news and events
Barry Vacker's essay selected as text for Peter Grasner's book
Barry Vacker's essay, "Lone Stars, Lost Amidst the Big Bang," was selected as the text for SIGNS, the latest photography book by Peter Granser. The book is being published this spring by the German art book publisher Hatje Cantz. Vacker's text is in both German and English. Photos from SIGNS are currently featured at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, as well as several galleries in Germany. Amazon link and Hatje Cantz site
Renee Hobbs and MMC doctoral student co-author guide
MMC doctoral student Kelly Mendoza and BTMM professor Renee Hobbs co-authored the study guide for WGBH's "Growing Up Online." The guide will have an online interactive quiz for parents, readings, and a discussion guide for the film. Look for it online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/
Study of health messages and North Philadelphia Latinos
“Interpretations of Health Messages among North Philadelphia Latinos,” a study of how Philadelphia Puerto Ricans interpret media messages about smoking, was recently concluded. This project was also called “Speaking of Health/Hablando de Salud.” It was funded through a Pennsylvania Department of Health grant to Temple from the money that the tobacco industry is paying states to settle health-related lawsuits. The study was directed by BTMM faculty member Nancy Morris, as Principal Investigator, with BTMM professor Renee Hobbs as Co-Principal Investigator. Over the course of the four-year project, SCT graduate students Dawn Gilpin, Melissa Lenos, Suman Mishra, Pamela Poe, Tom Polcari, and Silvia Valkova also participated in this research. Information about the project is available at the Web site.
Vacker's documentary included in Cinema du Reel fest in Paris
Barry Vacker's experimental documentary, "Space Times Square" was selected for inclusion in the Videotheque at the 2008 Cinema du Reel Festival (March 2-18) in Paris, at the Centre Pompidou. According to Cinema du Reel, the film was one of 300 selected (out of 2500 entrants) to be in the Videotheque for showings to "journalists, buyers, programmers and cinema owners, both french and international."
Renee Hobbs delivers keynote at Visual Competence Symposium
Renee Hobbs gave a keynote address entitled “Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks Affecting the Development of Media Literacy Education” at a 3-day invitational symposium on Visual Competence at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany. The conference was organized by Dr. Marion Muller, chair of the Visual Communication Division of the International Communication Association (ICA). Participants included distinguished scholars including Daniel Glaser of the Wellcome Trust UK, Kenneth Holmqvist (Sweden), Lucia Santaella Braga (Brazil), Gunther Kress (UK), Peter Ludes (Germany) and art historians Stephen Eisenman (US) and Ursula Frohne (Germany). Scholars gathered to explore the concept of visual competence from diverse perspectives in art history, neuroscience, media studies, psychology, and sociology. A forthcoming book on visual competence will result from the symposium.
Renee Hobbs and Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy
The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy was funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Professor Hobbs' co-principal investigators were Peter Jaszi of the program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property in the American University Washington College of Law,and Pat Aufderheide of the Center for Social Media at American University School of Communication. View the press release.
Renee Hobbs wins Outstanding Media Educator Award
"Common Sense Media," an AMLA organizational member, recently announced their 2007 "ONnie" and "OFFul" awards for the best and worst in media this year. The group also announced the winner of the Outstanding Media Educator Award, which was none other than our own Renee Hobbs.
Barry Vacker writes and directs experimental documentary film
Barry Vacker's experimental documentary film, SPACE TIMES SQUARE, was accepted for screening during the 2007 International Digital Media and Arts Conference, held this year in Philadelphia. Barry was the writer and director.
The film will screen in a juried art exhibit called: iDEAs 07: Beyond Boundaries. The exhibit, including an array of digital art, is being held at the F.U.E.L. Collection on Thursday and Friday, November 8-9.
SPACE TIMES SQUARE is 24 minutes long and will be screened in a one hour loop (with several other films) as an installation. Thus, there should be screenings every hour while the gallery is open.
Barry Vacker has book chapter and essay published
Congratulations to BTMM faculty member Barry Vacker, whose chapter entitled "Slugging Nothing: Fighting the Future in Fight Club" will be included in the book Fight Club and Philosophy (tentative title), edited by Read Mercer Schuchardt and published by Benbella Books, as part of their Smart Pop series. The book is due out in 2007. Barry's critical art and media essay "Vanishing Points, Between Pixel and Paradise" was included in Margery Amdur's book The Spaces Between (of Vincent and Other Things). Amdur is a professor of art at Rutgers-Camden, and in the book, five international scholars theorize Amdur's art installations which toured in Manchester, Florence, and Krakow in 2005.
Jan Fernback coordinates forum with the FCC
On January 18, members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) participated in a public forum at Temple University in Philadelphia on media ownership, diversity, and consolidation, one of six public hearings in geographically diverse locations around the country. The FCC is required to periodically review and call for comment on its broadcast ownership rules and to seek arguments and factual data about their impact on competition, localism, and diversity. The forum began with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Concetta Stewart, dean of Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater. Panelists included Federal Communications Commissioners Michael J. Copps and Jonathan S. Adelstein, as well as other media and community leaders. The forum was hosted by Media Tank, Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater, and Temple University’s Institute for Public Affairs. For more information on media ownership and diversity, visit Media Tank.
Pereira wins Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship
Congratulations to Tracy Pereira, BTMM MA grad and current FMA MFA student, who was recently awarded the Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship. Every year the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in association with Ernst & Young LLP, awards two upper division undergrad or graduate students scholarships of $10,000 each to pursue a career in children’s media that furthers the values and principles of Fred Rogers´ work. Tracy is interested in studying communication between children on a global scale that would further goals of traditional and non-traditional literacy, expression, empowerment and interaction. BTMM professor Eugene Martin served as advisor.