This community online news and information project is devoted to investigative and enterprise coverage of social, justice, and economic issues in east central Illinois.

Through its website and social networks, CU-CitizenAccess offers the opportunity for members of the community—including citizens, journalists, and university students—to share news and information, raise and discuss important issues, and suggest solutions. The project also serves as a platform for new and innovative journalism techniques and practices.

Professor Brant Houston, the Knight Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting in the Department of Journalism, oversees the project. Houston served for more than a decade as the executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He is a co-founder of the Global Investigative Journalism Network and the Investigative News Network and advises nonprofits newsrooms in the U.S. and internationally.

The Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, officially launched in 2022, offers annual programming open to the public, including the Ebert Symposium, Ebert Lecture, film screenings, panel discussions, and other events.

Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, or Ebertfest, was co-founded in 1999 by Roger Ebert, a journalism alum and a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, and Chaz Ebert. Ebertfest is held every April at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Illinois, and features 12 film screenings followed by panel discussions with filmmaker guests. Producers, writers, actors, directors, and film lovers from around the world attend the festival and its associated events. The annual event is co-sponsored by the College of Media and Chaz Ebert.

Watch a retrospective of the festival.

The Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media, established in 2020, will develop students who are leaders in their professions by offering access to a diverse group of experts and practitioners through residencies and a speaker series, and by supporting outside learning opportunities such as professional immersion experiences, conference participation, and internships. The Frank Center will also enhance opportunities for the College of Media to engage with the public on pressing issues.

Illinois Public Media is a not-for-profit public media service of the College of Media at the University of Illinois, educating, entertaining, inspiring, and empowering by airing the best of public television and radio programs, producing local content for broadcast and online, and working with community partners to address needs and concerns. Find programming on WILL-AM 580, WILL-FM 90.9, WILL-FM 101.1, WILL-TV, and will.illinois.edu.

The locally-produced monthly TV program Prairie Fire features cinematic documentaries, profiles and performances from downstate Illinois. Hear Central Illinois news headlines on 217 Today every weekday. The 21st Show is a public radio talk show about news, culture, and stories that matter to Illinois. Illinois Soul amplifies Black voices, music, and culture throughout central Illinois.

The Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action (IMEDIA) is a project of faculty and students in the College of Media and the College of Education. IMEDIA studies existing media pedagogies and collaborates with community partners in developing media education research and practices. A member of the recently launched Illinois Media Literacy Coalition, IMEDIA aims to support teachers in integrating media analysis and production into their classes and building a robust critical media literacy curriculum in Illinois schools.

Several of the registered student organizations (RSOs) associated with the College of Media offer engagement opportunities to their membership. Students learn through hands-on experiences by working with not-for-profit organizations in the community. Others organize public lectures and presentations for the education of members and the community.

The Sandage Social Media Lab in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising provides integrated communications services to select clients in the Champaign-Urbana community. By participating in the Sandage Social Media Lab, advertising students receive hands-on digital marketing training, gain real-world experience, and opportunities to develop their professional portfolios. The goal is to help businesses optimize their online presence while connecting expertly trained students with employers, facilitating real-world learning experiences and investments in homegrown talent.