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Here is the final version of events that the Community Journalism Interest Group is involved in at the AEJMC Convention this August in Chicago. There has been one change to this schedule: We will now be hosting our own, sole-sponsored research panel and will not be doing a high density session. This change had to occur because we were double booked during the high density session, which is not permitted. The new research panel will happen on Saturday, immediately before the COMJIG members meeting. We have requested these two events occur in the same room.
Date: Wednesday, August 8
Time: 1-5 p.m.
Session: "Legal Issues for Journalism Schools As News Providers: Challenges and Opportunities"
Description: This event will consist of three panels on best practices for journalism schools in their increasingly vital role as community news providers to help them sensibly address and mitigate legal risk in support of the journalism they are producing and in support of their education of students.
Sponsors: Law and Policy Division (lead), Community Journalism Interest Group, Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group
Date: Thursday, August 9
Time: 3:15-4:45 p.m.
Session: "African Media, the Arab Spring & Democratization: The 'un-seen' and 'un-mentioned' Social Side of the News Revolution"
Description: This panel focuses on the social issues of international news reporting about countries and their peoples in sub-Saharan Africa and the way these issues interact with the media and the process of democratization.
Sponsors: Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group, Community Journalism Interest Group
Date: Thursday, August 9
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.
Session: "The Tragedy of Today's GLBT Journalism"
Description: At a time when journalism of, by, and for the GLBT community could be excellent and comprehensive, the situation is instead bad and getting worse. So where do we go from here?
Sponsors: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Interest Group (lead), Community Journalism Interest Group
Date: Friday, August 10
Time: 1:30-3 p.m.
Session: Scholar-to-scholar research
Description: Presentation of peer-reviewed COMJIG research papers
Date: Friday, August 10
Time: 3:15-4:45
Session: "Mobile Me, Mobile We: Building and Bridging Communities With Media"
Description: This panel looks at the some of the diverse attributes of mobile in a changing media landscape at the hyperlocal and community level.
Sponsors: Community Journalism Interest Group (lead), Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group
Date: Friday, August 10
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.
Session: "Social Media and Ethnic Press"
Description: This panel probes the trends showing that young people, the dominant media audience of tomorrow, are using social media to communicate with those in their ethnic culture.
Sponsors: Small Programs Interest Group (lead), Community Journalism Interest Group (lead), Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group
Date: Saturday, Aug. 11
Time: 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Session: "The Rise of University Entrepreneurial News Startups" (J-Lab Luncheon)
Description: Around the country, journalism programs are launching news websites to cover their communities, state capitals, or public issues on a day-to-day basis. These are genuine news initiatives that take many forms and they are quite different from the blogs or websites that house student assignments for a particular class. We examine different models and how they operate.
Sponsors: Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group (lead), Community Journalism Interest Group
Date: Saturday, August 11
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Session: "Startling Startups in the Business of Journalism"
Description: This panel will disprove the death of entrepreneurship in journalism. Community journalism – and other – start-ups comprise the ideal AEJMC panel for the centennial convention in Chicago.
Sponsors: Community Journalism Interest Group (lead), Media Management and Economics Division
Date: Saturday, Aug. 11
Time: 5:15 p.m.
Session: Research panel session
Description: Panel presentation of peer-reviewed COMJIG research papers
Date: Saturday, August 11
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
Session: COMJIG membership meeting
Date: Saturday, August 11
Time: 8:45 p.m.
Session: COMJIG executive board meeting
January 12, 2012
Community Journalism Syllabus Exchange
We have started the community journalism syllabus exchange at our Yahoo
group, with the first contribution by Bill Reader of Ohio University.
His syllabus covers a course specifically on community journalism.
You will find it in the "File" area of the Yahoo group .
Please contribute your syllabi. As a member of the Yahoo group, you can post them yourself and we'll see that you've done that. (To do so, you needed to create a Yahoo log on when we sent you the invitation. Some of you are getting this message because we enrolled you but you never responded to that initial message asking you to create a log on.)
If you can't post them, send them to teaching chair Andrea Frantz frantza@rmu.edu or COMJIG head Joe Marren marrenjj@buffalostate.edu for posting.
You will find it in the "File" area of the Yahoo group .
Please contribute your syllabi. As a member of the Yahoo group, you can post them yourself and we'll see that you've done that. (To do so, you needed to create a Yahoo log on when we sent you the invitation. Some of you are getting this message because we enrolled you but you never responded to that initial message asking you to create a log on.)
If you can't post them, send them to teaching chair Andrea Frantz frantza@rmu.edu or COMJIG head Joe Marren marrenjj@buffalostate.edu for posting.
January 10, 2012
AEJMC seeking comment on FCC action
AEJMC, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, is seeking comment on this draft statement regarding the FCC's proposal to require TV stations to put their license renewal files online. To respond to the draft, please contact kabrads@bgsu.edu by 9 a.m. Central Time Jan. 11:
AEJMC DRAFT Statement The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), a nonprofit, academic organization of more than 3,600 journalism and mass communication educators, students, and media professionals, is committed to “defend and maintain freedom of communication in an effort to achieve better professional practice and a better informed public.” AEJMC would like to respond to the Federal Communications Commission Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in connection with “ the Matter of Standardized and Enhanced Disclosure Requirements for Television Broadcast Licensee Public Interest Obligations.” AEJMC supports the FCC’s important proposed rule change because this would bring closer to reality broadcasters’ transparency in fulfilling their “public-interest obligations” to communities. The rule change would exponentially expand the public’s access to the broadcasters’ “public-inspection files,” now on paper, by requiring them to make them available online. AEJMC applauds the FCC for its overdue effort to “ modernize the way television broadcasters inform the public about how they are serving their communities.” As Steven Waldman, the lead author of the FCC report titled " Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age ," cogently noted in his Columbia Journalism Review article of December 29, 2011, the proposed FCC rule change mandating online access will impose little additional burden to broadcasters, since broadcasters are already required to assemble these materials. From journalism and mass communication educators’ perspective, AEJMC believes that putting these political files online would enable educators and researchers to better teach and research how the public-owned airwaves have been used for political advertising. Equally important, investigating the broadcasters’ “pay for play” arrangements would be much easier if these records are included in online public files. AEJMC disagrees with broadcasters that the proposed FCC disclosure regulations could create problems for them in terms of additional cost and manpower from compliance with the regulations. Their objections seem to be more transparency-averse than cost-motivated. For putting the public inspection data online at the FCC would entail little additional cost for the broadcasters. Professor Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, director of the University of Nebraska-Omaha School of Communication, who for more than twenty years has been sending students in his Media Regulation and Freedom course to inspect local public files, recently said , “Some operations are downright hostile about the current obligation of public inspection during regular office hours.” In conclusion, AEJMC urges FCC to err on the side of more transparency, not less, on the part of broadcasters’ obligations for public-file inspections. This is all the more compelling than ever, given that off-line information about the broadcasters’ records for operating TV and radio stations for the “public interest, convenience, and necessity” is more often a case of “practical obscurity.” This should no longer be allowed in the Internet era. The media transparency proposal of FCC would be one effective way to tackle the physical inertia inherent in the files in the broadcasters’ file cabinets.
January 03, 2012
Louisiana editor and weekly win Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, tenacity, integrity in rural journalism
 |
| Stanley Nelson at The Concordia Sentinel |
The Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues presents the award in honor of Tom and Pat Gish, who published The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Ky., for more than 50 years. Tom Gish, who died in 2008, and his wife Pat were the award's first recipients.
Nelson and the Sentinel showed courage and unusual tenacity in investigating an unsolved murder from the era of conflict over civil rights, and in January 2011 named a living suspect in the 1964 killing of African American businessman Frank Morris. A grand jury was convened and continues to investigate. A prosecutor on the case, David Oppeman, told James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times, “I told Stanley the other day he is the hub in this and everybody else is just a spoke. He did the work that needed to be done.”
The newspaper showed integrity and courage in the face of reader resistance to its dogged, detailed reporting in more than 150 stories. “The owners of the Concordia Sentinel never hesitated in following the story,” Nelson wrote in the fall edition of Nieman Reports, of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. "While most readers read the stories with interest and outrage over what happened so many years ago, many of the most vocal were those who detested the coverage and who questioned our motives," Nelson told the Institute for Rural Journalism. “We knew some would be angered to read about the parish's ugly racial past,” he wrote for Nieman Reports. “Some canceled subscriptions. We were threatened. Our office was burglarized. One irate reader called to find out my ultimate goal. ‘To solve a murder,’ I said. ‘You can't do that,’ she snapped. ‘You're just a reporter!’ She hung up. We pressed on.”
For much more on Nelson, the Sentinel and the Gish Award, click here.
