There are lessons to learn from the news ghosts of journalism’s past

October 27, 2024 | Chicago Tribune As a female journalist of color with 22 years in the industry and now a professor of journalism, I believe that obliviousness to journalism’s trailblazers—both their errors and biases and their accomplishments and innovations—leaves the media professional in a state of historical amnesia. Melita Garza, Associate Professor and Tom […]

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. […]

Students create first all-Spanish news broadcast ‘UI7 En Vivo Contigo,’ present at NAHJ conference

October 2, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood As the son of first-generation immigrant parents from Mexico, Emilio Reyes sometimes found it difficult fitting in while growing up in rural Indiana. It wasn’t until he came to the University of Illinois to study journalism that he says he began to really embrace his Hispanic heritage.  “I [was able] to […]

New book by Matthew Ehrlich explores the history of the phony cancer drug Krebiozen

October 1, 2024 | Sharita Forrest, University of Illinois News Bureau In March 1951, Andrew Ivy—at the time, one of the most renowned scientists and medical ethicists in the U.S.—held a press conference in Chicago to announce Krebiozen, a recently discovered wonder drug that Ivy said could dramatically help cancer patients. The announcement created a […]

College of Media to hold three-part webinar series, ‘Bridging Divides: Conversations on Media and Disagreement’

October 1, 2024 How are we teaching students, and the broader community, to disagree? It’s a question the College of Media hopes to address in a new three-part series, “Bridging Divides: Conversations on Media and Disagreement.” Update 11/13/24: Read excerpts from the Q&As: Faculty from the Departments of Advertising, Journalism, and Media & Cinema Studies […]

Journalism alum Thomas Winski receives IJEA Lifetime Achievement Award

Thomas Winski (MS ’75, journalism) was selected to receive the 2024 Illinois Journalism Education Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Winski accepted the award on September 20 at the annual IJEA conference at Illinois State University.   Each year, the IJEA seeks to honor retired individuals for a lifetime of dedication to scholastic journalism.  Winski was an assistant professor of […]

Alumna Cheryl W. Thompson to receive Washington Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award

Cheryl W. Thompson (BS ’82, LAS; MS ’84, journalism), investigative correspondent and senior editor at NPR, and associate professor at George Washington University, will receive the 2024 Washington Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award. This award recognizes a current or retired journalist or journalism educator in the Washington, D.C., area who has broken barriers and/or provided distinguished […]

Roger Ebert Lecture: “Documentaries on the Frontlines of Democracy: How Kartemquin’s Storytelling Works for Stronger Publics”

10/18/20242 p.m.Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaOr join us via Zoom The 2024 Roger Ebert Lecture and Screening will be held October 17-18 in the Knight Auditorium of Spurlock Museum. Join us in person or via Zoom for the Roger Ebert Lecture “Documentaries on the Frontlines of Democracy: How Kartemquin’s Storytelling Works for Stronger Publics,” presented by Patricia Aufderheide, University Professor of […]

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