The Lear Center's Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture project, directed by Joe Saltzman, is delivering more remarkable work this year. Founded in 2000, IJPC investigates and analyzes the conflicting images of the journalist in film, television, radio, fiction, commercials, cartoons, comic books, music and art to explore their impact on the American public's perception of newsgatherers.

This year's highlights include:
The first issue of its peer-reviewed IJPC Journal will be published in July and presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention in August.

It's newest research project, "The Image of the Gay Journalist in Popular Culture," will produce a bibliography next year and be the subject of a panel at the AEJMC conference in August.

The 2009 IJPC Video has grown to a four-hour, two-disc set: Volume One, "The Image of the Gay Journalist in Movies and TV in the 20th Century, 1929-1999," features more than 60 clips; Volume Two, "The Image of the Gay Journalist in Movies and TV in the 21st Century, 2000-2009," features another 60 clips.