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<TITLE>Re: [AEJMC Newspaper Division list] New name for Newspaper Division?</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Hi all,<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Arial">After nearly a decade of being involved in division affairs, I believe that one of the strengths of AEJMC is the great diversity of its divisions and interest groups. The numerous divisions and interest groups, however, have long been viewed by some as a weakness that undermines central authority. Some say it is messy; others say it doesn't work. But I say the divisions and interest groups give voice to many views and bring democratic processes to the table. They encourage participation, often passionate, from the membership. Overall, I am concerned about the push in the proposed strategic plan to "restructure" AEJMC and to "streamline," "combine," or "merge" the various divisions.<BR>
<BR>
Instead of viewing "newspaper" as a weakness, I would suggest that the the newspaper division remains one of the strongest and most effective divisions. This is evident by the varied programming, membership and research offerings. We also publish the "NEWSPAPER Research Journal." It seems like a fine name to me. My students still get jobs at newspapers.<BR>
<BR>
I also would argue that the current structure of AEJMC is sound:<BR>
<BR>
1) By providing so many divisions and interest groups, AEJMC creates a sense of inclusion and belonging while it maximizes research and professional development opportunities for junior faculty.<BR>
<BR>
2) The current structure diffuses power and encourages self-governance. <BR>
<BR>
I'm glad Susan had brought this conversation forward. And I encourage all of you to attend the Newspaper Division business meeting in Chicago and to attend the convention business meeting, which will discuss the strategic plan for AEJMC. These are important conversations.<BR>
<BR>
See you in Chicago,<BR>
Glen<BR>
<BR>
Chair and co-chair, Council of Divisions, 1999-2003;<BR>
Head, Newspaper Division, 1998-1999.<BR>
Chair, Graduate Education Interest Group, 1992‑93; Founding member of interest group.<BR>
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<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"><B>From: </B>"Edward C. Pease" <ted.pease@usu.edu><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:57:45 -0600<BR>
<B>To: </B>"susank@scils.rutgers.edu" <susank@scils.rutgers.edu><BR>
<B>Cc: </B>"news-list@aejmc.net" <news-list@aejmc.net><BR>
<B>Subject: </B>Re: [AEJMC Newspaper Division list] New name for Newspaper Division?<BR>
<BR>
Dear Newspaper Division:<BR>
<BR>
I feel Susan Keith's pain over the possible renaming (rebranding?) of the Newspaper Division, as we all struggle with how to define what "newspaper" people now do in the brave new world where print is dwindling and "news" doesn't mean what it used to.<BR>
<BR>
I'm a former Newspaper Division head and longtime member, as well as a longtime newspaperman. That is a term that reminds me of this from an editor in the 1990s: "Being a reporter is like being a cowboy on a dinosaur ranch."<BR>
<BR>
It may be that the newspaper is an obsolete term like "daguerreotype," but what "newspaper" means for me still stands for a lot--newsgathering, sense-making, watchdoggery and all the rest (even if fewer and fewer of Americans write and read).<BR>
<BR>
As painful as it would be, changing the name of the Newspaper Division makes sense in many ways, for the reasons Susan suggests. But if we're going to do it, expanding the name to enumerate delivery systems such as "online" is just clutter. What we who teach and study newspapers and news is news--not the paper or online or text-messaging or other parts.<BR>
<BR>
When the Association for Education in Journalism (AEJ) debated its name-change to become more inclusive, the argument was similarly commonsensical: the field was evolving beyond just the "journalism" part. At the time, however, I thought expanding AEJ to AEJMC was an idea in need of an edit--adding "mass communication" to "journalism" was like calling ourselves the Association of Apples and Other Fruit. Redundant. But how could we delete the "journalism" part of the name? it's fundamental.<BR>
<BR>
Similarly, the Newspaper Division is fundamentally about news and, as Susan says, not just about papers. The news business is converging, after all, to incorporate lots of delivery systems. So perhaps instead of redundant add-ons about online and new media, perhaps we should talk to our broadcast colleagues and create an even bigger 600-pound gorilla within AEJMC, the News Division. Inclusivity is not only good, but essential to what we do. <BR>
<BR>
Yrs in curmudgeondom,<BR>
Ted Pease<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Gill Sans, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Gill Sans, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><B>Edward C. Pease, Ph.D<BR>
</B></SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>Professor & Graduate Coordinator<BR>
Book Review Editor, <I>Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly<BR>
</I>Department of Journalism & Communication<BR>
Utah State University<BR>
Logan, Utah 84322-4605<BR>
435-797-3293; 435-797-3973 FAX; 435-760-1707 (cell)<BR>
