معرفی
Travis L. Dixon is the David L. Swanson Professor of Communication and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Department of Communication. A leading scholar in media effects, he specializes in analyzing racial stereotypes in traditional and digital media and their societal impacts. His work emphasizes how media representations influence public perception of race, crime, and cultural identity. Dixon holds a PhD in Communication from UC Santa Barbara, with prior degrees from UCLA.
His research interests span media stereotypes, news framing, and the intersection of race and media. Notable contributions include studies on Black criminality portrayals, rap music's sociocultural impact, and the role of social media in perpetuating stereotypes. He has authored/co-authored over 50 publications, including key works on media diversity and content analysis. Dixon serves on editorial boards of top journals like Communication Research and Howard Journal of Communications.
- Grants: Examined systemic distortions in news media framing of Black families (2016-2017) and police-community relations (2005-2008).
- Awards: First African American ICA Fellow (2019), NCA Top Paper (2015), and UIUC Mentorship Award (2011).
- Teaching: Courses include Introduction to Mediated Communication, Race and Mass Media, and Mass Communication Theory.
His recent work critiques racial inequities in media representation, with a focus on news and social platforms. Collaborations with community groups aim to address systemic biases. Dixon’s US Media and Diversity (2024) synthesizes his decades-long exploration of media’s role in shaping cultural narratives.
