JANNETTE L. DATES, PH.D.
Dean
The John H. Johnson School of Communications
Howard University, Washington, DC

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Jannette L. Dates is the Dean of the John H. Johnson School of Communications at Howard University, where she served as a faculty member in the Department of Radio, Television and Film and Associate Dean before becoming Dean. Dr. Dates has been a frequent speaker and panelist on national television and radio programs where she discussed images of African Americans in the mass media. She has appeared on “Both Sides with Jesse Jackson,” “Booknotes with Brian Lamb” on CSPAN,” “All Things Considered” on NPR, “Close Up” on NPR, “Our Visions” on BET, and “On the Media” on NPR, among others. Prior to her career at Howard, Dr. Dates served as anchor and executive producer of a weekly television magazine for the Baltimore, Maryland, NBC affiliate, WBAL-TV, and as executive producer and host for a distance learning television series for Morgan State College students studying African American history and culture. She served as a panelist on a weekly public affairs television series for the Baltimore, Maryland, ABC affiliate, WJZ-TV, in a weekly series entitled “Square Off,” and as the co-anchor of the weekly television series “North Star” for the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, WBAL-TV.

In the 1990’s Dr. Dates served as a Fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University where her research focused on media images and effects, media treatment of African Americans and similar multicultural groups and women. She writes, as well, about the significance of diversity in media industries and in higher education.

Dr. Dates co-edited the book, Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media, authoring six of the ten chapters. She has written chapters for 15 other books, authored sixteen peer-reviewed articles and numerous general article publications.

Dr. Dates’ work with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication includes service as vice president and president. She served, as well, as vice chair of the Accrediting Committee of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has served as site team leader for more than 15 visits for the accreditation of programs and as a member of the Accrediting Council of ACEJMC. She served as a facilitator for site team training sessions for ACEJMC and as a member of numerous accreditation and re-accreditation site visits.

From 1997-2001, Dr. Dates served as chair of the Black College Communication Association, an organization of many of the 39 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), which have communications programs and on the national advisory board of the George Foster Peabody Awards (1995-2002).

Dr. Dates served as a Cable Commissioner and chair of the Education Task Force for the Baltimore, Maryland, Mayor’s Cable Communications Commission from 1990-1994, 1988-1990 and from 1979-1981. She also served as president and vice-president of the Baltimore Cable Access Corporation from 1982 through 1988.

Dr. Dates is the recipient of numerous awards including the Ebony Award for Women in Marketing and Communication and the Woman of the Year Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

She and her husband, Victor H. Dates Sr., are the parents of four adult children and one grandson.