College of Media 13 | College of Media

New Voices Internship Program pairs Media students with in-house opportunities to build job skills

November 2, 2021 | Holly Rushakoff

As part of a commitment to provide internship opportunities for first generation students and students from underrepresented populations, the College of Media launched the New Voices Internship Program this fall. Interns in the program will gain a variety of media-related skills through in-house projects and career development workshops.

The pilot program, supported by the Office of the Provost, will be coordinated by Media Career Services within the college’s Student Services Center. This year, approximately 10 students, mostly freshmen and new transfer students, will be provided with a year-long paid internship experience.

“This program is designed to provide Media students with career-building experiential learning opportunities from the day they arrive on campus,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “The experience will also broaden their network of resources within the college. In turn, we’re benefitting from the interns’ unique perspectives, such as getting feedback on preferred ways to reach and communicate with prospective students who are beginning to research Media majors.”

At their initial meeting, the interns expressed interest in learning more about traditional and non-traditional career options and creating content for an academic institution. For their first project, the interns shared insights and ideas about the college’s communications channels, and offered ways in which they could help.

“We’re excited to match students with faculty and staff within the College of Media to develop skills related to their major and career interests,” said Katie Clark, senior assistant dean for student services. “The students will be able to build their resume quickly with projects that will entail interviewing, writing, photographing, storyboarding, video editing, and more.”

Jackie Barba, a freshman in journalism (pictured at right), is excited to be one of the inaugural interns who can help shape how the program functions and grows.

“I hope to explore other strengths I might have,” Barba said. “For example, some of the projects we’ve already done have helped widen my understanding of what working in communications can be like, and I actually really enjoyed that. I also hope to gain friendships and connections with other College of Media students who are involved in the program!”

Help our students by investing in an endowment

We invite our alumni and friends to help support the New Voices Internship Program and sustain its future. Your gift is an investment in our next generation of media leaders and will give a diverse group of students the opportunity to develop valuable skills applicable to the media industry. To give, visit our Giving page, click on the orange button, and under “Other,” type in “New Voices Internship Program.”

To learn more about this program and how you can help support first generation and underrepresented college students, please contact Deanne Johnson, assistant dean for advancement, at 217-333-0752 or jhns@illinois.edu.

Media faculty and TAs make list of teachers ranked as excellent

Congratulations to all of 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 (ICES) questionnaire forms completed by students during the Spring 2021 semester. 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

JACOB FISHER – ADV 305

STEVE HALL – ADV 150

CHANG-DAE HAM – ADV 460

JACQUELINE HITCHON – ADV 283

* TERRY KASDAN – ADV 409

* AMANDA MABRY-FLYNN – ADV 283

* SHACHAR MERON – ADV 498

MICHELLE NELSON – ADV 582

SANG-HWA OH – ADV 410

* MARISA PEACOCK – ADV 350, 491

PETER SHELDON – ADV 390

JOURNALISM

CHRISTOPHER BALL – JOUR 199

STEPHANIE CRAFT – JOUR 250

KEN ERDEY – JOUR 445

CAROL LOMBARDI – JOUR 220

* JEAN MCDONALD – JOUR 460

ERIC MEYER – JOUR 425

MARGARET YEE-MAN NG – JOUR 460

NIKKI USHER – JOUR 199, 452

MEDIA & CINEMA STUDIES

* VICTOR FONT – MACS 480, 481

JOSH HEUMAN – MACS 320

SUSAN MUIRHEAD – MACS 372

HARSH TANEJA – MACS 572

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

S. DAS – MACS 100

Y. GAO – MACS 100

Y. LEE – ADV 281

* G. MALO – MACS 101

A. MUKHOPADHYAY – MACS 100

J. PYO – MACS 100

Media Technology Center set to launch for 2022-2023 academic year

October 6, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

Room 9 Gregory Hall — Gregory Hall Room 9 (circa 2014) was previously used as a collaboration classroom. The space will serve as the Media Technology Center by Fall 2022.

An idea long in the making—a Media Technology Center for students in the College of Media—will finally come to life in the basement of Gregory Hall during the 2022-2023 academic year.

The center was made possible by a generous $50,000 gift from Jim and Amy Schlueter to the College of Media Innovation Fund, and by a $100,000 investment from the Office of the Provost.

“We’re excited to establish a physical space that meets and supports instructional equipment needs for our students,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We will have a variety of technology and resources that students can check out or access online. They can explore equipment that they’d like to use for class projects and receive guidance on how to use it from the staff.”

