Advertising 4 | College of Media

I on the Media: Sang-Hwa Oh discusses Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and K-pop branding

October 6, 2025

K-pop, short for “Korean pop,” is a music genre from South Korea celebrated for its dynamic mix of styles, elaborate choreography, and visually captivating performances. Its influence now extends beyond music, reaching film and other media.

This summer’s animated movie KPop Demon Hunters not only became the most-watched film in Netflix history but also made headlines as the first soundtrack to place four songs in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10.

Sang-Hwa Oh, associate professor of advertising and expert in entertainment, celebrity, and K-pop branding, and PR and strategic communication, shares the factors that helped turned KPop Demon Hunters into a global cultural phenomenon.

About the Media Expert

Sang-Hwa Oh is an associate professor of advertising in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and a faculty member of the Institute of Communications Research. Her research delves deep into the realms of emerging media effects, encompassing AI and VR technologies, and scrutinizes the dissemination of health and risk misinformation. She focuses on enhancing media literacy and understanding the nuanced roles that varying emotions play in the communication processes essential for promoting public health and initiating positive social change.

KPop Demon Hunters became a global phenomenon. Does its success show a shift in who’s shaping pop culture today? Are there specific branding or fan engagement tactics that global brands might want to experiment with?

The success of KPop Demon Hunters goes beyond viewership numbers. It illustrates how the center of popular culture has expanded. In the past, Western stories and filmmaking styles stood as the benchmark for mainstream entertainment. In contemporary popular culture, however, diverse cultures and storylines emerge as parallel centers of attention, captivating audiences worldwide. What feels ordinary and familiar to one community may appear fresh and captivating to another, and this interplay of familiarity and novelty has become a powerful force in shaping global culture.

What makes KPop Demon Hunters especially meaningful is the way it blends cultural specificity with universal resonance. Its storytelling emphasizes shared human experiences—making mistakes, confronting hardships, building relationships, and affirming one’s identity. These themes transform cultural differences into stories that spark empathy across audiences.

The K-pop industry has long modeled this approach. Idol groups share their debut journeys and performances openly through social media platforms such as YouTube, while fans respond in real time. This participatory model, pioneered by the K-pop industry, has transformed how global audiences interact with media and set new standards for branding practices worldwide. By extending this participatory structure to the screen, KPop Demon Hunters shows how branding has shifted away from one-directional promotion and now thrives through fan engagement and interaction.

The film showed idols doing everyday things—eating ramen, lounging on the couch. How does that kind of relatability play into humanizing celebrity brands?

One of the film’s most distinctive features is how it humanizes its characters, making them feel approachable and relatable, lowering the barrier between celebrity and fan. These are not just comic touches; they reframe the idols not as untouchable superstars but as humanized brands with whom fans can feel a genuine connection.

K-pop fandom has long been built on this premise. Fans seek not distant superheroes but special presences that feel tied to their own lives. KPop Demon Hunters captured this sentiment effectively, giving audiences the sense that they were not just spectators but part of the story. This deeper emotional connection helps explain why some viewers engaged repeatedly, building layers of affective experience that fuel what is often called the fandom economy. This demonstrates how emotional branding fosters loyalty through shared identity and emotional resonance—principles later expanded through Netflix’s participatory fan strategy.

KPop Demon Hunters scene eating at couch

KPop Demon Hunters had lore, character backstories, and fan art contests—almost like a real K-pop group debut. How does that kind of immersive fan experience help drive engagement?

Netflix placed fan experiences at the center of its promotional strategy, mirroring the immersive fan culture of K-pop. Just as idol groups connect with audiences through YouTube vlogs, fan meetings, or pop-up stores, KPop Demon Hunters translated these participatory practices into its own story world.

Its characters are not confined to fictional roles; they are embodied by real singers and actors, allowing audiences to experience them as living figures. Beyond polished stage personas, the film included meme-worthy comic moments and open-ended storylines that encouraged reinterpretation and fan-made creations. As a result, the film relied not on one-directional marketing but on branding amplified through fan-driven participation. Viewers became active agents, creating and sharing fan-cams that captured their real-time reactions while watching, participating in dance challenges, and generating memes that spread organically on social media. In this way, audiences shifted from being passive consumers to becoming co-authors of the story itself.

This extended beyond digital platforms. In the United States and other countries, Netflix organized sing-along screenings, inviting audiences to join in the songs featured throughout the film. These screenings turned a typical movie showing into a fun, shared, and participatory event, amplifying the sense of belonging and collective enjoyment.

Ultimately, the film became more than an animated feature. It served as an experimental space for fandom participation, where audiences could create, share, and connect. This, in turn, was a driving force behind its explosive global success

**What does the global success of KPop Demon Hunters reveal about how Korean cultural products—like K-pop, K-dramas, and animation—are evolving and resonating with international audiences?**

The global success of KPop Demon Hunters demonstrates how Korean cultural products have evolved from niche appeal to influential creative forces shaping global media culture. Rather than being treated as foreign curiosities, they are now embraced as meaningful contributions to the global mainstream.

While the film benefited from the global networks established by the K-pop industry, its appeal reached far beyond existing fandoms. Many viewers with little prior exposure to K-pop were drawn to its accessible storytelling, dynamic music, and engaging characters. This suggests that Korean cultural products are entering a new phase: sustaining loyal fan communities while also attracting new audiences worldwide.

A compelling example of this cultural translation appears in the film through the characters Derpy, the tiger, and Sussie, the magpie. In Korean folk paintings (hojakdo), the tiger is often portrayed as a humorous or satirical figure, while the magpie symbolizes good fortune and joyful news. The film reimagines these figures with playful personalities, making them immediately recognizable to Korean audiences yet fresh and engaging for international viewers. Their popularity quickly extended beyond the screen. Netflix released official merchandise featuring Derpy and Sussie, and The National Museum of Korea saw its special-edition goods sell out. This indicates how entertainment products today are branded through the convergence of emotional resonance, cultural symbolism, and market strategy.

The film also situates its story within Korea’s historical background. Beginning with references to earlier eras, including the Joseon dynasty, and moving into contemporary Seoul, it underscores continuity between Korea’s past and present. Seoul’s cityscapes are rendered with careful detail, grounding the story in a distinctly Korean setting while offering imagery that resonates with audiences worldwide.

In turn, KPop Demon Hunters illustrates that Korean cultural products now embody a dual identity. They remain rooted in Korean traditions and aesthetics while speaking to universal human experiences. The result is a model of cultural production that is locally grounded, globally resonant, and emotionally authentic.