December 23, 2011
New research: Small-town readers still prefer paper
A new report from the Reynolds Journalism Institute finds that in small communities, the newspaper is still the preferred way of getting local news.
Before we go too far on this, however, keep in mind it is a multivariate problem that also goes to the availability of such news online and the penetration of easy access to online (still not so great in some rural areas).
Before we go too far on this, however, keep in mind it is a multivariate problem that also goes to the availability of such news online and the penetration of easy access to online (still not so great in some rural areas).
December 05, 2011
COMJIG research sessions
We're trying something new this year with our research sessions at the AEJMC conference in Chicago. Along with ComTECH, we're participating in a high-denisty research session from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10.
Because we want to increase our visibility and try to bring in more research papers, we can have up to 10 research presentations at the Chicago conference. of teh 10, five can be presented at the high-density session and we can have up to five posters at the Scholar-to-Scholar session (also on Friday afternoon, from 1:30 to 3). Please see teh sked in a previous posting.
Now it's up to us to spread the word to kith and kin that COMJIG can be THE place to get their research noticed.
The HD guidelines are directly below from AEJMC:
Rationale:
The high-density format may be thought of as a cross between a traditional paper presentation panel and a scholar-to-scholar session. The hybrid allows more individuals to be placed on the panel (thus the name “high-density”). The key is that the individual presentations must be SHORT to allow for individual discussion with members of the audience. To insure this, your chair and discussant will be strictly enforcing the timelines discussed below. This format allows the audience members to hear the detail on those research projects that interest them the most.
Format:
Presenters will be given 4 minutes to provide an overview or summary of their paper. This time limit will be strictly enforced. You will be stopped if you exceed the time limit. No questions are taken between presentations. Since you have a short time for presentation, you are encouraged to limit audio-visual and lengthy discussions. Think of this as an executive summary or an extended abstract.
The discussant for the panel will not comment on the individual papers. The discussant’s function is to facilitate discussions between the presenters and the audience members. To achieve this goal, presenters are asked to spread out in the room so that individuals who would like to speak to them may do so. Audience members will then be able to spend some time hearing more about or asking questions about those research presentations that most interest them. To help the audience members find the proper presenter, a sign will be made with your paper title and authors. These will be taped to the walls around the room (or at tables, if available). After all the presentations are over, you must go to the area with your sign.
Presenters should prepare handouts containing outlines, key points, executive summaries, etc. for their study to distribute to the audience members. This one-page handout will help the members of the audience to comprehend your brief presentations and to select those papers they would like to hear more about. Since there will be many presenters and only one LCD projector, do not prepare materials for the discussion with individuals. It is suggested that you have limited projected material for your 4-minute presentation.
If the guidelines outlined here are followed correctly, there will be nearly 30 minutes for individual discussion. This will allow audience members to get more information on several papers.
Because we want to increase our visibility and try to bring in more research papers, we can have up to 10 research presentations at the Chicago conference. of teh 10, five can be presented at the high-density session and we can have up to five posters at the Scholar-to-Scholar session (also on Friday afternoon, from 1:30 to 3). Please see teh sked in a previous posting.
Now it's up to us to spread the word to kith and kin that COMJIG can be THE place to get their research noticed.
The HD guidelines are directly below from AEJMC:
Rationale:
The high-density format may be thought of as a cross between a traditional paper presentation panel and a scholar-to-scholar session. The hybrid allows more individuals to be placed on the panel (thus the name “high-density”). The key is that the individual presentations must be SHORT to allow for individual discussion with members of the audience. To insure this, your chair and discussant will be strictly enforcing the timelines discussed below. This format allows the audience members to hear the detail on those research projects that interest them the most.
Format:
Presenters will be given 4 minutes to provide an overview or summary of their paper. This time limit will be strictly enforced. You will be stopped if you exceed the time limit. No questions are taken between presentations. Since you have a short time for presentation, you are encouraged to limit audio-visual and lengthy discussions. Think of this as an executive summary or an extended abstract.
The discussant for the panel will not comment on the individual papers. The discussant’s function is to facilitate discussions between the presenters and the audience members. To achieve this goal, presenters are asked to spread out in the room so that individuals who would like to speak to them may do so. Audience members will then be able to spend some time hearing more about or asking questions about those research presentations that most interest them. To help the audience members find the proper presenter, a sign will be made with your paper title and authors. These will be taped to the walls around the room (or at tables, if available). After all the presentations are over, you must go to the area with your sign.
Presenters should prepare handouts containing outlines, key points, executive summaries, etc. for their study to distribute to the audience members. This one-page handout will help the members of the audience to comprehend your brief presentations and to select those papers they would like to hear more about. Since there will be many presenters and only one LCD projector, do not prepare materials for the discussion with individuals. It is suggested that you have limited projected material for your 4-minute presentation.
If the guidelines outlined here are followed correctly, there will be nearly 30 minutes for individual discussion. This will allow audience members to get more information on several papers.
December 03, 2011
Sked for Chi-town
John Hatcher and I spent the weekend in Louisville putting some of the finishing touches on COMJIG's Chicago sked (yeah, I know, tough gig but somebody had to do it, right?) We think that we have an interesting lineup of scholarly panels so make sure to pack your thinkin' cap for next August.
Just a reminder that this will be the 100th aniversary for AEJMC back in its founding city so things are a bit different this time around. We're on a Thursday to Sunday sked instead of the traditional Wednesday-Saturday rotation. But anyone in the Windy City on Wednesday, Aug. 8, won't be disappointed or left looking for something to do (are there things to do in that toddling town?) that day because COMJIG is part of a group presenting a pre-conference session from 1 to 5 p.m. titled "Legal Issues for J-Schools as News Producers: Challenges & Opportunities."
The conference formally opens on Thursday, Aug. 9, and we have two afternoon panels:
1.) A PF&R panel with our buds from CCJIG at 3:15 titled "African Media, the Arab Spring & Democratization: The 'un-seen' and 'un-mentioned' Social Side of the News Revolution."
2.) That's immediately followed with another PF&R session at 5 (so walk quickly between the rooms) with a co-sponsored session with the good folks from GLBT on "The Tragedy of Today's GLBT Journalism."
Friday, Aug. 10, is a busy day. Unfortunately, however, the sked gods hiccuped when we were going about our biz because there is a dark cloud coverng our silver lining. We have four sessions but two of them conflict. Blame it on the Bossa Nova, blame it on the sheer madness of the chip auction (any excuse in a storm is a good excuse I always say), but we'll just have to endure. First, the good news:
1.) Our scholar-to-scholar session is from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
2.) We're cosponsoring a 3:15 p.m. research session with our ol' reliables from CCJIG on "Mobile Me, Mobile We: Building and Bridging Communities With Media."
3. & 4.) Here's where things get sticky and we'll have to make the best of it. We have a conflict from 5 to 6:30 p.m. We're co-sponosring a PF&R session with SPIG on "Social Media & the Ethnic Press in Chicago" AND involved in a high-density research session with CTECH at the same time. And there's another problem. We'll really have to help the research chair find, cultivate and nurture some quality research papers. So start spreading the news. (Yeah, I know, I know, it's Chicago and I'm quoting "New York, New York," but Frankie sang about both towns so I think I have a loophole here.
Although New York (and maybe Chicago) are cities that never sleep, maybe you should get some sleep because Saturday, Aug. 11, will be a busy day.
1.) It can start as late as 12:15 with the traditional J-Lab lunch with friends from the Council of affiliates and CCJIG, but then it gets busy as the afternoon and evening wear on.
2.) At 3:30 p.m. we're working with Media Management on a merger of essentially two panels: "Starting Startups in the Business of Journalism" and "Changing the News: Exploring a Connective Journalism."
3.) Our biz meeting is at 7 p.m. on-site and our executive meeting will follow somewhere on- or off-site.
Our formal presentations end Saturday, but remember that the conference continues through Sunday, Aug. 12.
On a personal note, I've told anyone who will listen, friends and foes alike, that last year in Albuquerque I plunked two chips into teh container in teh middle of the room. This year, two prople tied my mark, though they didn't break it. I swear the container was much, much, much wider this year. When the first person swished in his two chips a woman sitting near me leaned over and asked, "Didn't you get two chips in last year?" Ahhhh, fame endures though the good that men do is oft interred with their bones but they remember the chips you sink.
See you in August!
Just a reminder that this will be the 100th aniversary for AEJMC back in its founding city so things are a bit different this time around. We're on a Thursday to Sunday sked instead of the traditional Wednesday-Saturday rotation. But anyone in the Windy City on Wednesday, Aug. 8, won't be disappointed or left looking for something to do (are there things to do in that toddling town?) that day because COMJIG is part of a group presenting a pre-conference session from 1 to 5 p.m. titled "Legal Issues for J-Schools as News Producers: Challenges & Opportunities."
