[AEJMC Newspaper Division list] NWSP Division Name Change?

[Schlossberg, Howard]

Much trepidation in so many of these comments. Don't know about everyone, but my students hardly read a black-and-white newspaper anymore. They read it online, if at all.


I even find myself buying an ink-and-newsprint publication less often. If I'm out mornings, I stop and get one. Always on Sunday. Otherwise, I too have a computer.


As instructors, we teach writing and reporting. As newspaper writers and editors, we are a vanishing breed. "Entertainment Tonight" is our students' leading information source, on TV or online.


Yes, we are "newspaper" as a group. But we are more "writing and reporting" as we put the newspaper in more places to reach more eyes and adjust its content and how we assemble it accordingly as well.

That's what I tell my students, so that's what I'm saying here. We can stay "newspaper," but if we don't adapt with our audience, we will be "electrocuted."


Thanks. Sincerely,

Howard Schlossberg
Associate Professor, Jourmalism
Columbia College Chicago
(312) 369-8904
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: John Carvalho <carvajp at auburn.edu>
Sender: "news-list-bounces at aejmc.net" <news-list-bounces at aejmc.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:04:05
To: news-list at aejmc.net<news-list at aejmc.net>; Bill Cassidy<bcassidy at niu.edu>
Subject: Re: [AEJMC Newspaper Division list] NWSP Division Name Change?

As we consider the possibility of a name change, I just wanted to
introduce a couple of the practical considerations that have moved us in
this direction.

1) Our membership is dropping.  If membership numbers are any
indication, the generation of young scholars coming up is probably not
as newspaper-oriented as we are.  We used to call ourselves the oldest
and largest division in AEJMC.  Now we are the oldest and the one-time
largest.  One reason might be that Newspaper defines our academic focus
narrowly.

(I'm going to say something here, and please realize that it is not
meant to be sarcastic.)  It may be that we are fine with the Division,
much like the newspaper industry diminishing to a lesser stature within
the overall media picture.  But we are wondering if there is a way to
adapt without abandoning the original focus of the division.  I think
that will allow us to serve the news gathering and reporting industry
more effectively in the future, through our research and programming.

2) To me, the conceptual bridge between our history and our future is
the printed word, whether it be on a newspaper page or on a Web page.  I
am speaking in terms of personal preference and opinion here, but I am
not as interested in merging with broadcasting interests, because even
in  a multimedia platform, that is different.  But I think in terms of
gathering news information and transmitting it to a mass audience
through words (dang, I love words) is an important mission.  True, we
get articles about layout, etc., but again, the idea is that layout,
whether on the Web or on the page, supports the text.  And if our name
change could clearly reflect that, so much the better.  It's preferable
to scholars sending papers to Comm Tech because they are
Internet-related.

Currently, there is no such division for online.  I think it has been
wise for AEJMC to delay on that, because that would swallow up a lot of
divisions that deserve their distinction.  I would hate to be research
chair for that division!

In the previous discussion, I believe it was Mike Grundmann (newsletter
editor) who suggested "Print/Digital News."  The idea behind that is
that it recognizes the dual presentation of our information.  Perhaps we
could do something that preserves the term "Newspaper" and recognizes
this new platform for news information.  And it could still be shorter
than "Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risks Interest
Group."

John

P.S. I am recognizing all of the e-mail addresses as people who
annually rescue us in our need for judges, moderators, and discussants.
Much appreciated!




John Carvalho
Associate Professor of Journalism
Auburn University
217 Tichenor Hall
Auburn University, AL  36849
334-844-4454 (office)


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