Ilia Rodríguez, Ph.D.
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1999  Office: Room 234, 277-2103	Assistant Professor Journalism Communication

Research:

I am interested in the study of news discourse and the role of journalism in the construction of social knowledge during processes of cultural change. From comparative and historical perspectives, I have analyzed news discourses on globalization in the United States and Latin America, and approached journalism as a form of colonial discourse that mediates the representation of ethnic minorities. My dissertation focused on examining how the Puerto Rican elite press translated the ideology of development into a language of popular appeal to construct narratives of modernity during an era of accelerated industrialization in Puerto Rico (1947-63).

Sample Publications:

• "Latina Immigrants in Central Minnesota: A Survey of Communication Strategies and Gaps with Service Providers," Center for Rural Policy and Development, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Work in collaboration with Margaret Villaneuva, Flora Calderson-Steck and Luke Tripp. Forthcoming.

• “Mapping the Global Order in News Discourse: The Meanings of Globalization in News Magazines in the Early 1990s” in Representing Resistance: Media, Civil Disobedience and the Anti-Globalization Movement. Ed. Andrew Opel (Greenwood Press, 2003).

• “Global Discourse and Local Readings of Development: The Mediated Publicness of Operation Bootstrap in Puerto Rico.” Gazette: International Journal for Communication Studies, Vol. 64.1 (2002):
  74-101.

• “News Reporting and Colonial Discourse: The Representation of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. Press during the Spanish-American War.” Howard Journal of Communications 9.4 (1998) 283-302.

Methods: From a cultural/critical perspective, I have used various methods of discourse analysis to elucidate media narratives and their ideological underpinnings. I have also conducted survey research using quantitative methods and focus group interviews.

Teaching Style: I employ multiple teaching methods to encourage students to relate to class material in creative ways, make connections across disciplinary boundaries, question received knowledge, and offer problem-solving ideas. I like to design class activities that give students the opportunity to apply principles and concepts learned in class, and reflect on the ethical and political dilemmas posed by current technological and economic trends in mass media.

Authors: Raymond Williams, Armand Mattelart, Stuart Hall, Hanno Hardt, Jesús Martín Barbero, Antonio Gramsci, Jürgen Habermas and William Gamson.The journalistic writings of Upton Sinclair, Luisa Capetillo, José Martí, Ida B. Wells, Ida M. Tarbell, Joan Didion and Gabriel García Márquez.

Why the UNM? It is an academic environment where cultural diversity, interdisciplinary research and community-based projects offer opportunities to enrich my teaching and research endeavors.

Spare time: In my dreams, I tour the world as a back-up vocalist for Aaron Neville, Lucecita Benítez, Koko Taylor, Willie Colón and Mercedes Sosa.