MAC members, hello and welcome to the start of another new year.  AEJMC 2009 was a successful year for MAC.  We were on chip reduction, which meant that we were not able to program as many sessions as normal, but we were able to help bring together one very important extra panel –sponsored by Howard University that our members were primarily responsible for and that was of utmost importance.

This session honored the memory of our beloved Lionel Barrow, Jr.   We thank Howard University and Jannette Dates for sponsoring and presiding over this wonderful tribute to an outstanding advocate for diversity.

This year also brought the awarding of the first Lionel C. Barrow Jr. Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education.  Our first recipient was none other than Paula Poindexter, of the University of Texas – Austin.  Congratulations to Professor Poindexter.  She received her plaque from the heads of MAC and CSM during the AEJMC business meeting.

The nominations for this year’s award should be sent out by February 1, 2010, in hard copy and mailed to: AEJMC, 234 Outlet Pointe Boulevard, Suite A, Columbia, SC 29210-5667.  The awardee will be announced on April 1 and will be recognized in the 2010 AEJMC Convention Program.   A full description of the guidelines will follow in this newsletter.

Even though we were on chip reduction, the 8 sessions we co-sponsored each had 30 or more people in attendance!  We are in the process or planning our panels for AEJMC 2010 in Denver, and from what I’ve seen so far – it’s going to be another strong year with varied and interesting panels.

We have a lot of important work to accomplish this year, and I am looking forward to it!  First of all at our meeting, we decided to have a sub-committee do some thorough research into MAC sponsoring an online research journal.  If you have any information, thoughts or comments on this please contact one of the committee members:

Frances Ward-Johnson         fward2@elon.edu

Jerry Domatob                    jdomatob@yahoo.com

Anita Fleming-Rife                       anita.flemingrife@unco.edu

Kenneth Campbell                       kcampbell@sc.edu

Karen M. Turner                  kturner@temple.edu

Sharon Stringer                   sstringe@lhup.edu

The first report of this committee is due in December after the Mid-winter meeting in Florida.  I’ll keep you updated on our progress.

We are also trying to organize a MAC social, so be on the lookout for information on what our division will be doing for fun in Denver!

I would also like for our members to give me some feedback on how to increase MAC membership.  It seems that we have been at the same level for several years now, and the question of whether or not we were growing was raised during our last business meeting.

In August, discussed how our monetary awards had remained at the same level for several years.  I see possibilities in the idea of sponsorship.  So I’m asking for your help.  Please send me the names of possible sponsors for the awards that we contribute funding to – Lional Barrow Award to young scholars and the new Lionel Barrow Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education for seasoned scholars.  With the addition of sponsorship, we would be able to increase the amount of the awards.  Please send me your ideas for sponsorship and for fundraising in general:  Jennifer Woodard – jwoodard@mtsu.edu.

Let’s have a great year together!

Jennifer Bailey Woodard

MAC Division Head 2009-2010

Middle Tennessee State University

Camilla Gant
MAC Head

A Time for Historical, Critical Reflection & Advocacy 

by Camilla Gant

I’m excited about seeing each of you in Chicago in a few weeks.  As I’m sure you know by now, the conference is slated for Wednesday, August 6^th through Saturday, August 9^th with pre-convention activities scheduled for Tuesday, August 5^th.  While MAC has a history of offering progressive programming that transcends the foci of AEJMC divisions and interest groups, this year’s programming is particularly special.  Our emphasis this year is historical and critical reflection to inform and encourage spirited advocacy for LANA, journalism, and mass communication programs, initiatives, and scholarship.  Below are three convention sessions that I ask you to consider attending during the convention.

Tuesday, August 5, 1 to 5 p.m.
40 Years After Kerner – No Fee, No Registration RequiredPresented by AEJMC, this workshop will focus on developing an action plan to improve diversity within the academy and industry.  Discussions will center on ways to strengthen initiatives for news media to hire and promote journalists of color, and ways to renew the commitment to the fundamental, core mission of journalism — public service.

Wednesday, August 6, 5 pm to 6:30 pm

MAC and AEJMC Council of Affiliates

Lessons from the Past and Fodder for the Future: 40 Years After the Kerner Report & Lee Barrow’s Vision of an Inclusive AEJMC

Friday, 1:45 pm to 3:15 pm

State of the Division & Discipline: Rethinking and Repositioning MAC

The strength of these programs is our intellectual capital, so I extend a special invitation to you all to be a part of the dialogue, which will inform and shape AEJMC and MAC’s strategic plan to be launched following the convention.  Also, I ask that you make plans to attend the MAC business meeting on Thursday, August 7^th, from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  In addition to the procession and election of new leadership, the agenda will include consideration of two critical proposals–  a proposal to amend MAC leadership succession; and a proposal to adopt  recommendations that evolve from the Kerner Commission workshop to be forwarded to AEJMC, journalism educators, administrators, news organizations, etc.

Indeed this has been a great year for MAC.  We have an awesome convention line-up thanks in large part to our vice head/program chair, Sharon Stringer, who did the lion’s share of the work (with scant opportunity for training) in collaboration with our second vice-head, Jennifer Woodard; PF&R chair, Frances Ward-Johnson; and teaching chair, Bradley Gorham.  Our research competition was vigorous, and our research chairs, Petra Guerra (faculty research) and Brenda Edgerton Webster (student research), ably navigated year two of the electronic submission process.  We also launched our website and electronic newsletter, thanks to the diligence of Darlene Lee, newsletter editor; and we strengthened our out-of convention programming.  Kudos to Yuiki Fujioka and Jerry Domatob midwinter conference coordinators; E.K. Daufin, Ida B. Wells lecture coordinator and listserv manager; and Diana Rios, Ethnic American Press exhibition coordinator.

Please join me in thanking our colleagues for their sacrificial leadership, and raising the bar of excellence for our division.  I also extend special thanks to each of you for your commitment to MAC, and I look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

By Camilla Gant
MAC Head
University of West Georgia

Colleagues, it was good seeing so many of you in Washington, D.C., and though we’re well beyond the mid semester point, I continue to draw on our iron-sharpening conversations to inspire my teaching and research. The 2007 convention was an exciting programming year for MAC. We were lead sponsor for 7 out of 10 joint panel sessions; we inaugurated the Teaching Diversity Excellence: Best Practices & Challenges signature panel to affirm that teaching diversity excellence is a critical and achievable goal; and we successfully launched our first electronic refereed research competition.

Wow!

Another wow achievement for us is the diversity of our joint panel co-sponsors which resulted in an impressive and diverse lineup of scholars and industry professionals. We forged partnerships with Advertising, Commission on the Status of Women, Entertainment Studies, History, Law & Policy, Magazine, Media & Disability, Scholastic Journalism, and Science Communication. This rich diversity of partnerships moves MAC forward in its efforts to diversify its membership and panelists, and to increase its visibility within the association.

As AEJMC celebrates its 95^th birthday, this year is a time of strategic planning for the 21^st Century. It is a time of rethinking and repositioning for the association, and thus for MAC. Who are we? Who should we be in the 21^st Century? What are the barriers Read the rest of this entry »