Clifford Christians, research professor emeritus of communications, and professor emeritus of media studies and of journalism, will receive the 2024 Eleanor Blum Distinguished Service to Research Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The award will be presented at AEJMC’s 107th annual conference in Philadelphia this August.
“I am convinced that Dr. Christians should get credit for creating, leading, and developing the entire subfield of media and journalism ethics, not just in the United States, but in the world. At the least, without his work and his inspiration, media ethics would be entirely impoverished and thin,” said Linda Steiner (PhD ’79, ICR), editor of Journalism & Communication Monographs.
The Blum Distinguished Service to Research Award was created to recognize people who have devoted substantial parts of their careers to promoting research in mass communication, and those who have spent much of their professional lives to mentoring students in areas of research. It is named in honor of the first recipient, Eleanor Blum, a long-time communications librarian at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Christians (PhD ’74, ICR) is a former director of the Institute of Communications Research at the College of Media and chair of the doctoral program in communications, positions he held from 1987-2001 and from 2007-2009.
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication is a nonprofit, educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students, and media professionals. AEJMC’s mission is to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education, to cultivate the widest possible range of communication research, to encourage the implementation of a multi-cultural society in the classroom and curriculum, and to defend and maintain freedom of communication in an effort to achieve better professional practice and a better informed public.
Mary Lynch Snowdon (BS ’86, journalism) wrote an article that was published in Newsweek recently titled “My Talented Son Has Autism. As a Mother, I Feel Like a Dual Citizen.” In the article, Snowdon writes about her experience parenting her son with autism, who is now in his mid-20s and a talented golfer.
Snowdon is a lawyer, consultant, and advocate. She currently resides in Annapolis, Maryland.
Update June 4, 2024: Congratulations to the students who presented “Exploring Period Poverty in Sierra Leone” (pictured below) for receiving an award for Outstanding Exhibit at the Undergraduate Research Symposium from theOffice of Undergraduate Research! Learn more about their trip to Sierra Leone.
Students from the College of Media are participating in the annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Week, held April 21-27. The Undergraduate Research Symposium, the signature event held on April 24 at the Illini Union, features presentations, posters, and performances from students across campus.
Media student presentations include:
On Exhibit: Robots & Medical Technology “Exploring Period Poverty in Sierra Leone”
Faith Lee, junior in journalism
Piper Pascarella, sophomore in journalism
Maggie Knutte, junior in journalism
Stephanie Wayda, senior in journalism
Nour Longi, junior, journalism
Elena Cleary, junior in agricultural communications (College of ACES)
Research Mentors: Alison Davis and Charles “Stretch” Ledford, Department of Journalism
CS Student Ambassadors/Research Scholars Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research Program Research Expo “Comparing Human Generated Text with Machine Generated Text” Garima Sharma, senior in CS + advertising
Poster Presentation: Social Science & Human Behavior “Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes among Gender and Sexuality Diverse Individuals Raised in Fundamentalist Religious Environments: Exploratory Analyses and Study Design” Marina Manuel, senior in media and cinema studies Research Mentor(s): Chris Fraley and Maggie Palmiero, Department of Psychology (College of LAS)
Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, assistant professor of media and cinema studies, was the research mentor for Molly Pfeifer, senior in psychology (College of LAS) and cinema studies minor, who is presenting “Embracing Ambiguity in Low Concept Film Marketing” as part of the Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences poster presentations.
Get to know some of our College of Media faculty. Colleen King is director of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and clinical assistant professor of journalism.
How did you get your start in journalism? I went to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and there I majored in political communication, which is a cross section of political science and journalism. While I was a student at GW, I got an internship at CBS News in Washington, which is how I got into TV news. I have spent 17 years in TV news; almost 15 of them at MSNBC, where my final job was executive producer of the 11th Hour with Brian Williams.
How did you know you wanted to get involved with journalism? I grew up in a household where my parents subscribed to Time,Newsweek, and the local newspaper. They also watched the news every night and on Sundays watched the political talk shows, so I kind of grew up around news. What I loved learning about news in college was that you didn’t have to pick a side, you didn’t have to agree with some positions and not others, and you could really look at things at a neutral angle. I really loved the idea of having a front-row seat to the news as it was happening.
