General News 8 | DEV College of Media

New journalism professor Cassandra L.C. Troy examines role of solutions journalism to address environmental issues

August 21, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

Growing up, Cassandra L.C. Troy was encouraged to be environmentally aware, especially by her grandmother and mother who taught her to care for the planet. But it wasn’t until she worked at a university sustainability office that she considered a career in environmental communications.

“In that role, I got a taste of how varied environmental issues are, how complex it is to communicate about different environmental issues,” Troy said. “[What’s] really interesting to me is making that relevant to large portions of the public.”

Troy will be teaching environmental journalism at the College of Media this fall as an assistant professor of journalism with an appointment in the Institute of Communications Research.

She’s excited to connect with students interested in environmental topics and to continue her research on solutions journalism to raise public awareness and engagement on environmental issues.

Troy said solutions journalism takes the approach to reporting that solutions to problems are newsworthy, rather than just the problems themselves.

Illinois is a place that is committed to research, not just generally, but research related to environmental topics. The institutional commitment to examining climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective is really encouraging.

Cassandra L.C. Troy

Assistant Professor of Journalism

“In the minds of solutions journalists, in addition to giving the public information on serious complex issues, you also want to talk to them about solutions that are working, or maybe that could work, to address those problems,” she said.

Troy, who is passionate about the impacts of climate change, added that “environmental challenges are so pressing, and they do impact everyone. You don’t have to just be altruistic and really into nature to care about the environment. We all should want to care about clear air or clean water, and what’s happening in the world around us.”

Troy’s position is part of an interdisciplinary faculty “cluster” on climate impacts, risks, and inequality that was approved as part of the Provost Office’s Strategic Hiring Initiative. The other participating units, in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, include the Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences; Department of Earth Science & Environmental Change; and the Department of Geography & Geographic Information Science.

“Illinois is a place that is committed to research, not just generally, but research related to environmental topics. The institutional commitment to examining climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective is really encouraging,” she said.

Troy earned undergraduate degrees in communication arts and foreign language from Virginia Commonwealth University and initially planned to pursue a career in visual communications and graphic design.

But in her first job after graduation, she was introduced to a broad range of communication work including branding, social media, and content management, which inspired her to get a master’s degree in communication from Purdue University.

During her time in graduate school, Troy loved the research process and realized much of her interest lies behind the why of messaging.

“As I reflected on the direction that I wanted my career to take, I wanted to have the time and space to determine the questions that I wanted to ask, and the time and space to evaluate how different communication strategies were working, which is not always something you have the luxury of doing in a workplace,” Troy said. “You cannot stop and evaluate every single piece of messaging that you put out there and so that is what motivated me to apply to a PhD program versus just continuing in the industry.”

Troy went on to earn a PhD in mass communications from Pennsylvania State University. Her dissertation, “The potential of solutions journalism for climate risk mitigation: A mixed methods investigation,” examined the role of solutions journalism in climate risk mitigation from the perspective of journalists and the general public.

Using both a quantitative and qualitative perspective, Troy studied how to design media messages that support positive results for people and the planet, especially when it comes to climate change. Learn more about Troy’s research.

Through writing about environmental topics in class, Troy’s students will gain an understanding of the unique challenges associated with environmental communication.

“Similar to science journalism, you’ve got the scientifically complex topics and some of the topics are going to be politically polarized. Members of the public might be encountering disinformation or misinformation in relation to these topics and so you have to be really thoughtful in how you cover these issues,” she said.

Helping her students embrace challenges is just one of Troy’s teaching philosophies. She also aims to cultivate curiosity and prepare students for success beyond the classroom.

“My ideal scenario is that everyone can take away at least one thing that’s going to be really valuable when you are given a task in a future professional environment,” she said.

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New advertising professor Guolan Yang focuses on effects of digital persuasive messaging

August 21, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

Guolan Yang has studied and cited works authored by professors in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising since she was a doctoral student. So when she got the opportunity to meet those esteemed scholars in person at advertising conferences, Yang was further drawn to pursue a career at Illinois.

