College of Media faculty, staff lead workshops for high schoolers at Illini Summer Academies

July 7, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood Illini Summer Academies, which is presented by Illinois 4-H, the youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, partners with various departments and colleges across campus every summer to give high school students an opportunity to experience college life and explore a career of their choice. Twelve students from […]

Media alumni at ‘Chicago Tribune’ win 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting

June 4, 2026 Five College of Media alumni have won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for their contributions to a Chicago Tribune piece on immigration. Angie Leventis Lourgos (BS ’03, journalism), Dan Petrella (BS ’06, journalism; BA ’06, LAS; MS ’10, journalism), Marianne Mather (BS ’96, media studies), Bob McCoppin (BS ’85, journalism), and […]

Media studies alum Stephen Feder named 2026 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award winner

May 21, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood Feder’s impressive career achievements, along with his continued engagement with the college, have earned him the 2026 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award. “Stephen Feder has had an illustrative career and has been closely connected to the College of Media, from sharing advice with students at Media Career Night […]

Journalism alum Karina Anglada selected as winner of 2026 College of Media Emerging Leader Award

May 21, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood After transitioning from sports to the tech industry, Anglada now helps others shape their narratives as a senior strategic development manager for video at Adobe. “I made the jump to the tech world and that’s been an incredible career opportunity for me,” she said. “Now I get to meet […]

Journalism and advertising students amplify female head porters’ stories through global course experience in Ghana

April 29, 2026 | Giuliana Means, Communications Intern “I know from my experience that traveling and working abroad, especially in Africa, can be an inflection point in one’s life and globally contextualize values,” said Charles “Stretch” Ledford, associate professor of journalism, who has visited more than 55 countries throughout his career. “It was incredibly gratifying […]

Illinois Public Media recognized with four statewide broadcasting awards, including Best Small Market Radio Station

April 21, 2026 | IPM News Radio and television stations from across Illinois entered the contest. Winners were tiered by whether the station is in a small or large market. The judges considered material produced between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025. Illinois Public Media is a not-for-profit public media service of the College […]

Media students to present at 2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium

April 20, 2026 Update June 2, 2026: The team of journalism students who presented “They Want to Go Home: Ghana’s Kayayei” received an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award. *** At the Undergraduate Research Symposium, the signature event held on Thursday, April 30, at the Illini Union, students across campus will present their research. Below is a list of […]

Skornia Symposium to explore current public media challenges

April 14, 2026 Rapid shifts in technology, AI, media consumption habits, and funding have challenged media organizations to adapt their approaches to understanding and serving audiences. Academic and industry experts will discuss how public media can best engage with audience research to identify and meet community needs, strengthen audience relationships, and innovate content in ways […]

Super Bowl commercial expert Pat Burke to be alumni speaker at Media Convocation

March 23, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood Now the executive creative director at the Los Angeles–based ad agency Special U.S., Burke most recently oversaw the 2026 Uber Eats Super Bowl campaign, bringing his total number of Super Bowl commercials created to 18. Although Burke didn’t originally set out to become a leader in Super Bowl advertising, […]

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