The project is just getting underway this fall. The college is currently clearing out furniture stored in Greg Hall Room 9, the future location of the center, so a new coat of paint and floor repairs can take place. Then equipment lockers will be added, as well as a workspace for students to experiment with new technology in time for Fall 2022 classes.

“Over the past few years, the College of Media has been taking important steps in pursuing the new technologies and innovative research that will give our students the opportunity to be future leaders in our fields,” said Jim Schlueter (BS ’80, journalism). “We are thrilled to help the college establish a place where our students can get access to the equipment, training, and assistance with using the tools they need. It’s our hope the center will be another special space in the basement of Greg Hall that will prepare our students for their careers and also be a place where they build great memories.”

Meghan Burnett, director of IT and operations for the College of Media, will be the staff lead for the renovation and launch of the facility.

“The Media Technology Center will provide students with a location to get some hands-on experience with different media technology,” Burnett said. “It will be a space where students can come to ask questions about their own equipment or to borrow something they need for an assignment.”

The College of Media is considering each department’s distinct needs in developing the facility. The Media Technology Center will enhance the services available to students, and at the same time, provide departments with flexibility.

Members of the college’s Technology Committee, which will play an important role in shaping the space, will work with their respective department heads to decide how the facility can best serve student and faculty needs.

The College of Media Innovation Fund supports projects like this, contributing to faculty and student research, technology advancements, and cutting-edge pedagogy. To give, please visit the College of Media giving page, click on the orange “Give Online Now” button, and select the College of Media Innovation Fund under “Champion Innovation in Media Research & Collaborations.”

Balz receives inaugural College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

October 6, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

When Dan Balz (BS ’68, MS ’72, journalism) arrived at the University of Illinois, he had no idea that he would choose journalism as his lifelong profession. His older brother, the late Doug Balz, who was also a journalism alumnus, had recommended that he join The Daily Illini. It was there that he fell in love with the craft as well as the camaraderie that he shared with fellow student journalists.

Balz, chief correspondent at The Washington Post, said his Illinois education and the College of Media have shaped his life and career in all kinds of ways, “from the classroom learning, to the mentoring from faculty members, to working on The Daily Illini, to the friendships that have been maintained. I am incredibly grateful for all of that.”

He has held a unique vantage point of history in the making, covering national politics since joining The Washington Post in 1978. He is also a regular panelist on PBS’s Washington Week, a frequent guest on other public affairs programs, and the author of several books on politics and elections, including two bestsellers.

Because of his extraordinary career, Balz has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award.

“This new annual award honors an alum whose career accomplishments and engagement with the College of Media are exemplary,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Dan has greatly contributed to the profession of journalism, reporting on our democracy for four decades, and has generously supported the College of Media and our students over the years.”

“I really enjoy political reporting,” Balz said. “You get to go around the country, you learn about the politics in different states—which every state has its own rich political heritage—and it gave me the opportunity to cover presidential campaigns and to see the evolving nature of the person who eventually gets elected as the President of the United States.”

After working as a Capitol Hill intern during his sophomore year, Balz knew that he wanted to go to Washington, D.C., as a reporter. For most of his career, he has had front-row seats to the presidential candidates before they are bound by the trappings of the Oval Office, and he gets to observe how newly appointed presidents handle high-pressure situations.

For him, a presidential campaign is like a Rorschach test for the nation.

“The candidates are important, obviously, but a lot of it has to do with the mood of the country and what voters are looking for, and trying to understand all those forces that come together as a campaign,” Balz said. “To me, that has always been stimulating and that has always been different, so it keeps you fresh.”

Balz described political reporting as part biography. “You are watching people, and learning about people, and writing about people. But it also gives you a chance to understand the country and its history.”

Some of his most memorable stories include covering the election of President Barack Obama and the death of Princess Diana.

“The 2008 election campaign was just infused with history and the competition between [Barack] Obama and [Hillary] Clinton was unlike anything that I have ever covered in a presidential campaign,” Balz said.

“The death of Princess Diana was also just an incredible story, in part because it was so revealing of the country as a whole, and the outpouring of anger towards the Royal Family and the tabloid media,” he added.

He said the most rewarding part of his career is to have been at The Washington Post for as long as he has been. He considers it to be a great fortune to have worked under talented editors and to continuously learn from other members of the newsroom for more than 40 years.