“Visiting the campus felt like a culmination of those years of study,” she said. “Many faculty members here share research interests similar to mine, which excited me about the prospect of collaboration.”

Yang said she’s eager to contribute to the distinguished and dynamic team at the College of Media this fall as an assistant professor in advertising with an appointment in the Institute of Communications Research.

She will be teaching “Introduction to Public Relations,” which covers a variety of topics such as the role of ethics in public relations as well as theories that guide research and practice.

Yang said her research takes a psychological perspective, investigating the effects of digital persuasive messages that do not look like traditional advertising, such as sponsored influencer content and in-feed native ads on people’s perceptions, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.

I like seeing students finally grasp a difficult concept and watching their confidence soar as a result.

Guolan Yang

Assistant Professor in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising

Previously, Yang was an assistant professor in the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she taught courses in advertising and public relations.

Her dissertation, titled “Advertising Recognition and Persuasion in the Context of Sponsored Influence Content: Effect of Disclosure Prominence, Message Involvement, and Persuasion Knowledge” investigated how sponsorship disclosures affect consumer understanding of sponsored influencer posts on Instagram, taking individual and situational factors into account.

Yang said her findings demonstrated that prominent disclosures are helpful to increase advertising recognition when people are low in advertising knowledge or less motivated to process the message.

“These findings offer recommendations on what practitioners could do to ensure advertising transparency and provide regulatory agencies with insights on how to improve their disclosure guidelines,” Yang said.

Her research also examined how messaging strategies such as storytelling and humor can be consolidated with innovative features of digital technologies to enhance the effectiveness of persuasive communication. One of her studies investigated how brands could use funny memes to increase audience engagement and sharing intention on social media. See some of her published work.

Yang said she’s excited to meet her students and cultivate their interest in the fundamentals of today’s advertising and public relations profession.

“I enjoy sharing with my students the most recent knowledge and skills in advertising and public relations,” she said. “I like seeing students finally grasp a difficult concept and watching their confidence soar as a result.”

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Sarah Min selected for 2024 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

May 14, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

When Sarah Min (BS ’93, journalism) was appointed to President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in 2022, she knew her background in journalism would prove useful in government policy and nonprofit advocacy work.

“For people who practice journalism, it’s a job requirement to constantly learn new things and talk to a lot of people outside of the known” Min said. “I think that was the heart of my education at the college that has really stayed with me.”

Plus, Min, who moved to New York City right after graduation with only the prospect of a job, likes to embrace unexpected and challenging opportunities.

“I really look for steep learning curves. I think that’s what keeps the brain agile and [provides] intellectual stimulation, from diving into the unfamiliar,” she said.

Min’s curious nature has been a career asset as a magazine journalist and media executive, and now, as Deputy Chief Commissioner of President Biden’s AA and NHPI Advisory Commission.

Min’s exemplary career accomplishments, along with her engagement with the college, have earned her the 2024 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award.

“The breadth of Sarah Min’s contributions to the media industry, to nonprofits, and to government and advocacy are truly inspiring,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Her career path demonstrates to our students that there are many opportunities to pursue your interests and to make a difference.”

As a member of the President’s Advisory Commission, Min and her colleagues provide recommendations to President Biden on ways the public, private, and nonprofit sectors can work together to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for every Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community.

The federal advisory commission works to address key priorities, including efforts to combat anti-Asian hate, promote data disaggregation and language access, and advance health and economic equity.

She also serves on the board of EMILY’s List, an organization that elects pro-choice Democratic women, and Color of Change, a racial justice organization.

Min, who holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, is involved in several additional political nonprofits, working to build political power by “getting good information out to people around civic engagement.”

Min says she owes much of her success to her education, experience, and mentors at Illinois, including Bob Reid, a former investigative journalism professor who taught his students to push themselves as much as possible.

“One of the things that [Reid] always said was to stay outside your comfort zone and how important that is, but also how deliberate you have to be about that,” Min said of Reid, who passed away in 2004. “That idea has truly guided me throughout my career.”

