join us for Media Career Night where College of Media alumni share stories about their career path and offer career advice. Students will have the opportunity to hear about their career journey and ask them questions. We are excited to have the following alumni panelists participating in the event:

Penny Bradford (BS ’25, journalism)
Marketing & Digital Content Manager at Parkland College

Carson Gourdie (BS ’23, journalism)
Sports Reporter at WICS News Channel 20

Olivia Moffitt (BS ’21, media and cinema studies)
Influencer and Founder & Tour Guide at A Girl About Champaign-Urbana

Tuesday, February 24

Pop-Up Headshot Lab

11 a.m.-1 p.m.
29 Gregory Hall
Brought to you by The Career Center and Media Career Services

Get career ready by getting FREE professional headshots. Join us on a first-come, first-serve basis as you prepare for the job and internship market. Each session should take 3-5 minutes. Students are encouraged to come early as the cut-off will be 15 minutes prior to closing. Professional dress suggested.

Student Internship Panel Showcase

4-5 p.m.
31 Gregory Hall
Register here to attend
Presented by Media Career Services

Panelists include:

Aaron Anastos, senior in journalism and anthropology
Reis Glover, senior in advertising
Shirley Ma, senior in CS + advertising
Ella Yoder, junior in media and cinema studies

Join your fellow Media peers as they share stories about their past internship experiences, including at business such as Ogilvy and GE Appliances. The student panelists will discuss internship search tips, the interview experience, skills they learned, and much more!

Wednesday, February 25

Resume Print and Go Drop-Ins

2:30-4 p.m.
13 Gregory Hall
Presented by Media Career Services / Sponsored by College of Media Student Services

College of Media students are invited to print up to 10 copies of their resume in preparation for the Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair. Resume paper will be provided by College of Media Student Services Center. This is a FREE event for College of Media students.

Resume Revamp: AI Strategies to Level Up Your Resume

5-6 p.m.
Gallery of Siebel Center for Design
Presented by Media Career Services / Sponsored by American Advertising Federation

Join our interactive workshop to learn practical strategies for using AI tools to revise and enhance your resume. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing resume, you will learn how to leverage AI platforms to create a strong, results driven resume that highlights your skills.

Thursday, February 26

Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair

1-5 p.m.
Illini Union
Presented by The Career Center

Unlock your future and join us at the Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair. This is an excellent opportunity for you to explore a vast array of career and internship opportunities at 100+ of the nation’s leading employers (and the list is still growing). Open to Illinois students of all majors and class levels, this event promises to connect you with recruiters who are eager to engage with talent like you! Whether you are seeking an internship, a full-time position, or just eager to expand your network and knowledge of your chosen field, this fair is the perfect platform for you to kickstart your professional journey. Registration is encouraged but not required.

On the day of the fair, feel free to stop at the Career Coaching Corner (located in the Pine Lounge of the Illini Union) for any last-minute advice. Our expert career coaches will be available to assist you with any last-minute questions you may have as you navigate your career fair experience.

Friday, February 27

Frank Center Student Workshop: Q&A with Alum Joe Sargis, Senior Producer at Fox News

12-1:30 p.m.
Frank Newsroom at Richmond Studio
RSVP to Colleen King, cck@illinois.edu, Frank Center Director
Presented by the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media

Learn more about the career journey of Joe Sargis (BS ’13, journalism) and his time at Fox News as a senior producer.

During his time at U of I he was an on-air personality at WPGU-FM, an active member at UI7 News, and a Student U broadcaster for the Big Ten Network. Sargis worked at WCIU-TV in Chicago as a production assistant, associate producer, and then line producer. He began his career at Fox News as an associate producer for Special Report with Bret Baier and is currently the senior producer.

New experiential learning opportunities for Media students include international, domestic trips

January 13, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

Three experiential learning opportunities are being offered to students this spring including two new trips—one to the nation’s capital and another to two Scandinavian countries—as well as a return visit to the West African country of Sierra Leone.

Washington, D.C., March 19-22

Colleen King, clinical assistant professor of journalism and director of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media, will be taking eight students to Washington, D.C., to visit news outlets and key government locations.