The conference formally opens on Thursday, Aug. 9, and we have two afternoon panels:
1.) A PF&R panel with our buds from CCJIG at 3:15 titled "African Media, the Arab Spring & Democratization: The 'un-seen' and 'un-mentioned' Social Side of the News Revolution."
2.) That's immediately followed with another PF&R session at 5 (so walk quickly between the rooms) with a co-sponsored session with the good folks from GLBT on "The Tragedy of Today's GLBT Journalism."
Friday, Aug. 10, is a busy day. Unfortunately, however, the sked gods hiccuped when we were going about our biz because there is a dark cloud coverng our silver lining. We have four sessions but two of them conflict. Blame it on the Bossa Nova, blame it on the sheer madness of the chip auction (any excuse in a storm is a good excuse I always say), but we'll just have to endure. First, the good news:
1.) Our scholar-to-scholar session is from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
2.) We're cosponsoring a 3:15 p.m. research session with our ol' reliables from CCJIG on "Mobile Me, Mobile We: Building and Bridging Communities With Media."
3. & 4.) Here's where things get sticky and we'll have to make the best of it. We have a conflict from 5 to 6:30 p.m. We're co-sponosring a PF&R session with SPIG on "Social Media & the Ethnic Press in Chicago" AND involved in a high-density research session with CTECH at the same time. And there's another problem. We'll really have to help the research chair find, cultivate and nurture some quality research papers. So start spreading the news. (Yeah, I know, I know, it's Chicago and I'm quoting "New York, New York," but Frankie sang about both towns so I think I have a loophole here.
Although New York (and maybe Chicago) are cities that never sleep, maybe you should get some sleep because Saturday, Aug. 11, will be a busy day.
1.) It can start as late as 12:15 with the traditional J-Lab lunch with friends from the Council of affiliates and CCJIG, but then it gets busy as the afternoon and evening wear on.
2.) At 3:30 p.m. we're working with Media Management on a merger of essentially two panels: "Starting Startups in the Business of Journalism" and "Changing the News: Exploring a Connective Journalism."
3.) Our biz meeting is at 7 p.m. on-site and our executive meeting will follow somewhere on- or off-site.
Our formal presentations end Saturday, but remember that the conference continues through Sunday, Aug. 12.
On a personal note, I've told anyone who will listen, friends and foes alike, that last year in Albuquerque I plunked two chips into teh container in teh middle of the room. This year, two prople tied my mark, though they didn't break it. I swear the container was much, much, much wider this year. When the first person swished in his two chips a woman sitting near me leaned over and asked, "Didn't you get two chips in last year?" Ahhhh, fame endures though the good that men do is oft interred with their bones but they remember the chips you sink.
See you in August!
December 01, 2011
Readers in smaller communities may prefer the paper, but ...
A new study from the Reynolds Institute and the National Newspaper Association is being framed as "readers in areas served by community newspapers continue to prefer the
community newspaper as their sources of local news and advertising."
From the release:
If more than a third said they received local shopping information on a platform -- mobile -- and the suggestion was that perhaps not all of them are going to your site, would that be a cause for concern? Or are you willing to write off more than a third of your audience - a segment likely to grow? (Unfortunately, the release talks about a "trend," but provides no trend data or a link to the time series raw data files. You should also read the footnote to the study carefully because the methodology has changed a bit.)
Yes, it's clear community papers continue to have an important place in the media mix of consumers, but I don't think it's all unicorns and rainbows as the release might suggest with this quote:
If I'm running a business, I'm not willing to give up a quarter or a third of my market, yet I've sat in many a meeting in recent years where community publishers defiantly act as though digital is the enemy or, if they have digital assets, seem largely clueless about them. Bad move.
(Also published on Common Sense Journalism.)
From the release:
The survey, in its sixth year, shows consistent trends.
Readers prefer the printed copy to the online version, with 48 percent saying they never read the local news online.
They prefer to receive advertising through the newspaper (51%) instead of on the Internet (11%). And only about a quarter of respondents said they had found local news through a mobile device in the past 30 days. Slightly more (38%) said they had received local shopping information by mobile device.Let me suggest a slightly different interpretation. If a quarter of your market said it was using a device to access your product -- in this case mobile -- would that be an "only" to you or a cause for management to start thinking strategically in that area?
They also have a strong preference for government accountability through newspaper public notice, with 80 percent saying the government should be required to publish notices in the newspaper.
If more than a third said they received local shopping information on a platform -- mobile -- and the suggestion was that perhaps not all of them are going to your site, would that be a cause for concern? Or are you willing to write off more than a third of your audience - a segment likely to grow? (Unfortunately, the release talks about a "trend," but provides no trend data or a link to the time series raw data files. You should also read the footnote to the study carefully because the methodology has changed a bit.)
Yes, it's clear community papers continue to have an important place in the media mix of consumers, but I don't think it's all unicorns and rainbows as the release might suggest with this quote:
"The survey shows a majority of respondents believe that the newspaper does a better job of providing background and depth on stories essential to citizens,” Anfinson said. “Further, the newspaper is more useful to them personally than any other news source. It not only highlights the strong bond between local communities and their newspapers, but demonstrates that people do value good journalism."
If I'm running a business, I'm not willing to give up a quarter or a third of my market, yet I've sat in many a meeting in recent years where community publishers defiantly act as though digital is the enemy or, if they have digital assets, seem largely clueless about them. Bad move.
(Also published on Common Sense Journalism.)
November 29, 2011
Why we need community papers - follow up
A little over a week ago, I mentioned here how Ed Henninger had put out a call in defense of community media to explain why we need community papers.
He's got some comments on his blog worth reading
http://edhenninger.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/its-time-for-us-to-tell-others-why-community-newspapers-matter/#comments
and
http://edhenninger.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/why-community-newspapers-matter-in-your-words/
The theme that runs through many of them is that community papers are the glue that helps hold communities together but also that the stories get action. This is from a woman at the Catholic Herald:
He's got some comments on his blog worth reading
http://edhenninger.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/its-time-for-us-to-tell-others-why-community-newspapers-matter/#comments
and
http://edhenninger.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/why-community-newspapers-matter-in-your-words/
The theme that runs through many of them is that community papers are the glue that helps hold communities together but also that the stories get action. This is from a woman at the Catholic Herald:
Someone wrote to us once to let us know that a story my coworker at the time wrote about a fundraiser, generated an additional $1,000 donation for his cause. After an article I wrote about a program that helps couples heal after having a stillborn baby, I received an email from someone who was touched by the article. Even better, the woman in charge of that program emailed me to let me know that she received a phone call the day it was published from a family who lost a baby—the grandmother wanted to know how she could help.And this from another comment:
On Friday, a young mother came in our office to place a thank-you ad. Her baby boy died in a tragic car accident on the family property only weeks earlier. Of course, our newspaper covered the story but the story didn’t end with the facts.
As I talked to her, she related how she couldn’t have been standing in front of me without the prayers and support of her family, friends and community. She told me how the local churches prayed for the family and how they received cards from people they didn’t know — these individuals just wanted to share their grief. Others anticipated their needs by providing meals or just a shoulder to cry on. As I looked at her written words of thanks, I started immediately to think how I would sensitively handle this situation and honor her child. I took some of the words she said describing her child and worked them into a concept. The ad hasn’t run yet, but I hope it will help in the healing process.
That’s why I like working for a small-town newspaper. There’s a certain type of person who wants to live in such a community. And in my experience, most of these people value decency, reach out to their fellow man, and are solid individuals with solid morals. They say “Bless their heart…” when bad news happens and slip a 50-dollar bill to the minster or sheriff to help with a family’s need in an anonymous fashion. Of course, our headlines carry the drug arrests and other crime stories, but for the most part, we carry the stories of someone’s engagement and wedding, what’s happening in 4-H, and the goings-on of local politics.
November 23, 2011
Editor at weekly putting heat on secretive energy projects says official struck him
A thrice-weekly newspaper's watchdog reporting about local-government support of two secretive energy projects got physical this week, as the county's energy and development director punched an editor in the arm, according to a story in today's Appalachian News-Express of Pikeville, Ky. The criminal complaint by News Editor Chris Anderson said Charles Carlton "approached me and hit me with a closed fist in the left arm above the elbow" as he opened the newspaper's front door for Carlton, who said, "You son of a bitch; what are you people harassing me for?"
"According to court documents, Anderson said the incident occurred shortly after he had sent an open- records request to Pike [County] Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford’s office, which would have been forwarded to Carlton for fulfillment," News-Express Editor Russ Cassady wrote. His story said Carlton issued a statement repeating a denial that he hit Anderson, but said "It was a reaction through frustration because it seems every time I spend considerable amounts of time and energy negotiating with large national and international companies the newspaper intervenes at critical moments and makes it very difficult for me to get anything accomplished."