What is your current job position at the University of Illinois? Currently, I am director of the Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and a clinical assistant professor of journalism. The Frank Center was created out of a generous donation from Rich and Leslie Frank. Rich is an alum of Illinois and Leslie, his wife, is a former local news anchor and an Emmy award-winning news anchor from Seattle and Los Angeles. They funded the Frank Center to create experiences for students of all kinds. So, it’s bringing high level journalists to campus to meet with students here. The workshops and event programming help in supporting what everyone is learning at the College of Media and additional experiences beyond that, too.
What type of classes do you teach now? This semester, I’m teaching JOUR 313: Writing for Television and Streaming News. I have also taught JOUR 200: Introduction to Journalism, JOUR 210: Newsgathering across Platforms, and JOUR 494: Navigating the Job Market. The classes are all fun in their own way, but the JOUR 313 class is dear to my heart because it’s something I spent doing every day, so that is kind of fun to develop as a class.
What is one of your favorite career experiences? Highlights of my career have been predominantly in the control room where I have gotten to cover some major events in American history, such as presidential elections and political campaigns. I have also covered all sorts of breaking news like hurricanes, school shootings, wildfires, and floods. I loved covering politics and that was usually what I would be covering most days.
Was it hard to stay objective while covering the news? No, I think part of being a journalist is learning how to report a story and not take a side. One of the things I loved most about it was getting to say what was happening and talk to experts that could help me predict where stories were going rather than taking a side and advocating.
What advice would you give to College of Media students? My advice would be to pursue what you love and what you’re interested in, because if you do what you love it won’t feel like work ultimately down the road. Also, gain as many experiences as you can as an intern or as someone shadowing a professional in the field to understand what the job looks like day-to-day and know if it’s the right fit for you. Don’t be afraid of the word “no” and not getting a job or an interview. “No” just helps you get more creative about other options and other things to pursue.
Get to know some of our College of Media students! Rheanna Lewis is a Class of 2026 journalism major.
Why did you choose journalism as a major? As a kid I always loved storytelling. Although I wasn’t thinking about journalism back then, I enjoyed telling stories and being on camera. My mom bought me a camera when I was younger to make video diaries, so I found myself talking to the camera, kind of acting like a vlogger. It wasn’t until high school that I realized that journalism might be the career for me after taking a newspaper class. My teacher for the class inspired me to tell and write stories; it was almost like an art. By senior year it was time to apply to colleges and journalism felt like the right choice. Although I wasn’t sure what kind of journalism I wanted to focus on, I knew the field was right for me.
Have you discovered what kind of journalism you want to focus on? One of the things I like about journalism is how broad the field is. However, I come from a sports-loving family, and as a result, I am interested in sports journalism. While I don’t know specifically what I would like to do in sports journalism, I do see myself writing game recaps, broadcasting it on television, or taking pictures on the field.
Are you currently involved in any journalism programs or internships? I am currently taking JOUR 400 for Illini Sports Night. I’m a reporter for the show and I take videos of games, interview players, and get to be a part of production. I think the class will help me narrow down what it is I want to do in sports reporting exactly. I’m also a part of an internship called “The Girls Club,” which is a media company that uplifts women who like to watch, play, and report on sports. From what I’ve seen in the field, it’s very male heavy. I don’t see many women involved in reporting games, especially women of color. So the company helps women break into the industry. Currently, I’m a reporter for their social media so I create content for their platform. It’s great getting to meet women who have the same interests as me, and being able to help other people break into the industry.