Working at The Daily Illini also had a huge impact on Min, who said it’s where she learned how to write, edit, and think visually about a story.

In 2020, she established the Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund with her husband, Matt Pincus, to help support undergraduates in journalism who are committed to working at least one semester at The Daily Illini.

Min said it was a way for her to honor those students who manage work and classes, while remaining committed to sustaining the practice of journalism.

“I’m proud and privileged to be supportive of young people who are willing to commit to continuing that tradition because maintaining journalistic standards is critical in our civil society,” she said.

While the early part of Min’s career involved jobs at magazines like Glamour and Vibe, her desire to help build political power for women and people of color is where most of her professional and personal focus stands today.

Min said her previous experience and skill set applied to the kind of work that needed to be done, which is related to narrative work and storytelling and changing perceptions.

“These days it’s about how you get the truth out to people. How do you meet people where they are, how do you find the audiences,” Min said. “It’s very similar principles to journalism—understanding specific audiences and how to deliver content to each of those audiences so that they will engage with information.”

For Min, who says the first part of her career was satisfying because she could see an immediate product, what’s most gratifying now is advocating for future leaders.

“I’m inspired to help to build a pipeline of leaders for tomorrow who take a hopeful and innovative approach to the future,” Min said.

College of Media apparel on sale through May 24

May 7, 2024

Show off your University of Illinois College of Media pride with branded apparel!

From May 7 through May 24, a College of Media apparel shop will be open with items to purchase including branded quarter-zip pullovers, polo shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps, and T-shirts.

The College of Media, the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, and the Institute of Communications Research all have apparel items available.

Orders will be ready to ship or pick up locally beginning Monday, June 10. Customers can select shipping via USPS Priority Mail, UPS Ground shipping, or USPS International Priority Mail. You can also select the option to pick up your order from Dixon Graphics at 312 S. Neil in Champaign (open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.), and will receive a notification when your order is ready.

To browse the shop, visit go.illinois.edu/media-store.

The shop will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 24.

Advertising alum Andrea Campos to be alumni speaker at College of Media Convocation

April 10, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

When Andrea Campos graduated from Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in advertising, she had no idea she’d be returning 12 years later as the alumni speaker at the 2024 College of Media Convocation ceremony.

But as an artist and creative entrepreneur whose recent career accomplishments include illustrating a New York Times-bestselling children’s book with celebrities Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez, Campos has realized life is full of happy surprises, especially if you dare to follow your dreams.

“If you would have told me in 2012 that I was going to be standing up there (on stage at Convocation), I wouldn’t believe you. I didn’t have it on my radar,” Campos said. “I never would’ve imagined it. Maybe that’s something I’ll touch on in my speech—that we all need to dream bigger, because too often, we like to count ourselves out.”

Campos, who currently resides in Los Angeles, has managed to build a successful career around spreading happiness.

“I like that I can be an island of joy or a little space of hope in an otherwise stressful world,” Campos said.

Her bright, colorful, fun illustrations can be found in children’s books like Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure and printed on lunchboxes and other products for children and infants.

Ironically, the happiness she exudes through her artwork emerged from a time when the entire world was experiencing sadness.

In March of 2020, after nearly a decade of working as a marketing professional for companies like Gap Inc., Campos was planning to set off on a new path as a freelance photographer.

“It really felt like it was now or never,” Campos said of her decision to switch careers. “My last day at my full-time job was March 8. And then, you know, days later the world shut down.”

With every photography project canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Campos was left wondering what to do next.

Thankfully, she had saved some money so she decided to concentrate on rebuilding her creative confidence and sought out ways to relieve stress during a chaotic time.

“I decided to focus on creative activities during quarantine, simple things that would bring me joy. You know, the kind of things we used to do as kids when we were sitting at home bored,” Campos said.

She started baking, going on photo walks, and drawing, a childhood hobby she’d neglected since her high school days.

“As part of my at-home artist residency I started drawing again, and I began to notice that it not only made me feel good, but it also helped me process my emotions,” Campos said. “It’s kind of crazy to think that if it weren’t for the world coming to a halt due to the pandemic, I would have left these treasures buried deep inside of me.”