Cassady wrote that Carlton "has been at the center of controversy since late last month, when the News-Express released the results of an investigation of a pair of coal-to-liquid fuel plants proposed for Pike County. Carlton, in his capacity as director of energy and community development, figured heavily in both the projects and in the News-Express investigation, which found that the county may have illegally provided equipment and labor to a private company working on private property." For that story and two sidebars, click here.
Today's story notes, "This incident is the second in less than two years in which a News-Express staffer was involved in an altercation regarding a news story." In the first, Pikeville Mayor Frank Justice hit former editor Jerry Boggs in the face and later issued a public apology. The online News-Express is subscription-only, but the pages containing today's story are posted here and here.
Cassady wrote that Carlton "has been at the center of controversy since late last month, when the News-Express released the results of an investigation of a pair of coal-to-liquid fuel plants proposed for Pike County. Carlton, in his capacity as director of energy and community development, figured heavily in both the projects and in the News-Express investigation, which found that the county may have illegally provided equipment and labor to a private company working on private property." For that story and two sidebars, click here.
Today's story notes, "This incident is the second in less than two years in which a News-Express staffer was involved in an altercation regarding a news story." In the first, Pikeville Mayor Frank Justice hit former editor Jerry Boggs in the face and later issued a public apology. The online News-Express is subscription-only, but the pages containing today's story are posted here and here.
November 21, 2011
A call to speak up for community newsrooms
Ed Henninger, a designer, fellow consultant (though he does it professionally, while I just dabble) and designer (OK, I tell him, some things can't be helped) has put out a clarion call for the best paean to community journalism.
Here's how he puts it in "It's time for us to tell others: Why community newspapers matter": As he puts it:
The folks with the best comments get a PDF of his book, Henninger on Design.
Surely someone from COMJIG can win a copy. Go for it! (And, yes, Ed is a pretty darn good designer.)
Here's how he puts it in "It's time for us to tell others: Why community newspapers matter": As he puts it:
IT’S TIME WE GAVE community newspapers the credibility and respect they’ve earned—and we can lead that effort. Right here.
Like you, I’m tired of community newspapers being considered the “bottom of the heap.”
Like you, I’m tired of young journalists considering community newspapers a place to learn the business before they go on the “greatness” at The New York Times, The Washington Post or USA TODAY.
It’s about time journalists understand and appreciate the value of what all of those small newspapers do for readers and their communities.
The folks with the best comments get a PDF of his book, Henninger on Design.
Surely someone from COMJIG can win a copy. Go for it! (And, yes, Ed is a pretty darn good designer.)
November 20, 2011
Harrisburg paper broke Penn State story in March; reporter calls it 'huge testament to local news'
Uncovering the story of a former Penn State football coach's alleged rapes of boys "was all local journalism," Harrisburg Patriot-News reporter Sara Ganim told Howard Kurtz this morning on CNN's "Reliable Sources."
"Its a huge testament to local news," Ganim, a 24-year-old Penn State journalism graduate told Kurtz, who initially referred to the 71,000-circulation Advance Publications newspaper as "The News-Patriot." Ganim said, "It was all local journalism, going to my sources. ... I spent a lot of time knocking on doors and getting shooed off properties."
Ganim said the newspaper "did have some pushback" to her stories that first reported the investigation, starting March 31, but "I actually expected a lot more than we got. . . . For the most part people were happy that we were bringing this out." The stories didn't get much play beyond Pennsylvania until ex-coach Jerry Sandusky was indicted this month, perhaps because they were based on interviews with people who had testified before a grand jury, reporting that was difficult for non-local media to match, Ganim said.
The story of Sara Ganim "is also the story of a family-owned media company, Advance, of a second-generation newspaper editor, David Newhouse, of a publisher, John Kirkpatrick, who understands what a newspaper means to a community, and of a newsroom that has the deep local connections and also the courage to keep going no matter what the potential cost to its own reputation," Carl Lavin writes on his 07newsroom blog.
For Ganim's original story, click here. For her latest summary, focusing on authority figures and "What did they know and when did they know it?" go here. Her last-Sunday story about why the probe took so long is here.
"Its a huge testament to local news," Ganim, a 24-year-old Penn State journalism graduate told Kurtz, who initially referred to the 71,000-circulation Advance Publications newspaper as "The News-Patriot." Ganim said, "It was all local journalism, going to my sources. ... I spent a lot of time knocking on doors and getting shooed off properties."
Ganim said the newspaper "did have some pushback" to her stories that first reported the investigation, starting March 31, but "I actually expected a lot more than we got. . . . For the most part people were happy that we were bringing this out." The stories didn't get much play beyond Pennsylvania until ex-coach Jerry Sandusky was indicted this month, perhaps because they were based on interviews with people who had testified before a grand jury, reporting that was difficult for non-local media to match, Ganim said.
The story of Sara Ganim "is also the story of a family-owned media company, Advance, of a second-generation newspaper editor, David Newhouse, of a publisher, John Kirkpatrick, who understands what a newspaper means to a community, and of a newsroom that has the deep local connections and also the courage to keep going no matter what the potential cost to its own reputation," Carl Lavin writes on his 07newsroom blog.
For Ganim's original story, click here. For her latest summary, focusing on authority figures and "What did they know and when did they know it?" go here. Her last-Sunday story about why the probe took so long is here.
November 14, 2011
Les Anderson dies
A friend to many of us, Wichita State journalism professor Les Anderson has died.
It's truly a loss in journalism education. I was proud to call Les a friend. Last time he and I had seen each other for any amount of time was a few years ago at the Chicago AEJMC convention during a Tribune tour.
Les was a COMJIG member for a number of years.
Here is the Friends of Les Facebook page for more.
It's truly a loss in journalism education. I was proud to call Les a friend. Last time he and I had seen each other for any amount of time was a few years ago at the Chicago AEJMC convention during a Tribune tour.
Les was a COMJIG member for a number of years.
Here is the Friends of Les Facebook page for more.
October 17, 2011
COMJIG response
What follows below is my e-mail to the Council of Divisions about its written report following the COMJIG interview with COD reps this past August in St. Louis.
Comments?
> Hello Tony,
>
> I'd like to take a bit of your time to respond to the report "AEJMC
> Assessment of the Community Journalism Interest Group." The report
> came out of the oral interview the Council of Divisions
> representatives had with Andris Straumanis and me back in August in
> St. Louis. I consulted with past and present COMJIG officers and we
> would like you and the committee and the COD to know our thoughts.
>
> To be honest, we were surprised by the report. Personally, I thought
> it was negative and that the last line, "AEJMC should closely examine
> whether the group's status should be renewed" was threatening.
>
> I thought that Andris and I stated quite well why COMJIG's original
> mission and charge has changed and grown. The committee seemed to be
> asking us to continue to define ourselves along the old model of
> COMJIG being the "small newspaper" interest group/division. It's true
> that COMJIG grew out of the Newspaper Division (as a founding member I
> remember the meetings quite well), but COMJIG has had to grow with
> technology. Thus, we feel that we have to be the group that is open to
> all. COMJIG isn't just about the legacy media communicating with the
> audience along the traditional gatekeeper model, it also has to
> incorporate the non-traditional media seeking a dialogue with the
> audience textual and non-textual. Being hyperlcoal has to include broadcasting, the 'Net, etc.
>
> Andris and I were asked what separates COMJIG from the Civic and
> Citizen Journalism Interest Group. So, then, I'd like to answer that
> question again by pointing out our call for papers for the past
> several years, which I and other officers helped write:
>
> The Community Journalism Interest Group (COMJIG) is interested in
> research focused on any and all aspects of community journalism. We
> emphasize that community need not just be defined as within
> traditional geographical or social boundaries, but that given
> technological advances it may also be applied to journalism and its relationship to communities of interest online.
>
> Our goal is to identify and present original, meaningful research that
> advances the understanding of the role of journalists and news
> organizations as members of communities, geographic or digital. We
> have particular interest in issues unique to those situations where as
> a function of geography or technology the community and news
> organization tend to be or have the potential to become highly engaged.
>
> I believe from that it's obvious that COMJIG isn¹t really about
> citizen journalism, per se. The key is that COMJIG is the place where
> people can discuss both "community" and "journalism" at a critical
> juncture of the media history timeline.
