Minabere Ibelema, Ph.D.
Phone: (205) 934-6297
E-mail: [email protected]
EDUCATION
Ph.D. (1984)
Mass/International Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus. Studies in mass
communication processes, mass media and national development, national communication
policies, politics of international communication, wire service processes, and international
organization.
M.A. (1980)
Mass Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus. Studies in mass communication
processes and media industry structure.
B.A. (1979)
Mass Media Communication, Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio. Liberal arts studies,
with emphasis on journalism and radio/TV production.
HONORS/AWARDS
2009
Sigma Delta Chi Award in Research (in Journalism), Society of Professional Journalists.
1997
UAB School of Arts and Humanities nominee for the President’s Teaching Excellence
Award.
1993
Sigma Delta Chi Award in Research (in Journalism), Society of Professional Journalists (for
an edited volume I contributed to).
Spring 1992
Booth Library Fellow, Eastern Illinois University.
1982
Honorable mention, California Institute of Technology’s Munger Africana Library African
Thesis Competition.
1980
Award for Academic Excellence, Office of Minority Affairs, Ohio State University, 1980.
FELLOWSHIP
Sum. 1991
Cox Fellow, American Press Institute Minority Journalism Educators Fellowship, API
Center, Reston, VA. Ten days of intensive lecture/discussion of trends in journalism and
journalism education, featuring major journalists and educators.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
10/01 - Present Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Alabama at
Birmingham. Teach the courses Media and Society, Media Law, Feature Writing, Newspaper
Editing & Design, and News Writing, International Mass Media.
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9/95-10/01
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Alabama at
Birmingham.
8/91 - 8/95
Associate Professor, Department of Journalism, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston.
Taught International Journalism, Journalism and Democracy, Minorities and the Media,
Feature Writing, and News I.
11/92 - 7/95
Director, Dow Jones Journalism Workshop for Minority High School Students, Eastern
Illinois University.
5/90 - 6/91
Associate Professor of Communication (tenured), Department of English, Theatre and
Communication, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio. Taught a wide range of
communication courses, including reporting, feature writing, radio/TV production, media
law, international media.
9/84 - 5/90
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Theatre and Communication, Central State
University.
1988 - 1990
Media Writing Instructor, Governor’s Summer Institute for Gifted and Talented High School
Students, Central State University.
9/79 - 6/84
Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Communication, Ohio State University.
Assisted in teaching radio/TV production courses and communication and society.
Sum. 1983
Adjunct Instructor, Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio. Taught radio production and
freshman English.
Sum. 1983
Instructor, Upward Bound Program, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ADVISING
2005 – 2006
Faculty editor, Our Times, a newsletter of the UAB High School Journalism Workshop.
1997- 2001
Editor, Currents, annual newsletter for the alumni of UAB Department of Communication
Studies.
1/98 - 6/98
Copy editor (part-time), The Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL
8/91 - 8/95
Faculty adviser, Minority Today, monthly student newspaper, Eastern Illinois University.
Provided guidance on staffing, coverage; critiqued paper.
Sum. 1992
Reporter/copy editor, The Topeka Capital-Journal, Topeka, KS. Edited and wrote news
stories, features, and columns.
July 1991
American Press Institute intern, the Dayton (OH) Daily News. Wrote features and covered
breaking news.
1/89 - 6/91
9/84-6/86
Faculty adviser, The Gold Torch, Central State University’s bi-weekly student
newspaper. Supervised news-gathering, writing, copyediting and layout using desktop
publishing.
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4/87 - 6/91
Editor, ASC, the newsletter of the College of Arts and Sciences, Central State University.
1988 - 1990
Editor, The Seed, a publication of the Governor's Summer Institute for Gifted and Talented
High School Students. Edited and produced newsletter on Pagemaker.
Sum. 1987
American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) intern, The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA.
Copy-edited and wrote features and columns.
4/85 - 12/85
Stringer, Dayton Daily News/The Journal Herald, Dayton, OH. Covered a suburban city
council and school board; wrote other features.
Sum. 1985
ASNE intern, The Kentucky Post, Covington. Copy-edited, wrote news stories, editorials and
columns. Filled in for the editorial page editor while she was on vacation; edited and laid out
editorial page.