In addition to participating in newsroom tours, students will receive journalism advice for coursework and career planning; learn to identify local journalism beats; and understand the basics of how professional newsrooms and control rooms operate.

The trip is designed to help students gain invaluable knowledge about U.S. history and the First Amendment to better cover politics, campaigns, and elections, as well as the day-to-day workings of the U.S. government.

Some of the sites the students will visit include the NBC News/MSNBC Washington bureau, the CBS News Washington bureau, Politico, the Albritton Journalism Institute and its website NOTUS (News of the United States), a tour of Capitol Hill, and a visit to the National Archives.

(Update: See photos from their trip to DC.)

Sierra Leone, West Africa, March 14-22

Charles “Stretch” Ledford, associate professor of journalism, and Alison Davis, lecturer in journalism, will lead a return trip back to Freetown, Sierra Leone, with six students in the “Globally Focused Advanced Documentary Filmmaking” class.

Under the supervision of Ledford, Davis, and Dr. Francis Sowa, dean of communications, media, and information studies at the University of Sierra Leone’s Fourah Bay College, Illinois and Fourah Bay journalism students will continue production of the documentary film Uman Tok: Tailoring Hope, Reclaiming Futures. An early cut of the film won first place in the 2024 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Award for Television Photojournalism.

The multi-year international reporting project tells the story of Uman Tok, a small, woman-led nonprofit in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital city. Uman Tok (“woman talk” in the local language) employs 15 marginalized women at a living wage to produce reusable, washable menstrual pads for schoolgirls around the country who otherwise would not have a means of managing their monthly periods.

In addition to collaborating on the documentary film, students will be working on a virtual reality experience, a podcast, and an ink-on-paper comic book for readers of any level.

The media the journalism students produce will be used in an advertising campaign for Uman Tok created by students in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising’s capstone course this spring.

This year, both Illinois journalism students and their peers from Fourah Bay College will not only work together in the field, but also live together on the same compound, in an environment designed to foster organic collaboration, shared learning, and more authentic and deeply reported stories.

Scandinavia Tour, May 26-June 4

Marisa Peacock, senior lecturer in advertising, is planning a 10-day study abroad trip for 21 students to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden.

Designed to give students a deep dive into the branding, advertising, and cultural strategies of major global companies, the trip will also provide a broader exploration of Scandinavian design, architecture, and culture.

Students will visit corporate headquarters of iconic companies like LEGO, IKEA, H&M, and UNIQLO to understand their global marketing strategies and meet with alumni working with these brands in fields of design, marketing, and communication.

Additionally, the itinerary includes visits to renowned cultural and design sites such as the Swedish Museum of Architecture and Design, Nyhavn harbor, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

Peacock said she pitched the idea of visiting the area due to an interest in Scandinavian design, which blends functionality with simplicity and modernity, and because brands like IKEA, LEGO, and UNIQLO incorporate corporate responsibility with a dedication to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, which is also an important hallmark of brand building.

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Journalism alum Nicole Anderson Cobb shares experience with historical research and theater-making in new book

Nicole Anderson Cobb (MS ’16, journalism) shared her experience with historical research and theater-making in the newly released edited volume Dramaturgy & History: Staging The Archive.

Dramaturgy and History provides a practical account of an aspect of dramaturgical practice that is often taken for granted: dramaturgs’ engagements with history and historiography.

Anderson Cobb’s chapter centers on her time as an artist-in-residence at Allerton Park & Retreat Center in Monticello, Illinois, in collaboration with Latrelle Bright.

“I hope my essay ‘Beyond Land Acknowledgement: Rendering Central Illinois History along the Potawatomi Trail of Death’ will be useful for other scholars, and theater-makers and those interested in remembering complex histories in their local spaces,” she said.

Journalism alum Stuart Lieberman named head of communications at SailGP

Stuart Lieberman (BS ’10, journalism; BA ’10, LAS) was named head of communications at SailGP, overseeing media, public relations, and communications in North and South America.

SailGP is an international sailing competition that features high-performance F50 foiling catamarans, where teams compete across a season of multiple grands prix around the world.