www.usu.edu/journalism/faculty/pease<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Subscribe (free!) to TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM (<a href="http://tedsword.blogspot.com/)">http://tedsword.blogspot.com/)</a> at ted.pease@usu.edu See a</SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>lso.... </SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><a href="http://askdrted.blogspot.com/">http://askdrted.blogspot.com/</a> . . . <a href="http://peezpix.blogspot.com/">http://peezpix.blogspot.com/</a> . . . <a href="http://newshounds1.blogspot.com/">http://newshounds1.blogspot.com/</a><BR>
~ ~ ~ ~ ~<BR>
"Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you can get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little." --Tom Stoppard<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On Jul 17, 2008, at 9:16 AM, Susan Keith wrote:<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Dear Newspaper Division colleagues,<BR>
<BR>
I'm writing to ask you to consider an issue that the division's executive<BR>
committee will be discussing next month in Chicago: whether the Newspaper<BR>
Division of AEJMC should consider changing its name.<BR>
<BR>
In the July issue of our division newsletter, LeadTime, I argued that -- in<BR>
keeping with AEJMC's focus this year on the future of our field -- our<BR>
division should expand its name to clearly indicate that it embraces the<BR>
study of online and other types of journalism practiced by newspaper<BR>
companies. If you are away from the location where you receive your mailed<BR>
copy, you can download a PDF of the newsletter from<BR>
<a href="http://aejmc.net/newspaper/leadtime/leadtime_july_2008.pdf">http://aejmc.net/newspaper/leadtime/leadtime_july_2008.pdf</a> But I will<BR>
briefly recap my reasons for suggesting a name change here:<BR>
<BR>
1. "Newspaper" no longer accurately describes the full range of products<BR>
that traditional print journalism outlets are producing.<BR>
<BR>
2. "Newspaper" no longer accurately describes the full range of journalistic<BR>
work that our division members study. At the Chicago convention, we will<BR>
hear research presentations on newspaper online interactivity, copy editors'<BR>
roles in the "digital revolution," online citizen journalism and reporters'<BR>
blogs.<BR>
<BR>
3. Giving the division a name that accurately reflects the breadth of our<BR>
interests might help us stem a decline in membership. Although the Newspaper<BR>
Division remains the largest in AEJMC (by just 20 members), membership has<BR>
fallen 13.3 percent since 2004, from 684 to 593. It's impossible to say for<BR>
sure what caused the decline, but it's possible that some AEJMC members are<BR>
not joining our division or renewing membership in it because they think all<BR>
we are concerned with is what some view as a dying medium. (I don't share<BR>
that view, but it is out there.)<BR>
<BR>
4. Giving the division a name that accurately reflects the breadth of our<BR>
interests might help us stem a decline over the past few years in paper<BR>
submissions. Again, it's impossible to say for sure why our submissions have<BR>
been down, but it may be that scholars studying such topics as online news<BR>
sites, for example, have perceived our division as being focused only on<BR>
news printed on paper.<BR>
<BR>
5. Expanding our division's name to something like "Newspaper and Online<BR>
Journalism Division" or "Newspaper and Newer Media Division" -- or some<BR>
better name members suggest -- would let us offer a division home to the<BR>
scholars who study online and newer media journalism. Some of those people<BR>
are now affiliated with AEJMC's Communication Technology Division. But for<BR>
others, whose work is focused more on *journalism* than *technology,* that<BR>
division may not seem like the perfect fit.<BR>
<BR>
6. Expanding our division's name might help us better weather any internal<BR>
reorganization that grows out of adopting the AEJMC Strategic Plan, which<BR>
members will be asked to vote on in Chicago. (You can read more about it,<BR>
from my perspective, here:<BR>
<a href="http://aejmc.net/newspaper/leadtime/leadtime_march2008.pdf.)">http://aejmc.net/newspaper/leadtime/leadtime_march2008.pdf.)</a><BR>
<BR>
A few of you have already responded to my print column explaining why you do<BR>
or do not support a name change. I will be sharing your opinions with the<BR>
membership via this list (unless you asked me not to). I hope that this note<BR>
in your e-mail box will prompt more of you to respond and share your<BR>
opinions about whether changing the division's name is a good idea and, if<BR>
so, what the new name should be.<BR>
<BR>
You can share your thoughts by sending a note to the Newspaper Division<BR>
e-mail list at news-list@aejmc.net I hope you'll share your opinions<BR>
publically, but if you'd rather send them just to me, you may do so at<BR>
susank@scils.rutgers.edu.<BR>
<BR>
I look forward to hearing from you!<BR>
<BR>
Susan Keith, Ph.D.<BR>
2007-2008 AEJMC Newspaper Division head<BR>
Assistant professor<BR>
Department of Journalism and Media Studies<BR>
School of Communication, Information and Library Studies<BR>
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey<BR>
4 Huntington Street<BR>
New Brunswick, NJ 08901<BR>
(732) 932-7500, ext. 8235<BR>
susank@scils.rutgers.edu<BR>
www.scils.rutgers.edu/~susank<BR>
Office: CILS 106<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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