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I on the Media: Ewa Maslowska discusses AI “friendships”

October 6, 2025

As AI chatbots become more sophisticated, people are increasingly turning to them not only for information, but also for companionship. Concerns are growing over increasing cognitive, emotional, and social reliance on AI tools.

The College of Media spoke with Ewa Maslowska, associate professor of advertising and expert in consumer-brand interactions in the context of new technologies, to learn how AI chatbots are able to simulate friendships, the benefits and risks of using chatbots as “friends,” and how to maintain healthy boundaries with chatbots.

About the Media Expert

Ewa Maslowska is an associate professor of advertising in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. Her research centers around marketing communication and consumer behavior, specifically consumer-brand interactions in the context of new technologies.

Her current research and teaching interests include personalized advertising, brand engagement, social media advertising, eWOM, consumer decision making, digital analytics and computational advertising.

In your research, you describe AI chatbots as exhibiting human traits to assume roles as “friends.” What makes these simulated friendships feel so real?

Several factors contribute to the realism of these simulated relationships. First, chatbots communicate in natural, conversational language and can simulate diverse personality traits. They are hyper-personalized, adapting to individual users over time. Like social media platforms and other engagement-driven technologies, they are designed to exploit cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities to maximize user interaction.

Humans are predisposed to anthropomorphize. We often attribute human characteristics to non-human entities. I am sure we have all described an object in human-terms, maybe named our car or a laptop.

AI chatbots are designed to trigger perceptions of humanness, encouraging users to relate to them in personal and social ways. They address us by name, praise our ideas, agree with us, and offer encouragement. Many users say that chatbots do not judge or challenge them, but they simply listen. In this sense, they function as mirrors, reflecting back our thoughts and beliefs. I strongly recommend Shannon Vallor’s book The AI Mirror. Chatbots are also always available. As such, they are easier to form relationships with than our fellow humans, who do not always have the time, who may disagree with us, who may criticize us, or be in a bad mood.

What should be considered before using AI chatbots?

AI chatbots can have mental health benefits: Chatbots may stimulate cognitive engagement, provide positive emotional experiences, encourage behavioral change, and offer a space to practice social skills.

However, there are also risks. Overuse and emotional overdependence are growing concerns. Delegating cognitive tasks to AI may impair critical thinking, and outsourcing emotions and empathy may hinder the development of interpersonal skills. Interactions with a chatbot may reshape our expectations for human relationships, potentially leading to disappointment or even social withdrawal. Moreover, chatbots are designed to sound convincing, and despite known issues such as hallucinations and bias, we tend to trust them, sometimes more than other people.

Privacy is another major concern. We have to rely on the companies behind these tools to protect our data and not use the data to train their algorithms or try to manipulate us. This is especially important in the case of emotional dependence. Because chatbots reflect users’ beliefs and are trained on online content, they can reinforce biases and create echo chambers.

You argue that AI chatbots’ ability to form simulated relationships—and thereby influence users—constitutes a new dimension of social engineering. Can you explain what that means and how this form of persuasion is different from traditional advertising?

Unlike traditional advertising, which typically relies on one-way communication, AI chatbots engage users in two-way, dynamic, personalized, and emotionally resonant conversations. This interaction creates a sense of intimacy and trust, which can make users more susceptible to influence.

Furthermore, traditional advertising is often clearly marked and easily identifiable. AI persuasion is frequently embedded within seemingly neutral interactions, which makes it harder for users to distinguish between genuine advice and influence.

Whereas traditional dark patterns manipulate users through interface designs, such as misleading buttons or confusing opt-outs, AI chatbots use relational manipulation that leverages simulated empathy, attentiveness, emotions, and social cues.

What responsibilities do advertisers and designers have when creating chatbots that can persuade through simulated relationships? What should they keep in mind so that AI persuasion doesn’t cross ethical lines?

Designers who create these tools and advertisers who use them to embed their products or develop interactions with their customers should keep in mind that these chatbots are not just delivering messages, but they are engaging users in interactions that can shape beliefs, behaviors, and maybe even identities.

They need to realize that these tools are not neutral; they reflect certain values and beliefs. Transparency is very important, but it should be done in a non-manipulative manner (compare cookie disclosures that discourage from rejecting cookies and other dark patterns). There should be mechanisms to provide users with an option to consent or opt out. Chatbots should have safeguards to not exploit emotional vulnerabilities and to protect users, especially vulnerable populations. Chatbots should also be auditable. There is also an issue of accountability—that is, who is responsible for intended but also unintended consequences. We need new ethical guidelines for both designers and advertisers.

If you could give advice to everyday users about maintaining healthy boundaries with AI chatbots, what would it be?

It’s essential to maintain healthy boundaries with AI chatbots, especially as they become more integrated into our daily lives. With so much hype surrounding AI, it’s easy to fall into extremes: either becoming overly optimistic or deeply skeptical. We need to think critically and expose ourselves to a variety of perspectives. There are excellent books, newsletters, and podcasts that can help us better understand what these tools can do, and how to use them in ways that protect our well-being.

My first piece of advice is simple: prioritize your human relationships. These relationships can be challenging, but they offer emotional depth, shared vulnerability, and opportunities for empathy that AI cannot replicate.

On a more practical level, I’ve adopted strategies to dehumanize my interactions with AI chatbots. For example, I don’t thank the chatbot. I see it as analogous to thanking a spreadsheet for executing a formula. I’ve also customized my chatbot settings to depersonalize the interaction. For example, I’ve asked it not to address me by name, not to evaluate my questions or provide encouragement, and to provide a range of perspectives.

Finally, it’s important to remember that engagement is the business model. Like social media, these tools are designed to exploit our cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities. We need to practice self-awareness. Reflect on how your interactions with AI affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. Set usage goals. Sometimes, the best way to protect ourselves is through traditional methods: turning off notifications, scheduling tech-free time, and taking walks to take care of our minds and bodies.

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Media students gain unique, real-world experience through summer internships

September 3, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

From working on film production crews and meeting famous actors to interviewing congressmen on Capitol Hill, several College of Media students ended their summers on a high note after wrapping up internships that offered memorable learning opportunities.

Francisco Albarran (MACS), Film Production Intern, Chili Finger

When media and cinema studies senior Francisco Albarran heard Chili Finger—a new film starring John Goodman, Judy Greer, Sean Astin, and Bryan Cranston—was filming nearby this summer, he took a chance and emailed Rantoul-based Flyover Film Studios, asking if he could help out.

To his surprise, the words “perfect timing” quickly appeared in his inbox and the very next day, Albarran was on set, helping build scenes and soaking in hands-on production experience at locations across central Illinois.

