Ernest James Wilson III (pictured) begins his term as the Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Dean Wilson will also hold the Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication, which was established in 1984 in honor of the late Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg.
“Dr. Wilson’s work traces the intersections of information and communications media and societal power, especially the ways contending groups negotiate to shape the diffusion of the Internet and other new media,” USC Provost C.L. Max Nikias said. “His analysis of the role of ‘information champions’ in Brazil, China and Ghana has been called a model of social science scholarship.”
Dean Wilson is the ranking senior member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, having been named to the board under President Bill Clinton and re-named by President George W. Bush. In addition, he has been a pioneering author and researcher on the Internet and digital communication in developing countries.
“This is an exciting time for journalism and communication: national borders continue to erode with digital communication and our societies are experiencing accelerated diversification," Dean Wilson said. "There is now an important opportunity for scholarship and teaching in journalism and communication to help understand the convergence of technology, human initiatives, and institutional relations."