>
> Two new books, "Foundations of Community Journalism," by Bill Reader
> (former COMJIG head) and John Hatcher (current COMJIG program chair
> and vice head), and "Emus Loose in Egnar: Big Stories From Small
> Towns," make the distinction better than I do. Each also points out
> the distinction between community and citizen journalism. The latter
> book reports what many of us have noted for a few years now, that
> community journalism is the bright spot in traditional journalism,
> having been less affected by the digital transformation than
> metropolitan media. But it also must adapt to the digital era, and
> much of the research and service activity of COMJIG members is
> directed to that end. Also, the current issue of AJR has an article that places "hyperlocal" news sites (as more and more spring up) in context with community journalism.
>
> There is also a new journal put out by the Texas Center for Community
> Journalism that is now looking into key research on community
> journalism and it is partnering with COMJIG. And there is also the
> Convergence Newsletter run out of the University of South Carolina
> that highlights some community journalism efforts since convergence
> levels the playing field between the daily monopolies on the block and
> community news organizations, print and broadcast and websites.
>
> I would also note that we are trying to address some of the issues
> raised in the report. For example, the report says we (and all
> divisions and IGs
> actually) have to be more aware of diversity. We are thinking about
> this when we seek paper judges and panel members. Going hand-in-hand
> with that are recruitment efforts to draw in a more diverse group,
> both in their research interests and in their backgrounds.
>
> We also:
>
> * Have plans in the works for a syllabus exchange. It will likely be on our
> Yahoo page.
> * Are trying to drive traffic to the blog and our Facebook page where we
> can communicate better and more efficiently.
> * Are looking into "recruiting" grad students at either the mid-year in
> Oklahoma in March or the Southeast Colloquium (also in March) in
> Virginia. As a former COMJIG officer put it, we're probably better
> able to help budding scholars because our smaller size can easily
> translate into more care and nurturance of grad students than some of the larger divisions.
> * Are working to increase our research presence by having the vice chair
> and research chair "recruit" people. For example, when I was research
> chair I sent out a couple e-mails a day to those who had presented at
> AEJMC in the past reminding them that we existed. We can also deepen
> our research presence by having a stronger push for research papers
> and panels that couple with other divisions and interest groups and
> which look at both the research aspects of our field, as well as
> issues of diversity and international comparisons of community journalism.
> * Will get better with our blog postings.
>
> Taken all together I think that we not only stated our case clearly in St.
> Louis, but are working on necessarily expanding our core mission. The
> lack of research papers may not show this, but we can concentrate on,
> say, PF&R and/or teaching to validate our presence, as was mentioned at the meeting in St.
> Louis.
Comments?
> Hello Tony,
>
> I'd like to take a bit of your time to respond to the report "AEJMC
> Assessment of the Community Journalism Interest Group." The report
> came out of the oral interview the Council of Divisions
> representatives had with Andris Straumanis and me back in August in
> St. Louis. I consulted with past and present COMJIG officers and we
> would like you and the committee and the COD to know our thoughts.
>
> To be honest, we were surprised by the report. Personally, I thought
> it was negative and that the last line, "AEJMC should closely examine
> whether the group's status should be renewed" was threatening.
>
> I thought that Andris and I stated quite well why COMJIG's original
> mission and charge has changed and grown. The committee seemed to be
> asking us to continue to define ourselves along the old model of
> COMJIG being the "small newspaper" interest group/division. It's true
> that COMJIG grew out of the Newspaper Division (as a founding member I
> remember the meetings quite well), but COMJIG has had to grow with
> technology. Thus, we feel that we have to be the group that is open to
> all. COMJIG isn't just about the legacy media communicating with the
> audience along the traditional gatekeeper model, it also has to
> incorporate the non-traditional media seeking a dialogue with the
> audience textual and non-textual. Being hyperlcoal has to include broadcasting, the 'Net, etc.
>
> Andris and I were asked what separates COMJIG from the Civic and
> Citizen Journalism Interest Group. So, then, I'd like to answer that
> question again by pointing out our call for papers for the past
> several years, which I and other officers helped write:
>
> The Community Journalism Interest Group (COMJIG) is interested in
> research focused on any and all aspects of community journalism. We
> emphasize that community need not just be defined as within
> traditional geographical or social boundaries, but that given
> technological advances it may also be applied to journalism and its relationship to communities of interest online.
>
> Our goal is to identify and present original, meaningful research that
> advances the understanding of the role of journalists and news
> organizations as members of communities, geographic or digital. We
> have particular interest in issues unique to those situations where as
> a function of geography or technology the community and news
> organization tend to be or have the potential to become highly engaged.
>
> I believe from that it's obvious that COMJIG isn¹t really about
> citizen journalism, per se. The key is that COMJIG is the place where
> people can discuss both "community" and "journalism" at a critical
> juncture of the media history timeline.
>
> Two new books, "Foundations of Community Journalism," by Bill Reader
> (former COMJIG head) and John Hatcher (current COMJIG program chair
> and vice head), and "Emus Loose in Egnar: Big Stories From Small
> Towns," make the distinction better than I do. Each also points out
> the distinction between community and citizen journalism. The latter
> book reports what many of us have noted for a few years now, that
> community journalism is the bright spot in traditional journalism,
> having been less affected by the digital transformation than
> metropolitan media. But it also must adapt to the digital era, and
> much of the research and service activity of COMJIG members is
> directed to that end. Also, the current issue of AJR has an article that places "hyperlocal" news sites (as more and more spring up) in context with community journalism.
>
> There is also a new journal put out by the Texas Center for Community
> Journalism that is now looking into key research on community
> journalism and it is partnering with COMJIG. And there is also the
> Convergence Newsletter run out of the University of South Carolina
> that highlights some community journalism efforts since convergence
> levels the playing field between the daily monopolies on the block and
> community news organizations, print and broadcast and websites.
>
> I would also note that we are trying to address some of the issues
> raised in the report. For example, the report says we (and all
> divisions and IGs
> actually) have to be more aware of diversity. We are thinking about
> this when we seek paper judges and panel members. Going hand-in-hand
> with that are recruitment efforts to draw in a more diverse group,
> both in their research interests and in their backgrounds.
>
> We also:
>
> * Have plans in the works for a syllabus exchange. It will likely be on our
> Yahoo page.
> * Are trying to drive traffic to the blog and our Facebook page where we
> can communicate better and more efficiently.
> * Are looking into "recruiting" grad students at either the mid-year in
> Oklahoma in March or the Southeast Colloquium (also in March) in
> Virginia. As a former COMJIG officer put it, we're probably better
> able to help budding scholars because our smaller size can easily
> translate into more care and nurturance of grad students than some of the larger divisions.
> * Are working to increase our research presence by having the vice chair
> and research chair "recruit" people. For example, when I was research
> chair I sent out a couple e-mails a day to those who had presented at
> AEJMC in the past reminding them that we existed. We can also deepen
> our research presence by having a stronger push for research papers
> and panels that couple with other divisions and interest groups and
> which look at both the research aspects of our field, as well as
> issues of diversity and international comparisons of community journalism.
> * Will get better with our blog postings.
>
> Taken all together I think that we not only stated our case clearly in St.
> Louis, but are working on necessarily expanding our core mission. The
> lack of research papers may not show this, but we can concentrate on,
> say, PF&R and/or teaching to validate our presence, as was mentioned at the meeting in St.
> Louis.
October 14, 2011
Reminder: Deadline for panel proposals Oct. 21
Dear COMJIG members,
A reminder that the deadline to submit panel proposals is on Friday, Oct. 21. Please take a moment and reflect back on what we've presented in the past and on the direction you'd like to see this interest group go when we meet in Chicago in August of 2012.
If you've read the report from AEJMC on our self assessment, you know that they would like to see our interest group give greater emphasis to research and to diversity. I'm sure those are things many COMJIG members also want for our group.
Panel presentations offer a great vehicle for exploring these areas. We can have panels that focus on areas of research and theories we think are important to the understanding of the community-journalism relationship. We can explore these ideas in collaborative discussions with other AEJMC interest groups and panels.
Please consider submitting an idea -- either as a more formal panel proposal, or a simple email with your thoughts on a panel you'd like to see happen.
You can read the details of the call here.
Question? Contact program chair John Hatcher.
A reminder that the deadline to submit panel proposals is on Friday, Oct. 21. Please take a moment and reflect back on what we've presented in the past and on the direction you'd like to see this interest group go when we meet in Chicago in August of 2012.
If you've read the report from AEJMC on our self assessment, you know that they would like to see our interest group give greater emphasis to research and to diversity. I'm sure those are things many COMJIG members also want for our group.
Panel presentations offer a great vehicle for exploring these areas. We can have panels that focus on areas of research and theories we think are important to the understanding of the community-journalism relationship. We can explore these ideas in collaborative discussions with other AEJMC interest groups and panels.
Please consider submitting an idea -- either as a more formal panel proposal, or a simple email with your thoughts on a panel you'd like to see happen.
You can read the details of the call here.
Question? Contact program chair John Hatcher.