As a sophomore transfer student, how has your transition been? Before coming to Illinois, I attended a university on the west coast for my freshman year. I was intrigued and invested in the west coast, and loved how diverse the community was. But because of a lack of journalism activities outside of school, I decided to transfer to the College of Media at the University of Illinois because of the number of opportunities it has for students. If you like television and broadcast journalism, you have classes at Richmond Studio; if print is more your style you have TheDaily Illini (the student-run newspaper); and if you enjoy sports media there’s Fighting Illini Productions! I’ve been here almost a whole school year and I’m truly happy with my choice. I feel like I belong here. The school has a better environment and also more people with so many different backgrounds. You’d think that a school in the middle of a cornfield wouldn’t have as many opportunities for journalism, and such a diverse population, but you’d be wrong.
What are your career goals post-graduation? I’ve had this goal on my vision board since I was 11, but my dream is to host my own talk show. I don’t know if I want the show to be more sports-focused or something like the late-night TV show. In my mind I picture my own show with me hosting and talking with all these famous guests. I just love conversing and getting to know people, so getting to just talk with these interesting people, it’s just a dream of mine.
I would also love to work in more digital media spaces focused on sports after graduation! I love sports and I feel comfortable in this field and hope to mix my skills with digital media and sports. I’m not sure what exact job or position I’d want to do, but I’d love for it to have both sports and digital content.
How does your cultural background play into your role as a journalist? Like I said earlier, you don’t see a lot of people like me in this field. This is why I enjoy getting to talk to people with the same or similar backgrounds. It makes me feel like I can be myself and implement that in the stories I tell and the questions I ask. A big reason why I came here was following [Illinois journalism alumna] Taylor Rooks, who does Thursday Night Football for Prime and she is also a host for Bleacher Report. She’s an alumna from the College of Media and she inspired me to do what it is I want to do. It makes me think that I can rise to a position like hers and be the Taylor Rooks for someone who will be in my position one day.
AFatal Inheritance, which will be available on May 14, 2024, narrates the tale of a team of dedicated researchers who solved the medical mystery behind seemingly unrelated cancers devastating his and other families.
The book has been described as “a compelling personal chronicle of tragedy and triumph.”
Ingrassia is a former business and economics editor and deputy managing editor at the New York Times, having previously spent 25 years at the Wall Street Journal, as Boston bureau chief, London bureau chief, money and investing editor, and assistant managing editor.
He also served as managing editor of the Los Angeles Times. The coverage he directed won five Pulitzer Prizes as well as Gerald Loeb Awards and George Polk Awards.
His first book, Billion Dollar Brand Club, chronicles the rise of popular direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands and was shortlisted for several best business book awards for 2020.
Steve Hall, senior lecturer in advertising, leads Boys & Girls Club students through a workshop on “Advertising for Good.” (Photos by Paige Duncan.)
The College of Media is collaborating with University of Illinois and community partners to present educational workshops to local children this spring as part of a new public engagement effort.
“One of the College of Media’s priorities is to enhance our activities in public engagement and access,” said Jason P. Chambers, associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and professor of advertising. “Faculty and staff were eager to sign up to share their expertise in fun, engaging ways with schoolchildren.”
College of Media faculty are leading four programs in April, offering new opportunities in education and technology and helping students understand different media topics.
“This first-time collaboration between the University and the Martens Center is not just exciting but a big game changer for community outreach and education, providing a unique opportunity for the University of Illinois to deliver transformative experiences to our community,” said Paige Duncan, community engagement specialist at the Center for Social and Behavioral Science.
Duncan said the College of Media was selected as the pilot module for the CSBS area of programming because their goal is to give elementary school students an introduction to a breadth of science learning opportunities, including different concepts from the social and behavioral sciences.
“We are excited about the College of Media’s programming because it gives children a window into the making of different types of media, which is likely to increase their media literacy. We hope they will become better consumers of media—for example, in terms of judging the veracity of advertisements and movies,” Duncan said.
Steve Hall, senior lecturer in advertising, held the first workshop, about “Advertising for Good.”
“It was a remarkable opportunity to help [the children] learn how they have the ability to positively impact the world with their ideas, creativity, and advertising,” Hall said. “The kids were super energetic, enthusiastic, always asking questions, and full of insights.”