“In a sense, I have had to reinvent myself every few years as faces change and demands change and stories change,” Balz said. “That, for me, journalistically, has been the greatest thing.”

For journalism students, Balz shared: “As you start out as a journalist, you will see that every great journalist, no matter what they do, there’s intellectual curiosity, desire to read widely, a fundamental energy to chase and get the story, and a self-critical nature of never believing you’ve figured out how to do the job as good as it ought to be done.”

Davis receives inaugural College of Media Emerging Leader Award

October 6, 2021 | Da Yeon Eom, Communications and Marketing Intern

Suheily Natal Davis (BS ’04, broadcast journalism), senior director of global diversity, equity, and inclusion at McDonald’s, has led a life of championing others through her professional and personal endeavors.

She felt the difference that a welcoming community and a strong support system can make during her time at the University of Illinois.

“I think there were so many instances where such a big school felt very cozy and warm because of how other diverse students looked out for some of us who were coming in, especially from Chicago,” Davis said.

Davis notably has compassion for others—whether helping people navigate the legal system, encouraging underrepresented populations to work in law, or providing resources to expectant families.

Because of the impact of her work and volunteerism, Davis has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the College of Media Emerging Leader Award.

“We created this new annual award to honor an alum whose early career accomplishments and engagement with the College of Media are exemplary,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We’re proud to acknowledge the important work that Suheily has dedicated her career to, while serving her community in leadership roles, and engaging with and supporting students in the College of Media.”

Davis currently serves on the board of directors for the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and the National Employment Law Council. She previously served on the College of Media’s Leadership Council, on the board of directors for the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program, and on the associate board for CARPLS, the largest provider of free legal aid to Chicago area residents. Davis also stays very close to her roots on the south side of Chicago through the graduate chapter of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, by working on mentorship programs aimed at supporting young girls from her neighborhood.

Davis has also held leadership roles in legal organizations aimed specifically at increasing the meaningful retention and participation of women of color in the legal profession, both the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Chicago and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago. In 2017, Davis was named by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of the top 40 attorneys under 40 to watch.

“In my house we didn’t always have much, but what we did have we always shared with anyone who needed it. The truth is, I would not be in the rooms I am in today had it not been for others who invested in my development and brought me along with them,” Davis said. “The least I can do to honor the people who created opportunities for me is to help open doors and break down barriers for others. The experiences I have had serving my community, legal or otherwise, have helped give me so much perspective and serve as constant reminders that we are all better when we work together.”

She joined McDonald’s Corporation in 2014 as senior counsel for global labor and employment, where her work primarily focused on counseling around issues of fair treatment in the workplace, including maintaining a safe and respectful workplace free of harassment and discrimination of any kind. In 2019, after working exclusively with McDonald’s U.S. business, Davis transitioned into the role of general counsel for McDonald’s Latin American markets. During her time in the legal department, Davis helped develop and lead the legal department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. She was promoted this year to her current role, in which she partners with the McDonald’s U.S. leadership team to drive strategic diversity initiatives.

“The role combines my passion for equity and fairness with my love for counseling, people, development, and community service,” Davis said. “My best days are when I get to work alongside one of our leaders to help them grow in their journey to be more inclusive and empathetic, or when I get to weigh in on how our brand will use our size and scope to produce meaningful change in society. This is a big, new role with a lot of responsibility, but I am honored that I get to do this work.”

Her roots in journalism stemmed from being fascinated with news and people’s stories. (So much so that her childhood punishment was that she couldn’t watch the news or her favorite investigative shows, 20/20 and Dateline.)

“I think that journalism to me felt like a very good vehicle to learn more about people and how they function, what makes them tick and also to think about whose stories are being told and whose stories are being left behind,” Davis said.

It was during a First Amendment course in journalism at the University of Illinois when Professor Steve Helle, noting that the subject matter sparked excitement in her, pulled her aside and asked if she ever considered pursuing law as a profession.

After discussing it with her family, she decided to follow that career path and eventually earned her JD from DePaul Law School.

Other experiences at the University of Illinois influenced her dedication to inclusion.

She recalled how she was the only person of color in her first class as a college student and realized she would need to navigate spaces with people of different backgrounds, communicating about differences, and across cultures.

“I feel like I grew a lot,” Davis said. “I was stretched in different ways beyond just academics. That concept of lifting while you climb and making room at the table for everyone, that collaborative nature, is something that was fostered at the time I was in college.”

