Former Annenberg School for Communication Dean George Gerbner died in Philadelphia last Saturday. Dean for 25 years, Gerbner is credited with pioneering studies on how behavior is affected by television. His death at age 86 was the result of undisclosed causes, according to wire reports.
Born in Hungary, Gerbner was appointed Annenberg dean in 1964, after which he developed the "cultivation theory" of communication studies which links television with viewers' perception of both society and themselves.
In 2000, he told National Public Radio that television was a "cultural environment," not simply a medium for communication. It "tells all the stories," he said. Gerbner founded the Cultural Environment Movement in 1996, a reform coalition that promoted more balanced and diverse media.
Gerbner's wife, Ilona, died on Dec. 8. He is survived by two sons and five grandchildren.