October 10, 2011
Community Journalism Conference
From Brian Steffens:
These are challenging economic times for all of us. But this is also a time of opportunity for community journalism. The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, the Missouri School of Journalism, and the Missouri Press Association have put together a free conference for community newspaper publishers and editors. While only a few seats remain available for onsite participation, you, your management team and your staff are invited to watch LIVE on Thursday, October 20, beginning at 10 am Central and ending at 5 pm; and again Friday, October 21, beginning at 9 am Central and ending at 2:30 pm. Your link to watch is: http://www.rjionline.org/live To learn more about "Community Newspapers: Tomorrow Has Arrived," please review the agenda, speaker bios, etc.: http://www.rjionline.org/events/community-newspapers-tomorrow-has-arrived
October 07, 2011
Heath: 'Postalgeddon' for community papers
Max Heath, postal expert for the National Newspaper Association, has a column laying out dire consequences for community newspapers under the Postal Service's consolidation plans.
Late in the column he mentions the push to get online paid PDF subscriptions counted for circulation.
Given that we've held several discussions during the past two AEJMC conventions where there were clearly those saying they won't touch the Web, this might be the thing that starts tipping the balance.
Interesting question: If the holdouts are forced online over something like this, even with a paid PDF for formerly outlying circulation, where's the tipping point where other subscribers start migrating?
Late in the column he mentions the push to get online paid PDF subscriptions counted for circulation.
Given that we've held several discussions during the past two AEJMC conventions where there were clearly those saying they won't touch the Web, this might be the thing that starts tipping the balance.
Interesting question: If the holdouts are forced online over something like this, even with a paid PDF for formerly outlying circulation, where's the tipping point where other subscribers start migrating?
October 06, 2011
Community Journalism and Steve Jobs
Just read a moving tribute to Steve Jobs by Lisen Stromberg of the Palo Alto Patch, a hyperlocal news service. What's great about this post is that it isn't about how Jobs' technology affected community journalism. It's about what Steve Jobs was like as a neighbor.
October 03, 2011
Small markets, big careers
"Downsizing is the new normal in journalism, whether it means going from staff to freelance or from covering a larger market to a smaller niche," writes Nicole Martinelli on IJNet.org.
She interviewed Gregg McLachlan, communications consultant and author of the 2010 book Big stories, Small towns: The essential journalism guide for working and thriving in smaller markets.
McLachlan, who runs WorkCabin Communications in Ontario, Canada, advises journalists in small towns to not get too comfortable from the lack of competition. "Try not to follow into a trap so common in smaller markets too -- getting too comfortable and going to the same sources time and again... Yes, you may be in a smaller market, but there’s still a big community of sources out there," he said in the interview.
He also echoed themes heard in COMJIG sessions during the last two AEJMC conventions, where the role of digital media in community journalism has been discussed.
"In many smaller markets, the web and social media continue to be tools that are not being used effectively," McLachlan said. "There is still that mentality that the 'newspaper comes out tomorrow, so read the whole story then.'"
Read the full interview at IJNet.org.
She interviewed Gregg McLachlan, communications consultant and author of the 2010 book Big stories, Small towns: The essential journalism guide for working and thriving in smaller markets.McLachlan, who runs WorkCabin Communications in Ontario, Canada, advises journalists in small towns to not get too comfortable from the lack of competition. "Try not to follow into a trap so common in smaller markets too -- getting too comfortable and going to the same sources time and again... Yes, you may be in a smaller market, but there’s still a big community of sources out there," he said in the interview.
He also echoed themes heard in COMJIG sessions during the last two AEJMC conventions, where the role of digital media in community journalism has been discussed.
"In many smaller markets, the web and social media continue to be tools that are not being used effectively," McLachlan said. "There is still that mentality that the 'newspaper comes out tomorrow, so read the whole story then.'"
Read the full interview at IJNet.org.
September 29, 2011
Facebook shortcut for COMJIG
We now have enough likes on Facebook to get a shortcut to our page there: http://www.facebook.com/COMJIG
Enjoy
Enjoy
Some thoughts about COMJIG from AEJMC
I post this to solicit comments from members about COMJIG. We recently went through an assessment process and then the top officers met with an AEJMC team that interpreted our self-assessment and they, in turn, made some suggestions. But it's the very last line that may cause some concern.
I've asked other COMJIG officers for their views and all agree that we need to do more on diversity, but then we seem to differ. Officers say the report can be viewed as either a wake-up call to do more and do it better, to keep doing what we're doing and do more reaching out, or to provide AEJMC with a remedial education on what COMJIG is all about. Please read over the following report and comment on what you think it means for COMJIG, as well as any thoughts on what we can do more of, &/or how we can do things better.
Thanks,
Joe
AEJMC Assessment of the Community Journalism Interest Group (2006-2011)
2010-11 Assessment Committee members: Tony DeMars, Council of Divisions; Marianne Barrett, Standing Committee on Teaching; Ann Hollifield, Standing Committee on Research; and Randall Beam, Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility.
I. Overview: The Community Journalism Interest Group (COMJIG) was formed in 2004 and in its early years was quite strong. Its status was renewed in 2007 and that year, the group created a 24-page teaching booklet, “Community as a Teaching Resource” and collaborated with other groups and divisions on panels. In 2008 the group had five PF&R sessions including a mini-plenary. Currently though, the group faces some challenges. Perhaps the most significant in terms of its long-term prospects is the confusion over its mission and its ability to differentiate itself from the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group.
Over the past five years, COMJIG has co-sponsored a number of activities with Civic and Citizen Journalism including the annual J-Lab luncheon. The two groups have discussed merging, but have decided to remain separate. When asked by the assessment team what its mission is, the group’s officers were not clear. They seemed to be defining community very broadly—ethnic, religious, geographical and other communities. The team suggested the group narrow its focus, and concentrate on becoming specialists in what it means to be a community. COMJIG, like many other AEJMC divisions and interest groups, also needs to devote attention to improving its diversity. In 2010-2011 there was no ethnic diversity among the group’s officers, panelists, moderators or discussants. Further, there is only one woman officer. Women, have, however, served as paper judges (3), panelists (3) and moderators (1).
II. Research: COMJIG has consistently struggled with research paper submissions. It received 12 in 2010, but only 8 in 2011. The difficulty in attracting submissions may in part be due to the confusion over what the group is and how it differs from Civic and Citizen Journalism. The assessment team offered the group several suggestions for bolstering the number of submissions, many of which are linked to focusing on what it means to be a community. The team also suggested the group consider participating in the mid-winter conference as a way of raising its research profile, particularly among graduate students.
III. Teaching: Over the last five years, COMJIG has largely focused on Teaching and PF&R, alternately between the two one year to the next. It has occasionally devoted some of limited programming slots to research. Most notably, in 2006-2007, COMJIG participated in a mini-plenary in which its contribution was “Community as a Resource.” As noted in the overview, the group compiled a 24-page booklet that provided teaching tips. In 2010 COMJIG co-sponsored three panels on teaching. The group has as one of its goals a syllabus sharing clearinghouse. Outside of the convention, the group produces a blog and each officer is responsible for posting to the blog at least once a month.
IV. Professional Freedom and Responsibility: As noted above, because of its limited number of programming slots, COMJIG focuses on PF&R and Teaching in alternating years. In 2011, it concentrated on PF&R with a particular emphasis on public service. Among its activities was co-sponsorship of the J-Lab luncheon, something it has done for the last several years, and was sole sponsor of a panel on community newspapers’ efforts to move content online. The group also launched a survey of state newspaper and broadcast associations and ethnic community news organizations to get input on how COMJIG and the academy could better serve the industry. Although the group is to be commended for its efforts in this regard, the assessment team wondered about the efficacy of the survey especially given the group’s limited resources. In its 2010 report, COMJIG noted its “orientation as a bridge between the academic and professional worlds means much of what we do has PF&R aspects. . .” That orientation is clearly reflected in the group’s activities.
V. General Comments and Suggestions:
The Community Journalism Interest Group seems to be at a crossroads. It continues to struggle with attracting paper submissions, has seen turnover in its membership, although its membership seems to have stabilized somewhat in 2011, and is having difficulty clearly defining its mission and differentiating itself from the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group. The group recognizes the need to recruit new members who can help revitalize the group. The assessment team suggested narrowing what the group is trying to do and focusing on becoming specialists in what it means to be a community. The group should also make an effort to reach out to women and people of color. The team suggested finding a place in the group’s officer ranks for everyone who volunteers to review papers or perform other tasks during the year. To date, except for its blog, the group does not participate in any out -of-convention activities. The team suggested the group consider participating in mid-winter as a way of raising its research profile and attracting paper submissions, especially from graduate students. Given the group’s challenges, particularly with respect to its mission, AEJMC should closely examine whether the group’s status should be renewed.
