Dafna Lemish
Sesame Workshop is known around the world for innovations in children’s media. It has become a leader in the field in large part because of the research behind program development. Beth Spezia, M.A. student in SIUC’s College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, has played an active role in a recent international collaborative research project designed to evaluate Sesame Street programs.
Spezia, who is the field representative for outreach for WSIU Public Broadcasting, is using data she gathered for an ethnographic study that is part of the larger summative research project as the basis for her thesis.
“Shalom Sesame is a cultural adaptation of Sesame Street that teaches U.S. families about Jewish life and Israel.” said Spezia. “This new version of the program is designed to reflect life in the Jewish community in this country.”
Spezia said the program uses both English and Hebrew languages. It contains messages for youth about doing good deeds and acts of charity, as well as provides educational information about Jewish traditions and practices.
She credits the arrival of Dr. Dafna Lemish, professor and chair of the Radio Television department, as the catalyst for the study coming to SIU Carbondale. Professor Lemish is a leading scholar in the field of children’s media, with her work covering and recognized around the world. This is a project that Lemish was working on when she arrived in 2010.
“The project is more than just research; ” said Lemish. “beyond an academic experience, we are collaborating with the industry and we will have an impact on children’s programming.”
Lemish explained one of the goals of the study is to explore how media can help children from a social minority group gain understanding and pride in their cultural history. The study should also help parents of these children to better pass on their heritage.
“The research project asks, ‘How does Shalom Sesame fit into the lives of Jewish families in the U.S.?’,” said Spezia. “A series of three home visits with each of 10 Jewish families in southern Illinois and Georgia allowed us to interview children and parents. This helped us to identify what parts of the program are best received.”
Complimenting the ethnographic study in the larger project are a survey of east coast viewers and an in-depth look at Rechov Sumsum, the Israeli version of the program.
“We are providing Sesame Workshop with information that will help them make decisions about production and distribution,” said Spezia. “This is such a great opportunity to have a direct impact on children’s television program’s content.”
Spezia added this project is a good example of SIUC bringing what has been learned through research back to the community through programming. She said it helps audiences understand that research is integrated with the local community.
“This is real, practical work affecting families in southern Illinois,” said Spezia. “We are in a living laboratory. With a project like this, the outcome can reach across the globe and touch families here.”
Spezia found that parents in Jewish families like the program because it helps them to connect with their faith and pass on traditions to their children. It also helps families to feel a sense of community in a geographic region where there are not many Jewish people. Shalom Sesame fills a gap in the lives of Jewish families who do not have easy access to educational resources about their culture.
“It is fantastic to be a part of this important project that goes beyond the classroom into the homes of families,” said Spezia. “With Professor Lemish’s leadership we are able to recruit more students into the field of children’s media; and we are growing the program.”
Lemish added this project was a great opportunity for she and Spezia to learn about each other, as well as the families involved.
“I am Jewish. Beth is not,” said Lemish. “She was able to learn about me and my culture in a new way. I learned about her as well. The cultural discussions we have had add so much to our understanding and to the research.”
Lemish hopes to do more research like this in the future.
“We hope this will lead to other collaborative projects with Sesame Workshop and other children’s media producers,” said Spezia. “This, and projects like this, are positioning the College as an important participant in dialogue and development of children’s media in the U.S.”
Top image: Logo for Shalom Sesame. Bottom image: The Hebrew alphabet.
Professor Dafna Lemish, chair of the Radio-Television Department in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, participated in the First Global Symposium on Gender in Media in New York, NY on Sept. 23. The event was organized and hosted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media.
The Institute invited Lemish to attend the symposium and moderate a panel on Global Television. The panel showcased research and discussion about the best practices in gender representations in children’s television, according the Institute website. A second panel addressing issues of stereotypes in global filmmaking, and a keynote address from the Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning actor, Geena Davis were also a part of the event.
“The event was a collaboration between the Geena Davis Institute, and several organizations including CPB and had heavy presence of UN participants as well,” said Lemish. “This was a chance to meet with industry professionals, non-profit organization members, and academic audience members to discuss issues of gender in media.”
Davis, known for portraying strong female characters in films such as Thelma and Louise and A League of Their Own, founded the Institute in 2004. According to the Institute website, Davis started the foundation after viewing children’s television programs with her daughter. She was astonished by the lack of quality female characters in the programming. She hopes to raise awareness of issues related to gender in media and to advocate for more equality and quality in representation of women in media.