Before Lieberman joined SailGP, he spent 10 yeas as a freelance writer for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Lieberman also co-wrote a book with U.S. Paralympian Melissa Stockwell, The Power of Choice: My Journey from Wounded Warrior to World Champion.

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 at NPR who has spent the better part of three decades making a significant impact in the field of journalism—and earning numerous accolades for her exceptional work along the way.

In December, Thompson was honored with the 2024 Washington Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award for breaking barriers and increasing access and opportunities to people of color in journalism.

Thompson, who also teaches journalism as an associate professor at George Washington University, recently added the title of author to her long list of accomplishments.

In Forgotten Souls: The Lost Tuskegee Airmen, Thompson shares true stories from families of the first Black military pilots and airmen who didn’t return from Europe in WWII.

“I think being a Black woman whose father was a Tuskegee Airman absolutely helped me connect with these families,” said Thompson. Her debut book is set to come out in the fall of 2025.

Thompson was born and raised in Chicago. She joined her two brothers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication in 1982. After graduation, Thompson considered going to law school but decided to pursue a master’s degree in journalism after working for a semester at an NBC affiliate in Chicago.

Thompson says she has fond memories of her time at Illinois, especially as a member of the Black Chorus led by the legendary conductor and professor of music Ollie Watts Davis, and as a student of professor of journalism Robert “Bob” Reid, who passed away in 2004.

“My savior was Professor Bob Reid. He was my advisor, and he was my savior. He really cared and had a big hand in whatever success I have had,” she said.

Thompson, who had mostly broadcast experience coming out of college, joined The News-Gazette after graduate school where she began to cultivate her inquisitive nature.

“I just had this sort of curiosity. When I would [work on] stories, I wanted to know more and more and more,” she said.

It’s also where she found another important mentor in John Foreman, long-time editor and publisher who passed away in 2018.

Thompson said she learned a lot from Foreman, including how to dig deeper on a story, and kept in touch with him long after she left the newspaper.

“I sent him every big story I did over the years because I wanted him to be proud and see what I turned into,” she said in this News-Gazette article.

“I still say what we do is very honorable, and I don’t apologize for it,” she said. “It’s powerful. We can have impact, and we can make a difference.”

Cheryl Whitlow Thompson (BS ’82, LAS; MS ’84, journalism)

NPR Investigative Correspondent and Senior Editor

Thompson said she would always receive a handwritten note from Foreman in return saying, “I’m proud of you, kiddo”—a gesture she greatly appreciated.

If Thompson’s fire to become an investigative reporter began at The News-Gazette, her post at the Los Angeles Daily News really stoked it.

At the LA newspaper, Thompson spent six months covering the second largest school district in the country, going after stories and breaking news that eventually led to the resignation of the superintendent. Thompson said she was hooked after that.

“That was when it really all started, and I never looked back,” she said.

Thompson, who worked at the Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, and The Gainesville Sun, spent 22 years at The Washinton Post, writing about political corruption, guns and criminal justice, and immigration.

She also served as the Post’s White House correspondent during Barack Obama’s first term, covered the Department of Justice, and was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for National reporting in 2002 and 2016.

“I had a good run. I can’t tell you what an amazing time I had at The Washington Post,” she said.

With a desire to broaden her knowledge as a multimedia journalist, Thompson moved to NPR in 2019 and became the inaugural editor of the station’s investigations team in 2021.

Thompson earned a third shared Pulitzer Prize as the investigative reporting coach on “No Compromise,” a podcast about gun rights advocates that won the 2021 Pulitzer for Audio Reporting. She received NPR’s Public Service Journalism award the same year.

Although Thompson admits today’s era of journalism can lack reverence, she still feels it’s a noble and worthwhile profession.

“I still say what we do is very honorable, and I don’t apologize for it,” she said. “It’s powerful. We can have impact, and we can make a difference.”

Thompson couldn’t begin to count the number of hours she’s spent over the years working on her craft, but she doesn’t mind as long as she’s producing good journalism.

When she’s at home in her office she feels inspired by the more than four dozen national, regional, and local awards that hang on her wall.

