Alumna Awarded Fulbright for 2013-14

Dr. Isabel Estrada-Portales was recently awarded a Fulbright research award to study the current state of media and journalism in Ecuador.

Dr. Estrada-Portales received her doctoral degree from the department of Spanish and Portuguese in 2010. Her dissertation focused on media coverage of racial issues in Brazil. Dr. Joanne Rappaport served as her dissertation director.

“My current project, 'The Rise of Public Media in Ecuador: Citizens’ Revolution, Citizen Journalism and the Redefinition of Objectivity,' builds on my previous research regarding the role of the media in society and its influence on political and policy affairs,” said Dr. Estrada-Portales.

This is a media research project that explores various scenarios of the rapid evolution of the media environment in Ecuador in the midst of the “Citizens’ Revolution,” and in the context of the debate and potential implementation of the new communications law.

“I must say that Georgetown University, and in particular my dissertation director, Professor Joanne Rappaport, equipped me with the tools to undertake this project and to submit a proposal worthy of a Fulbright scholarship,” said Estrada-Portales.