“I was asked to participate due to my research related to gender in media and children’s television,” said Lemish. “It was a very satisfying experience to meet with people in the industry and to see how this program raised awareness of gender equity. I feel the next time these professionals produce something they will think about these issues.”
Lemish said she was one of only two academic researchers participating in the panel discussions. While she was surprised to hear from so many participants that this information was new to them, she was still very pleased with the overall response.
Lemish, who wrote Screening Gender on Children’s Television, joined the SIU Carbondale College of Mass Communication and Media Arts in the summer 2010 as the R-TV Chair. She is also involved in a UNICEF project on how to produce good quality communication for children’s. This project is currently being launched globally.
For more information on the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media, you can visit the website at www.thegeenadavisinstitute.org. For more information on the UNICEF project that was launched on November 4th, continue to check the MCMA website or visit the following website www.unicef.org/cwc.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The hard work and dedication of Southern Illinois University Carbondale students involved with “alt.news 26:46” continue to earn professional recognition.
The student-produced television program earned two nominations for regional Emmys earlier this week from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter Emmy Awards. The award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine earned nominations in the magazine program and specialty program categories.
Alt.news has earned an Emmy in the competition’s magazine news show category the past four straight years, and five out of the last six years.
In addition to the student recognition, Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television and documentary unit director, earned three nominations for her half-hour documentary “The Tragedy of Bataan,” which aired in spring 2010 on WSIU-TV. Thompson is also the alt.news 26:46 faculty adviser.
Thompson earned nominations in the documentary/historical; musical composition/arrangements; and writer: program/program feature (non-news) categories. The documentary features first-hand accounts from 15 Bataan Death March survivors. Between 5,000 and 15,000 of the more than 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners did not survive the 65-mile forced march in the spring of 1942.
The 35th annual awards ceremony is Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis. Actress Nikki Boyer, who also earned a regional Emmy and is a graduate of Webster University in St. Louis, will host the awards.
The chapter is comprised of television markets primarily in Southern Illinois, central Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, and surrounding designated market areas, or DMAs, according to event organizers.
Alt.news’ tradition continues with the nominations for professional Emmys, said Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts.
“We couldn't be more proud of these students who research, create, and produce this award- winning program year after year,” he said. “Literally hundreds of students have been involved with alt.news since its inception and it is a great example of the hands-on opportunities that our students have in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. These folks go on to be the media industries leaders of the future.”
The continuing success is a source of pride, said Dafna Lemish, chair of the Department of Radio-Television.
“They are a dedicated, hard-working and creative group of students who are just committed to producing exciting and meaningful media content,” Lemish said. “It only goes to show how the hands-on opportunities provided to our students, combined with talents and hard work, give them a huge advantage in the professional world even before they make their first step in the market searching for jobs.”
The student nominations are for outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2011.
“It’s always exciting to see the students recognized for their hard work and their talent. It’s even more exciting when it’s in the professional world,” Thomson said.
Dylan Damian and Kelly E. Reed were the program’s executive producers for the two shows nominated. Damian, who is from Carbondale, is a senior with a double major in television production and cinema, and will graduate in May 2012. Reed, who is from Grayslake, graduated in May with a degree in cinema.
The alt.news 26:46 magazine program nominee is for episode 1203, which aired Jan. 30. The episode includes a look at the Hotel Louisville Downtown, which is not only a full-service hotel, but also serves as a transitional living facility for women and families, charging only a penny a night; the Museum of Bad Art in Boston, the history of pinball machines, and Eoto, an “electronic dubstep band.” The episode captured the national student College Television Award for the best collegiate television magazine news show in the nation at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s 32nd annual College Television Awards in April. Segment producers for the show were Susan Shirclifff, Kevin Ryan, Jenna Tromburg, and Kathryn Voves.
Shircliff is a senior in cinema from Prospect, Ky.; Ryan is a senior in cinema from Springfield; Tromburg is a senior in cinema from Centennial, Colo., and Voves is a sophomore in cinema from Glen Ellyn.
The specialty program nominee is for episode 1205, which aired March 27, and took a look at the music scene with “Less Than Jake,” “Here Come the Mummies,” “The Punch Brothers,” and “Dickwolf.” Segment producers for the program were Shircliff and Ryan.
According to current alt.news records, the show won five national College Television Award in the last 12 years -- 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, and 2011, to go with two second-place finishes and one third-place finish. In addition, since 2001, the program has earned 29 regional Emmys -- 27 from NATAS’ Mid-America chapter in St. Louis, and two from the Chicago Midwest Chapter.
