University News

2015 Distinguished Faculty Lecture Tonight

March 30, 2015

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MACOMB, IL -- Western Illinois University 2015 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi, will present "Digitization and the Future of Media. In What Form Will Newspapers Survive?" at 7 p.m. today (Monday, March 30) in the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) Recital Hall on the Macomb campus.

Siddiqi, professor of journalism and public relations in the WIU Department of English and Journalism, will share the results of his studies on the impact of digitization on media content, readership and formats.

"Websites, blogging and various social media platforms are taking over the roles played by the traditional media," Siddiqi explained. "More people now receive their news, as well as entertainment, from YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Advertising revenue for traditional media is shrinking and the 'shape' of newspapers is changing," he said.

In his lecture, Siddiqi will emphasize the need for revising the journalism curriculum and teaching students about the new technologies, social media journalism and multimedia skills.

"The traditional newspaper audience exists far beyond those who buy print copies, and newspapers still serve an important function in our society," he added.

Siddiqi joined Western's faculty in 1987. In 2006, he became the director of Western's journalism program and served as chair for the English and journalism department (2009-10).


Posted By: Alisha Looney (AA-Looney@wiu.edu)
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