Campos used an iPad and the Procreate app, which essentially lets users sketch on digital paper, to create “playful, positive, joyful artwork.”

She started an Instagram page called @dreasdoodles to share her illustrations with family and friends she couldn’t connect with in person.

Campos said she didn’t realize it at the time, but her Instagram page, which she described as her “little pocket of the Internet where it’s always sunny,” was going to completely change her life.

Campos, who was never formally trained as an artist, gained thousands of followers over the next several months.

Eventually she started to get requests from brands and small business owners to create logos and other marketing materials.

Almost one year to the day of the inception of @dreasdoodles, Campos received an email that would change her life forever.

An art director at Macmillan Publishers reached out to ask if she’d be interested in illustrating a celebrity children’s book.

“When I got that email, my jaw was on the floor,” Campos said.

Later, Campos learned she was one of two artists being considered for the book, which included a chicken named “Pollo” as the main character.

“Even though I had zero experience, I thought to myself, ‘I am going to do everything in my power to draw the cutest, baddest little chicken the world has ever seen because I know this was meant for me,’” Campos said.

She submitted her designs in April and heard in June that she got the project.

“It was months and months of me just shaking every time I opened my email. And when I finally got that email, I just started sobbing, like straight up ugly crying,” Campos said.

Soon after, another email came inviting Campos to be a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Campos went on to do several more interviews with Fallon to help promote their book.

“That was one of those moments that was just so surreal and so special. The book launch for Con Pollo is one of those things I look back at whenever I’m having a bad day and say to myself, ‘I did that,’” Campos said.

After the whirlwind of illustrating a best-selling children’s book, Campos had to consider her next step and knew her advertising and marketing experience could help her build a sustainable art business.

“Sure, I’m not working on campaigns in the same way that I was before, while at agencies. But I am still very much in the business of telling stories through my work,” Campos said. “And that skill set undoubtedly took root right here at U of I.”

Campos said Jason P. Chambers, professor of advertising and associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, made a big impact on her with his teaching style and the way he weaved history into the broader advertising campaigns.

Steve Hall, senior lecturer in advertising, also stood out in her mind due to his leadership in extracurricular student activities, such as the American Advertising Federation and the National Student Advertising Competition.

Campos was involved with AAF and, during her senior year, presented at the NSAC. She was awarded AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Student in 2012, which allowed her to travel to New York for networking opportunities. There, she was able to connect with someone at Energy BBDO, who offered Campos her first advertising job after graduation.

Campos is grateful for her time at Illinois and was happy to return last fall after Hall invited her to speak to some of his advertising classes.

These days, Campos is focusing on licensing her artwork, brand collaborations, and speaking engagements, presenting workshops at companies like Google, LinkedIn, and eBay about the power of creativity and the importance of giving yourself time to play. She also is working on writing and illustrating her own picture book.

“My biggest North Star with everything I do is being playful with a purpose and I’m trying to encourage that not only in kids but also in adults,” Campos said. “The last four years have taught me amazing things can happen if we just give ourselves the time to do something just for fun.”

As a first-generation Latina woman, part of her purpose is sharing the beautiful aspects of her Mexican heritage and culture.

When speaking to young children at schools, Campos sees firsthand how much representation matters.

“I’ve had little kids just so excited that someone who speaks Spanish is doing this,” she said. “That’s the stuff that I think will have an impact that I’ll never be able to measure and that’s what makes me so happy.”

Campos has a lot of advice to share. She encourages students to consider their priorities and to remember that growth isn’t always going to be linear.

“Your career doesn’t have to be a ladder. Chances are, it’s going to be a jungle gym,” Campos said. “It’s okay to change your mind and try different things—in fact, I think curiosity is one of the most valuable skills you can have.”

College of Media collaborates with University, community partners to offer local children access to new opportunities in education, technology

April 10, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

Steve Hall with Boys & Girls Club — *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.