1/80 - 4/82
Contributing columnist, The Lantern, Ohio State University’s student newspaper.
1/79 - 7/79
Editor, The Wilberforce Mirror, Wilberforce University’s student newspaper. Oversaw news
coverage, editing, layout, and production; wrote news stories, features, columns, and
editorials.
1/77 - 1/79
Reporter, The Wilberforce Mirror. Wrote features and hard news.
Sum. 1978
Editor, I-Sight, a general interest magazine published irregularly by Wilberforce University’s
Mass Media Program.
Have contributed numerous feature and editorial articles to several other newspapers, including The Christian
Science Monitor, The (St. Louis) Post Dispatch, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, The Columbus
(Ohio)Dispatch, the Nigerian Sunday Times, the Nigerian National Concord, and the Nigerian Tide.
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Books, Monographs, & Dissertations
“‘Tribal Fixation’ and Africa’s Otherness: Changes and Resilience in News Coverage,” Journalism &
Communication Monographs, Volume 16, No. 3 (Fall 2014).
Mass Media and Society in a Changing World. San Diego: Cognella, 2009.
The African Press, Civic Cynicism, and Democracy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
(Winner: Sigma Delta Chi Award in Research (in Journalism), Society of Professional Journalists.)
Afro-Optimism: Perspectives on Africa's Advances (co-editor). Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003.
“The Nigerian Press and June 12: Pressure and Performance,” Journalism and Communication Monographs,
Vol. 4, No. 4 (Winter 2003).
“Global News-Flow Issues: Towards a Convergent Perspective,” Doctoral Dissertation, The Ohio State
University, Columbus, 1984.
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“Mass Media in Nigeria: Towards a Development-Support Policy,” Master’s Thesis, The Ohio State
University, Columbus, 1980.
(Honorable Mention, California Institute of Technology’s Munger Africana Library African Thesis
Competition 1981.)
Chapters in Books
“(The Press and) Followership,” in Nigeria: 2009-2012 (edited by Osaghe Eghosa). Ibadan, Nigeria:
University of Ibadan Press (forthcoming).
“Sub-Saharan Africa” (lead author, with Tonja Bosch). In Global Journalism – Topical Issues and Media
Systems, 5th edition (edited by Arnold de Beer and John C. Merrill). Boston: Pearson, 2009.
“Neo-Pan-Africanism and Presidents Clinton’s and Bush’s Image in the Nigerian Press.” In Africa in the 21st
Century: Toward A New Future (edited by Ama Mazama). New York: Routledge, 2007.
“Sub-Saharan Africa (East, West, and South)” (lead author). In Global Journalism – Topical Issues and
Media Systems, 4th edition. Boston: Allen & Bacon, 2004.
"Nigerian Press Ethics and the Politics of Pluralism." In The Mission – Journalism, Ethics and the World, (ed.
by Joseph B. Atkins). Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 2002, Ch. 12.
“Perspectives on Mass Communication and Cultural Domination.” In Culture and Mass Communication in
the Caribbean: Domination, Dialogue, Dispersion, (ed. by Humphrey A. Regis). Gainesville: The
University Press of Florida, 2001, pp. 15-36.
"Zaire: Colonial Legacy, Autocracy and the Press" (co-author). In Communications and Press Freedom in
Africa (ed. by Festus Eribo and William Jong-Ebot). Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1997, pp. 303-321.
"Tribes and Prejudice: Coverage of the Nigerian Civil War." In Africa's Media Image (ed. by Beverly G.
Hawk). New York: Praeger, 1992, pp. 77-93.
“Identity Crisis: The African Connection in African-American Sitcom Characters.” In Signs of Life in the
USA: Readings in Popular Culture for Writers (ed. by Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon). Boston: Bedford
Books of St. Martins Press, 1994, pp. 198-208. Originally published in Sexual Politics and Popular
Culture (ed. by Diane Raymond). Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Press, 1990, pp.
121-130.
“Television in Family Life: Uses and Gratifications Paradigm Revisited.” In Using Media to Promote
Knowledge and Skills in Family Dynamics. Published papers presented at the conference on Media and
Family Dynamics, University of Dayton (Ohio), May 2-4, 1985, pp. 27-32.
