In the first lecture of NIU Libraries’ Research and Artistry Series, Mehdi Semati, NIU Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication, will present Iran-U.S. Relations in Perspective.

Dr. Semati’s areas of research include international communication, cultural studies of news media, and Iranian media and culture. In his presentation, Dr. Semati will address the current tensions between Iran and the United States. He will provide a brief history of contemporary U.S.-Iran relations, address the geopolitical dimension of the relations and the manner in which Iran is articulated in the language of officials and the news media, and discuss how entertainment media contribute to our understanding of Iran and Iranians. The presentation will conclude with Dr. Semati identifying the resultant dominant framework through which Iran is interpreted.