The collaboration between the College of Media and the Center for Social and Behavioral Science focuses on creating hands-on educational content appropriate for 3^rd– and 4th-grade students in the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club of Champaign, which is housed at the Martens Center in Champaign.

“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.”

The joint effort between the University units, the Champaign Park District, and the Boys & Girls Club is part of the Chancellor’s Call-To-Action Campus-Community Compact to Accelerate Social Justice.

The College of Media workshops include:

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.

(Photos by Paige Duncan.)

Ebertfest 2024 full program announced, including ‘Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi’

March 29, 2024

AUDIENCE CHOICE FILM IS ROBERT ALTMAN’S ‘COOKIE’S FORTUNE’

NEWLY LAUNCHED ‘LITTLE INDIAN GIRL COLLECTIVE’ PANEL IN DIALOGUE AND PERFORMANCE

ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ‘ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND’ TO BE SCREENED

Roger Ebert’s Film Festival is pleased to announce its full program, with the additions of the documentary Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi, the Audience Choice film Cookie’s Fortune, the indie cult classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and a panel with the Little Indian Girl Collective.

Ebertfest, celebrating its 25^th anniversary, will be held from Wednesday, April 17, through Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park, in downtown Champaign. Individual tickets are now on sale.

Kaoru Ishibashi, renowned singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter who performs under the name Kishi Bashi will join Ebertfest to discuss a documentary he co-directed, Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi. When a media interview links the Muslim ban and the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border with the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during WWII, he goes on a journey to learn about this history and its relevance to better understand his own identity as a bi-cultural American.

After polling Ebertfest fans, this year’s Audience Choice film winner is Cookie’s Fortune, a 1999 American noir comedy film directed by Robert Altman and starring Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Patricia Neal, Charles S. Dutton, and Chris O’Donnell. The award-winning film, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 1999, follows a dysfunctional family in small-town Mississippi and the conflicts that arise after the death of their wealthy aunt. Roger Ebert described the film as the “kind of comedy with a lot of laughs, and even more smiles.”

The Little Indian Girl Collective will present a panel on “Women Who Embody Revolution Through Storytelling.” In the midst of the climate crisis, fast-paced news, social media, and increasing disconnection, hope is found in community-driven stories. Little Indian Girl, a new storytelling collective, discusses the future of storytelling and the power of narrative sovereignty with women, Indigenous and two-spirit artists, and Earth guardians who embody revolution through art. A song featuring Indian and Intuit throat singing traditions will be performed.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), an American science fiction, romantic drama film directed by Michel Gondry, will be screened at this year’s festival. The film, which stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, follows two individuals who undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories following the dissolution of their relationship. Based on Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay, and a story by Michel Gondry, Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth, Roger Ebert gave the film high praise with 4 stars. “The wisdom in Eternal Sunshine is how it illuminates the way memory interacts with love. We more readily recall pleasure than pain,” Ebert wrote. Bismuth, Gondry, and Kaufman won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Winslet received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. A cult classic, it’s considered by many critics to be one of the best films of the 2000s. Kaufman was a past Ebertfest guest in 2010 with the first film he directed, Synecdoche, New York.

Matthew Singer, author of Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever, will also be a special guest at the festival and will sign copies of his book.

This year’s festival will be dedicated to film historian David Bordwell, a past Ebertfest guest and the Jacques Ledoux Professor Emeritus of Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and to Ebertfest’s namesake, Roger Ebert, on this milestone occasion of the festival’s 25^th anniversary. Bordwell, who passed away on February 29, 2024, wrote the foreword for two of Ebert’s books, Awake in the Dark and The Great Movies III.

Please see previous 2024 press releases and ebertfest.com to get additional information about the filmmakers and musicians attending, including Michael Barker, Eric Roberts, Renee Elise Goldsberry , Lynn Whitfield, Malcolm D. Lee, Andrew Davis, Lisa Cortes, Christine Swanson, Michael Swanson, Larry Karazewski, Scott Alexander, Diane Moore, Rana Segal, Roderick Cox, Gingger Shankar, Richie Davis, and many more.