Advertising for Good Steve Hall, senior lecturer in advertising Students will learn how advertising and creativity can be used for public and social good through the power of storytelling. Plus, a fun, hands-on creative challenge will allow students to generate their own ideas to create a positive impact in their own schools and communities.
Fly Like Harry Potter: How Green Screens Work Victor Font, lecturer in media and cinema studies and Susan Muirhead, advertising staff and adjunct faculty This hands-on workshop teaches students about the green screen process and how this technique is used in films. Students will be able to dress up in costume, pretend to fly on a broomstick, and then watch the editing process to remove the green background creating the final effect.
Advertising Literacy Michelle Nelson, professor and head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, and Marisa Peacock, lecturer in advertising This session will provide students with an understanding of the purpose and fun one can have with advertising. Through discussion, brainstorming, and hands-on activities, students will create an ad promoting healthy food products.
Introduction to Journalism and the Role of Reporters Colleen King, director of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and clinical assistant professor in journalism, and Faith Lee, Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellow and a junior in journalism Following a presentation about what a journalist does, Genesis Bryant, a guard on the Illinois women’s basketball team will join the student group via Zoom for a Q&A. Using a guided worksheet, students will then write a story about the student athlete.
A group of journalism students heard harrowing stories from the local women they interviewed while filming a documentary about period poverty in Sierra Leone, West Africa, over spring break.
“Girls talked of being bullied at school when they got their period. Mothers talked about the struggle to have enough money to feed their children,” said Alison Davis, a lecturer in journalism who co-led the trip with Charles “Stretch” Ledford, associate professor of journalism.
While difficult to hear, students hope sharing these stories will shed light on a widespread global issue known as period poverty, which refers to a substantial negative impact on one’s quality of life due to shame, economic destitution, and/or religious and cultural taboos associated with menstruation.
“All women have periods, but not all women have access to period products,” said Elena Cleary, a junior in agricultural communications. “It is my privilege to be able to share the stories of the most amazing, resilient, and kind-hearted women I have ever met.”
The forthcoming documentary, From Shame to Celebration: Sierra Leonean Women Reframe the Culture of Menstruation, focuses on a local woman-led grassroots organization called Uman Tok, which employs 18 women at a living wage to provide sustainable feminine health kits to women and girls around the country. In addition to making tangible progress to alleviate period poverty and menstrual exclusion, Uman Tok is educating a generation of girls and boys on sexual and reproductive health awareness.
The film will feature interviews with a nurse midwife, the headmistress of a small semi-private school just outside of Freetown, and girls at the school who speak about the challenges they face as young women.
The reporting trip is part of a new pilot class in the Department of Journalism, led by Davis and Ledford. They hope the class, “Globally Focused Advanced Documentary Filmmaking,” will be offered by the journalism department each spring semester.
The spring 2024 pilot class was executed in collaboration with Dr. Sophie King-Hill of the University of Birmingham (UK) and Dr. Francis Sowa of Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ledford originally conceptualized the class as a research and learning lab where advanced journalism students would develop and apply their skills as documentary filmmakers and multimedia backpack journalists to report on issues of pressing international concern, especially in the Global South. Davis, who has over 25 years of experience producing nationally distributed documentaries, is mentoring the students in the process of creating their first long-form video story.
Illinois students partnered with four honors broadcast journalism students from Fourah Bay College to shoot primary footage for the film.
Ledford said he hoped the experience would be as beneficial for the Sierra Leonean students as it was for those from Illinois.
Fourah Bay student Hannah Yankson described her experience as amazing as well as enlightening.
“As a media practitioner, I have been reporting on issues in the country, but this experience is one I will never forget,” Yankson said. “We got the chance to know about their classes at [the University of Illinois] and how journalism is practiced on their side, and they also learned from our side as to how our university operates.”
Stella Bangura, also a Fourah Bay student, said learning how to use the equipment was somewhat difficult, but the Illinois team was helpful.
“This was really an important exposure and experience for us,” she said. “It was highly meaningful as we enriched ourselves with [new] ideas and different knowledge.”