“When I think I can’t do something, I just look around the room and say, ‘I got this,’” she said.

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Journalism student partners with Education Justice Project as Humanities in Action scholar

December 12, 2024 | Faith Lee, Communications Intern

We CU Community Engaged Scholars and the Humanities Research Institute at Illinois selected Courtney Dillon, a senior earning a dual degree in journalism and in sociology, as one of five Humanities in Action scholars to work with community partners throughout the Fall 2024 semester.

The Humanities in Action program, now in its third year, aims to eliminate financial barriers that prevent undergraduate humanities students an opportunity to engage in community projects.

Dillon, who is on the pre-law track, learned about the program from a friend who was previously a Humanities in Action scholar. After doing some research on the program, she found that it aligned with her career goals of community engagement work through criminal or civil rights law.

The School of Social Work’s Community Learning Lab matched Dillon with the Education Justice Project, or EJP, a college-in-prison program that organizes educational programming at Danville Correctional Center through the University of Illinois.

“I wanted to work with them because I wanted to be a part of helping people beyond serving their sentence, and that’s what I want to do in my career as well,” Dillon said. “No matter how little my task might be, I love the fact that I’m in a position where I can help somebody else. I think that’s amazing, especially to put my areas of study into work.”

Dillon has been able to assist EJP remotely with research to help produce their annual reentry guide, which provides information on housing, employment, healthcare, finances, and other resources for incarcerated individuals, their families, and service agencies across Illinois. Dillon rewrites information to be accessible for people of all backgrounds to comprehend the guide.

As a Humanities in Action scholar, Dillon also enjoys interacting with the other students in her cohort and learning about the importance of ethical service.

“We really focus on the importance of grounding ourselves in the work that we’re doing and understanding that we are in a state of privilege that we’re able to help somebody else and [we learn] not to take those opportunities for granted,” she said.

Dillon hopes that her work with the Education Justice Project will impact individuals that read the reentry guide.

“If the guide helps just one person, that’s a win for me,” Dillon said. “There are so many people that might be reentering society and just have no idea where to start, and I think this guide is an amazing resource. I love that there’s an organization that dedicates so much time to creating it every year.”

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2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival to kick off with ‘The Searchers,’ first-ever Western screened at Ebertfest; passes go on sale November 18

November 14, 2024

Chaz Ebert and the University of Illinois College of Media announce that the opening night film of the 2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will be a new 70mm print of the Western classic The Searchers (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood. The four-day festival, named for famed film critic Roger Ebert, will be held Wednesday, April 23, through Saturday, April 26, 2025. Festival passes will go on sale on Monday, Nov. 18.

“We are pleased to bring the first Western to our Ebertfest audience, and it just so happens that a film from the Golden Age of Hollywood directed by John Ford was recently restored by Warner Bros. in collaboration with the Film Foundation,” said Chaz Ebert, CEO of the preeminent movie review site Rogerebert.com and cofounder of Ebertfest. “Roger gave the film four stars, but also acknowledged the racial attitudes of the time, asking whether the film sought to endorse them, or dramatize and regret them. We look forward to a vigorous post-screening discussion with film scholars and audiences about representation in film.”

Passes to see all the films screened at Ebertfest can be purchased through the Virginia Theatre website, or at their box office by calling 217-356-9063 or visiting 203 W. Park Ave. in downtown Champaign. All films will be shown at the historic Virginia Theatre.

Individual festival passes cost $200. VIP Sponsorship packages start at $1,800 and include VIP seating for two, lunch and dinner with the filmmakers, invitations to all festival special parties and events, and much more.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author of the indie best seller It’s Time to Give A FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness.

Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Watch for announcements of films and filmmaker guests over the next few months. The full festival program will be announced in March.

For the latest updates, please visit ebertfest.com and follow Ebertfest on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

Roger Ebert’s Film Festival relies on generous gifts from donors and sponsors. Gifts of all sizes are vital to the festival and can be made online through the College of Media by selecting “Roger Ebert’s Film Festival Fund – 11331422.” For additional sponsorship options, visit the Ebertfest website: ebertfest.com/become-sponsor.

