[AEJMC Newspaper Division list] division name

[Schlossberg, Howard]

If I may...

We are the Newspaper Division, just like Broadcast (TV) is its own division, and PR, and Magazine, et. al. They all distribute the same as we do. We are Newspaper whether we're broadsheet or tabloid, whether we're scandal sheet or have integrity (or both, or neither), whether we're daily or weekly (even weeklies are now daily thanks to the Internet), whether we partner with a broadcast outlet in a converged situation or a merger/acquisition, whether we're a daily horse racing tip sheet or Sports Business Daily, and no matter how multi-platform, we're still newspaper, still doing the news better than anyone else, everyday, so let's promote that and let everyone know it. We are far from dead (despite all these proclamations of our premature passing) and nothing is going to push us aside. Nothing else has yet.

Whether we like it or not, from National Enquirer from NY Times, The Star to Wall Street Journal (wait, they're the same now), or NY Post to LA Times (they still exist, right?), we are newspaper, and will be until we wake up one morning and find out we're not.

Respectfully,

Howard Schlossberg
Faculty, Journalism
Columbia College Chicago
(312) 344-8904
Sports Correspondent, Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL.
From: news-list-bounces at aejmc.net [mailto:news-list-bounces at aejmc.net] On Behalf Of Bill Reader
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 11:14 AM
To: Newspaper Div. members
Subject: [AEJMC Newspaper Division list] division name

Susan -- I read your arguments for changing the division name, or at least modifying it. You make many good points, but I worry that such an effort would be akin to creating a solution before there is a problem.

-- first, "Newspaper" already has been normalized as a generic term to include print and online variants of newspaper products (indeed, we have been talking about "online newspapers" for more than a decade). It seems as if the name change now would be reacting to an identity crisis that the industry itself resolved years ago, at least regarding nomenclature. I can't think of many people in the industry who don't already think of online publishing as part of "newspapering."

-- second, of course, is the organizational turf war this effort could launch within AEJMC. Every other medium-oriented division and IG also include online issues -- RTV includes "online media," Magazine includes "online media," etc. This effort could lead to widespread additions of "online" to division names, which would dilute the term or, worse, create bad politics among different divisions.

-- third, of course, is the cultural capital of the word "newspaper." "Radio" and "television" both have easily made the cultural transition to online, such that people listen/watch both online and "offline." Newspapers are pretty much the same -- people read many "newspapers" online, but still refer to the medium as "the newspaper." "Newspapers" have a very distinct and important role in society, even though newspapers have long tinkered with both radio and TV (and now online) as alternative ways of distributing news. I think keeping the division name as is would be a demonstration of strength, confidence, and security in society's most established and influential news medium.

I think a much more useful and influential effort would be to not change the name of the division, but to craft a short, clear subtitle to attach to the name every time it is used: "for the study of online, print, and alternative newspapers." Or something like that.

But, if the membership agrees to go with some kind of name change, I suggest "Newspaper Journalism Division," which would focus the division on the journalistic aspects (rather than the business/management aspects) of the industry.

Hope this helps the leadership of the Newspaper Division.

All best,

Bill R.

--------------------



Bill Reader, assistant professor

E.W. Scripps School of Journalism

102 Scripps Hall

Ohio University

Athens, OH, 45701

740.597.1294

reader at ohio.edu<mailto:reader at ohio.edu>

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~reader



-- 2007-08 chair, Community Journalism Interest Group, AEJMC



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