The program begins its 13th season Oct. 9 with the season premiere set for 10 p.m. on WSIU-TV Channel 8. More information is available at http://an2646.com/. Damian, Beth Radtke, a junior in television production from Tinley Park, and Kyle Loughrin, a senior in television production from Loves Park, are the executive producers.
Thompson’s work, meanwhile, sets a tone as an example for the students, Lemish said.
“She herself is an active documentarian who is putting out high-quality work on topics of social significance that attracts national attention well beyond our region,” Lemish said. “Her recent work ‘The Tragedy at Bataan’, being nominated for three different awards brings her -- as well as the department of Radio-TV as a whole -- great prestige and pride. With so many award-winning and dedicated faculty and students, this is a great place to be in for your professional education these days.”
During the project, Thompson interviewed more than 65 veterans over a 17-year period.
“It’s nice to be recognized in the best historical documentary category, but it’s even more special when you are recognized for writing the music and writing the script,” Thompson said.
“Professor Thompson's new project on the Bataan Death March will be recognized as the definitive media piece on this tragic chapter in history,” Kolb said. “We are very proud of her determination to bring recognition to the heroic efforts of the American and Filipino soldiers who lost their lives and those who struggled through this tragedy. She continues to be a mainstay of our documentary production tradition at SIUC.”
An updated version of the half-hour documentary will air nationally on PBS stations this fall with actor Alec Baldwin doing the narration. WSIU-TV will broadcast the documentary at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11.
After years of research in the realm of children and media, Dr. Dafna Lemish recognized what she calls a “disconnect” between communities of scholars, like her, working in this area. To help remedy the situation and to bring communities together from multiple disciplines (e.g., media studies, developmental psychology, education, sociology of childhood, health studies, etc); she founded the Journal of Children and Media.
“There were silos of information on the topic but they were isolated and scholars in various disciplines did not know about research in other areas,” Lemish said. “The purpose of the Journal of Children and Media is to bring these scholars together and to provide a central place for people in all disciplines to be published and thus develop awareness.”
The journal was first published in 2007. It is a quarterly, academic-refereed journal. Articles come from around the world and address multiple issues in a variety of methodologies all tied to children and media. “The journal is a meeting ground for multiple disciplines,” said Lemish. “Topics vary but the focus remains on children and adolescents and media.” For example, among the topics in the recent issues, you can find studies on babies learning from videos, sexualized language and imagery in films viewed by teens, pre-school programs viewed by Spanish-speaking families, sexting on mobile phones, media and adolescent stress, viewing television and childhood obesity, and many more.
According to the purpose statement, the scope of the journal specifically looks at: “Children as consumers of media, representations of children in the media, and media organizations and productions for children as well as by them.”
Lemish says that topics deal with youth 18 years old and younger.
Lemish is the founding editor of the publication. As the editor she receives all the submissions and coordinates the review process. A triple blind review process is used, meaning that the reviewers and the authors do not know who the other ones are. Currently, there are over 200 academic reviewers for the publication.
An editorial board of 35 scholars from around the world helps to provide direction and input to the journal.
“My job as the editor is to develop the policy for the journal as it maps the field and to make sure submissions get a fair review,” said Lemish. “It is not uncommon for reviewers to disagree, so I then have to weigh in. I will follow up with the submitting scholar and either ask for revisions or explain why the article will not be published.”
Lemish, professor and chair of the Radio-TV Department in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts at SIUC, also teaches in this area of her specialty, children and media. She sees herself in the role of mentor to scholars who submit articles to the journal.
“I try to give constructive, positive feedback,” said Lemish. “Articles are hard work and it can be a blow to the ego, not to mention to one’s career, to not get published. So, I try to make this a learning and growing experience.”
It can take some time for an article to be published in the journal. Lemish says it is about an 18 month to two-year process from submission to publication date when you take into account revisions and the waiting list for publication.
She is currently accepting articles to fill the 2012 issues and soliciting for 2013.
“We are looking at some options for our website, that might make online publication possible, so scholars do not have to wait for the print version for publication,” said Lemish. “But that will be in the future.”
For more information about the Journal of Children and Media, or for submission details visit the website: www.tandf.co.uk/journals/jocam. A full set of the journal issues to date has been donated by Lemish to Morris library and can be accessed there.
Jay Needham's radio documentary Listening at the Border aired on Feb. 12th on Australia's ABC National Radio program 360 Documentaries.