Davis has been lifting others in many ways. Six years ago, she and her husband started a foundation called The Perfect Cadence following the tragedy of losing their daughter. The foundation provides baby showers and celebrations for families who do not have access to resources, and it also provides support for families who have experienced similar losses.

“For me, frankly, I had to give some sort of meaning to that loss to be able to cope,” Davis said. “The foundation was a way to create memories that could stand in place of the memories that we couldn’t have with our daughter, and it’s given us just that.”

Davis has come a long way since being a college student who regularly battled self-doubt. She offered words of encouragement for current students:

“Trust that you are here for a reason, your voice matters, your instinct and your presence are valuable,” Davis said. “There’s frankly so much in the world to deter you and you may have your own difficulties or conflicts, but trust that you are right where you are supposed to be and take a moment to enjoy what’s around you.”

Esteemed journalists to discuss media leadership and innovation at virtual kick-off event for Frank Center at College of Media

March 4, 2021

Update April 5, 2021: The recording of this event is now available to watch on YouTube:

The College of Media will celebrate the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media with a virtual kick-off event on Wednesday, March 31, at 7-8 p.m. (CT).

Leslie (Miller) Frank, an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, will host a conversation about media leadership and innovation with Peter Alexander, chief White House correspondent for NBC News, and Judy Hsu, ABC 7 Chicago anchor and Media alumna (BS ’93, journalism), with time at the end for an interactive Q/A. The event is free and open to the public; registration is required to receive the Zoom link.

“It’s a fascinating time to be a journalist, and it’s also challenging, but the important thing is to always go back to the fundamentals—what is the story you need to tell the public? Now more than ever there is a critical need for good, solid, objective journalism in this country,” said Rich and Leslie Frank.

Rich Frank, who received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Illinois, is former president of Disney Studios and former president of Paramount Television Group, and served three terms as president of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Leslie Frank spent more than 25 years covering major stories including the 9/11 attacks from ground zero in New York City, as well as from the scene of the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and inside the courtroom at the Michael Jackson trial. She spent the last nine years of her TV news career reporting and anchoring at the #1-rated station, KABC in Los Angeles.

The Franks, who are now vintners and hospitality leaders running Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, established the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media in October 2020 by making a historic gift of $7.5M to the College of Media, the largest gift ever made to the college.

“The creation of the Frank Center is an infusion for the College of Media at a time where support for our students and programs is vital in preparing the next generation of media professionals,” said College of Media Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We’re excited to host important conversations about the evolution of media with accomplished and innovative leaders in the field.”

The kick-off conversation is the first of many engaging events to be offered by the Frank Center, which will host a diverse group of media experts and practitioners through a distinguished speaker series, residencies, symposia, professional development support for students, and more. The Franks’ gift will also provide facility upgrades in Gregory Hall classrooms and in Richmond Studio, where journalism students produce broadcasts for UI-7.

“The Department of Journalism is thrilled to work with the Franks to provide students experiential learning opportunities and access to media experts that they can’t get anywhere else,” said Professor Stephanie Craft, head of the Department of Journalism.

Rich and Leslie Frank have frequently shared their expertise with UIUC classes, speaking with students and faculty in both the College of Media and the Gies College of Business, and advising journalism students on their television news broadcasts and resume videos. Their next virtual visit will be in an advanced video storytelling and producing course to discuss a case study on how to be in control of an interview.

“The world is changing and being changed by journalists, and the definition is changing, too,” added Rich Frank. “It’s an exciting time to be launching this.”

For more information, contact Holly Rushakoff, (217) 333-3949, hrush@illinois.edu.

New fund honors former College of Media dean and ICR director James W. Carey

January 11, 2021 | Holly Rushakoff

James W. Carey Fund for Faculty Excellence will support outstanding faculty in the Institute of Communications Research

An internationally recognized scholar in communications research, James W. Carey (1934-2006) earned two advanced degrees at the University of Illinois and then dedicated nearly half of his life as an academic leader in the College of Media (then known as the College of Communications). Carey was a student of the media’s role in society, and his commentaries on American civil life are some of the most influential in the field of communication.

