Social-media research takes first ACES award
A study of how social media editors do their jobs won the inaugural ACES Award For Research On Editing, presented at the AEJMC conference in Chicago on Aug. 9-12.
Tim Currie, an assistant professor of online journalism at University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, received a $100 prize and complementary registration to the ACES national conference in St. Louis in 2013. His winning paper is titled “Social Media Editors in The News: A Survey of Roles and Functions.”
The award, co-sponsored by the Newspaper & Online News Division and the American Copy Editors Society, honors research about story editing, headline writing and other topics related to editing.
“It’s a real honor to receive this award,” Currie said. “It’s important that ACES acknowledges and supports research into new practices.”
Currie’s survey of social media editors at Canadian news organizations found that these journalists must balance the demands of their newsrooms and the expectations of their readers, who expect online interaction. The study found that social media editors are increasingly visible and influential in newsrooms, though some still feel they are treated as “Twitter monkeys.”
“This greater audience role challenges the traditional gatekeeping function of news editors, as website traffic data and reader comments influence the types of stories journalists cover and the manner in which they cover them,” Currie concludes. “Canadian social media editors envision a new partnership with the audience but, at present, struggle to identify how that partnership will work.”
Among Currie’s other findings:
- Facebook and Twitter are the leading platforms used by social media editors, with LinkedIn and Instagram less popular.
- Besides Tweeting and posting to Facebook, these editors are involved in training colleagues, leading online chats with readers and reaching out to bloggers in their communities.
- Social media editors “likened their role that of an emissary or missionary bringing new ideas to the newsroom.”
- Social media editors have “a high level of journalistic ability and skill dealing with people.”
The research award is part of an effort by ACES to connect academic research to the daily work of editors. A call for papers for next year’s award will go out this fall.
“ACES places a high value on research,” said Teresa Schmedding, president of ACES. “We can’t afford to keep doing things because that’s the way we’ve always done them. Research is the key to helping practicing journalists figure out where to direct resources.”
To read the full study, download Currie’s paper as a PDF file from his website.
Congratulations, TNT 21 Teaching Tips Winners!
From the convention in Chicago, award administrator Susan Keith announces the winners and offers a PDF TNT21 winners booklet from the Newspaper and Online News Division’s “Teaching News Terrifically in the 21st Century” teaching ideas competition. TNT21 was founded in 2009 to acknowledge good ideas for foundational journalism courses (newswriting, reporting and editing) from faculty members, adjunct professors, and graduate-student instructors.
This year’s winners…
- First place: Jennifer Brannock Cox, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Md., ”Better Media Writing is Just a Click Away”
- Second place (a tie): Amanda Sturgill, Elon University, Elon, N.C., ”Covering Class: Tweeting to Practice Social Media Reporting Skills,” and Michael Longinow, Biola University, La Mirada, Calif., ”Sidewalk-Level Teaching about Truth, Quotes and Plagiarism”
- Third place (a tie): Jennifer Kowalewski, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, ”Using Social
Media in Your News Stories,” and Sue Burzynski Bullard, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ”Comparing Coverage: You be the Judge”
Adjunct division
- Paul Atkinson, Arizona State, Phoenix, ”Using Twitter to Teach Story Pitches”
Graduate student division
- Robert N. Spicer, ”Pressing Politicians: Participation and Writing for Campaign Press Conferences”
TNT21 has been administered since 2009 by Susan Keith, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.
Note: File updated 08132012
Tweeting the Convention
The Newspaper & Online News Division has its own @aejmc_nond Twitter account, launched during the Chicago convention, plus the #aejmcnond “hashtag” to mark relevant Tweets.
Internet users without personal Twitter accounts can access either feed directly:
The general hashtag shortcut for the convention is
And a simple search for “aejmc” takes care of anyone who didn’t get the memo…
(For more about hashtags-for-journalists, see this blog post by Steve Buttry.)
