Students explore media industry in Chicago during inaugural spring break media tour

March 27, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood 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 […]

Advertising and ICR faculty and graduate students recognized at 2024 AAA conference

March 22, 2024 Faculty and graduate students in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and Institute of Communications Research were honored with awards and presented research at the annual conference of the American Academy of Advertising, held March 14-17, 2024, in Portland, Oregon.  Professor Michelle Nelson, head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, won […]

Ebert Symposium 2024 to address ‘Representations and Their Critics’

March 15, 2024 Updated 4/30/2024: Recordings are now available to watch. This year’s Chaz and Roger Ebert Symposium, presented by the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, will address “Representations and Their Critics.” Discussions will consider the current state of film criticism, the interpretive power of media critics, and how this work might evolve over the next […]

Sony Pictures Classics co-president to present Academy Award-nominated feature ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ at 25th anniversary of Ebertfest

March 13, 2024 Writers Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski to screen ‘Man on the Moon’  Director Andrew Davis and brother Richard Davis to bring their Chicago-rooted film ‘Stony Island’ Filmmakers Christine and Michael Swanson, actors Lynn Whitfield and Renee Elise Goldsberry join indie film ‘Albany Road’   Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced […]

Journalism alumna appointed to Reuters Global Race and Justice team as U.S. Correspondent 

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 […]

Advertising alum wins prestigious award for ag entrepreneurism

Alumna Karlie Elliott Bowman (BS ’09, ACES; MS ’10, advertising), and her husband Andrew Bowman, were awarded the 2024 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism, announced during the 2024 AgTech Summit hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park. The prestigious award recognizes a grower, producer, or farmer who exemplifies an entrepreneurial spirit and advances innovation in agricultural […]

How will generative artificial intelligence affect political advertising in 2024?

March 7, 2024 | University of Illinois News Bureau It’s estimated that $12 billion will be spent on political ads this election cycle—30% more than in 2020. The sheer volume of ads is remarkable, and there is vast potential to use this political information to contribute to democracy: to reach more potential voters and provide […]

Journalism alum Doug Isbell combines passion for science, writing as NASA JPL risk communication coordinator

March 6, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood After 36 years in aerospace communications, Doug Isbell still thanks those lucky stars he’s always admired for the opportunity to create a successful career that combines his passion for science and his love of writing.  Isbell’s fascination with space began when he was eight years old, around the time […]

Angela Aguayo selected as 2024-25 Humanities Research Institute Faculty Fellow

February 29, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood Angela Aguayo, associate professor of media and cinema studies and acting director of the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, has been selected as a 2024-25 Humanities Research Institute Faculty Fellow. As an HRI Faculty Fellow, Aguayo will be provided with research funds and one semester of release time […]

25th anniversary of Ebertfest announces ‘Star 80’ as opening night film, ‘The Best Man’ as centerpiece

Directors Malcolm D. Lee and Lisa Cortes, actors Eric Roberts and Mariel Hemingway to attend celebration    Additional filmmaker guests include director Diane Moore with conductor Roderick Cox     Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today the 25th anniversary, running April 17-20, 2024, at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign, will kick off […]

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