Journal Articles
“The Press as a Watchdog of the People: Revisiting a Theoretical Triad,” Ecquid Novi: African Journalism
Studies, Vol. 33, No. 2 (July 2012), pp. 4-19.
“African Renaissance? Maybe Later,” International Journal of African Studies, Fall 2005, pp. 95-104.
“Roots Lyrics, Connectedness: Learning about the Caribbean Through Reggae Ambassadors,” Research and
Diversity Journal, Vol. 3, Spring 2004, pp. 13-21.
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“Press Freedom as A Logistical Notion” (lead author), Free Press Yearbook 2000, Volume 38 (2001), pp. 98115.
“Cable Television News Viewed as Most Credible” (lead author), Newspaper Research Journal, Winter
2001, pp. 41-51.
“Credibility of Radio News” (co-author), Journal of Radio Studies, Vol. 7, 2000, pp. 70-75.
"Nigeria: The Politics of Marginalization" Current History, May 2000, pp. 211-214,
“Becoming More Critical When Teaching About News Values,” Journalism & Mass Communication
Educator, Summer 2000, pp. 73-77.
"Quantitative Changes in Newsweek's and Time's Coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa: 1970's and 1980's."
Journal of African Communications, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Fall 1996) pp. 71-91.
"Professionalism and Risk Management: A Typology of Journalists in Developing Countries." Journal of
Development Communication, Vol. 5, No. 1 (June) 1994.
"'Today' in Africa" (co-author), ISSUE: A Journal of Opinion, Winter/Spring 1994.
Book Reviews
The Information Society and the Black Community, ed. by John T. Barber and Alice A. Tait., (Praeger, 2001),
in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly Summer 2001, pp. 392-394.
An Introduction to African Philosophy, by Samuel Oluoch Imbo, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1998) in
The International Journal of African Studies, Winter 2000, pp. 115-119.
Mass Media in Sub-Saharan Africa, by Louise M. Bourgault (Indiana Univ. Press, 1995) in Journalism
Quarterly, Spring 1996, pp. 255-256.
ACADEMIC EDITING AND REVIEWING
Book review editor, International Journal of African Studies (1997 - present)
Manuscript reviewer, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Minorities and
Communication Division, (1993 - present); AEJMC International Communication Division (1999 - ); African
Studies Review (1999 - ).
MAJOR POPULAR PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Columnist, Sunday Punch (Sunday edition of Nigeria’s largest circulating daily), December 2009 till present.
“My Candidate Lost, But My Vote Counted,” Newsweek (My Turn), April 25, 2005.
“The Best of Both Worlds,” Essence magazine (special men’s issue), Nov. 1998.
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"Rwanda: The Road to Africa's Redemption?" African Studies Newsletter, Fall 1994.
"Readers don't see the 'painstaking labor' that goes into the daily paper." ASNE Bulletin (a publication of the
American Society of Newspaper Editors), January 1986.
CONFERENCE PAPERS/PANELS
Discussant, “Social Networks and Civic Engagement,” the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO, August 9-13, 2011.
Discussant, “Politics and the Press,” the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, August 4-7, 2010.
Panelist, “The Role of Journalism and Journalist Diversity in Developing Nations,” the Association for
Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, August 5-8, 2009.
“Nigeria: A Hopeful Drive to Civic Probity.” Invited paper presented at the Conference on Cultural
Continuity and Change, Tufts University Culture Change Institute, Bedford, MA, October 24-26,
2008.
Discussant (in absentia), International Communication Division Panel, the Association for Education in
Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Meeting, Chicago, Aug. 2008.
“Civic Education as a Universal Press Ethic.” Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for
Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (International Communication Division), Washington,
DC, August 9-12, 2007.
Discussant, International Communication Division, Refereed Poster Session. 88th Annual Convention of the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, San Antonio, Texas. Aug. 10-13,
2005.
“Nigeria’s Broadcast News: A Fresher (or Still Stale) Air?” Paper presented at the joint Annual Meeting of
the African Studies Association and the Canadian Association of African Studies, New Orleans, LA, Nov.
11-14, 2004.
Discussant, International Communication and Newspaper Divisions, Refereed Poster Session. 87th Annual
Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Toronto, Ont. Aug.
4-7, 2004.
Discussant, Scholar-to-Scholar session (International Communication Division). 85th Annual Meeting of the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Washington, D.C., Aug. 7-10, 2002.
