[AEJMC Newspaper Division list] Beyond the name change

Tue Jul 22 21:59:59 CDT 2008

Sorry, Ann, for the double post.

Yes, I agree with much of what has been said in this thread, especially the comments regarding grabbing the online or new media label.   These are delivery systems and, as such, are bound to be outdated as soon as we use them.  It’s like calling ourselves convergence.  Convergence is a given, one we barely need to teach anymore as students come in with converged media experience from their daily media use.  As Jobs and Gates said in a recent NYT article, content is key—the delivery systems of the future are still unknown.  Therefore, linking our future to either or all is a short-term solution. Yet, it’s not fair to lay claim to journalism or news—other divisions, other media, also do journalism and news.  
So, what to do?  One thought I’ve liked is to remain the Newspaper division, which brings with it the history and gravitas of the profession.  For example, you don’t see Theater departments changing their names wholesale to something like Multimedia Performance, even though that is what they, increasingly, do.
I think I’m with the folks who say stay with Newspaper—but then, at the same time, we must do some educating so that people begin to think of Newspaper as including online, etc.
My .02.

-----Original Message-----
From: news-list-bounces at aejmc.net on behalf of Jean Ann Colbert
Sent: Tue 7/22/2008 5:50 PM
To: Members Newspaper Division; JOHN B ZIBLUK; Kathleen Wickham
Subject: Re: [AEJMC Newspaper Division list] Beyond the name change

Yes! We need to talk with other divisions. Wally's idea and Jack's comments below are sensible and thought-provoking. This issue affects many divisions and I'm not comfortable with the idea of just grabbing the online connection.
Ann Colbert

>>> "JOHN B ZIBLUK" <JZIBLUK at astate.edu> 7/22/2008 8:52 AM >>>
Colleagues:

Not only do Kathleen's associates in RTV face the same issues, folks in Viscomm and othe divisions face it too.

I think it's important to be pro-active here rather than reactive. The name-change discussion is really just the first layer of the onion here. There are a lot of layers we need to peel back in order to get to the core..and as with an onion, there will be some tears along the way.

I love wally's idea of putting together a study group or commission to come up with a plan of action. The name change would be part of a larger picture. 
We need to look at the direction of our scholarship and of our teaching. I have a master's in public admin and I co-authored the strategic plan for the National Press Photographers recently. I would love to really work on something for our group. The AEJMC strategic plan is coming out and we can integrate/articulate with that plan. Or do something deeper.

I have done a lot of interdisciplinary work of late and I find a lot of other constituencies are doing media/news/communications work. But they hate journalism and journalists. As newspapers shrink, shed and morph, their role is being taken up by many forms of communications on-line and off including niche publications, webpages blogs, wikis and more stuff than I can name.

In the face of these changes,niche scholarship broadens and atomizes. We study entertainment, social networks, religion, business and PR..all of which are straying further from newspapers and the traditional early 20th Century "objective" news paradigm. Are students are lookign for jobs? where are they? Wil they be information officers for niche organizations, pubnlications, non profits and businesses? independent entrepreneurs?

How do we engage with the non-journalism journalists who need our help and expertise?

I dunno.

But what I do know is that we need to prepare our students for the new world; we need to focus our scholarship on understanding it.

We don't need to re-trench within our old boxes......

Let's take this on as a profession. A commission, study group or whatever is warranted and needed.

jack

-- 
John B. (Jack) Zibluk, Ph.D.
Associate professor,
Arkansas State University
Department of Journalism
P.O. Box 1930
State University, AR 72467
(H) 870-931-1284
(W) 870-972-3075
(cell) 870-219-3328
http://www.clt.astate.edu/jzibluk2 

-----Original Message-----
From: news-list-bounces at aejmc.net on behalf of Kathleen Wickham
Sent: Mon 7/21/2008 12:49 PM
To: Members Newspaper Division
Subject: Re: [AEJMC Newspaper Division list] (no subject)

Susan: Thank you for posting the name change issue on the list-serv. 
I've enjoyed reading the robust discussion.
	I am torn. As a former newspaper reporter (10 years in New Jersey) my 
heart is in the newsroom and in the term Newspaper Division. I know  
newspaper are facing stiff economic times. But I also know that the 
online version originates in that print newsroom.  And I know that what 
we do: reporting, writing and  editing contributes to the community and 
has an important role in a democracy. 	I am also aware that broadcast 
outlets also  use the online world as part of its mission and 
connections with the community. Their goals mirror newspaper goals.
	And, of course then there are all those forms of what I call 
independent news sources that may or may to meet the same journalistic 
standards. Bloggers, citizen journalists, virtual worlds and other 
forms developed and still not even conceived.
	As a former Newspaper Division head (2006-2007) I  recognize that 
problem Susan is trying to countered with the name change--decreased 
membership and decreased paper submissions. The issue is not just about 
recognizing our heritage but about positioning ourselves for the 
future. And certainly expanded editions in our paper calls and on our 
list-serv would help to educate researchers seeking a home.
	 I also recognize the importance, value  and wonderful diversity of 
AEJMC's many divisions  and interest groups. It would be inappropriate 
to rename our division the Journalism Division for all members of AEJMC 
are committed to journalism.
	In fact, as I was preparing this post I had a conversation with an 
officer with RTVJ re: this very issue. Their list-serv  has also been 
busy this week discussing our conversation. What they object to most, 
according to my friend, is that Newspaper would lay claim to Journalism 
as its title. That suggestion is viewed as arrogant and insulting.
	As I  pondered  this issue  during a long drive this weekend, I came 
up with two titles for consideration: News  Media Division or  
Newspaper/Online News Division. I  prefer  the latter as it recognizes 
that "newspaper" can be viewed as a generic definition of what we do 
(producing an independent source of news  important in a democracy) yet 
encompasses online realities.
	I would reject some of the other suggestions as too banal: New media 
(its been around for over a decade so it is hardly new--I wrote a book 
on Online Journalism in 1997) and   News-Editorial reads like a course 
sequence.

Kathleen Wickham

   *******************
Dr. Kathleen Woodruff Wickham
Associate Professor
Graduate program director
P.O. Box 1848
131 Farley Hall
The University of Mississippi
University, Miss. 38677
e-mail: kwickham at olemiss.edu 
phone: 662-915-5501
fax: 662-915-7765
_____
Author of:
Math Tools for Journalists
Marion Street Press
www.marionstreetpress.com 

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