To honor their father’s legacy at Illinois and in the field of media, Carey’s four sons endowed the James W. Carey Fund for Faculty Excellence. The fund will benefit College of Media faculty affiliated with the Institute of Communications Research, where Carey earned his doctoral degree, was a research professor, and served as director (1969-1976). The ICR, housed within the College of Media, is the world’s oldest program for interdisciplinary research and doctoral education in communication and media studies. The first James W. Carey Faculty Fellow will be selected for the 2021-2022 academic year and will receive a stipend to support research activities.

“Our father’s education took off at the U of I and so much of his life as a teacher and scholar orbited around Gregory Hall,” said Dan, one of Carey’s sons. “He had remarkable ties to students and faculty in the University. We wanted to honor that depth of relationship and to make it a lasting one for the future.”

Carey (MS ’59, advertising; PhD ’63, ICR) began his career as a professor of journalism, working his way to dean of the College (1979-1992), during which the major in media studies (now media and cinema studies) was established. He received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Illinois in 2000 for his contributions as an author, educator, and administrator. After his time at Illinois, Carey spent the remainder of his career at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism from 1992 to 2006, where he helped establish their doctoral program.

“For nearly 100 years, the College of Media has been guided by the principles of innovation, collaboration, and creativity, which Dr. Carey represented so well,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “To continue this tradition, it is crucial to attract, retain, and recognize our talented faculty who embrace these philosophies in their scholarship, teaching, and service.”

Carey is known for developing the “ritual view of communication,” a theory that links communication with participation, association, fellowship, and the possession of a common faith, as opposed to the common “transmission view,” in which communication is the dissemination of information. A ritual view of communication is “not the act of imparting information or influence but the creation, representation, and celebration of shared even if illusory beliefs,” Carey wrote in Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society.

“I think all education, all scholarship is ultimately an aspect of citizenship,” Carey said in an interview within his book James Carey: A Critical Reader. “We end up making a living with our education, but the end of education is to prepare one for life in society, for public life in the widest sense, for life among our fellow men and women.”

Carey was beloved by his students. In a 2003 issue of Mass Communication Education, the late John J. Pauly (BS ’72, MS ’74, journalism; PhD ’79, ICR) published “Remembering a Mentor: James Carey.”

“A Carey lecture resembles a grand magic show, bursting with fireworks, sleight of hand, dramatic flourishes, and the occasional personal aside. … His writing luxuriates in theoretical, historical, and literary allusion. … But the most important lessons Carey taught me were about being a professor,” wrote Pauly. The lessons were: Be serious about your work; honor the university tradition; look for the human; and leave the door open. “Carey’s students learn that there is always room for one more chair at the table, for one more spoon in the pot.”

In 2006, WILL interviewed his former doctoral students Clifford Christians (research professor emeritus of communications; professor emeritus of media studies and journalism; and former director of ICR) and Steve Jones (distinguished professor of communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago). They remembered Carey as an eloquent communicator who valued plain language, clarity, and honesty, who was an organic member of the community and loved the public university, and who was admired across campus for his wisdom.

Linda Steiner (PhD ’79, ICR), professor of journalism at the University of Maryland, remembered Carey for his important insights and storytelling.

“Carey’s teachings and writings had enormous impacts on me,” Steiner said. “So it’s really an honor for me to engage in this campaign to do something to celebrate his service to the field, to the University, to ICR, and the College of Media.”

To join Carey’s family, former students, colleagues, and friends in our fundraising campaign to grow the endowment, please visit the College of Media giving page, click on the orange “Give Online Now” button, and select the Carey Fund under “Nurture Excellence in Media Faculty.”

Gregory Hall basement renovations set for completion

December 2, 2020 | Marissa Plescia, Communications and Marketing Intern

College of Media students and alumni may remember pre-pandemic late nights cramming on big projects in the dimly lit basement of Gregory Hall (not to mention the Doritos and Coca-Cola dinners from the vending machine). But thanks to college and campus funds, the basement will soon have a new makeover with long-awaited renovations to Rooms 13, 29, and 31 completed in time for spring semester.

Rooms 29 and 31 used to be joined as one big classroom, with 31 as a computer lab and 29 as a little nook with tables and chairs. They will now be two separate rooms and 29 will act as a small media production space, said Meghan Burnett, director of information technology and operations. It will have a green screen and camera equipment for students to produce videos and do photo shoots. There will also be post-production equipment for students to edit material.

