Renee Hobbs

Renee Hobbs is an American scholar and educator specializing in media literacy education. She serves as Professor of Communication Studies at the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island and is the founder of the Media Education Lab. Hobbs holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and film/video studies and a Master of Arts in communication from the University of Michigan, as well as an EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her doctoral research examined how the relationship between images and narration in television news affects viewer comprehension and recall. She spent 18 years teaching media studies at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Hobbs has developed her career at the intersection of communication, education, and public advocacy. At Temple University's School of Communication and Theater, she established the Media Education Lab and later became founding co-editor of the Journal of Media Literacy Education, a publication of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. She was appointed the founding director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island, where she later served as co-director of the URI Graduate Certificate in Digital Literacy program. Hobbs contributed to the development of media literacy education by co-founding the Partnership for Media Education, which became the National Association for Media Literacy Education.

Hobbs has authored 12 books and published more than 200 articles in scholarly and professional journals, securing over $5 million in funding for research and community projects in media literacy education. Her books address a range of topics within the field, including "Reading the Media: Teaching Media Literacy in High School English," "Copyright Clarity: How Fair Use Supports Digital Learning," "Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Classroom and Culture," "Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy," and "Routledge Companion on Media Education, Copyright and Fair Use." Additional titles include "The Library Screen Scene: Film and Media Literacy in Schools, Colleges and Communities" and the edited two-volume "International Encyclopedia of Media Literacy," which was a finalist for a PROSE Award for best multivolume reference work. With colleagues Patricia Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi, Hobbs developed the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use in Media Literacy Education, outlining normative practices for the use of copyrighted content in media literacy education.

Hobbs's book "Mind Over Media: Propaganda Education for a Digital Age" addresses misinformation and propaganda in the digital era. She received the PROSE Award for Excellence in Social Sciences from the American Association of Publishers for this work. Additional honors include the Research Excellence Award from the University of Rhode Island Division of Research and Economic Development, the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity from the Media Ecology Association, and the Media Literacy Education Meritorious Service Award from the National Association for Media Literacy Education.

Hobbs has presented at the United Nations and consulted with educators, school leaders, and government officials in numerous countries. She has delivered keynote addresses and presentations at professional associations worldwide and has worked in Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, France, and China to advance media literacy education. Hobbs has partnered with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations to explore how media literacy can promote children's understanding of the peoples and cultures of the Middle East. The Media Education Lab, which she founded, has reached users in 66 countries, reflecting the global impact of her work in media literacy education.