George Gerbner, RIP

I didn't get a chance to put this up earlier, but it's worthy of note: veteran media scholar and Philadelphia resident George Gerbner is dead. He died on Christmas Eve at the age of 86. Here's his LA Times obituary. Gerbner was well known for his research into television effects, Cultivation Theory, his long-running Cultural Indicators Project, and his more recent Cultural Environment Movement (designed "to work for greater diversity in media ownership, employment and representation."). (Here are some useful Gerbner-related links.) Gerbner's wife of almost 60 years, Ilona, also passed away earlier last month (December 8) at the age of 87.