Editing Robert W. McChesney (section)

{{Short description|American media studies scholar (1952–2025)}}
{{About|the media studies scholar||Robert McChesney (disambiguation){{!}}Robert McChesney}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox academic
 | name             = Robert W. McChesney
 | image            =
 | image_size       =
 | caption          =
 | birth_name       = Robert Waterman McChesney
 | birth_date       = {{Birth date|1952|12|22}}
 | birth_place      = [[Cleveland, Ohio]], U.S.
 | death_date       = {{Death date and age|2025|3|25|1952|12|22}}
 | death_place      = [[Madison, Wisconsin]], U.S.
 | death_cause      =
 | known_for        = {{Unbulleted list|[[Media criticism]]|History and political economy of mass communication}}
 | alma_mater       = {{Unbulleted list|[[Evergreen State College]]|[[University of Washington]]}}
 | workplaces       = {{ubl|[[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]]|[[University of Wisconsin–Madison]]}}
 | occupation       = Professor, author, activist, journalist
 | spouse           = Inger Stole
 | children         = 2
 | website          = {{official URL}}
}}

'''Robert Waterman McChesney''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|k|ˈ|t|ʃ|ɛ|s|n|i}}; December 22, 1952 – March 25, 2025) was an American professor notable in the history and [[political economy of communications]], and the role media play in democratic and capitalist societies. He was the Gutgsell Endowed Professor in the Department of Communication at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]].<ref name="faculty">[http://www.communication.illinois.edu/people/rwmcches Robert W. McChesney | Department of Communication | University of Illinois]</ref> He co-founded [[Free Press (advocacy group)|Free Press]],<ref>[http://www.freepress.net Free Press website], freepress.net; accessed April 13, 2015.</ref> a national media reform organization. From 2002 to 2012, he hosted ''Media Matters'',<ref name="will.illinois.edu">{{cite web|url=http://will.illinois.edu/mediamatters|title=Media Matters &#124; Illinois Public Media|date=October 7, 2012 |publisher=Will.illinois.edu|access-date=August 1, 2013}}</ref> a weekly radio program every Sunday afternoon on [[WILL (AM)]], Illinois Public Media radio.