New Name, Same Mission

Last week, I heard from Jennifer McGill, AEJMC executive director.  She informed me that the AEJMC board of directors had OKed our members’ desire to change the name of our division to “Newspaper and Online News Division.”

Thus ended three years of discussion — of mission and future as much as name.  When we initiated the discussion through our division listserv, it was lively, to say the least.  Many members were concerned that a new name would be seen as an abandonment of our focus on newspapers, an extension of a disturbing trend.

This past convention, when the division members agreed to authorize a vote on changing our name, we focused on one option: Newspaper and Online News.  We felt that this maintained our traditional mission, while recognizing how newspapers have expanded their reach to include digital along with print.

After informing the Council of Divisions of our intent (with no objections), we put it to a vote of the members.  Of the 185 members who voted, 73 percent (135) supported the name change.  And now, when the new fiscal year begins, we will be known as the Newspaper and Online News Division.

As I mentioned earlier, we’re not abandoning newspapers (and I don’t think readers are, either).  Instead, we want our division to grow in every way: in membership, in influence, and in service to newspapers.

At this point it seems like people in my position get all “let’s have a group hug” and thank everybody and everything.  I’m tempted to do that, of course, because so many people helped and encouraged.  But I won’t.  Instead, I will encourage our members to keep up the good work and encourage you, if you are not already a division member, to join us and be a part of the good changes that are happening in our division.

John Carvalho

Newspaper Division* Head

*–Remember, change not effective until Oct. 1.