The Foundation-Inspired “Teaching Hospital” Discussion
Before and during the Chicago convention, the Newspaper & Online News Division’s email list had a spirited discussion inspired by Howard Finbeg of Poynter in response to an “open letter to university presidents” from executives of several foundations.
The foundations endorsed a “teaching hospital” model of journalism education and cautioned university administrators, “Schools that do not update their curriculum and upgrade their faculties to reflect the profoundly different digital age of communication will find it difficult to raise money from foundations interested in the future of news.”
Here are some key links for the discussion:
- Open Letter to University Presidents
- Knight Foundation blog by Eric Newton
- Finberg’s article about it at Poynter
- August discussion email list archive, with contributions from Howard Finberg, Dane Claussen, Bill Reader, Carrie Brown, John Russial, John Zibluk, Bob Stepno, Ann Brill, Chris Roberts, Andrew Ciofalo, Gary Kebbel, Brian Baresch, Skye Dent, Kathleen Hansen, Howard Schlossbert, Michael Abrams, Larry Dailey, Robert Picard, Maureen Croteau, Daryl Moen, and perhaps more by now.
The original foundation letter signers, and their organizations:
- Eric Newton, senior adviser, Knight Foundation
- Clark Bell, journalism program director, McCormick Foundation
- Bob Ross, president and CEO, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation
- Mike Philipps, president and CEO, Scripps Howard Foundation
- Linda Shoemaker, president, Brett Family Foundation
- Davis Haas, chair, Wyncote Foundation
Plans (and a hashtag) for this week’s convention
Dear Colleagues:
Here’s one last reminder of how you can take part in the Newspaper and Online News Division’s activities this week during the AEJMC’s 100th anniversary convention in Chicago:
• Hang out with fellow members at Ed Debevic’s restaurant on Wednesday night. Find Mitch McKenney in the Marriott Lobby at 7 p.m. (He says he’ll be the “balding guy holding a Chicago Tribune.”) The restaurant is at 640 N. Wells Street.
• Take a look at our programs: The Summer LeadTime lists the times and dates for our research presentations and panel discussions. Be sure to drop by.
• Download the app: Go to the Android Market or Apple App Store, download the free “Guidebook” app, and then search for the AEJMC guide.
• Attend our Friday meeting: The business meeting begins at 8:30 p.m. in Chicago G&H, on the fifth floor.
• Join the conversation via social media.
o Conference hashtag: #aejmc2012
o Newspaper and Online Division hashtag: #aejmcNOND
I look forward to seeing you in Chicago.
–Chris
Dr. Chris Roberts
Head, Newspaper and Online News Division
Hail to the winners, during Friday’s Division meeting
Graphic by Leslie-Jean Thornton, Arizona State
At the start of our meeting we’ll honor Brooks — and present plaques, certificates, and/or checks to winners of our academic paper and TNT21 (Teaching News Terrifically in the 21st Century) competitions.
The meeting begins at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Chicago G&H, which is on the fifth floor of the convention hotel.
See you there.
Chris Roberts, Ph.D.
Head, Newspaper and Online News Division
Assistant professor, University of Alabama
Division seeks research, PF&R leaders for 2012-13
As we prepare for next week’s convention, I thought I’d update you on the proposed leadership lineup for 2012-13 and to seek volunteers to serve in key positions next year. As I’ll discuss later, we’re looking for help with Research and with our Professional and Freedom committees.
As you may know, the Division’s leadership in the last few years has moved in a four-year track from research co-chair (two years) to vice chair for programming, and then to Division head. That will not be the case this year, because Memphis’ Jin Yang has announced that, with regrets, she cannot move to Division head. She’s working on a U.S.-China project that is requiring more travel time. Jin has served faithfully for three years in research and programming, and we are grateful for her hard work.
Leslie-Jean Thornton of Arizona State has graciously agreed to stand for election to Division head. She previously served on the leadership track, and now tenured (and as last year’s winner of the division’s “Educator of the Year” award) will be my nominee to be Division head.