“Caribbean News in the African Press: Is No News Good News?” Paper presented at the 27th Annual
Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association, Nassau, Bahamas, May 27 – June 1, 2002.
“Roots Lyrics and Connectedness: Learning About the Caribbean in Nigerian Media.” Paper Presented at the
International Conference on Relationships Among Members of the World African Community, Tampa,
Florida, April 4-6, 2002
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"Welcoming a Visiting in-law: Racial Solidarity and President Clinton's Image in the Nigerian Press,"
refereed paper for presentation at the 84th Annual Convention of the Association for Education in
Journalism and Mass Communication, Washington, DC, Aug. 5-8, 2001.
"The African Diaspora and News Frames in Nigeria," Paper presented at the 26th Annual Conference of the
Caribbean Studies Association, St. Martin, Netherlands Antilles, May 27-June 2, 2001.
"Nigerian Press Framing of President Clinton's Visit: Racial Identification and National Diminution," paper
presented at the National Conference of the National Association of African American Studies, Houston,
TX, Feb. 12-17, 2001.
“Impediments to Development and Civic Journalisms,” paper presented at the 83rd Annual Convention of the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Phoenix, AZ, Aug. 9-12, 2000.
(With Larry Powell) “Audience Characteristics as Factors Affecting Credibility of Local and National
Media,” paper presented at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Eastern Communication Association,
Pittsburgh, PA, April 27-30, 2000.
Moderator, Panel on "Global Implications," Conference on Teaching Our Children African American Studies,
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Continuing Education Center, March 2-3, 2000.
Moderator/Discussant, Refereed Paper Session “Freedom of the Press in the World,” at the 82nd Annual
Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, New Orleans, LA,
Aug. 4-7, 1999.
“Public Relations Intervention and Africa’s Image in the U.S. Press,” paper presented at the 40th Meeting of
the African Studies Association, Columbus, OH, Nov. 13-16, 1997.
Respondent at panel: “The Teaching of the African History in the Secondary Schools of the Eastern
Caribbean,” at the 21st Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association Conference, San Juan,
PR, May 27 - 31, 1996.
"The Nigerian Press vs. Babangida and Abacha: The Interplay of Journalism Professionalism and Press
Freedom." Paper presented at the African Studies Association Conference, Orlando, FL, Nov. 3-6, 1995.
"Press Freedom in Nigeria: A Model for Africa?" Paper presented at the African Studies Association
Conference, Toronto, Canada, Nov. 3-6, 1994.
"Tradition and Modernity: The Inroads of Innovation." Paper presented at the Conference on Post-Colonial
Africa's Progress, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, Oct. 27-28, 1994.
"Somalia and Ethiopia: A New Order in Media Coverage?" Paper presented at the African Studies
Association conference, Boston, MA, Dec. 4-7, 1993.
"Cultural Domination by Re-Exportation: the Colonial, Communicative Context." Paper presented at the
Ninth Annual Intercultural and International Communication Conference, Miami, FL., May 19-21, 1992.
"Press Freedom in Africa: A Consensual Approach." Paper presented at the African Studies Association
Conference, St. Louis, MO., Nov. 23-26, 1991.
"Quantitative Changes in Time's and Newsweek's Coverage of Black Africa: 1970's and 1980's." Paper
presented at the Central States Communication Association Conference, Chicago, IL, April 11-14, 1991.
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"New Communication Technologies: Continuity and Minorities." Paper presented at the Popular Culture
Association Conference, Toronto, Ont., March 7-10, 1990.
Panelist: "Pedagogical Issues in New Communication Technologies," a symposium organized by Ohio State
University's Center for Advanced Study in Telecommunication and the (Ohio) Association of
Independent Colleges, Columbus, Ohio, July 27, 1989.
“Identity Crisis: The African Connection in African-American Sitcom Characters.” Paper presented at the
Popular Culture Association Conference, St. Louis, MO, April 4-6, 1989.
“Towards an Intercultural Syntax in Film-making.” Paper presented at the Midwest Popular Culture
Association Conference, Bowling Green, OH, Nov. 3-5, 1988.
