Broadcasting and Journalism

Yong Tang, Ph.D.

Yong Tang

Professor, Broadcasting and Journalism
Office: Sallee 316
Email: Y-Tang@wiu.edu
Office Hours by appointment
Professional Blog: https://yongtang2015.wordpress.com

Educational Background

Ph.D. in Mass Communications, Pennsylvania State University
Ph.D. in International Journalism, Communication University of China
M.A. in International Policy and Practice, George Washington University
B.A in English Reporting and Editing, China School of Journalism
B.A. in English Language and Literature, Sichuan International Studies University

Dr. Yong Tang is a tenured full professor of journalism and media law at Western Illinois University (WIU).

Since he came to WIU in August 2011, Professor Tang has taught a wide range of conceptual and skills courses such as mass communication law and ethics, mass communication research methods, international communication and foreign press, problems of contemporary mass communications, history of mass communications, magazine and newspaper feature writing, AP reporting and writing, and digital media skills for journalists and public relations professionals. For the digital media skills course, Tang teaches students how to deliver news and information to a global audience via multiplatform storytelling, social media, and data visualization.

Dr. Tang’s research focuses on the First Amendment, freedom of information, media law and policy, international journalism, global media studies, and the role of news media in Chinese and American politics. He currently serves as Chair of the Communication and Law Division of the National Communication Association (NCA) and is a member of the editorial board of Communication Law and Policy, a leading peer-reviewed journal in the field.

His most recent book, Freedom of Information Law in China: From Imperial Court Diaries to Open Government Information Regulations, was published in October 2025 by Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature and is available through Springer Nature and Amazon. His scholarly works have appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including International Journal of Communication, Journal of Media Law and Ethics, Journal of Information Policy, Communication, Culture & Critique, Chinese Journal of Communication, and tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Dr. Tang has presented extensively at conferences and conventions organized by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), the AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, the International Communication Association (ICA), and the NCA. He was an invited speaker at the 2021 special forum “COVID-19 and the Role of Communication,” organized by the International Law Institute and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, an invited panelist at a 2016 Southwestern Law School symposium on the future of global freedom of information laws, and an invited panelist at the 2014 Association for Asian Studies (AAS)-in-Asia Singapore Conference.

Before joining the WIU faculty, Tang had worked as an award-winning full-time reporter and editor for nearly 15 years for People's Daily, the largest and most politically influential newspaper in the People's Republic of China. From August 1995 to January 2004, he worked for the publication as an international news editor in Beijing. From February 2004 to August 2007, Tang worked in the newspaper's Washington, D.C. bureau as a residential correspondent. During his time as an international journalist, Tang interviewed two Chinese presidents, one American president, four Ivy League presidents, more than 10 Fortune 500 CEOs, and numerous other newsmakers of the day. Drawing upon his extensive reporting and writing professional experiences as a foreign correspondent in the world capital of news, Tang published in 2014 a four-volume book "America Through the Eyes of Yong Tang."

As a visiting professor of journalism and media law, Dr. Tang has regularly taught and delivered guest lectures during summer breaks and sabbatical leaves at leading universities in mainland China and Hong Kong, including Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China University of Political Science and Law, Sichuan University, Xiamen University, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Tsinghua University. He has provided academic advising and support to visiting professors from Chinese higher education institutions, including Nanchang University and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

During his spare time, Dr. Tang enjoys hiking with his family in Illinois and beyond. He also loves writing classical Chinese poems for a bilingual book (work in progress) and updating his English-language professional blog.

Awards/Honors/Distinctions/Grants

  • WIU College of Fine Arts & Communication Dean’s Award for Excellence in Internationalizing the Campus (2018)
  • Scripps Howard Foundation Visiting Professor in Social Media Program (2017)
  • WIU President’s Award for Excellence in Diversity Service (2017)
  • WIU College of Fine Arts & Communication Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Professional Activities (2017)
  • International Communication Association travel grant for paper presentation at the ICA annual convention, San Diego, California (2017)
  • WIU Annual Professional Achievement Award (2017, 2015, 2014)
  • WIU College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2016)
  • China Enyang High School Outstanding Alumni Award (2015)
  • Chinese Communication Association Outstanding Service Award (2015)
  • WIU Provost Award for Faculty Travel (2014)
  • International Communication Association travel grant for paper presentation at the ICA annual convention, London, United Kingdom (2013)
  • Faces of Penn State (2013)
  • WIU Provost Awards for Faculty Travel (2013)
  • Top 50 Journalism Professor from Journalismdegree.org (2012)
  • AEJMC First Place Faculty Paper Award (2012)
  • WIU Provost Awards for Faculty Travel (2012)
  • AEJMC Best Research Scholar-to-Scholar Presentation Award (2011)
  • China News Award (2004)

Professional Affiliations (past and present)

Member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
Member of the International Communication Association (ICA)
Member of the National Communication Association (NCA)
Member of the Chinese Communication Association (CCA)
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Member of Phi Kappa Phi National Scholastic Honor Society (Phi Kappa Phi)

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