The final program schedule is:

Wednesday, April 17

6:30 p.m.—Star 80

Thursday, April 18

9:30 a.m.—Little Indian Girl Collective Panel

11 a.m.—Conducting Life / The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells (double short film presentation)

3 p.m.—Stony Island

8 p.m.—The Teachers’ Lounge

Friday, April 19

9 a.m.—Cookie’s Fortune

1:30 p.m.—Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

4:30 p.m.—Little Richard: I Am Everything

9:30 p.m.—The Best Man

Saturday, April 20

9:30 a.m.—Blackmail featuring the Anvil Orchestra

1 p.m.—Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi

4 p.m.—Albany Road

9 p.m.—Man on the Moon

Ebertfest passes are currently available to purchase online or by calling the box office at 217-356-9063. Individual festival passes to see all films cost $200, which includes reserved seating. New this year are 4-film passes for $70: choose between an Evening Pass or a Saturday Pass.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native. Ebertfest is a collaboration between his widow, Ebert Digital CEO Chaz Ebert, and the University of Illinois College of Media.

For additional information, please visit ebertfest.com and follow Ebertfest on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/
X: https://twitter.com/ebertfest

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

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PRESS CONTACTS:

Molly Cornyn, mcornyn2@illinois.edu, 217-333-1590

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 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

See more photos from their trip.

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 decade. Presenters include culture commentators and film critics Megan Cruz, Bobbi Miller, Michael Phillips, and Dana Stevens.

Join us for this two-day event, in person or via Zoom:

Tuesday, April 16, 7-9 p.m.
Knight Auditorium at Spurlock Museum
Watch a screening of important film representations—a selection of scenes from movies curated by the panel—along with discussion about their importance. Free tacos will be provided before the screening, while supplies last.

The panelists—culture commentators and film critics Megan Cruz, Bobbi Miller, Michael Phillips, and Dana Stevens—selected short clips on important representations in film that included contemporary womanhood, atomic bomb portrayal, Black male representation, conversations about abortion, and more.

Watch the recording:

Wednesday, April 17, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Starlight Room at Siebel Center for Design
Meet the critics over coffee and pastries, and enjoy an interactive panel discussion about the state of film criticism and the future of media critics, led by moderator Tanya Melendez, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Department of Communication and contributor to Entertainment Weekly.

Watch the recording:

About the presenters

Megan Cruz

Megan Cruz, @jstoobs on TikTok, is a host, pop culture commentator, writer, and producer who has built a strong audience with a diverse 600k+ following across social platforms. She was named by New York Times as one of eight TikTok stars redefining how movies are reviewed. She is the former co-host/EP of the #1 entertainment podcast Geeks of the Week, which had over 1 million monthly listeners. She has hosted a spectrum of live and taped events from press junkets to Netflix’s Geeked Week showcase, Disney+/Hulu’s Live From D23 Stage to Warner Bros The Batman, and Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear red carpet livestreams.

She is a passionate advocate for marginalized voices, especially women in film. Her brand new podcast, The Broad Perspective, focusing on female trailblazers in the entertainment industry, was released on December 6, 2023, with a profile in Variety.

Bobbi Miller

Bobbi Miller is a culture critic and host of The Afternoon Special Podcast, where she pulls back the curtain on some of pop culture‘s most interesting niches and tries to make sense of it all. Across the Internet and beyond, she creates edu-taining pop culture content that uses history, analysis, and a dash of humor to highlight film, TV, and more.

When she’s not masquerading as a niche Internet micro-celebrity, you can probably find her engaging in various enrichment activities, including reading and ranking all the Ghostfaces in the Scream franchise.

Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips is the film critic of the Chicago Tribune, appointed in 2006 after serving as the Tribune theater critic since 2002. Previously he worked as theater critic for the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He started out as arts editor and film critic for the Twin Cities weekly City Pages, while serving as film critic for Minnesota Public Radio.

Since 2015, Phillips has been the advisor/mentor for the University of Illinois College of Media Roger Ebert Fellowship, and had the honor to co-host the nationally syndicated TV series At the Movies, first opposite Richard Roeper and, later, A.O. Scott. He also introduced 100+ films, from Citizen Kane to Total Recall, on the universal goodwill machine known as Turner Classic Movies. (Photo courtesy of Sally Blood.)

