Travis L. Dixon, a professor and director of graduate studies in communication, will deliver the annual College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean’s Distinguished Lecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on March 23.
Dixon’s talk, titled “The Centrality of Media Stereotyping and How It Impacts Us,” will examine the power of media stereotypes and stereotyping over our collective consciousness. He will explore how news and race imagery drive political polarization and distort our notions of social reality. His talk will focus on the relationship between stereotypical portrayals in the media, crime policy, and political decision-making.
Much of Dixon’s research focuses on the prevalence of stereotypes in the mass media and the impact of stereotypical imagery on audience members. He also has partnered with community groups that address racial inequality. In 2019, he became the first African American scholar inducted as a fellow of the International Communication Association, one of the highest honors in his discipline.
The lecture will be at 4 p.m. March 23 at Foellinger Auditorium, 709 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana.
Dixon’s talk will also be livestreamed. A reception will follow from 5-6 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged. To register or for more information, visit go.las.illinois.edu/LDDL-Dixon.
Guests needing disability-related accommodations to participate can request them by contacting las-rsvp@illinois.edu; participants are encouraged to submit requests as early as possible.