Room 31, meanwhile, will become an iFlex classroom, meaning it can be easily restructured to fit the needs of the class, Burnett said. The remodeled classroom will fit more than 40 students. Chairs and tables will all have wheels so they can be reconfigured, whether it’s in a lecture format sitting all in one direction or in a pod format for group work. Screens will fill the perimeter of the room and students and faculty can use their smartphones or laptops to share their work on the screens.

“It can accommodate a variety of different teaching styles,” Burnett said.

Room 13, a computer lab, will have new computers and a new large screen in the front of the classroom, Burnett said. It also received a new ceiling, new flooring, new paint, new AV equipment, and better lighting and ventilation. The class will now face to the west—rather than its old position facing the north—which allows for a better arrangement of the desks.

Gregory Hall Room 29 is being transformed into a small media production space.

The overall cost of the project is a little over $1 million, Burnett said, and was paid for with a combination of College of Media funds and campus capital project funds.

The renovation has been in the planning process since the 2018-2019 academic year. Construction began in January 2020 and paused in March due to COVID-related shutdowns, then resumed in June. The rooms will be utilized beginning in spring semester, but will not be used to their full capacity until the pandemic is over and social distancing requirements ease, Burnett said.

Faculty members in the College of Media advised on equipment, room layouts, and furniture. Victor Font, lecturer in media and cinema studies, provided recommendations for what should be included in the production room and will be using it frequently for his classes. He shared that, while he said the space will be too small for filming big action scenes, it will be helpful for still shots, close-ups, interviews, and casting auditions.

He said it will also be important for teaching students how to use green screens and camera equipment.

“The idea is for the students to use [the equipment] without being supervised by the TAs or professors so that they can go there and use the room [as needed],” Font said.

One of the courses he plans on using the production room for is MACS 140: Smartphone Cinema, where he’ll have his students create a moving car scene using the green screen.

Font said these changes are something he thinks students will be excited to use and will provide great opportunities for experiential learning.

“It will make our 80-year-old building look a little more modern,” Font said.

However, while the renovations to the Gregory Hall basement are exciting to many, some student filmmakers may not be pleased, Font added.

“It was a perfect place to film a horror movie. Not anymore,” Font said, with a laugh. “So we’re going to need to find another basement for that.”

Seattle Times editor Iniguez to be alum speaker at virtual ceremony for December grads

December 1, 2020 | Kimberly Belser, Communications and Marketing Intern

According to Alex Iniguez (BS ’11, journalism), assistant metro editor at The Seattle Times, one thing that can’t really be taught in college is “the grind”—a daily devotion to work that helps manage tough days on the job. However, Iniguez said his time as a journalism student prepared him to work hard, regardless of his career path.

“My College of Media degree is worth a lot to me, first and foremost,” he said. “I felt like I thrived in a smaller environment in the College of Media compared to the large U of I umbrella, which was a good fit for me in other ways. And I’d be remiss to not mention [The Daily Illini]. The DI was a huge part of my development, and I still meet people who worked at the DI in the wild, which is always a pleasure.”

Iniguez was selected to be the alumni speaker at a virtual ceremony to honor College of Media December 2020 graduates.

“Alex has broad news coverage experience, having reported on both sports and recent events, including the protests, in Seattle. As a recent alum, and an emerging leader in the media industry, he will have helpful advice to share with our newest graduates,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin.

Previously an assistant sports editor at The Seattle Times, Iniguez was promoted to assistant metro editor, effective November 30. His job shifted focus this summer when he spent four months assisting with coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice protests before returning to sports.

“My previous stint in metro earlier in the pandemic made me finally accept and truly know my skills are transferable,” he said. “I can work in metro for the same reasons I can work in sports. If you’re a well-rounded and prepared journalist, the possibilities are great.”

He took on the role as editor for The Seattle Times’ news section over the summer at the height of the George Floyd protests, which he said was a fascinating experience. During a couple of shifts, he took feeds from reporters via email, Slack, and WordPress, and published them to the newspaper’s website in real time, “providing a valuable and up-close look at our community.”

“I enjoyed understanding the protests and protesters better, which I largely accomplished by watching hours of [Facebook, Periscope, and Twitch] livestreams from the streets. Seeing that kind of passion, relentlessness, and dedication, and understanding where and why those feelings exist was inspiring and made me understand our world more,” he said.

At The Seattle Times, his coverage has included the Seattle Sounders’ 2019 Major League Soccer Cup title; the establishment of a National Hockey League team in Seattle and the announcement of its name; former Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball player Ichiro Suzuki’s retirement in Japan; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s midnight contract extension; and political donations made by the Seahawks.