Illinois students left for Sierra Leone on March 6 and returned March 16. For five days they worked on production of the film, conducting interviews, and shooting B-roll in Freetown and nearby Allen Town. They also took a day to tour Bunce Island, a major transit point for West Africans who had been imprisoned and were destined for slavery in the Americas.
Ledford, who has worked in nearly 60 countries in the last 40 years, said traveling to a developing country can present numerous issues and this experience was no different.
“The challenges were myriad and nearly unceasing. Everything from powering our equipment to finding quiet places to interview our subjects in a crowded, cacophonous city; from dealing with lack of Internet connectivity to keeping our team fed and hydrated over many hours in the field; not to mention the abundance of various fauna unfamiliar to our students,” he said.
While the work was stressful and exhausting, with students and instructors working up to 20 hours a day, Ledford said it was also rewarding and infused with laughter and tears of both joy and utter sadness.
“Time will tell the true impact the assignment had on them,” Ledford said.
Maggie Knutte, a junior in journalism, said the experience left a lasting impression on her.
“The subjects we were interviewing and working with were some of the most amazing women I have ever had the privilege of meeting,” Knutte said. “Now after coming home, I feel so honored that I am able to help tell their stories to the world. They are some of the kindest people I have ever met, despite living with hardships I could not imagine.”
For Faith Lee, a junior in journalism, the trip was the most fulfilling week of her life.
“Being a part of this project has not only made me a better storyteller and journalist, but a better human being,” Lee said. “I hope our work will show that period poverty is not just a Sierra Leonean issue, but a global issue.”
Davis said the week abroad was one of the most rewarding weeks of her teaching career and praised the work ethic and talent of the Illinois and Fourah Bay students who had to put their classroom knowledge to the test, making quick decisions under pressure, working in an uncontrolled environment, and dealing with the physical challenges of 90+ degree heat with no air conditioning.
She said the students also had to get comfortable asking extremely hard questions and then processing the sometimes-difficult information they gathered.
“These women shared their stories because of the foundation of trust our students built with them. This is probably what I am most proud of—that our students, including those from Fourah Bay College, conducted these hard interviews with grace,” Davis said.
Davis and Ledford intend to build on their relationship with Fourah Bay College faculty and students and continue to tell the story of Sierra Leonians working locally to mitigate the impact of the global problem of period poverty, and of other woman-led solutions to issues as framed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
A chapter of the documentary, From Shame to Celebration: Sierra Leonian Women Reframe the Culture of Menstruation, will premiere on the web on May 28, 2024, which is recognized worldwide as Menstrual Hygiene Day. Their goal is for the full feature to be seen locally and nationally on PBS member stations, the BBC, and broadcast in Sierra Leone.
A group of College of Media students participated in a spring break media tour in Chicago, meeting Illinois alumni and visiting various industry sites including advertising agencies, news organizations, and a film studio.
Led by faculty members Victor Font, lecturer in media and cinema studies, and Margaret Ng, assistant professor in journalism, seven students attended the three-day trip, held March 10-12.
The inaugural trip was an experiential learning opportunity for students to discover more about media-related careers firsthand.
Bekah Douglas, a junior in media and cinema studies, described the trip as a “once-in-a-lifetime journey” and credits her family and College of Media donors for making the trip possible.
“I was so lucky to attend the College of Media’s spring break trip and have the chance to meet with the artists that make Chicago (and the world) a better place. The opportunity to travel outside of the classroom, to network, to explore the possibilities of media is priceless,” Douglas said.
For Douglas, visiting the Lyric Opera of Chicago to participate in a press announcement for the 2024 season with Holly Gilson and her PR staff and touring the opera house, was her favorite memory.
“I have been a devoted opera fan for many years, so getting to learn the history behind the building and hearing from the artists who make the shows possible was very emotional for me,” Douglas said.
Ng also enjoyed the opera house, where students had the chance to sit on stage alongside professional journalists and watch brief vocal performances that previewed the upcoming season.