Jay presented several of his sound works and a lecture titled Several Alternate Histories of Place in Chicago to The Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology on Feb. 18th
Cologne based curator Wilfried Agricola Cologne is featuring Jay Needham's piece OPENED during the month of February as a part of “Horror Vacui? - What is Happening Next?” along with eight other US based artists.
The nomination made by Associate Dean Deborah Tudor and Dafna Lemish of Amy Goodman, (an independent American broadcast journalist and investigative reporter one of the founders and principle hosts of Democracy Now! The War & Peace Report) for the University Honorary Degree was approved by the university. Amy Goodman has been invited for the May Commencement Ceremony of MCMA.
Lisa Brooten gave an invited presentation entitled: Democratization in Thailand: The Role of the Media in Asia to the Peoria Area World Affairs Council, Peoria, Illinois. Thursday, February 17, 2011.
David Burns was awarded a $3,000.00 William A. Minor Grant, for his research-creative project Chrysalis.
David Burns exhibited his 3D animation, Rebirth, at the Allen Priebe Art Gallery's National Juried Exhibition, Systems.
David Burns' 3D computer animation student, Will Roberts, was selected and participated as a student ambassador at SIGGRAPH Asia in Seoul, Korea.
John Hochheimer was invited to join the editorial board of research materials Spirituality of a Personality, methodology, theory and practice.
We are delighted to announce that Ms. Jean Elder, of the Department of Radio-Television, was awarded this year’s prestigious University-Level Outstanding Civil Service Staff Award.
In her nomination letter, Professor Dafna Lemish, Chair of the Department, wrote, among other things: “Ms. Jean Elder has excelled in her performance consistently and systematically in every aspect of her duties … She is skilled in finance, administration, and managing interpersonal relationships … She is always helpful, supportive, trustworthy, ethical, and knowledgeable … She has a fantastic sense of humor, a deep compassion for fellow humans, and an impressive sense of modesty. I truly cannot imagine the Department of Radio-Television going through this tough last decade without her. She is the “pulse” of the department … I can say unequivocally that I cannot think of an employee more deserving of this award.”
Congratulations to Jean! We are all so very fortunate to have worked with her and are proud of her accomplishment!
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A symposium next week at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will take a look at gender issues in children’s media.
David Kleeman, president of the American Center for Children and Media, is among the panelists for the discussion that will focus on gender equity in children’s cartoons and other television programming.
The discussion is from 3 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, in the Communications Building, Studio A. The topic, “Boys Are … Girls Are …: Gender Equity in Children’s Media,” is sponsored by SIUC’s Department of Radio-Television, the Global Media Research Center, WSIU, and the Women’s Studies program. Admission is free, and the public is welcome.
Dafna Lemish, professor and chair of the Department of Radio-Television, said research suggests that what children watch continues to reinforce stereotypes.
“It’s an issue because when you look at television programming for children around the world there is a very prominent inequality that starts with just the numbers -- in the number of characters who are boys and the number of characters who are girls, suggesting that girls are marginal to society” she said. "But it is not only the numbers -- but also the stereotypes associated with girls and boys that are the problem" she said.
Lemish, and Sarah Lewison, an assistant professor in radio-television, will also participate in the discussion. Rachel Gartner, news director for WSIU’s River Region Evening News, will moderate.
“Children see media, and television most of all, as a window to the world; if there are flaws in that window, they may not have the perspective, experience or media literacy to recognize them,” Kleeman said. “So, it’s content creators’ responsibility to reflect honestly the diversity in children’s world, and to avoid stereotypes or representations that could lead young people to conclude that they are not important, or are limited in their potential.”
International research, which Lemish was involved with, shows girls and women are under-represented in children’s television, he said.
“U.S. research shows that females are more limited in their range of roles, and often over-sexualized even in children’s and family shows and film,” Kleeman said.
Kleeman will show a selection of short clips from children’s television programs from other countries, drawn from the worldwide children’s television festival, PRIX JEUNESSE, which occurs every two years.
The festival doesn’t usually draw the most popular programs, but people submit shows “that reflect their culture or deal with substantive topics,” Kleeman said. He plans to use one hour of segments as a “conversation starter” with the audience “on the inter-relationship of culture and media and how it influences stories and portrayals around gender.”
For more information, call the Department of Radio-Television at 618/536-5454 or the Global Media Research Center at 618/453-7709.
Lemish said that Sunday, March 6, is UNICEF’s annual International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, where broadcasters throughout the world are encouraged to devote a day to quality programming for children.