PRESS CONTACT:

Molly Cornyn, Festival Coordinator, mcornyn2@illinois.edu, 217-333-1590

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2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival to kick off with ‘The Searchers,’ first-ever Western screened at Ebertfest; passes go on sale November 18

November 14, 2024

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author of the indie best seller It’s Time to Give A FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness.

Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Watch for announcements of films and filmmaker guests over the next few months. The full festival program will be announced in March.

For the latest updates, please visit ebertfest.com and follow Ebertfest on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

PRESS CONTACT:

Molly Cornyn, Festival Coordinator, mcornyn2@illinois.edu, 217-333-1590

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Excerpts from ‘Bridging Divides’ series: What Does it Mean to Be an Informed Critic?

Jenny Oyallon-Koloski and Michael Phillips

November 13, 2024

As part of the College of Media’s three-part webinar series this fall, “Bridging Divides: Conversations on Media and Disagreement,” faculty from the Departments of Advertising, Journalism, and Media & Cinema Studies led Q&As to explore how productive discussions occur across lines of disagreement and difference.

Below, read excerpts from “What Does it Mean to Be an Informed Critic?” Note: Answers have been condensed for length and clarity.

Panelists:

Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, Assistant Professor, Department of Media & Cinema Studies; author of Storytelling in Motion: Cinematic Choreography and the Film Musical
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune Film Critic; College of Media Ebert Fellows Mentor

Oyallon-Koloski: What’s the value of criticism, especially in these polarized times? Why do we need voices of critics, people like yourself, especially ones who are informed about those kind of artistic and cultural works that they write or communicate about?

Phillips: I’ve never stuck to one firm belief or answer on that because it really responds to the times you’re in. I think it’s important to have to acknowledge that every single human being has their own tastes and opinions and prejudices and responses to everything. And I just like to try to write so that your preconceptions and maybe expectations are not set in concrete. They can actually bend and they’re more porous. You can have your mind changed by a film that you didn’t think would be for you, but there are elements of it that are really working. Really in the end I think criticism works best and is most alive when it is acknowledging that you have more than two feelings about something, and they might go in opposite directions. That’s why I look to critics that I respect who try to sort out all the wildly conflicting elements that make anything worth talking about.

Oyallon-Koloski: Do you consider global perspectives, even if you’re targeting local audiences of your media outlet? How does the global perspective or the global audience play into criticism?

Phillips: This is something we all need. We just need to see, we need to hear from more than a certain kind of American filmmaker in our lives. Because then otherwise, we’re just risking a kind of cultural nationalism that does not help us at all.

Oyallon-Koloski: It often feels like what literacy there is today tends to come filtered through a decontextualized bite-sized meme culture. How much does criticism thrive on a culture where media is curated for you in intentional ways? How much does that historical knowledge play into all of this?

Phillips: It’s important. It’s also important to acknowledge that, broadly, everybody worth reading is going to have 10 very different reference shelves in their psyche. I think it’s always worth championing and reintroducing certain classics to people. But the reasons change through the decades.

I think the critic or the academic or the media studies professor should always be reconsidering what needs to be shown to these people this semester because it will spark the kind of split or debate. Maybe it’s a film that is just begging for a cultural divide to happen literally in the classroom. And then I think it’s the critic or the professor’s role to just simply kind of referee it. And it’s wonderful to experience. It gets more dicey when you’re talking about films that have tremendously controversial content. I also don’t believe in shelving those works because they’re too hot to handle. But boy, oh boy, you really have to figure out how and when and if this is the right context. We forget or whitewash the past at our own peril in every aspect of American life.

As for the memes and the satire, I’d hate to just settle for that because that’s kind of a faint echo of the original.

Read excerpts from the other “Bridging Divides” Q&As:

Engaging with People, Perspectives, and Policies When You Don’t Agree: Lessons from Journalism

Reaching Across the Aisle: Advertising and Messaging in an Age of Polarization

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Excerpts from ‘Bridging Divides’ series: Reaching Across the Aisle: Advertising and Messaging in an Age of Polarization

November 13, 2024

Below, read excerpts from “Reaching Across the Aisle: Advertising and Messaging in an Age of Polarization.” Note: Answers have been condensed for length and clarity.