Recognized for his talents, Iniguez was accepted into the Poynter Institute’s 2021 Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media. The yearlong program trains journalists of color working in digital media to thrive, fosters honest discourse about the challenges for journalists of color in management roles, and provides the connections, confidence, and skills to confront them.

He said the most rewarding aspect of his career is his ability to work with journalists who have the same level of curiosity as his own.

“We get to take our curiosities, spend time researching them, and, ultimately, provide some information that might help people understand their surroundings more,” he said. “That’s a powerful feeling.”

For aspiring journalists, he has one message: Brace yourself.

“I don’t mean that as a warning,” he said. “But journalism is a wild ride. You never know what you’ll see or hear, and you never know where your work might take you. It’s a thrilling career, if you’re willing to go for a ride.”

Furthermore, he wishes December 2020 graduates well with their future.

“I know this is a really hard time to be coming out of school, but if you turn on your survival mode, you will figure it out,” he said. “You have time to find your place, personally and professionally. Take the time to think intently about where you want to be and what kind of person you want to be. That will guide you on your career path.”

College of Media establishes new minors and adds new courses

November 6, 2020 | Kimberly Belser, Communications and Marketing Intern

The College of Media is pleased to announce a number of new and innovative curricular opportunities, including a new interdisciplinary minor in media, a minor in critical film production within the Department of Media & Cinema Studies, and new courses across all three departments that address emerging trends in the media industry.

MEDIA MINOR

The media minor, established this fall, is available to students outside of the College of Media, and offers a variety of courses from the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, Department of Journalism, and Department of Media & Cinema Studies. Suggested courses for the minor are grouped in themes of diversity, social media, sports, content creation, history, and more.

“We’re so excited to be able to offer a media minor,” said Katie Clark, senior assistant dean for student services. “So many of our courses are of interest to students across campus and this minor gives them an opportunity to take these courses in a meaningful, guided way. We know how beneficial it will be to prepare students for the job market by teaching them media-specific skills, which they can apply to any field of interest.”

For example, Media courses could help an engineering student learn what is needed to patent an invention, understand the target audience, and communicate the idea. A social work student might be interested in the power of film to bring attention to a particular social problem. A biology or chemistry student might want to pursue science communication and also understand social media strategy.

“What we teach here in the College of Media complements well the educational and career goals of many students across campus,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin.

To complete the minor, students must take an introductory course in each of the college’s three departments, and then choose three advanced courses from at least two different departments in the college.

CRITICAL FILM PRODUCTION MINOR

The new critical film production minor is an expansion of the existing media production certificate, which provides students with media-making skills.

“The critical film production minor is not ‘film school’ in the traditional technically-focused sense,” said Derek Long, assistant professor of media and cinema studies. “Making thoughtful media in the 21^st century requires so much more than just knowing how to use the camera on your smartphone.”

While the minor’s curriculum trains students in advanced technical skills for creating moving images and sound, it also emphasizes that students should create media with the same critical eye that they use to read, write, and conduct research.

That’s an important step, Long said, toward building a more inclusive and reflective culture in the media industries, and it requires knowledge of film and media history, theory, and criticism. The critical film production minor’s core courses and electives combine those technical aspects of mediamaking with critical studies.

According to Long, all of the minor’s core courses involve video production and editing projects. MACS 150: Intro to Digital Media Production introduces students to other forms of mediamaking, such as photography, digital image manipulation, web design, and podcast production. In the critical studies electives, students can conduct research using old film magazines and pressbooks from the late Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and journalism alumnus Roger Ebert. The elective courses offer a variety of assignments, from organizing a film festival to participating in a fantasy box office competition.

“Illinois alum Roger Ebert called cinema an ‘empathy machine,’ and this notion is central to the main goal of the minor: to enable students to be empathetic leaders in the world of cinema and media at the same time that they share their ideas with a digitized world,” Long said.

The minor is a great choice for students interested in careers such as film production and distribution, as well as advertising and public relations. “Students interested in the critical study or production of any kind of art—be it visual, musical, or something else—will also find the minor attractive,” Long added.

The most useful training that the minor will provide students is learning how to work as part of an inclusive team, Long said. Effective media producers know that while technologies become outdated every year, interpersonal skills never stop being useful.