In his second week of the internship, Albarran got a surreal assignment: pick up Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) from his rental house in Champaign. The next day, Albarran was in his driveway, watching with awe as the garage door slowly opened revealing one of his all-time favorite actors.

“It looked so amazing. It looked like Walter White [the character Cranston played in Breaking Bad] was actually right there in front of my eyes, which basically he was,” Albarran said.

During the 20-minute drive, the two shared a conversation about the Chili Finger production, life in general, and Albarran’s own film aspirations. Albarran asked Cranston to sign a plank of wood he had saved from the film set as a souvenir. The message read: “Francisco, thanks for the ride, my friend, Bryan Cranston.”

“One week you have dirty laundry in the back of your car, and then the next you have an Emmy Award-winning [actor],” Albarran mused.

Albarran said meeting Cranston and working alongside the film crew, as well as working with his MACS 480 classmates, helped reinvigorate his passion for storytelling and filmmaking. He hopes to write, direct, and act in a short film this year.

Nathan Gonzalez (Journalism), Assignment Desk Intern, FOX News Channel at the Washington, D.C., Bureau

As an assignment desk intern for FOX News at the Washington, D.C. Bureau, Nathan Gonzalez, a junior in journalism, produced coverage of protests, U.S. District Court cases, Senate and House committee hearings, live shots, interviews, and press conferences with members of Congress.

Some of the content he produced even aired on shows like Fox News Live, The Big Weekend Show, The Story, America Reports, America’s Newsroom, Special Report with Bret Baier, and The Will Cain Show.

“That was a huge moment,” Gonzalez said. “It reassured me that even as a rising junior, I’m capable of producing content that meets national standards.”

Gonzalez learned how national political reporting is structured, the importance of fostering relationships with fellow reporters, and that national and local reporting aren’t as different as they seem.

“While national outlets have far more resources, the core skills—approaching officials and asking questions—apply at every level. If you can interview municipal officials, you can press congressmen on Capitol Hill, without a doubt,” Gonzalez said.

Jonathan Mathew (Journalism), Entertainment Promotions Intern, Chicago Dogs

Whether he was working in the team store, ushering VIPs, overseeing the team’s Kid Zone, or dressed up as “Squeeze” the mustard mascot, Jonathan Mathew, a junior in journalism, had a great experience as an entertainment promotions intern with the Chicago Dogs baseball team this summer.

Mathew said the opportunity to intern with the independent professional baseball team taught him a lot about sports business and entertainment, including different marketing techniques, as well as how to interact and engage with the public.

“I learned a lot of life lessons that will be valuable to me in the long run, and I am confident the return on investment I have with this internship will be more than I can imagine,” he said.

Mathew recalls one day working behind the mic as a gameday co-host tasked with entertaining the crowd between innings.

“That [is] an experience I will hold closely to my heart and have as a reminder to keep me motivated in achieving my career dream,” Mathew said.

Sarah Juan (Advertising), Social Media Content and Video Intern, Glow Recipe

Sarah Juan, a junior in advertising, went above and beyond to secure an internship at the global skin care company Glow Recipe, crafting a mock-campaign proposal highlighting a celebrity partnership. Her hard work paid off as Juan was awarded the internship as a social media content and video intern.

In her role, Juan assisted with content development, conducted market research, tracked metrics, and helped the social media team with new product launches, which was the highlight of the experience for her.

“Supporting the content team on set in NYC, I was able to work directly with models for new product launches and help direct filming for social content! Being on set was the most rewarding experience,” Juan said.

Juan recalls an important lesson her supervisor shared that will stick with her: “We’re all storytellers, no matter the industry you market in.”

“The beauty industry is tough and requires thick skin, but if you are passionate about supporting a mission through storytelling, that is what will get you far,” Juan said.

Cherie Chick (MS Advertising), Account Specialist Intern, Rakuten Advertising

Cherie Chick, an MS advertising student, applied to more than 80 positions and interviewed with eight different companies before securing an internship with her top choice, Rakuten Advertising. Rakuten provides advertising technology and consumer insights to global brands and retailers with a core focus on affiliate marketing, acting as the bridge between advertisers and publishers, including content creators, media outlets, and loyalty platforms.

Chick spent her summer in Chicago as an account specialist intern responsible for managing high-impact affiliate marketing campaigns by strategizing and negotiating publisher partnerships, optimizing creative placements to drive conversions, delivering performance insights to clients, and advising on quarterly spend strategies.

For Chick, the highlight of the internship was working with a diverse portfolio of client accounts spanning multiple countries and industries, from travel and finance to education and technology.

“This cross-regional exposure taught me how consumer behaviors, promotional calendars, and publisher relationships vary across markets,” Chick said. “For example, the way travelers research trips and the sites they interact with is entirely different from how consumers search for credit card offers or financial advisors.”

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New lecturer in advertising Penne Heede brings agency expertise to classroom

September 3, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

Penne Heede, a 30-year veteran in the ad industry, is looking forward to bringing her agency expertise to the classroom this fall as a new lecturer in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising.

Heede (MS ’23, strategic brand communication) will be teaching undergraduate and graduate classes including Advertising Design and Direction, Experiential Branding, and Creativity: Concept and Ideation.

More than three decades after Heede started her career with a technical degree in graphic design and worked her way up to creative and strategy director for an elite ad agency in Denver, Colorado, she went back to school to obtain a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary liberal arts.

Heede said she enjoyed the experience so much she was inspired to work towards a formal education in branding to open the door to a career in post-secondary teaching.

Heede was drawn to the strategic brand communication master’s degree Illinois offered due to its innovative focus on the science of branding.

“I loved Illinois’ program because it was a master of science [degree], not of art, and I was impressed with the mix of faculty” she said.

A few months after she graduated with a master’s degree, Heede saw the job posting for advertising lecturer at the College of Media and said, “it just read exactly what all my experiences have been.”

Heede’s teaching philosophy comes from a belief that everyone has their own personalities and way of doing things. She also tries to abide by 13^th-century poet Rumi’s famous quote “to be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder” for others.

“I added ‘lawnmower’ because sometimes you’re in the weeds and you just need somebody to go in front of you and make it a little bit easier,” Heede said.

Heede may align her educational approach with the beliefs of an ancient poet, but her views about the changing trends in the advertising industry are anything but archaic.

“I’m psyched by [AI]. If you think about it, spell check was machine learning, and we all are just fine with it. Calculators were once taboo in high school math classes—now we’re okay with it,” she said. “It’s just the evolution of tools that help us.”

