University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

MEDIA RELEASE

CSUN Communications Professor is Honored for
Insightful Narrative on Transportation

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Nov. 7, 2007) — Cal State Northridge communication professor Paul Mason Fotsch received the Jane Jacobs Urban Communication Award for his book that examines the evolution of modern-day transportation and contemporary society’s reliance on transportation.

The award is presented by the Urban Communication Foundation (UCF), in memory of Jane Jacobs, an urban theorist and writer whose book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," critiqued modern ideas of urban development.

Fotsch’s book, "Watching the Traffic Go By: Transportation and Isolation in Urban America," was honored for its in-depth look at transportation through the lens of popular culture. The award also recognizes the value of linking the field of communication to the study of urban space.

"I am especially pleased to be given an award named after Jane Jacobs, whose passion for the value of urban life and its diversity was a powerful inspiration to me," said Fotsch. "In the context of greater awareness about climate change, it must also be emphasized that Jacobs’ support for urban density is one of the strongest ecological positions one can take."

"Watching the Traffic Go By" examines 20th century magazines, television and film in revealing how transportation is as much a cultural product as it is a technological development.

"My book emphasized how the politics of transportation, which is such a hot issue in Los Angeles, must be understood in relation to discourses found in media and popular culture that surround global cities like L.A.," said Fostch.

Fotsch will receive his honor Nov. 15 at the National Communication Association’s convention in Chicago.

The Urban Communication Foundation promotes research that enhances understanding of communication patterns in the urban environment while encouraging collaboration among urban planners, communication scholars and policy makers. UCF supports diverse research strategies, recognizes noteworthy scholarship in this area and invites participation from all scholars and practitioners studying the various forms of urban communication.

"I am hoping this award will encourage greater research that links cultural analysis to the politics of urban space," said Fotsch.

A professor in CSUN’s Department of Communication Studies since 2003, Fotsch teaches courses in intercultural communication, communication and technology, and performance language and cultural studies.

For more information on the book, visit http://utexas.edu/utpress/books/fotwat.html. Fotsch also can be contacted at paul.fotsch@csun.edu, or (818) 677-2853.