NEW COURSES IN DATA STORYTELLING AND NEW MEDIA

The Department of Journalism has added two new courses where students can gain experience with data science applications and new media technologies.

JOUR 460: Data Storytelling

JOUR 460: Data Storytelling teaches students the power of data, which can help them to tell a better story.

“Data alone can tell them who to interview,” said Margaret Ng, assistant professor of journalism. “Data can be a driving point for them to really find out where the story is so that they can approach their interviewee or sources more appropriately.”

The class focuses on four objectives: how to obtain the data, clean the data, analyze the data, and present the data.

The new course has attracted students from the journalism department and other disciplines within the College of Media, as well as graphic design, statistics, and computer science majors.

In a newsroom, there are more than journalism majors, Ng pointed out, citing frequent collaborations between data scientists, graphic designers, and journalists. While computer scientists may already have substantial software or coding skills, they may not have experience with putting data into real practice and solving newsworthy questions.

Students will also gain experience with how to properly file Freedom of Information Act requests to government agencies and how to make an appeal if they receive a rejection.

Ng hopes all students, no matter what their major is, learn how to gather and communicate data ethically so they can present their findings in a much more engaging way to their audience.

JOUR 199: New Media, Society, & You

When designing JOUR 199: New Media, Society, & You, Christopher Ball, assistant professor of journalism, selected critical topics that are currently being shaped by new media use, as well as articles that discussed the pros and cons of new media technologies.

The goal, Ball said, was to create a course that surveyed the ways that new technology is integrating into our lives, while also seeking a more balanced understanding of their role in modern society.

An essential part of this course is using new media technologies in creative ways, including the creation of a personal blog that they will use to showcase a variety of new media projects. Students will also create timeline infographics, diagram their information diets, analyze social media profile pictures, and create short YouTube videos.

“In our excitement (or apprehension), we often say that these new media technologies are ‘changing our world/lives,’” he said. “However, I hope that students leave my class with the knowledge that these technologies are not changing our lives directly. Instead, it is how we choose to use these technologies, both collectively and individually, that is changing our lives. So, let’s figure out how to use them best.”

Many of the projects in this course will involve using new media in novel ways. For instance, students will learn a new skill while only using YouTube videos and web forums.

“The goal is that students will not just learn about new media; they will use it while reflecting on some of the ways to leverage them in their career or personal life,” he said.

Ball looks forward to hearing his students’ perspectives and thoughts on emerging technologies, since most are already “expert users.”

“I hope that students enjoy the course and that it helps them to see the interactive technologies surrounding them a bit differently,” he said. “I also hope that my class empowers my students to use these technologies to improve their lives and, ultimately, the world around them. There is no better time to learn about new media technologies than right now.”

NEW COMPUTATIONAL ADVERTISING COURSE

In the new ADV 461: Computational Advertising course, students will learn technologies including “web-search, auctions, behavioral targeting, and mechanisms for viral marketing that underpin the display of advertisements on a variety of locations.” One section of the course is designed for advertising majors, taught by Ewa Maslowska, and the other section, for computer science (CS) + advertising majors, emphasizes programming and computer science.

“Computational advertising relies more and more heavily on behavioral data, which often are digital by nature. In this class, we discuss what insights advertisers can gain from the traces left by consumers in the digital space,” said Maslowska, assistant professor of advertising.

Computational advertising represents a paradigm shift driven by technological developments, including the digitization of brand-consumer interactions, the availability of big data, and the development of new artificial intelligence algorithms.

Her section of the course uses case studies to explore how different theories, methods, and evidence can shape advertising strategies and their effects. Students will gain basic analytical skills that can be applied to understanding and solving business problems.

“We explore different ways for abstraction and modeling that can be applied to advertising,” Maslowska said.

Students will design and run an A/B test on a website, compare different tools for personality profiling, and analyze various digital data. These assignments help students to better understand the workings and limitations of the different tools that use consumer data.

“I hope that upon completion of this course, the students will be able to understand the computational advertising ecosystem, analyze and evaluate different advertising strategies, make actionable recommendations, and reflect on the ethical and normative aspects of computational advertising, including the responsibilities of both advertisers and academics,” she said.

The CS + advertising section of the class will be available in Spring 2021 and will focus on Internet privacy and the security of individuals as they navigate the web. Students will analyze an actual firm engaged in computational advertising. Working with massive data sets, they will learn algorithms and how companies use personalization in ads.

—Kimberly Belser, Communications and Marketing Intern