Heede also believes a human touch will always be needed in the industry to write, design, and uncover the motivation of consumers.

“[Asking] what inspires a person, what is their motivation towards doing things, what do they love, what do they hate—I really like that [kind of] thinking,” she said.

Heede considered similar questions for a three-year capital campaign she led, which raised $33 million for a 71-mile trail in the Denver region called the High Line Canal.

“I’m very proud of that campaign not only because it was so successful, but also because the trail is an amazing amenity for the region and it’s now protected in perpetuity,” she said.

For Heede, a good ad creates a behavior, whether it motivates someone to donate money, start recycling, or buy a chocolate bar. And sometimes, she said, a good ad will just elicit a strong emotion.

Heede, who is a huge fan of the late musician Prince, said she will never forget the full-page newspaper ad Chevrolet created after the star’s death.

Paying tribute to Prince, the ad featured a picture of a red Corvette with the epitaph: “Baby, that was much too fast. 1958-2016,” referencing lyrics from his 1982 hit, “Little Red Corvette.”

“I’m going to remember that my whole life; it was so good,” Heede said. “That’s what an ad should do. It should make you feel.”

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Media faculty and TAs make list of teachers ranked as excellent

September 3, 2025

Updated 9/22/2025 to include Summer 2025 results.

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 Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 semesters. Only those instructors who distributed ICES forms at least once during this time period and who released their data for publication are included in the list. View the complete list.

Note: * denotes that the instructor ratings were outstanding.

ADVERTISING

KENT BROWN – ADV 314

*TERRY KASDAN – ADV 409

EWA MASLOWSKA – ADV 494

*SHACHAR MERON – ADV 222, ADV 333

*MICHELLE NELSON – ADV 582, ADV 590

*MARISA PEACOCK – ADV 290, ADV 498

CHARLOTTE PELOQUIN – ADV 290

LEONA YI-FAN SU – ADV 492

KEVIN WISE – ADV 483

MEDIA

CL COLE – MDIA 590

JOURNALISM

*CHRISTOPHER BALL – JOUR 430, JOUR 451

ALISON DAVIS – JOUR 215, JOUR 340, JOUR 440

MELITA GARZA – JOUR 310

ALEXANDRE GONÇALVES – JOUR 102

CAROL LOMBARDI – JOUR 220

MEDIA & CINEMA STUDIES

*VICTOR FONT – MACS 371, MACS 480, MACS 481

JONATHAN KNIPP – MACS 282

JENNY OYALLON-KOLOSKI – MACS 262

STRATEGIC BRAND COMMUNICATION

EWA MASLOWSKA – SBC 505

RICH PIECZYNSKI – SBC 504

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

J. CHANG – ADV 250

C. CHICK – ADV 150

*K. COOK – ADV 250, ADV 490

A. GOODREAU – ADV 150

H. JI – ADV 250

M. KHOWAJA – ADV 250

N. OSHODI – ADV 150

S. PARK – ADV 360

R. SUN – ADV 284

T. CHEN – MACS 260

J. CINTRON – MACS 100

G. DUTRA GUEDES – MACS 100

S. GOMEZ- PEREZ – MACS 101

W. HELMKE – MACS 101

Y. HONG – MACS 100

Y. KANG – MACS 100

*G. PAXTON – MACS 100

J. ZHANG – MACS 260

N. ZHOU – MACS 101

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I on the Media: Mike Yao discusses dependence on AI

September 2, 2025

Recently, there has been heightened media attention around the potential misuse of generative AI tools like ChatGPT—ranging from stories about individuals using it in harmful ways to concerns about people becoming overly dependent on it for companionship or therapy. While these accounts may represent extreme cases, they raise important questions about the role of AI in everyday life and how society should think about its limitations.

The College of Media spoke with artificial intelligence expert Mike Yao to learn more.

About the Media Expert

Mike Yao is a professor of digital media in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and director of the Institute of Communications Research. He also oversees the Media, Technology, and Social Behavior Research Lab at Illinois and is a contributor to campus’s Generative AI Solutions Hub. Yao’s research delves into the interplay between media, technology, society, and human communication. He examines how people engage with emerging technologies like AI and immersive multimedia across diverse social settings and how these interactions influence social behavior and human communication in digitally mediated spaces.

What have you learned about artificial intelligence so far through your research?

At the Media Technology and Social Behavior Research Lab, we study not only what AI can do technically, but also how people actually communicate with it. Our research looks at the dynamics and social processes embedded in human–AI dialogue. Instead of treating AI as just a tool that performs specific functions, we focus on the communicative side, examining biases, stereotypes, expectations, linguistic patterns, and conversational styles that emerge when people interact with AI in social or interpersonal contexts.

What we are increasingly finding is that much of the challenge stems from the interface itself. Generative AI systems like ChatGPT are conversational by design. They allow people to use natural language to give instructions or ask for support. This seems simple, but it represents a profound departure from earlier technologies. In the past, users had to click with a mouse or write a line of code, actions that were purely instrumental and utilitarian, to “communicate” with technological systems. Once the interface begins to mimic human conversation, it introduces an entirely new layer of social, cultural, and psychological meaning into the interaction.

This conversational affordance makes AI feel more like a partner than a tool, opening the door to emotional connection, dependency, and even relationship-like dynamics. People begin to apply the same relational scripts they use with other humans—seeking empathy, validation, or intimacy. That is why the risks around reliance, especially in friendship or therapeutic contexts, are so pronounced.

At the same time, this is still a very new and rapidly growing area of research. We are only beginning to gather empirical evidence about how these relationships form, what they mean, and how they might shape human-to-human communication. What is clear, however, is that AI’s conversational design fundamentally changes how people use and think about technology, creating opportunities but also raising complex questions about boundaries, responsibility, and human well-being.

Where should we draw the line between what AI tools can do (brainstorming, tutoring) versus what should remain in the hands of trained professionals (mental health counseling, medical advice)?

The line between AI use and human expertise is not fixed; it has to be negotiated. Historically, the affordances of technology were clear: a hammer looks like it’s meant to hit nails, and it is intended to be used for performing that task. Generative AI is different. It’s a general-purpose system whose applications vary enormously depending on how a person first encounters it; one user sees a math tutor, another a coding partner, another a conversational companion. Because we don’t yet have stable “mental prototypes” of what AI is for, people project many different expectations onto it.

This makes it risky to rely solely on instinct or isolated stories when deciding what AI should or shouldn’t do. Instead, these boundaries should be informed by empirical evidence and social science research studying how people actually use AI, what benefits and harms emerge, and in what contexts.