Dana Stevens

Dana Stevens is the film critic at Slate and a co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest, the magazine’s weekly culture podcast. She has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and Bookforum. Her first book, Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema and the Invention of the Twentieth Century, came out in 2022 and is now out in paperback.

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 that Sony Pictures Classics Co-President Michael Barker is slated to present the Academy Award-nominated feature, The Teachers’ Lounge, at this year’s 25^th anniversary of Ebertfest.

Barker, who co-founded Sony Pictures Classics in 1992, is an entertainment leader and icon with his films receiving nearly 200 Academy Award nominations and 40+ wins.

Ebertfest will be held from Wednesday, April 17, through Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Virginia Theatre, in downtown Champaign.

The Teachers’ Lounge, a 2024 Oscar nominee for Best International Feature Film, stars Leonie Benesch (of The Crown), who plays Carla Nowak, a young Polish teacher at a German secondary school forced to deal with her student being accused of theft. Rogerebert.com calls the film “glorious” and a “proper movie, with its own theme and distinct aesthetic and strong personality.”

Writer and director Christine Swanson and her husband, producer Michael Swanson, along with acclaimed actors Lynn Whitfield and Renee Elise Goldsberry, will attend Ebertfest to discuss their film Albany Road. The film, which was partially shot in Champaign, Illinois, and produced by Shatterglass, centers around a New York executive forced to share a rental car with her former nemesis, her ex-fiancé’s mother, due to a snowstorm. Christine Swanson is a multiple-award winning director of film and television for HBO Films, Lionsgate, and BET Films.

Michael Swanson is an Emmy Award-winning studio executive, film producer, and theatre producer responsible for Parks and Rec, The Good Place, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Whitfield is an Emmy Award winner for The Josephine Baker Story, Eve’s Bayou, and has won two NAACP Image Awards for Greenleaf. Goldsberry is the 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton.

Writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski will join the distinguished guest panel to discuss their 1999 biography of Andy Kaufman, Man on the Moon, starring Jim Carrey. Roger Ebert described it as a film that “remains true to Kaufman’s stubborn vision.” Alexander and Karaszewski are known for writing unusual true stories together. Their feature film credits include the Oscar-winning Man on the Moon, Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Big Eyes, and Dolemite Is My Name.

University of Illinois alum Andrew Davis (BS ’68, journalism), director of The Fugitive, past Ebertfest guest, and a friend to Roger Ebert, with his brother, actor Richard Davis, guitarist for Chicago Catz and lifelong musician who has recorded with legends like Bobby Womack, Gladys Knight, and Mariah Carey, will also be part of the guest line-up to discuss their 1978 film Stony Island. The two teamed up to create the music-filled drama that tells the story of two struggling musicians from Chicago’s Southside who form an R&B band and take it on the road.

The Anvil Orchestra returns as an Ebertfest favorite, with the silent version of Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail. Roger C. Clark and Terry Donahue create magic with their homemade instruments.

Ebertfest welcomes director Rana Segal with her film The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells. Renowned sculptor Richard Hunt, who passed away in December 2023, has more public artworks than any other artist.

The survey is out for the Audience Choice Film to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Ebertfest. The winning title will be announced soon.

As previously announced, this year’s Ebertfest commences with an opening night screening of Bob Fosse’s critically acclaimed film Star 80 with stars Eric Roberts and Mariel Hemingway in attendance and will showcase the 25th anniversary of writer-director Malcolm D. Lee’s wedding-themed, reunion romantic comedy The Best Man as this year’s centerpiece film with Lee coming to celebrate.

Additional guests include Directors Lisa Cortes, Diane Moore, and Conductor Roderick Cox.

For additional information, please visit ebertfest.com and follow Ebertfest on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/
X: https://twitter.com/ebertfest

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

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PRESS CONTACT: Molly Cornyn, mcornyn2@illinois.edu, 217-333-1590