February 07, 2007

Downing to deliver honors lecture on Feb. 20

by Phillip Ho

drowning

John Downing

CARBONDALE, Ill. – John Downing, founder and director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Global Media Research Center, will deliver the University Honors Distinguished Lecture at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the Student Center Auditorium. A reception and book signing will follow his talk. The events are free and open to the public.

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Media Advisory

  • Members of the media are welcome to attend a news conference featuring Downing at 3 p.m. on Feb. 20 in the Student Center Ohio Room. For more information, contact University Honors Program Associate Director Lori Merrill-Fink at 618/453-1688 or lomerfi@siu.edu.

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Downing's lecture is entitled, "The Imperiled 'American': visual culture, nationality and U.S. foreign policy." A prolific scholar and speaker of six languages, Downing studies the globalization of cultural production and consumption, communication policies, international communication, alternative media and social movements. He serves on the executive editorial board of the journal "Global Media and Communication."

Downing, who is also a professor of media studies in the SIUC College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, also is the author of "Radical Media: rebellious communication and social movements."

Downing holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Oxford University and master's and doctoral degrees from London School of Economics and Political Science.