“Witnessing the opera house’s level of preparation was a captivating experience. Additionally, observing reporters at work during a press conference taught us a great deal about media coverage of the arts,” Ng said.
Students also met alumna Judy Hsu (BS ’93, journalism), ABC7 evening news anchor, along with other anchors and hosts, and watched a live news broadcast (pictured at right).
“We were right behind the camera, watching the entire hour-long program unfold,” said Ng. “[The anchors] interacted with the students during the short off-camera intervals. They were so friendly and easygoing, yet they could swiftly transition back to delivering news concisely and professionally within a few seconds. I was deeply impressed by their focus and professionalism.”
Gavin Schroeder, a senior in media and cinema studies, said the trip was not only fun but informative. He enjoyed meeting other Media students and talking with professionals in their respective fields.
“[The trip] opened my mind to the similarities that people in the workforce experience. What I took away most was the advice on how to assert yourself and stand out, along with knowing how to work in a team environment,” he said.
Schroeder said meeting with communications staff and touring McDonald’s International Headquarters was impressive. As an aspiring filmmaker, the highlight of the trip for him was a meet and greet with Gordon Quinn, founder of Kartemquin Films (pictured at right).
Penny Bradford, a junior in journalism, was also inspired by a visit to the production studio. She said Quinn’s dedication to public media and storytelling allowed her to see a career she had not yet considered.
“Overall, the trip brought unique experiences and allowed us to connect with [alumni] of the University, along with others that are currently in positions we may want to see ourselves [in],” Bradford said.
Payton Jarzyna, a senior in advertising, said the trip sparked excitement as she will soon enter the workforce.
“I learned about a lot of fields I didn’t even realize I could go into. I also learned more about the job application process, and how to stand out as a candidate,” Jarzyna said. “The businesses we visited and the people we talked to were super knowledgeable and helpful.”
The itinerary also included conversations with:
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune film critic and mentor to the College of Media Roger Ebert Fellows
Geno Schellenberger (BS ’20, advertising), communications director at Havas Chicago
Suheily Davis (BS ’04, journalism), vice president, global chief diversity officer, McDonald’s International Headquarters
Journalism alumni who work in nonprofit communications and fundraising, including Samantha Kiesel (BS ’13), marketing content manager at Boys and Girls Club of Chicago; Isabel Morales (BS ’13), media relations manager at the Nature Conservancy; and Rosie Powers (BS ’12), strategist for Mission Minded; along with Sarah Morris, Associate Vice Chancellor for Regional and International Advancement at the University of Illinois
In addition, students were invited behind the scenes to see:
A model and perimeter tour of the Barack Obama Presidential Library with UIC alumna Rebecca Silverman and the communications and content staff at the Obama Foundation
Blackhawks Live coaches show with Jon Hansen (BS ‘06, journalism) and Joe Brand at WGN Radio (pictured at right)
Google with advertising alumni Katelyn Pringle (BS ’09) and Stephanie Stewart (BS ’08, advertising), both senior account executives
Bianca Flowers (BS ’13, journalism) was recently appointed to Reuters Global Race and Justice team as its first U.S. correspondent.
In her new role, she will pursue new and ambitious projects with a focus on producing agenda-setting coverage in the areas of race, identity, and social justice.
Flowers, who is based in Chicago, has spent the last two years at Reuters covering global steelmakers, agriculture, and construction manufacturing, centered on the integration of automation in manufacturing and the advancement of smart farm technology.
Her expertise also encompasses coverage of labor unions, including her contributions to reporting on the historic United Autoworkers strike in 2023, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank’s impact on commercial real estate, and the acquisition of U.S. Steel.
Prior to joining Reuters, Flowers worked as a senior video journalist for Dow Jones where she covered short and long-form feature stories on personal finance, income equality, and diversity in the tech industry. She was one of the lead writers for MarketWatch’s “The Value Gap,” which launched in 2020. She conducted in-depth interviews with business leaders and policymakers on reducing racial and social inequalities in various sectors. Flowers began her career at Fortune magazine and has held editorial roles at Learnvest, Investopedia, and ABC News.
