Dwight E. Brooks is the new Professor and Chair of the Department of Mass Communications at Jackson State University. Brooks joined JSU in July, 2007. His research examines race, gender, and media; media programming and management; and media literacy. Besides several publications in textbooks, encyclopedias, and scholarly anthologies, Brooks’ work has been published in the field’s leading journals including Journalism and Communication Monographs, Journal of Radio Studies, and The Howard Journal of Communications. Brooks teaches courses in program management, race, gender and media, and media literacy.
Dr. Brooks successfully integrates research, teaching and service with a commitment to social justice, equity, and diversity. His research, teaching and service initiatives offer innovative ways of understanding issues of media and society of import to scholars, students, practitioners, audiences, and consumers. Brooks is committed to a critical media pedagogy that emphasizes media literacy—not only for college students, but students in grades K through 12 and their families.
Dr. Brooks has served as a Fellow for the Poynter Institute’s “Diversity Across the Curriculum” Seminar in 2002. He also was a Fellow for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s (AEJMC) Journalism Leadership Institute for Diversity (JLID) 2004-2005. Brooks has worked in radio as an on-air personality and news reporter and his credits include producing a series on African American composers for public radio.
Brooks is a native of Yeadon, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb. He was a member of the National Honor Society at Yeadon High School. He earned a BA degree in Speech Communications from East Stroudsburg University (PA) where he also was selected as a member of “Who’s Who Among College and University Students.” Brooks earned an MA from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from The University of Iowa. Prior to coming to JSU, Brooks was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Michael J. Faherty Broadcast Management Laboratory in the Department of Telecommunications at The University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Brooks served in numerous professional capacities during his 10 years at UGA. Brooks also was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Telecommunications at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Illinois State University.
Brooks lives with his wife Dr. Elizabeth Lewis-Brooks. Their daughter, Dione is a media strategist for Tmp.Worldwide in Atlanta, GA. Brooks is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He also mentors young people, is an active church member, and enjoys traveling, listening to various types of music, watching sports, and reading.
