Content Creation Lab to help local high school students acquire media production skills

March 6, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood Angela Aguayo, associate professor of media and cinema studies, created the Content Creation Lab to help young teens acquire media production skills. The pilot program, which will be held in new podcasting studios at Illinois Public Media, was awarded a grant from the College of Media and is supported […]

‘New York Times’-bestselling authors on presidential campaigns to visit University of Illinois for Q&A

February 17, 2026 This event is free and open to the public and is presented by the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media at the University of Illinois College of Media.  Attendees may join the event in the Illini Union, Room B, 1401 W. Green, Urbana, or register to join via Zoom. The conversation […]

Ebert Symposium 2026 focuses on fandom and the media

January 30, 2026 Monday, March 30 Film Screening: The Wiz 7 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum Before Wicked, there was The Wiz. Join the Ebert Center for a screening of Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz (1978). See cultural icons such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Nipsey Russell follow the yellow brick road in this musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz. […]

Centennial Circle: Investing in the next century of media education

Join a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future of the College of Media at Illinois January 14, 2026 As the College of Media approaches its 100th anniversary, we celebrate our proud legacy and commit to advancing the next era of media education and research. Illinois Media graduates have informed the public, shaped culture, advanced technology, […]

Illinois announces first dual-credit initiative, bringing media and other courses to high school students

January 8, 2025 Understanding the role of popular television shows and movies in society—and in students’ own lives—is a central focus of a high-enrollment 100-level course in the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, the media and cinema studies course “Introduction to Popular TV and Movies” […]

Independent journalist Chris Cillizza to visit the University of Illinois for a conversation on political reporting

November 10, 2025 Chris Cillizza, an independent news creator on Substack and YouTube, will be on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus for a conversation about reporting on politics and independent journalism on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 5-6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and is presented by the Richard and Leslie […]

2025-26 Ebert Fellows announced

November 4, 2025 | Giuliana Means, Communications Intern Each fall, the Roger Ebert Fellowship program selects three College of Media undergraduate students to participate in the yearlong fellowship that aims to shape their skills in critical writing through immersion in the film industry. The Roger Ebert Fellows chosen for the 2025-26 academic year are Paige […]

Media literacy research and engagement initiatives address societal challenges

October 29, 2025 Faculty and graduate students across the College of Media are pursuing a range of activities aimed at understanding challenges to media literacy and developing interventions to improve it. Recent activities include: A team including Michelle Nelson, professor of advertising, Amanda Ciafone, associate professor of media and cinema studies, Stephanie Craft, professor of […]

Illinois Public Media’s magazine program ‘Prairie Fire’ wins five regional Emmys

October 28, 2025 Prairie Fire, a magazine program produced by WILL-TV at Illinois Public Media, was awarded five regional Emmys across five categories at the 2025 Mid-America Regional Emmy Awards, including “Best Magazine Program” in the region. “Our win for Magazine Program for the second year in a row is a real thrill for the […]

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