“Professionalism as Risk-Management: A Typology of Third World Journalists.” Paper presented at the
Central States Communication Association Conference, Schaumburg, IL, April 14-16, 1988.
“Behind the Front Page and into the Bedroom: Another New Journalism.” Paper presented at the Popular
Culture Association Conference, New Orleans, LA, March 23-26, 1988.
“Television and the Reality of Vietnam: Critique of a Documentary.” Paper presented at the Popular Culture
Association Conference, Montreal, Que., March 25-29, 1987.
“Enhancing the Flow of Information through Government Participation: A Survey of Some National
Communication Policies.” Paper presented at the Speech Communication Association Conference,
Washington, DC, Nov. 10-13, 1983.
“The Global Information Order: An Institutional Perspective and Regime Analysis.” Paper presented at
Northwestern University’s Conference on Communications, Mass Media and Development, Chicago, IL.,
Oct. 13-15, 1983.
“Africa’s Stakes in a New World Information Order.” Paper presented at Ohio State University’s symposium
Africa and the West: The Challenge of African Humanism, Columbus, May 27-29, 1982.
INVITED GROUP PRESENTATIONS
"Nigeria: Africa's Stunted Giant and the Politics of Communalism," a presentation at New Horizons, a
continuing education program at UAB, Oct. 27, 1999.
"The Social and Political Context of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman," presentation to an
African Literature class at Birmingham Southern College (Instructor: Dr. Sandra Sprayberry), Oct. 1,
1997.
"Minority Media Image and Society's Well Being," presentation at the Illinois Valley Community College
Arts and Letters Series, March 11, 1996.
RESEARCH GRANT
Fall 2014:
$10,000 competitive research grant from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Faculty
Development Grant Program to investigate bifurcations in the notion of Western Values.
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11/93
$819, from the Council for Faculty Research, Eastern Illinois University, for a study
comparing network coverage of the Ethiopian and Somali crises.
PROGRAM GRANT
5/05
$3,000 from the Alabama Press Association for the High School Journalism Workshop.
5/04
$3,000 from the Alabama Press Association for the High School Journalism Workshop.
11/94
$3,000, the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, for Minority High School Journalism Workshop.
11/93
$3,000 (as above)
11/92
$4,500, from the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund and the Knight Foundation, to run a summer
journalism workshop for minority high school students.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Member, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (1987 - present).
Member, African Studies Association (1991 - present).
Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi (1995 - present)
Member, Central States Communication Association (1987 - 1995).
Member, College Media Advisers, Inc. (1992 - 1995)
Member, Popular Culture Association (1986 - 1990).
Member, Speech Communication Association, Mass Communication Division (1985 - 1988).
UAB COMMITTEE SERVICE
Sociology/Social Work Chair Search Committee (Spring 2010).
UAB Writing Task Force (July 2006 - Present).
University Student Publications Board (1998 - Present).
School of Arts & Humanities (A & H) Affirmative Action Officer (2003-04; 2005 - 2006).
Parliamentarian, African American Faculty Association (2004 - 2008).
African American Studies Advisory Committee (1998 - 2008).
A & H Secretary of the Faculty (2000 - 2001).
A & H Faculty Affairs Committee (1999 - 2000).
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A & H Curriculum and Educational Policies Committee (1997 - 1999).
A & H Promotion and Tenure Committee (2002 - 2003; 1997 - 1998).
A & H President’s Teaching Excellence Award Committee (1996).
SERVICES TO THE ACADEMY
Book Review Editor, International Journal of African Studies.
Manuscript Reviewer: Digital Journalism, Sage Open Journal, Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism;
African Studies Review; Ecquid Novi: South African Journal of Journalism Research; conference papers for
the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (International Communication
Division and Minorities and Communication Division).
SERVICES AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES
At Eastern Illinois: Served on the University Judicial Board, Afro-American Studies Committee, Eric
Schuster Scholarship Committee (chair), and eight departmental committees.
At Central State: Served on the Faculty Affairs Committee of the University Senate (1989 - 1991); CSUAAUP Executive Committee (Corresponding Secretary, 1990 - 1991; At-large member, 1988 - 1990;
University Marshall (1988); Student Relations Committee of the University Senate (1985-1987); Committee
for the International Center for Water Resources Management (1985); University Task force on Recruitment
and Retention (1985).