Panelists:

Jason P. Chambers, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Professor, Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising; author of Advertising Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Tom Burrell
Michael Strautmanis (BS ’91, advertising; JD ’94, law), Executive Vice President for External Affairs, Obama Foundation

Chambers: We live in a world in which people either love the AFC or the NFC, you either like Coke or Pepsi, Apple or Samsung, Democrat or Republican. We live in a world of these bifurcations and find your tribe and all of that. So how do you deal with those differing belief systems when you’re trying to establish a message? How do you present a core value or what might be some of those core values that you try to illustrate for people?

Strautmanis: If there is something that is a part of your identity, that is core to who you are, from which your values stem because of your experiences or because of the people that have taught you things, then I think in some ways it’s not [just] okay, it’s necessary to articulate them, to make them known, to make them seen.

But I guess the question is, what’s your goal? These things that divide us—and it could be our political parties, it could be our race, it could be our beliefs—could be used to build a connection, even if the connection comes from a different and opposing place.

Our identities don’t have to be fixed and that can be an interesting story to tell that can often create common ground as well.

Chambers: I like the way that you put that, that our identities don’t necessarily have to be fixed. Does it sometimes feel as though we hold to things as though they must be a moment of learning for me? But if I accept that then I’m somehow being inauthentic to my tribe or I’m somehow being a traitor to the things that I’ve, at least up until this educational moment, thought that I believed in. So how do you approach those environments where you may be entering a space where you’re thinking [you’re] really going to have to work hard to find the points of common ground for folks, because at least in terms of belief system we may be on such wildly different planes?

Strautmanis: I think for me, when I’ve struggled with that, it’s because I’m afraid. And I might be afraid for good reason. I might be afraid because I’m in an environment where I feel like people are making assumptions about me based upon my identity that will hurt my ability to be successful.

I’d say one of my most basic values is learning and education. A fixed mindset that leaves you having a base—if you can think about it visually like a permeable fence that you can stand in—where you’ve got your people who love you, the people who know you, the people who you can be yourself completely with. The core of who you are. You’ve got that. And I think that really helps you then let things in and out of that fence and be able to shift and change along the way, based upon the different experiences that you’ve had.

Literally, I can’t imagine this, but if you are mentally in your mind the same person at 50 that you are at 20, I just can’t think of anything more sad than that. That you have not been able to live a life [where you] grow and change and evolve. There is no better place to do that than in college. That’s what college is for—to come to an environment with a bunch of other people who don’t come from where you come from, who don’t look like you, who have different experiences than you have, and be in an environment that the whole point of it is to learn.

Chambers: As one who deals with audiences and creating messaging and dealing with folks of different perspectives, belief systems, politics, and other ways of thinking about messaging, do you have guidance or insight for thinking about some of these social media tools and this awesome power that we now have as individuals, as well as organizations, in a broader society?

Strautmanis: We had this experience often, particularly in 2008, where part of the strategy to defeat [Barack Obama] politically, was to make people afraid of him, to connect him to things that were scary, and to play on a lot of very old tropes around Black men, very old tropes around Chicago, and try to find ways to have people leap over the intellectual part and go to something very core, like, ‘I need to be afraid.’

So, what we had to do is try to find a way to stimulate the ‘Is that true?’ instinct in people. If you ask yourself, when you see something, you read something, [and wonder] ‘Is that true?’ it kind of gives you the opportunity to do some of your own research.

I think that kind of messaging and strategy that has people connect to their best selves can really work across lines of difference. Our belief and our experience has been that people don’t really like hating everybody and being mad at everyone.

So, we do like to give people an opportunity to say: ‘You are a hopeful, optimistic, capable person who sees the best in others.’ And what we found is most people are like, ‘Yeah, that is me.’

Read excerpts from the other “Bridging Divides” Q&As:

Engaging with People, Perspectives, and Policies When You Don’t Agree: Lessons from Journalism

What Does it Mean to Be an Informed Critic?

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