Kent Wilkinson











Regents Professor in Hispanic and International Communication


About Me

  • I taught English in Cuzco, Peru for 6 months in 1988. My first full-time teaching job was at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico, 1994-1996. My wife Carol and I have two sons: Davis (Class of 2012 at Case Western Reserve Univ.), and Shane (Class of 2013 at Princeton Univ.).

Research Specialty

International communication, Hispanic-oriented media in the U.S., and Hispanic health communication 

Main Methodological Approaches

  • Survey
  • Interview
  • Focus Group
  • Archival

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, Radio-Television-Film, concentration in international communication
  • M.A., University of California at Berkeley, Latin American Studies
  • B.A., University of Colorado/Boulder, English and History (magna cum laude)

Recent Graduate Courses Taught

  • Global Media
  • Hispanic Media: Domestic and International Perspectives
  • Ethnic-oriented Media

Publications in Last 5 Years

  • Wilkinson, Kenton. T. (2009). “The United States.” In Alan Albarran, (Ed.) Handbook of Spanish-Language Media. (pp. 3-16). New York: Routledge.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2008). “Television News, Character Issues and Latino Images in U.S. National Elections of 1988, 1992 and 1996.” In Federico Subervi-Vélez (Ed.) The Mass Media and Latino Politics: Studies of Media Content, Campaign Strategies and Survey Research, 1984-2004. (pp. 237-255). New York: Routledge.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton. T. (2008). “Cultural Products as Tradeable Services.” In Wolfgang Donsbach, (Ed.) International Encyclopedia of Communication, Vol. 3. (pp. 1106-1110). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2007, December). “Language and the internationalization of media studies.” Global Media and Communication, 3(3), 289-293.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2007). “Democracy Sponsored by NAFTA? Mexican Television in the Free Trade Era.” In Patrick Murphy and Isaac Blankson (Eds.) Globalization and Media Transformation in New and Emerging Democracies. (pp. 199-218). Albany: State University of New York Press.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2006, September). “Cultural Policy in a Free Trade Environment: Mexican Television in Transition.” Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 50(3), 482-501.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2005). “Spanish International Network.” In Deena J. González and Suzanne Oboler (Eds.) Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2005). “Language, Economics and Policy. Challenges to Public Service Broadcasting in North America and the European Union.” In Gregory F. Lowe and Per Jauert (Eds.) Cultural Dilemmas in Public Service Broadcasting. (pp. 293-315). Göteborg, Sweden: Nordicom.

  • Wilkinson, Kenton T. (2004, July/August). “Language Difference and Communication Policy in the Information Age.” Information Society, 20 (3), 217-229.

Funded Grants

  • Seed Grant, West Texas Rural EXPORT Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Principal investigator on $50,000 grant to conduct intercept surveys, focus groups and preliminary message testing for health literacy and communication project targeting diabetes and obesity among West Texas Hispanics. (2006-2007)

  • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Grant. Co-investigator and co-administrator on $43,000 subcontract with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy and the West Texas Area Health Education Center project to help stimulate high school students’ interest in pursuing health careers. (2008-2009)

  • Research Enrichment Fund, Vice President for Research, Texas Tech University. Principal investigator on $7700 grant to support completion of a book project, “The Evolution of Spanish-language Television in the United States.” (2009)

Current Projects:

  • Working on a book surveying the historical development of Spanish-language television in the United States.
  • Co-authoring an article with Dr. Marianne Franklin (Goldsmiths College, London) regarding our graduate students’ collaborative learning project in spring 2009.