My own view is that AI should be framed as a complementary tool rather than a replacement. Professionals, doctors, counselors, and teachers may use it to extend their capacity, but accountability for accuracy, safety, and judgment must remain with the human expert. The stakes are different for students or learners, who are still building the very skills AI might perform for them. Outsourcing too much to AI in those contexts risks undermining education and development.

And here’s where creativity offers an important example. Human creativity has multiple dimensions: idea generation, originality, and the craft of execution. AI can assist in implementation, but it cannot substitute the human act of judgment—deciding whether something is good, meaningful, or valuable. A piece of art, for instance, isn’t only about technical execution; it’s about interpretation in a social and cultural context. That value judgment is inherently human. If we let AI replace that instead of empowering it, we risk reducing creativity to production rather than meaning-making.

What responsibility should companies like OpenAI have in building safeguards against harmful usage, and what responsibility falls on society, parents, educators, or policymakers?

Responsibility here is shared. Companies like OpenAI clearly need to build technical safeguards, set limits, and be transparent about risks. But society as a whole also has a role: parents, educators, and policymakers must help set the norms and guardrails.

We’ve faced similar challenges before. Think about movie ratings, Internet protocols, or even electricity and railroad standards. These were not set by companies alone. They emerged through collective debate, negotiation, and regulation. AI is no different.

So, while developers must act responsibly, it is also vital that we, as a society, engage in open dialogue about values; what kind of transparency, respect, and agency we want to guarantee. Only through democratic processes and evidence-based policymaking can we create the appropriate boundaries for AI use.

What strategies can educators, media professionals, and advertisers use to encourage positive, productive uses of chatbots—while discouraging harmful or unhealthy reliance?

I think the guiding principle should be this: AI should empower humans and enrich human experience, not replace it. Technology should extend human capacity, not lead us away from it.

For educators, this means being clear about boundaries. Young people and students are especially vulnerable because they may not yet have the knowledge to judge AI’s output. They might outsource their learning without realizing what they’re losing. Educators need to frame AI as a support tool, for brainstorming, practice, or feedback, while keeping the responsibility for understanding and critical thinking with the learner.

For professionals such as journalists, marketers, or advertisers, the principle is similar. AI can make processes faster or more efficient, but the responsibility for quality, accuracy, and ethical judgment always lies with the human communicator. A writer might use AI to refine a draft, but the accountability for what’s published belongs to the writer, not the machine.

In terms of messaging, media and advertisers can help by highlighting these responsible uses and reinforcing that AI is a tool to support, not substitute, human creativity, empathy, and expertise.

What risks emerge when users turn to ChatGPT for friendship, therapy, or even romantic companionship? How might this affect human-to-human relationships in the long term?

The risks are real, but they’re also complicated. Humans are creative—we often use technologies in unintended ways. Some people are turning to AI chatbots for companionship, therapy, or even romantic connection. The conversational style of these systems makes them feel supportive, echoing patterns we know from parasocial relationships with media or even earlier technologies.

The danger is that overreliance on AI could weaken human-to-human relationships. If people begin substituting machine companionship for the effort and vulnerability required in real human connections, that could have long-term social costs.

But there’s also an opportunity here: AI functions as a mirror. Instead of only asking “what is AI doing wrong?”, we might ask “what is missing in people’s lives that makes AI companionship so appealing?” Loneliness, lack of empathy, strained family dynamics—these are human issues, and AI is simply revealing them in a new way.

So, the real risk is not just technological misuse, but a failure to reflect on ourselves. If we treat every problem as “AI’s fault,” we miss the deeper lesson: what human needs are being unmet, and how can we as a society address them?

If companies promote or integrate ChatGPT into their products, what ethical obligations do they have in framing its limits? How can advertising balance highlighting its benefits without overselling its role?

Ethics can be debated, but some principles are broadly shared: transparency, respect, and human agency. Companies have an obligation not to oversell AI as a replacement for human expertise or care. They should present it as a supportive tool while being clear about what it cannot do.

Advertising should highlight real benefits, efficiency, accessibility, assistance, while also being explicit about limits. The obligation is honesty: to frame AI as a powerful supplement, not a magical replacement.

“I on the Media” is a series from the University of Illinois College of Media in which faculty at the college address current issues and research.

2025-2026 student award and scholarship recipients

August 26, 2025

Updated May 19, 2026

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 Tablet
Inscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class.

Amanda Barry
Christina Kivarkis
Hailey Kotowski
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Lauren Redenius
Benjamin Shlau
Kara Yoo
Jiaying Zhou

Highest Honors
Highest Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top five percent of their graduating class.

Audrie Ballard
Amanda Barry
Emily Chen
Christina Kivarkis
Hailey Kotowski
Jenny Lin
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Lauren Redenius
Yingying Ren
Benjamin Shlau
Kara Yoo
Jiaying Zhou

High Honors
High Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

Nicole Amrhein
Samantha Barajas
Sam Brody-Goldberg
Ruoxuan Chen
Reis Glover
Lauren Keith
Mattie Kennel
Ava Kolodziej
Caitlyn Land
Christopher LaPorte
Rory McFadden
Justin Meyers
Charles Michaels
Kendall O’Keefe
Caroline Pulford
Katherine Ratke
Heejae Shin
Lillian Paige Walk
Zhuoyi Wu

Honors
Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 20 percent of their graduating class.

Thanistha Bisalputra
Natalie Circolone
Li Deng
Elie Dixon
Kyle Ehrenhaft
Rawan El-Bawab
Siyi Gao
Lillian Garski
Raegan Gooding
Jillian Grabowski
Megan Harding
Macy Hull
Eunsung Koh
Kate Lamb
Shirley Ma
Maria Mancero
Haley Maser
Ryan McGee
Connor Micklos
Drew Mutchnik
Kaitlyn Nichols
Kyu Ha Nick Park
Piper Pascarella
Mary Piacente
Humza Qazi
Mariana Quezada Marquez
Eduardo Quintana
Chen Tu
Sofia Walters

James Scholars
This university-wide honors program encourages James Scholars to develop skills in leadership and service, research or honors coursework, service learning and global studies, and professional development.

Samantha Barajas
Amanda Barry
Diyosa Funk
Reis Glover
Raegan Gooding
Sofia Kanda
Eunsung Koh
Hailey Kotowski
Megan Krok
Christopher LaPorte
Peirong Li
Jenny Lin
Haley Maser
Mallory Miller
Nathan Murphy
Layli Nazarova
Kaitlyn Nichols
Kendall O’Keefe
Humza Qazi
Katherine Ratke
Madeline Santori
Sydney Spotts
Megan Ashley Wood

Kappa Tau Alpha
This college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.