In 2012-13 we will need:
- Two people to serve as co-chairs of the research committee.
- One to serve as a co-chair of the Professional Freedom and Responsibility committee.
* Research: This year’s co-chairs were CUNY-York’s Claire Serant, who is moving to the division’s vice head for programming, and Florida’s Ron Rodgers, who is the new book review editor for Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly.
Duties involve running the division’s blind-reviewed paper competitions for the 2013 AEJMC convention in Washington, D.C. You’ll help recruit judges, handle the calls for papers in three categories (student division, open division, and our new American Society of Copy Editors special call), assign papers to judges, and ultimately select papers for presentation. You’ll be busiest in early April in assigning judges to papers, and again in May as you finalize the paper presentation lineups. You’ll have plenty of help from the division’s leaders (and former leaders) who have done this rewarding job.
We generally want a two-year commitment for the research job, but that may not be the case as one of the two may move to programming in 2014.
* PF&R: We also need one person to serve as a co-chair. The key duty is to write for our newsletter, and to do other tasks as requested by the division head.
If you are interested and/or want more information, please contact me at croberts@ua.edu. I’ll answer promptly and can even meet with you in Chicago to walk through the job descriptions.
A reminder that our member’s meeting begins at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10. I hope to see you there.
Chris Roberts, Ph.D.
Head, Newspaper and Online News Division
Assistant professor, University of Alabama
LeadTime leads way to Chicago
See the newsletter for the division’s Chicago convention events and more. (The image is just a preview — click it to download the full 17-page newsletter as a PDF file.)
For additional information, see the Spring Leadtime.
Editing Breakfast of Champions set for 8:15 a.m. Aug. 10
From Andy Bechtel, UNC-Chapel Hill
Let’s have breakfast in Chicago
The Breakfast of Editing Champions returns to the AEJMC national conference in Chicago on Friday, Aug. 10. I’m the organizer and moderator for the event, succeeding the wonderful Deborah Gump in that role.
The breakfast, which will begin at 8:15 a.m., is free and open to anyone who teaches editing, appreciates editing or simply likes to hang around editing professors. That should be pretty much everyone, right?
This year’s breakfast is BYOB: Bring Your Own Bagel. I’m working on providing coffee for everyone. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by signing up here. Please do so by Monday, Aug. 6.
The agenda is simple, yet fundamental to journalism that matters: the future of editing and editing education. This year’s breakfast will include a panel discussion on the teaching of social media in editing courses. Panelists will be:
- Amy Bartner, social media editor at The Indianapolis Star
- Sue Burzynski Bullard, University of Nebraska
- Scott Kleinberg, social media consultant, Tribune Company
- Leslie-Jean Thornton, Arizona State University
A highlight of the breakfasts has been the Teaching Idea Exchange, in which we swap assignments and strategies. Jill Van Wyke of Drake University will again handle the exchange this year, so send your best teaching idea or tip to her at jill.vanwyke@drake.edu by Tuesday, July 31. Send her a few paragraphs on your idea and be ready to discuss it for a minute or two at the breakfast.
Special thanks to the sponsors of this year’s breakfast:
- American Copy Editors Society (www.copydesk.org)
- Newspaper and Online News Division of AEJMC (http://aejmc.net/newspaper)
- Poynter’s News University (http://www.newsu.org)
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill (http://jomc.unc.edu)
See you in Chicago!
Spring LeadTime Leads to Chicago Centennial Convention
AEJMC returns to its roots for its 100-year anniversary. Read all about it!
See the spring LeadTime newsletter for convention information, including the Newspaper and Online News Division’s panels, hotel facts, and the division chair’s reflections on AEJMC’s beginnings a century ago:
Broadcast news was years away and the Internet a science-fiction fantasy when 18 journalism professors came to Chicago that year to found the American Association for Teachers of Journalism…
– Chris Roberts
Also included: The entry form for the newspaper project award and information about a new ACES Award For Research On Editing, and more.
