[AEJMC Newspaper Division list] Whither the Newspaper Division's Name?

[Ed Lambeth]

Dear Susan and colleagues,

Here are some questions that come to mind:

>Will an extra year of reflection be useful before acting on a name change?

>What impact, if any, will the proposed name, "News Division," have on the
division's friends and allies among editors and active practitioners?

>What scouting needs to be done, if any, among those other divisions within
AEJMC that have been the Newspaper Division's most active and helpful partners
in planning convention programs and out-of-convention initiatives?

>What research, teaching and service connections of the current membership would
be enhanced by the name change to  "News Division?"

In closing I confess that, if change there be, I now know of none more
likely to better preserve the core professional identity than "News
Division" or do the least harm to the division's future. I hope others will
raise questions that ought to be explored in the time left for decision
making.

Best,

Ed Lambeth, Professor Emeritus of Journalism
University of Missouri