I've asked other COMJIG officers for their views and all agree that we need to do more on diversity, but then we seem to differ. Officers say the report can be viewed as either a wake-up call to do more and do it better, to keep doing what we're doing and do more reaching out, or to provide AEJMC with a remedial education on what COMJIG is all about. Please read over the following report and comment on what you think it means for COMJIG, as well as any thoughts on what we can do more of, &/or how we can do things better.
Thanks,
Joe
AEJMC Assessment of the Community Journalism Interest Group (2006-2011)
2010-11 Assessment Committee members: Tony DeMars, Council of Divisions; Marianne Barrett, Standing Committee on Teaching; Ann Hollifield, Standing Committee on Research; and Randall Beam, Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility.
I. Overview: The Community Journalism Interest Group (COMJIG) was formed in 2004 and in its early years was quite strong. Its status was renewed in 2007 and that year, the group created a 24-page teaching booklet, “Community as a Teaching Resource” and collaborated with other groups and divisions on panels. In 2008 the group had five PF&R sessions including a mini-plenary. Currently though, the group faces some challenges. Perhaps the most significant in terms of its long-term prospects is the confusion over its mission and its ability to differentiate itself from the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group.
Over the past five years, COMJIG has co-sponsored a number of activities with Civic and Citizen Journalism including the annual J-Lab luncheon. The two groups have discussed merging, but have decided to remain separate. When asked by the assessment team what its mission is, the group’s officers were not clear. They seemed to be defining community very broadly—ethnic, religious, geographical and other communities. The team suggested the group narrow its focus, and concentrate on becoming specialists in what it means to be a community. COMJIG, like many other AEJMC divisions and interest groups, also needs to devote attention to improving its diversity. In 2010-2011 there was no ethnic diversity among the group’s officers, panelists, moderators or discussants. Further, there is only one woman officer. Women, have, however, served as paper judges (3), panelists (3) and moderators (1).
II. Research: COMJIG has consistently struggled with research paper submissions. It received 12 in 2010, but only 8 in 2011. The difficulty in attracting submissions may in part be due to the confusion over what the group is and how it differs from Civic and Citizen Journalism. The assessment team offered the group several suggestions for bolstering the number of submissions, many of which are linked to focusing on what it means to be a community. The team also suggested the group consider participating in the mid-winter conference as a way of raising its research profile, particularly among graduate students.
III. Teaching: Over the last five years, COMJIG has largely focused on Teaching and PF&R, alternately between the two one year to the next. It has occasionally devoted some of limited programming slots to research. Most notably, in 2006-2007, COMJIG participated in a mini-plenary in which its contribution was “Community as a Resource.” As noted in the overview, the group compiled a 24-page booklet that provided teaching tips. In 2010 COMJIG co-sponsored three panels on teaching. The group has as one of its goals a syllabus sharing clearinghouse. Outside of the convention, the group produces a blog and each officer is responsible for posting to the blog at least once a month.
IV. Professional Freedom and Responsibility: As noted above, because of its limited number of programming slots, COMJIG focuses on PF&R and Teaching in alternating years. In 2011, it concentrated on PF&R with a particular emphasis on public service. Among its activities was co-sponsorship of the J-Lab luncheon, something it has done for the last several years, and was sole sponsor of a panel on community newspapers’ efforts to move content online. The group also launched a survey of state newspaper and broadcast associations and ethnic community news organizations to get input on how COMJIG and the academy could better serve the industry. Although the group is to be commended for its efforts in this regard, the assessment team wondered about the efficacy of the survey especially given the group’s limited resources. In its 2010 report, COMJIG noted its “orientation as a bridge between the academic and professional worlds means much of what we do has PF&R aspects. . .” That orientation is clearly reflected in the group’s activities.
V. General Comments and Suggestions:
The Community Journalism Interest Group seems to be at a crossroads. It continues to struggle with attracting paper submissions, has seen turnover in its membership, although its membership seems to have stabilized somewhat in 2011, and is having difficulty clearly defining its mission and differentiating itself from the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group. The group recognizes the need to recruit new members who can help revitalize the group. The assessment team suggested narrowing what the group is trying to do and focusing on becoming specialists in what it means to be a community. The group should also make an effort to reach out to women and people of color. The team suggested finding a place in the group’s officer ranks for everyone who volunteers to review papers or perform other tasks during the year. To date, except for its blog, the group does not participate in any out -of-convention activities. The team suggested the group consider participating in mid-winter as a way of raising its research profile and attracting paper submissions, especially from graduate students. Given the group’s challenges, particularly with respect to its mission, AEJMC should closely examine whether the group’s status should be renewed.
September 22, 2011
What's the word?
Community journalists may be wondering what the Project for Excellence in Journalism will say when PEJ on Monday unveils what it terms "groundbreaking research that paints a new, more nuanced portrait than captured before of how people learn about their community." That quote comes from PEJ Director Tom Rosenstiel. He says the research is groundbreaking because of a paradigm shift in methodology of data collection. Instead of the traditional method of simply asking people where they got their news about their community, the researchers took a path less traveled. It wasn't exactly a "Eureka!" moment, but the new approach instead asked people to say where they got their info in 16 different areas, from the all-important weather report (according to Paul Simon, we get all the news we need on the weather report) to where is a good place to eat (that's right, restaurant reviews).
The research of the sublime to the mundane was done with help from Pew's Internet and American Life Project and the Knight Foundation.
"The results paint an entirely different picture of local news than we have seen before, one that pinpoints the role of the newspapers more completely versus television, the internet and even volunteer newsletters and word of mouth," Rosenstiel said. "We can see a whole ecosystem of local news and information. This should help different media understand and communicate their role."
The report can be found here on Monday.
The research of the sublime to the mundane was done with help from Pew's Internet and American Life Project and the Knight Foundation.
"The results paint an entirely different picture of local news than we have seen before, one that pinpoints the role of the newspapers more completely versus television, the internet and even volunteer newsletters and word of mouth," Rosenstiel said. "We can see a whole ecosystem of local news and information. This should help different media understand and communicate their role."
The report can be found here on Monday.
Will print be dead by 2020?
Russell Viers contends much of print will be dead by 2020 - and he's making the argument aimed at community papers, not the big metros. Interesting debate at his blog with Kevin Slimp and others. Worth considering the graphs.
September 19, 2011
Welcome, COMJIG members
If yo are coming here as a result of the postcard sent in cooperation with the Texas Center for Community Journalism, welcome. Whether you are a new member or one returning and rediscovering the blog, we're happy you're here.
If you are a new member, you also should have received an email from me (Doug Fisher) about our Yahoo group, which we use like a listserv to get information out to members from time to time (no, we don't bombard you with emails).
Please read that email closely. We need you to select one of three options so I can get you on the list.
And don't forget to visit here often, or to put our RSS feed in your reader or to subscribe to an email feed of posts.
-Doug Fisher
If you are a new member, you also should have received an email from me (Doug Fisher) about our Yahoo group, which we use like a listserv to get information out to members from time to time (no, we don't bombard you with emails).
Please read that email closely. We need you to select one of three options so I can get you on the list.
And don't forget to visit here often, or to put our RSS feed in your reader or to subscribe to an email feed of posts.
-Doug Fisher
September 13, 2011
Judy Muller on weeklies
Judy Muller, whose latest book extols small-town papers, has a column in the L.A. Times: Where newspapers thrive: At a time when doomsayers are predicting the death of traditional journalism, thousands of small-town weeklies are doing just fine, thank you.
Among those mentioned is M.C. Sprengelmeyer, who was part of a COMJIG panel in Denver.
Among those mentioned is M.C. Sprengelmeyer, who was part of a COMJIG panel in Denver.
September 08, 2011
"Waiter, there's a lede in my soup"
Sometimes we get so caught up in our jargon that we forget that one person's escargot is another's plate of snails.
But what the link below represents is a chance for community journalists to connect with the people we talk to and write for. Sure, we define community journalism as hyperlocal journalism, but the idea of having a "bricks-and-morter" so-called news cafe with an online one is intriguing. It also gets us out in the street.
Anyone out there doing this? (That is, having a presence away from the newsroom in the community.) Is it a worthwhile idea, or something that the Daily Monopolies down the block need to think about more than community news organizations?
Have experiences to share? Let us know, please. Let's talk.
September 02, 2011
Community Journalism Interest Group Call for Panel Proposals
The Community Journalism Interest Group is seeking panel proposals for the AEJMC national conference in Chicago, Illinois. While the interest group will seek to offer a diverse program, we hope to receive some proposals that make a thematic connection to AEJMC’s centennial celebration in 2012. The panel proposals are due by Oct. 21, 2011. The proposals should include the following information:
• Summary of what the session topic will be
• Possible speakers, including names if possible
• Suggested co-sponsoring divisions/interest groups (A listing of other AEJMC groups can be found here.
