Review and Criticism—Bradley S. Greenberg: Advancing Communication Research, Making a Difference

Abstract

Bradley S. Greenberg retired from teaching at Michigan State University in May 2004 after a career of four decades. His impact on the field of communication has been wide-reaching. The numbers alone stretch the imagination: More than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, 10 books, 32 official doctoral advisees, and countless other students on whose committee he gladly served. Yet the numbers alone do not do justice to the career of this scholar: This is a man who cared about underrepresented groups and how they were portrayed in the mass media, whose concerns about the social consequences of media use drove his agenda, and who used social science to give policy makers something on which to build a case for social change. Greenberg earned a B.S. in Journalism in 1956 from Bowling Green State University and an M.S. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin a year later. In 1961, he completed his Ph.D. in Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin. After completing postdoctoral work at Stanford University, Greenberg joined the Department of Communication at Michigan State University as an assistant professor in 1964. He quickly earned tenure and rose to full professor in 1971. Greenberg may be one of the few who chaired two departments in the same university: He served as chair of Communication from 1978-1983 and then as c hair of Telecommunication from 1984-1990. In 1990, he earned the title of University Distinguished Professor. Although Michigan State served as his home base throughout his career as a professor, Greenberg also served as a visiting professor at universities across the world and worked as a consultant for--as well as garnered research funds from--a host of major corporations and state and federal government entities. During the course of his career, Greenberg earned many awards, including the National Association of Broadcasters' Lifetime Achievement Award for Audience Research in 1997. He was elected a Fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA) in 1983, served as president of ICA in 1994-1995, became an ICA Aubrey Fisher Mentorship award winner in 1998, and in 2003, he was honored with ICA's Steve Chaffee Career Productivity Award. Greenberg's productivity is both admirable and astonishing. Whereas most scholars' careers are characterized by a spike in activity before tenure, and even exceptional researchers undergo fits and spurts of productivity marked by periods of silence, Greenberg continued to produce--without falter--quality research that has informed policy makers, stimulated research activity, and changed the way we think about the mass media. Greenberg did not invest his career pursuing innovative methods for their own sake. Instead, his research was grounded and thoughtful, expertly crafted, carefully analyzed, and easily digested. Greenberg is a skillful writer whose work is accessible to many audiences. His books feature introductory and summary chapters with enough meat to stimulate social scientists and graduate students and, at the same time, be appreciated by undergraduates and the general public. In addition to being a prolific scholar of the first rank, Greenberg was an accessible mentor who also had a strong competitive streak. Former graduate students recall analyzing data with Greenberg at his home on weekend mornings as well as sharing holiday meals with Greenberg and his family. Those who worked with Greenberg got to know him as a scholar and a man deeply committed to his wife, daughters, and grandchildren. He--and his family--made his students feel welcomed at his home. Greenberg would also meet students on the playing field, where he honed his skills in paddle and racket ball, tennis, and other sports. He took lessons and won his share of trophies. Greenberg had a passion for tennis and a deep appreciation of good theater. On a number of occasions, Greenberg served as faculty coordinator for Michigan State's mass media summer program in London. …