{{Short description|American academic (1924–2021)}}{{Infobox academic | name = Jay Blumler | birth_date = 18 February 1924 | death_date = 30 January 2021 | occupation = Researcher | education = University of Oxford (DPhil) | discipline = Communications | sub_discipline = Political Communication | workplaces = University of Leeds }} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} '''Jay G Blumler''' (18 February 1924 – 30 January 2021 ''(aged {{Age|1924|2|18|2021|1|30}})''){{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/obituary-professor-jay-blumler-political-academic-3145135|title=Obituary: Professor Jay Blumler, political academic|publisher=The Yorkshire Post|date=27 February 2021|accessdate=16 April 2021}} was an American-British researcher of communication, politics and media. He was [[Professor]] of Public Communication at the [[University of Leeds]]. ==Early life and education== Blumler was born in [[New York City|New York]], [[New York (state)|New York]] on 18 February 1924. Blumler's father was a [[Marxism|Marxist]] and his mother a supporter of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt's]] [[New Deal]]. He described himself as a "[[red diaper baby]]".{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} In 1947 Blumler graduated from [[Antioch College]], [[Ohio]] with the degree of [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in political science. He subsequently received a [[Doctor of Philosophy|DPhil]] from the [[University of Oxford]].University of Leeds, Calendar 1983-84, page 151 ==Military service== Blumler joined the [[United States Army]] in 1944 and served as a [[Russian language|Russian]] interpreter in [[Berlin]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]].{{Cite web |title=Read Jay G Blumler's Obituary & Leave Condolences |url=https://everloved.com/life-of/professor-jay-blumler/obituary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620102951/https://everloved.com/life-of/professor-jay-blumler/obituary/ |archive-date=20 June 2021 |access-date=2 February 2021 |website=everloved.com |language=en}} As Chair of the American Veterans Committee in Berlin he was invited to have tea with [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] when she visited the city. She had heard of some of the charity work that his committee had done and asked to meet them. ==Academic career== From 1949 Blumler taught political theory at [[Ruskin College, Oxford]]. In 1963 he was appointed [[ITV Granada|Granada Television]] [[Research Fellow]] at the [[University of Leeds]] where in 1966 he established the Centre for Television Research.{{Cite web |last=AHC |first=Faculty of |date=2021-02-02 |title=Professor Jay G. Blumler (1924 - 2021) |url=https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/media/news/article/1730/professor-jay-g-blumler-1924-2021 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=ahc.leeds.ac.uk |language=en}}{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2025}} He became the university's first [[Professor]] of Public Communication in 1978. Blumler retired from his chair at Leeds in 1989 with the title [[Emeritus]] Professor. He continued to publish prolifically as well as teaching for one semester each year at the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]].[https://www.leeds.ac.uk/secretariat/obituaries/2021/blumler_jay.html University of Leeds, obituary, Emeritus Professor Jay G Blumler] ==Death== Blumler died in [[Leeds]] on 30 January 2021, aged 96. He was survived by his children Matthew, Luke, Jackie and Mark. His wife, Gina, died in 2004.{{Cite web |last=antiochcollege |date=2021-02-22 |title=Dr. Jay G. Blumler '47 |url=https://antiochcollege.edu/2021/02/22/jay-blumler-47/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821012210/https://antiochcollege.edu/2021/02/22/jay-blumler-47/ |archive-date=21 August 2023 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Antioch College |language=en-US}} ==Selected publications== *''Television in Politics: Its Uses and Influences'' (1968) with [[Denis McQuail]] *''The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research'' (1974) editor with [[Elihu Katz]] *''The Challenge of Election Broadcasting. Report of an Enquiry by the Centre for Television Research, University of Leeds'' (1978) with [[Michael Gurevitch]] and [[Julian Ives]] *''La télévision fait-elle l'élection?: Une analyse comparative, France, Grande-Bretagne, Belgique'' (1978) with [[Alison Ewbank]] and [[Claude Geerts]] *''Communicating to Voters: Television in the First European Parliamentary Elections'' (1983) editor with [[Anthony D. Fox]] *''Research on the Range and Quality of Broadcasting Services. A Report for the Committee on Financing the BBC.''(HMSO 1986) with [[Thomas Nossiter]], [[Malcolm Brynin]] *''Wired Cities: Shaping the Future of Communications'' (1987) editor with William H. Dutton and [[Kenneth L. Kramer]] *''Broadcasting Finance in Transition: A Comparative Handbook'' (1991) editor with T. J. Nossiter *''The Formation of Campaign Agendas: A Comparative Analysis of Party and Media Roles in Recent American and British Elections'' (1991) with Michael Gurevitch, [[Holli A. Semetko]], [[David H. Weaver]] *''Comparatively Speaking: Communication and Culture across Space and Time'' (1992) editor with [[Jack M. McLeod (academic)|Jack M. McLeod]], [[Karl Erik Rosengren]] *''Television and the Public Interest: Vulnerable Values in Western European Broadcasting'' (1992) editor *''The Crisis of Public Communication'' (1995) with [[Michael Gurevitch]] ==References== {{reflist}} *[[Ellis Cashmore]] and Chris Rojek, ''Dictionary of Cultural Theorists'', 1999, pp. 75–76 *[https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/media/news/article/1730/professor-jay-g-blumler-1924-2021 Professor Jay G. Blumler (1924–2021)] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Blumler, Jay}} [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Academics of Ruskin College]] [[Category:Academics of the University of Leeds]] [[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]] [[Category:American expatriate academics in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:American expatriates in England]] [[Category:Antioch College alumni]]