From 8:30 to 9 a.m. on Sunday, WSIU-TV will air a compilation of approximately 20, one-minute spots produced by youth from around the world, most of which focus on the child’s everyday life, said Monica Tichenor, the public information and promotions coordinator for WSIU Public Broadcasting.
WSIU Radio is airing a series of special UNICEF radio features produced by African students associated with UNICEF’s youth radio initiative. The features explore what life is like growing up in Africa. The three- to five-minute features will air at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., starting Wednesday, March 2, and running through Friday, March 24, Tichenor said.
In addition, an interview by WSIU Radio’s Jennifer Fuller featuring Kleeman and Lemish is available on podcast at www.wsiu.org/
Kleeman will also discuss gender equity in broadcasting for women in an interview with Gartner that will air on WSIU-TV’s “InFocus,” which will air at 9 p.m., Friday, March 11. The segment will rebroadcast at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, March 13.
Cinzia Padovani has published the following:
John Hochheimer has published:
“Communication, Reconciliation and the Human Spirit:
Reconnecting Without and Within Through Five Media Forms" in "Media, Spiritualities and Social Change," edited by Stewart, M. Hoover and Monica Emerich. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2011
Dafna Lemish has published:
Lisa Brooten has published:
4 items in the Sage Encyclopedia of Social Movement Media (2011) edited by John D.H. Downing and published by Thousand Hills, CA: Sage.
Bev Love presented two papers at The Hawai'i International Conference on Arts & Humanities, (Jan 9-12, 2011) : Black Characters Say "Ain't," White Characters Say "Isn't": Black Representation In Media; as well as The Inclusion of Bloom's Taxonomy In State Learning Standards: A content Analysis.
Eileen R. Meehan was one of four scholars invited to participate in Fudan University's International Symposium on Critical Communications Research in Shanghai, China from December 15-16, 2010. Meehan presented research on "Cultural Studies and Critical Communications Research" at the symposium and lectured to approximately 200 students on the topic "Markets: Theory versus Practice."
Paul Torre attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during the first week in January as part of his research into new and emerging media technologies. The Consumer Electronics Association provided him with an all-access pass which made the trip significantly more affordable.
Dafna Lemish participated in the Fred Forward Roundtable: Collaboration around a national framework for excellence in children’s media. Fred Rogers Center, Northwestern University, Erikson Institute, American Center for Children and Media and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Chicago (January 2011)
We get various faculty updates with publications and conference presentations. Here is a list of some events from November of 2010.
Radio-Television - RT Chair Dafna Lemish
Dafna Lemish gave a keynote address about media in the lives of immigrant families and children at a European Union Network of Communication Researchers in Lisbon
Radio-Television - H.D. Motyl
H.D. Motyl latest video work, Nudes Descending a Staircase # 2, was selected for the 8th Annual PPP [Process Performance Projection] exhibition at the Surplus Gallery at SIUC. The show, which ran Nov 2-5 is curated by faculty members from the School of Art and Design, SIUC. This piece is also in the annual Combined Faculty Exhibit at the University Museum, running until Dec 14.
Radio-Television - H.D. Motyl
H.D. Motyl was selected to participate in the Faculty Seminar, presented and coordinated the Emmy Foundation, a branch of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He, along with 19 other faculty members from colleges and universities across the country, had direct access to the movers and shakers of the Los Angeles television industry, including showrunners, network program schedulers, writers, directors, editors and producers of current TV programming.
Radio-Television - David R. Burns
David R. Burns was invited to present his paper, Borders, surveillance, and control in the digital age, and digital animation, Visit-US, at "Soft Borders Conference & Festival – Upgrade! International 2010" in São Paulo, Brazil. “Soft Borders” is an international conference and festival for new media art, and art related technology under umbrella of the Upgrade! International network of new media artists and curators.
Radio-Television - David R. Burns
David R. Burns exhibited his digital animation, Visit-US, at the SIUC Museum Combined Faculty Exhibition.
Radio-Television - Eileen R. Meehan
Eileen R. Meehan presented a paper on “A Legacy of Neoliberalism: Transindustrial Conglomeration in the Entertainment-Information Sector of the U.S. Economy” at the Historical Materialism Conference hosted by the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London on 12 November 2010.
Radio-Television - John Hochheimer
John Hochheimer attended the annual convention of the National Communictaion Association in San Francisco November 14-17.
He chaired two sessions:
SIU Foundation