Siddiqi Selected as WIU 2015 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer; Lecture Set for April 8 at WIU-QC

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - The Western Illinois University 2015 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi, will present "Digitization and the Future of Media. In What Form Will Newspapers Survive?" at  3 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 at the Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Riverfront Hall, room 103-104 (Moline).

In this lecture, Siddiqi, professor of journalism and public relations in the WIU Department of English and Journalism, will share the results of his studies on the impact of digitization on media content, readership and formats.

"Websites, blogging and various social media platforms are taking over the roles played by the traditional media," Siddiqi explained. "More people now receive their news, as well as entertainment, from YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Advertising revenue for traditional media is shrinking and the 'shape' of newspapers is changing," he said.

In his lecture, Siddiqi will emphasize the need for revising the journalism curriculum and teaching students about the new technologies, social media journalism and multimedia skills.

"The traditional newspaper audience exists far beyond those who buy print copies, and newspapers still serve an important function in our society," he added.

Siddiqi also said that technological developments, even unforeseen ones, are going to challenge newspapers to be more innovative in providing the in-depth news and views to their audiences. 

Siddiqi joined Western's faculty in 1987. In 2006, he became the director of Western's journalism program and served as chair for the English and journalism department (2009-10). 

During his time at WIU, Siddiqi has garnered several awards and honors, including: the President's Award of Excellence in Diversity (2013); the College of Arts and Sciences' Outstanding Service Award (2013); an award for Excellence in Multicultural Teaching (2011); and the President's Faculty Excellence Award for Outstanding Scholarly Work (1992). 

In 2014, Siddiqi was inducted into the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Hall of Fame at Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA) for his service to humanity and his spiritual guidance and mentorship. He has also served as the president of the Islamic Center of Macomb for more than two decades.

Siddiqi has published three books, numerous book chapters and more than one dozen articles in refereed journals. He serves on the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research (U.K.); Journal of Media Studies (Pakistan); and Journal of the Global Communication Research Association. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America; a lifelong member, and executive committee member, of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR); a member of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR); and a member of, as well as the treasurer for, the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations (WCMIR). 

Siddiqi has lectured and conducted media workshops, delivered keynote addresses and presented papers in national and international conferences and conventions of professional associations of journalism and public relations. He has travelled to many countries, including most European countries, most nations in the Middle East, almost all of the countries in Asia and about half dozen countries in Africa. 

Siddiqi received his bachelor's degree (1970) and master's degree (1973), both in physics, from the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. He earned a master's degree in mass communication from University of Illinois-Chicago (1984) and his doctorate in international communication from Temple University (1987).