Institute of Communications Research welcomes 2026 cohort of doctoral students

September 4, 2026 The Institute of Communications Research is excited to announce their newest cohort! Please learn more about the students’ research interests below and join us in welcoming them to the University of Illinois College of Media community this fall. For more information, see full student profiles. Mark Burbridge’s primary research areas center around film criticism, media […]

College of Media welcomes Fall 2026 with investiture, promotions, and leadership appointments

August 28, 2026 Craft appointed as the Karin and Folke Dovring Professor in Journalism and Democratic Society Stephanie Craft, a professor in the Department of Journalism with an appointment in the Institute of Communications Research, and associate dean for academic and faculty affairs, was named the Karin and Folke Dovring Professor in Journalism and Democratic Society. […]

Media students gain professional experience through summer internships

August 27, 2026 Several College of Media students, including a recent graduate, expanded their skills, learned more about the industries, and gained valuable professional experience through various internship opportunities this summer. Read about a few of our students’ experiences below in these Q&As. Felicity Abbott, senior in journalism CBS Chicago | News Intern | Chicago, […]

ICR Student Research Spotlight: Seo-Jeong (Rachel) Heo

August 19, 2026 Describe your areas of research interest. I’m especially interested in three questions. First, how do people make sense of AI in the first place—what do they believe a machine can genuinely experience, claim, do, or create? Second, what changes when AI moves from simply providing information to recommending, interpreting, and eventually acting […]

Media faculty, students present research at 2026 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference

August 12, 2026 This year’s conference theme was “Jazz & Jambalaya: Nurturing Harmony and Health in Higher Education.” Presenters included faculty in the Institute of Communications Research, the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, and the Department of Journalism; and graduate students in ICR’s PhD program and the MS advertising program.  A Science Communication paper, “Exploring […]

2026 Sandage Symposium: Advancing Advertising Together

July 28, 2026 The 2026 Sandage Symposium: Advancing Advertising Together, presented by the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Illini Union, 2nd Floor Ballroom, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana. The event will include professional panels featuring many Illinois alumni, a creative hackathon, […]

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 […]

Study: Shoppable ads get more attention on streaming

July 1, 2026 | MediaCat A new study from College of Media faculty and students claims that consumers pay more attention to shoppable ads when streaming than when browsing social media—for better or for worse. The research article, “Why Some Shoppable Ads Persuade: Expectancy Violations and Ad Value Across Streaming TV and Social Media,” was […]

Media faculty, students present research at 2026 International Communication Association conference

June 25, 2026 This year’s conference theme addressed “Communication and Inequalities in Context.” College of Media presenters included faculty in the Institute of Communications Research and the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising; graduate students in the MS advertising program; and doctoral students in the Institute of Communications Research PhD program.  College of Media research […]

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

June 4, 2026 Six College of Media alumni have won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for their contributions to a Chicago Tribune piece on immigration. Tina E. Akouris (BS ’94, journalism), Angie Leventis Lourgos (BS ’03, journalism), Dan Petrella (BS ’06, journalism; BA ’06, LAS; MS ’10, journalism), Marianne Mather (BS ’96, media studies), […]

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