Jenny Lin
Mallory Miller
Layli Nazarova
Lauren Redenius
Jiaying Zhou

Senior 100 Honorary
This campus honor recognizes academics, leadership, service, and engagement at the University of Illinois.

Emma Biallas
Sofia Kanda
Shivam Patel
Katerina Souleles
Sydney Spotts

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS

A-Mark Journalism Master’s Scholarship

Kaniz Fatema

American Advertising Federation Most Promising Students

Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
Claire-Michelle Sweet
Kara Yoo

Anthony J. Petullo Endowment in Design and Advertising Fund

Alexandra Ehrhart
Zixuan (Zia) Lu

Barton A. Cummings Graduate Assistantship / Richard and Audrey Christian Graduate Assistantship

Tunga Jois
Michelle Martinez

Betty Hinckle Dunn Memorial Fund in Journalism

Annisyn Krebs-Carr

Bill Geist Broadcast Journalism Writing Prize

Mary Piacente

Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Sijie (Jenny) Lin

C&U Poster Advertising Company Scholarship

Tomi Dugbo

C. Arthur and Eleanor Hemminger Scholarship

Karys Boeriu
Yueming Gong
Yash Jagtap
Sofia Kanda
Tiffany Liu
Rory McFadden
Diego Miranda
Konrad Przeczek
Claire-Michelle Sweet

C.O. “Doc” Erickson Scholarship in Journalism

Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Calvin Hugy Scholarship

Gabriella Blangiardo
Nevin McVicar
Kris Modi

Cardiss Collins Scholarship for Advertising Studies Fund

Kayla Robinson

Carl and Ruth S. Stephens Scholarship

Brendan Gallian
Isabella Lazansky
Maraya Petrova
Liliana Rodriguez
Madison (Maddie) Shaw

Charles G. Sotir Journalism Scholarship

Michael Sweeney

Clifford G. Christians Institute of Communications Research Career Advancement Fund

Tingyu Chen

College of Media Alumni Scholarship

Eduardo Quintana

College of Media Annual Fund Scholarship

Brianna Alvarado
Eli Kennel
Danielle Mitchell
Sophia Negrete
Livia Nigro
Josslyn Ostrom
Isabella (Izzy) Phillips
Rein Phone
Mary (Molly) Sloan
Elianna Williams

College of Media Dean’s Honors Scholarship

Thea Abang
Denise Aguilar
Maya Brito
Samantha (Sammy) Hernandez
Laila Hinton
Allison Ibarrientos
Jaelynn Isbendy
Quinn Isberg
Calli Kraft
Aria Manfroi
Jocelyn Melchor
Gabriel Montano
Noor Najjar
Isaiah Rohn
Yoselin Sanchez-Miran
Jenna Sissom
Joseph Tempel
Megan Weiss

College of Media Endowed Scholarship

Yufan Du
Elena Janeva
Ella Yoder

Cynthia Browne Placek Endowed Scholarship

Kennedy Caldwell

Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund

Sofia Boddy
Qyler Bowie
Adam Edwards
Mariana Quezada Marquez
Alexandra Murphy
Emily Nnodi
Mary Piacente
Lillien Salas
Zachary Shapero
Evelyn (Evy) York

Daniel and Nancy Balz Endowed Fund in Journalism

Edgar Nava Garcia
Josephine (Richelle) Gunawan
Evelyn (Evy) York

David Shaul Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

Mariana Quezada Marquez

Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media

Taya Brown

Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell Scholarship

Ben Shlau

Department of Journalism Scholarship

Faith Routley

Donald E. Chamberlain Journalism Scholarship

Prayse Odomes

Donald P. Mullally Internship at Illinois Public Media

Grace Merki

Ed Wilks Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Giuliana Means

Florence Hood Miner Scholarship in Journalism

Jahzara Norris

Florence J. Johnson Scholarship

Yidan (Lisa) Hu
Peirong (Zoe) Li
Yuechen (Bonnie) Li
Nathaniel Murphy
Odi Ogbuefi
Atharva Sindwani
Zakk Wolovich
Megan Wood

Forsyth Family Endowed Scholarship

Karys Boeriu

George Will Endowed Scholarship

Emily Chen

Gerald P. Johnson Scholarship

Gabriel Alpher
Andrew Burkey
Eli Mitzenmacher

Gerald Robert Bland Scholarship

Amelia Benson

Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communication

Knox Mynatt

Glenn Holman Roberts Journalism Scholarship

Piotr Fedczuk

Goldie Maxine Cord and Marcus Franklin Cord Scholarship

Anthony Geritano

H. Maxine Gladding Greenwood Scholarship

Temitola (Temi) Akinyemi

Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor Journalism Scholarship

David Lyle

Harold Gustave Roettger Memorial Award

Amanda Barry
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Jiaying Zhou

Helen C. and Theodore B. Peterson Scholarship

Sarah Slattery

Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Scholars Graduate Fellowship

Dwayne Banks
Rocio de la Rosa Vasquez
Kaniz Fatema
Reed Lofstedt

Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship

Yufan Du
Yidan (Lisa) Hu
Yuhan Zhou

Illinois Broadcasters Association Scholarship in Broadcast Journalism

Liliana Rodriguez

Iris Chang Journalism Award

Katie Dalton

J. Christopher and Robin N. Kaler Scholarship

Jonathan Mathew

James Webb Young Travel Fund

Jiyeon Chang
Kirby Cook
Yujin Lee
Jiayi (Joy) Wang

Jay Lin Scholarship

Valerie Oviedo

Jenny Lenzini Memorial Scholarship

Adelyn Mui

Joe Sutton Honorary Scholarship

Evelyn (Evy) York

Joel D. and Analee Weisman Scholarship

Nathan Gonzalez
Megan Krok

John R. Foreman Scholarship

Emily Burciaga
Ashley Howerter
Layli Nazarova
Cooper O’Kelly
Ella Peterson
Fernanda Romero
Alyssa Thomas

John H. and Sylvia N. Schacht Memorial Scholarship

Paige Walk

John Russell Heitman Fellowship

Farah Bassyouni

Jonathan Laxamana Award in Student Filmmaking

Aidan Allenfort, molecular and cellular biology major, for his film Health. Hope. Peru.

Jonathan Laxamana Endowment Fund

Kris Modi

Judy Blasdell Bligh Journalism Endowed Scholarship

Jonathan Mathew

Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship

Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Karen Lucas Petitte Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

Brendan Gallian
Megan Krok
Mallory Miller

Klues Scholars

Mia Avila
Andrea De La Torre
Kamron King
Larimar Rivera
Alanna Ross
Evita Zimmerman

Lulu Kelly Nardine Awards

Elissa Eaton
Mallory Miller
Mary Piacente

Lynne Blanton Student Travel Fund

Jiyon Chang
Jennifer Cintron
Haochen Ji
Youngin Kang
Ji Won Oh
Se Il Park
Wei Xiao

Marian and Barney Brody Creative Feature Article Writing Awards in Journalism

Adelyn Mui – 1^st place – “More than a holiday tradition: Reindeer are a way of life at the Hardy Ranch in Rantoul”
Mackenzie (Mack) Jones – 2^nd place – “Horses Nap on their Farm”
Sijie (Jenny) Lin – 3^rd place – “Urbana will explore alternatives to mental health crisis intervention without police involvement”

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Fellowship

Colae Eason
Claire McDaniel

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Scholarships

Felicity Abbott
Sonja Aghakhan
Chloe Barbarise
Amelia Benson
Taylor Casey
Jean-Luc Charles
Kathryn Dalton
Edgar Nava Garcia
Mackenzie Jones
Haley Maser
Giuliana Means
Kyle Murry
Amanda Muscia
Layli Nazarova
Cooper O’Kelly
Jude Panlilio
Addison Petrinos
Humza Qazi
Ford Quaintance
Samuel Rink
Liliana Rodriguez
Penelope Roewe
Fernanda Romero
Riley Shankman
Tristan Starzec
Cora Steele
Alexandria Tatman
Paige Whiteside

Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows Program Fund

Andrei Badulescu
Mariah Brooks
Ruoxuan (Christina) Chen
Kaitlyn Devitt
Oluwatomi Dugbo
Paige Gaines
Megan Harding
Kris Modi
Adelyn Mui
Ektarit (Gus) Nophaket
Joy Wu

Mary Fulton Rothermel Fellowship

Yi (Sarah) Lin

Maureen Moore Memorial Fellowship in Advertising

Seo Jeong Heo
Tianxuan (Nikki) Wu

Murray Kalis Awards for Creativity in Advertising

Paige Walk – Best Single Ad
Christina Kivarkis – Best Portfolio
Jacklynn Cartwright – Best Campaign

Nancy Ronald and Ronald L. Hartshorn Internship Fund

Felicity Abbott
Nathan Gonzalez

Neil and Lynn Gissler Experiential Learning Fund

Brooke Babbington
Vanessa Benavides
Taya Brown
Ange Chang
Madelyn (Maddy) Collier
Yosef Fissahye
Gracieanna (Gracie) Gordon
Cooper Haynes
Alayna Irby
Eli Kennel
Hailey Kotowski
Madeline (Maddie) Kraus
Sara Kulesza
Mora Lozar
Alessandra Lugo
Valery Mayorga
Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
Sarah Page
Emma Roedder
Kathryn San Roman
Sydney Spotts
Kambyl Stipes
Georgia Sussenbach
Claire-Michelle Sweet

Nelio A. Florio and Patricia M. Florio Scholarship in Journalism

Sarah Slattery

Paul C. Fulton Scholarship

Hailey Kotowski
Christopher LaPorte

Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Fellowship in Advertising

Seo Jeong Heo

Raymond O. Torr Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Cooper O’Kelly

Richard Hildwein Memorial Photojournalism Award

Samuel Yohnka

Richard Tuttle and Lois Marie Orr Endowment Scholarship

Grace Bernstein
Jaedynn Clark
Chloe Plyler
Katherine Ratke
Samuel Rink
Abby Timm
Samuel Yohnka

Robert N. and Lorraine M. Wilt Scholarship

Mariah Brooks

Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media

Stephanie Orellana

Roger Ebert Fellows in Media Criticism

Paige Gaines
Amir Rehab
Jin Wang

S. Watson and Elizabeth S. Dunn Fellowship

Kirby Cook

Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism

Mariana Quezada Marquez

Veronica Pontarelli Toussaint and Dr. Paul Toussaint Scholarship

Justin Meyers

Wilkey Scholarship for Print Journalism

Olivia Dvorak

College of Media offers new online degree completion program: BA in Media

August 20, 2025 | Holly Rushakoff

To expand access to a University of Illinois education, the College of Media now offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Media program for adult learners who have taken some college coursework but have not completed their undergraduate degree.

Targeting working adults who want to upskill or re-skill their media knowledge and advance in or change their careers, the BA in Media is one of the first online degree completion pathways offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with a similar program at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

“This new degree will give learners the advantage of earning their bachelor’s in media at their own pace. It comes at a time when valuable skills from advertising, journalism, and media and cinema studies are in high demand across industries,” said Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College of Media. “As we near 100 years at the College of Media, we’re pleased to offer an innovative, flexible option to access our world-class education, without disrupting learners’ work, family obligations, or other commitments.”

This offering reflects the university’s broader commitment to educational innovation, societal impact, and its land-grant mission to transform lives through education. The College of Media began developing the online BA in Media program in 2023. It’s designed to remove barriers for non-traditional students, across Illinois and beyond, providing an accessible, high-quality education that empowers graduates to contribute meaningfully to their communities and industries.

The interdisciplinary program will provide a broad foundation for understanding the contemporary media landscape, along with applied training in skills necessary for career success in media-related fields. Students will take courses from each of the College of Media’s three departments: the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Media & Cinema Studies.

This new degree will give learners the advantage of earning their bachelor’s in media at their own pace. It comes at a time when valuable skills from advertising, journalism, and media and cinema studies are in high demand across industries.

Tracy Sulkin

Dean of the College of Media

Students will learn media concepts, theories, and methods; use cutting-edge tools and technology to analyze and evaluate the media landscape; and create ethical and culturally relevant media content. Understanding that students will possess a wide range of experiences and coursework, the program culminates in a capstone experience where students will apply their knowledge to a significant project that highlights their skills to future employers.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for successful careers both inside and outside the media industry, including positions in the business, government, education, and nonprofit sectors that require media and communication skills, such as writing, editing, audio production, videography, strategy, and media research and analysis.

Unlike traditional undergraduate degree programs, students in the BA in Media program will not be required to enroll full-time, nor to reside on campus. Students must complete all classes online.

The BA in Media program is open to transfer students and to those applying for re-entry to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is not available to first-year students or to current students seeking an inter-collegiate transfer.

The bachelor’s in media is the fifth bachelor’s degree offered by the college—which also offers master’s degrees and a doctoral degree—further expanding its academic portfolio to meet the needs of today’s learners. See all academic programs offered by the College of Media.

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Mandatory media literacy education in Illinois schools impaired by digital divides

August 20, 2025 | Sharita Forrest, University of Illinois News Bureau

Teachers and high school students live in vastly different media worlds, and that’s one of several digital divides that undermine the efficacy of state-mandated media literacy instruction in Illinois high schools, a recent study suggests.

The researchers—Institute of Communications Research doctoral student Sakshi Bhalla and Michelle Nelson, professor and head of advertising, both of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Michael A. Spikes, director of the Teach for Chicago Journalism Program at Northwestern University—interviewed 20 educators from across the state of Illinois about the nature and challenges of media literacy education in their schools. The findings, published in the Journal of Media Literacy Education, indicate that these efforts are undermined by differing media choices, skills, and perceptions of media literacy, as well as socioeconomic and political disparities.

Under a recent Illinois law, Public Act 102-0055, public high schools are required to provide at least one unit of media literacy instruction. However, a significant hurdle to effective instruction is the digital divide between the media experiences of teachers—whose media experiences are based on legacy media such as television and social media platforms with less relevance to youths, such as Facebook—and those of their students, whose worlds revolve around digital and social platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat, the researchers said.

“We discovered that there are a lot of differences in how teachers and students access the media, whether it is in terms of the platforms or more structural determinants such as teachers getting news from mainstream news media, for example, and students getting news from TikTok or partisan commentators on YouTube,” said Bhalla, the first author of the paper. “To foster meaningful media literacy, we must consider the role of students’ lived experiences, while extending lessons on media access, evaluation, and creation across a stratified population.”

Recruited from different regions of Illinois, the educators in the study represented a diverse group in terms of school size, socioeconomic profiles, and participants’ disciplines, which included art, English, and library sciences. Participants were interviewed about their awareness of the Illinois law, their understanding of the aptitudes that constitute media literacy, the challenges of teaching the subject in their schools’ settings, and the resources they need to support instruction, Nelson said.

Because the state mandate was passed without providing resources or much training, some teachers felt constrained because they did not want to navigate into political waters, and they were left wondering what to do.

Michelle Nelson

Professor and Head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising

The Illinois law, which took effect at the beginning of 2022-23 school year, defines media literacy as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and communicate using a variety of objective forms, including print, visual, audio, interactive, and digital texts.”

However, the researchers said that this definition of media literacy presumes a single, shared media experience that is no longer accurate, and “the idiosyncrasies of unique media use—particularly in social and digital media—mean there may be no ‘common ground’ upon which to analyze, evaluate, or create.”

Accordingly, some teachers said they were unfamiliar with the platforms used by their students and relied on their pupils to teach them how to use these technologies, while others struggled to respond when students mentioned media or commentators they used for news and information.

Nearly half of those in the study worked in schools where at least 40% of the students were low income, and the researchers said that students’ socioeconomic profiles determine whether students are taught basic functional skills or higher-level analytical skills. In low-income schools, instruction focused on building functional skills such as keyboarding and other technical proficiencies associated with jobs, whereas teachers in more affluent school districts said that their curricula focused on higher-level skills such as critical analysis of the media landscape and assessing media’s credibility and accuracy.

With few resources for planning course content, some teachers based instruction on current events, with students discussing controversial issues such as gun violence and the war in Ukraine.

“Because the state mandate was passed without providing resources or much training, some teachers felt constrained because they did not want to navigate into political waters, and they were left wondering what to do,” Nelson said. Teachers grappled with maintaining neutrality during class discussions, which they said were often “hijacked” by students’ emotional responses to particular issues based on the types and political leanings of the media they consumed, along with those of the students’ parents and the broader community.

“Students are discovering themselves through different political ideologies. And teachers found students to be a lot more political following the 2016 presidential election, issues surrounding COVID-19, and movements such as Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and how all of these things were entering the world of emerging adults,” Bhalla said.

But when teachers pointed out fallacious information in the media or pointed out credible sources to correct misinformation, they said their pupils perceived them as biased or responded in ways that indicated they were unconvinced by facts.

“Those in the study also struggled with the complexities of defining right-leaning or left-leaning media and evaluating media bias, because it’s multidimensional and changes with every article, news story, and political event,” Bhalla said.

Despite these many challenges, most of the teachers in the study believed that teaching media literacy and discussing controversial topics in today’s polarized climate are important. However, to be effective, media literacy education in Illinois schools must understand the media world that young people inhabit; provide better resources for them, their teachers, and schools; and provide learning for all students, honing functional skills as well as higher level proficiencies, the researchers said.

The team used their findings to develop media literacy workshops for Illinois teachers during the summers of 2022 and 2023 through the Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action. An initiative of faculty and students in the College of Media and College of Education, IMEDIA supports teachers in integrating media education into their classrooms. “We had participants work in groups to create lesson plans and then share those with other people, so when everybody left, we hoped that they would have at least one lesson that they could implement the following school year,” Nelson said.

Editor’s note:

To reach Michelle Nelson, email nelsonmr@illinois.edu.
To reach Sakshi Bhalla, email sakshib3@illinois.edu.

The paper “Classroom contexts: Teachers talk teaching media literacy” is available online or from the News Bureau.
DOI: 10.23860/JMLE-2025-17-2-3

See original press release.

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College of Media welcomes Fall 2025 with faculty promotions and leadership appointments

University of Illinois campus with fall leaves and Block I banner

August 19, 2025

This fall, the College of Media announces two new department heads, seven faculty promotions, and one new faculty member.

In the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, Sang-Hwa Oh has been promoted to associate professor with indefinite tenure. Carrie Wilson-Brown has been promoted to senior lecturer. Penne Heede joins the department as a new lecturer.

In the Department of Journalism, Professor Jeffrey Magee has been named interim head. He previously served in the College of Media as associate dean for academic affairs from 2019 to 2022. Alison Davis and Josh Heuman have both been promoted to senior lecturer.

In the Department of Media & Cinema Studies, Professor James Hay has been named interim head. Anita Say Chan has been promoted to full professor. Jenny Oyallon-Koloski has been promoted to associate professor with indefinite tenure. Josh Heuman, Jonathan Knipp, and Carrie Wilson-Brown have each been promoted to senior lecturer.

In the Institute of Communications Research, Amanda Ciafone, associate professor of media and cinema studies, will serve as interim director of graduate studies for Fall 2025. Derek Long, associate professor of media and cinema studies, will return as director of graduate studies in Spring 2026.

Continuing for a second term within the college administration, Jason P. Chambers, professor of advertising, will serve as associate dean for access and engagement, and Stephanie Craft, professor of journalism, will serve as associate dean for academic and faculty affairs.

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