• Estimated cost, if any
• Name of contact person for the session
• Email proposals to COMJIG vice chair John Hatcher.
As the vice chair of the Community Journalism Interest Group I'm here to facilitate ideas for panels and teaching sessions. This past August, Andris Straumanis and Joe Marren did a great job with our programming. You can see a summary of what we offered on the COMJIG blog.
Chicago is a city that is ripe for COMJIG-related panels thanks to the rich tradition in community journalism research via the Chicago School and the vibrant community media that include ethnic media, online communities and a vibrant neighborhood press. We are eager to create panels that explore these areas.
We are also hoping to explore panels that will look at issues related to diversity and to exploring community journalism as an international phenomenon. We have already had some initial discussions with interest groups and divisions interested in partnering with us in these areas.
I'm here to help you in this process as much as possible, but I need your ideas. Even if you do not have a formal panel proposal, please help us brainstorm a list of possible panels. The easiest way to do this is to comment at the end of this post. I’ve already tried to start the brainstorming with one blog entry here. You can also “like” our Facebook page and share your ideas there.
• Summary of what the session topic will be
• Possible speakers, including names if possible
• Suggested co-sponsoring divisions/interest groups (A listing of other AEJMC groups can be found here.
• Estimated cost, if any
• Name of contact person for the session
• Email proposals to COMJIG vice chair John Hatcher.
As the vice chair of the Community Journalism Interest Group I'm here to facilitate ideas for panels and teaching sessions. This past August, Andris Straumanis and Joe Marren did a great job with our programming. You can see a summary of what we offered on the COMJIG blog.
Chicago is a city that is ripe for COMJIG-related panels thanks to the rich tradition in community journalism research via the Chicago School and the vibrant community media that include ethnic media, online communities and a vibrant neighborhood press. We are eager to create panels that explore these areas.
We are also hoping to explore panels that will look at issues related to diversity and to exploring community journalism as an international phenomenon. We have already had some initial discussions with interest groups and divisions interested in partnering with us in these areas.
I'm here to help you in this process as much as possible, but I need your ideas. Even if you do not have a formal panel proposal, please help us brainstorm a list of possible panels. The easiest way to do this is to comment at the end of this post. I’ve already tried to start the brainstorming with one blog entry here. You can also “like” our Facebook page and share your ideas there.
August 29, 2011
Nominating Committee slot filled
According to our bylaws, the head of COMJIG appoints a member of the two-person Nominating Committee, whose job is it to offer a slate of candidates for IG office.
Earlier this month in St. Louis we elected Hans Meyer of Ohio to chair the committee. Former COMJIG head Andris Straumanis, at University of Wisconsin at River Falls, has agreed to also serve with Hans on the committee. (I backed into the lede there; thank God I'm not a student anymore.)
Thanks to both.
The bulk of their work will be done as we approach the 2012 national conference next August in Chicago. Most of our officers agree to continue to serve, but please give careful consideration if either Hans or Andris approaches you.
Thanks.
Earlier this month in St. Louis we elected Hans Meyer of Ohio to chair the committee. Former COMJIG head Andris Straumanis, at University of Wisconsin at River Falls, has agreed to also serve with Hans on the committee. (I backed into the lede there; thank God I'm not a student anymore.)
Thanks to both.
The bulk of their work will be done as we approach the 2012 national conference next August in Chicago. Most of our officers agree to continue to serve, but please give careful consideration if either Hans or Andris approaches you.
Thanks.
August 28, 2011
Some sad news
It is with sadness that I pass on the following information: Von Whitmore died Aug. 25 from ovarian cancer.
Von had served as the chair of the Council of Divisions since the Denver Conference last summer, and had served as vice chair of the Council for the three years before that.
She was last at the mid-Winter meeting in Albuquerque. I didn't know her well, but she was always a genuinely nice person to me.
Von had served as the chair of the Council of Divisions since the Denver Conference last summer, and had served as vice chair of the Council for the three years before that.
She was last at the mid-Winter meeting in Albuquerque. I didn't know her well, but she was always a genuinely nice person to me.
August 20, 2011
All paid up?
As community papers struggle to stay afloat, one media organization has an idea for its holdings. Thoughts?
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-medianews-group-adds-paywalls-to-23-more-newspapers/
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-medianews-group-adds-paywalls-to-23-more-newspapers/
August 19, 2011
Training redux?
As more and more community news orgaizations -- legacy media and new media (which I now understand is a cliched term) -- turn to contributions from so-called "citizen journalists," the temptation is to wonder what are readers/viewers/listeners/scrollers/clickers getting for their buck?
In other words, are they getting the real story, or just a rehashed press release? If you're an editor or publisher you may wonder how can to train these people. Follow the link to see i fthis may be up your alley. Thoughts?
http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/08/bleacher-report-ups-its-game-by-taking-contributors-to-school/
In other words, are they getting the real story, or just a rehashed press release? If you're an editor or publisher you may wonder how can to train these people. Follow the link to see i fthis may be up your alley. Thoughts?
http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/08/bleacher-report-ups-its-game-by-taking-contributors-to-school/
August 15, 2011
Welcome back
As we scurry about getting ready for a new academic year, and as we recover from traveling home from St. Louis (I don't know about anyone else but storms delayed my connecting flight home by several lonnnnnnnnnng hours), the temptation is to put off COMJIG matters until we've relaxed and are ready. But, really, why not now? So, with that in mind, let me propose a few things here and now:
1.) In my remarks when I was voted in as COMJIG head last week, I was remiss in not thanking Andris for the wonderful job he did as head of the interest group last year. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. It was great working with him this past year and I am also looking forward to working with our new officers this upcoming year. A special thanks, also, to Doug Fisher who maintains all things webby.
2.) At our meeting last week we talked about raising our profile. So when I get back from several meetings this afternoon I plan on e-mailing our good friends at TCU and asking them to mention us in their new online journal. I'm also going to ask them if they would be willing to co-sponsor a postcard mailing to get our name out there and try to increase submissions for panels and papers.
3.) And that brings me to this point: We really should be thinking about doing more at the mid-year meeting in Oklahoma and at the Southeast Colloquium (in Richmond next spring). Any ideas? In the past we have talked about shared panels and such. I think this is an opportunity to attract those eager grad students who can swell our ranks and get us thinking in new directions.
4.) We really should be doing more with diversity. I spoke with Heidi Flowers, the head of the PR/advertising division, because they are also looking to do a panel on a diversity issue. So this might be a way to pool talents and save a chip at December's chip auction/planning session. Any thoughts?
5.) I also spoke with Kirsten with CCJIG and we're both confused about our IG members' wishes for next year. Our impression was that since we share some members that we want to at least get together socially. Is that the thought? It may be logistically impossible to sked two rooms close together at the same time so that we can meet together either at the start or end of the biz meetings and then also meet individually with our own group. So please, send me your thoughts on that.
6.) I'm not very tech savvy, but we've been trying to get a syllabus exchange for several years now. During an assessment review with AEJMC last week I asked if they could offer any help on getting such an exchange going and they suggested a web site. I don't think my school would sponsor such a site, but does anyone else have any ideas?
So it seems as if I asked more questions than offered anything. But let's talk.
Thanks for your time and patience.
Joe
1.) In my remarks when I was voted in as COMJIG head last week, I was remiss in not thanking Andris for the wonderful job he did as head of the interest group last year. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. It was great working with him this past year and I am also looking forward to working with our new officers this upcoming year. A special thanks, also, to Doug Fisher who maintains all things webby.
2.) At our meeting last week we talked about raising our profile. So when I get back from several meetings this afternoon I plan on e-mailing our good friends at TCU and asking them to mention us in their new online journal. I'm also going to ask them if they would be willing to co-sponsor a postcard mailing to get our name out there and try to increase submissions for panels and papers.
3.) And that brings me to this point: We really should be thinking about doing more at the mid-year meeting in Oklahoma and at the Southeast Colloquium (in Richmond next spring). Any ideas? In the past we have talked about shared panels and such. I think this is an opportunity to attract those eager grad students who can swell our ranks and get us thinking in new directions.
4.) We really should be doing more with diversity. I spoke with Heidi Flowers, the head of the PR/advertising division, because they are also looking to do a panel on a diversity issue. So this might be a way to pool talents and save a chip at December's chip auction/planning session. Any thoughts?
5.) I also spoke with Kirsten with CCJIG and we're both confused about our IG members' wishes for next year. Our impression was that since we share some members that we want to at least get together socially. Is that the thought? It may be logistically impossible to sked two rooms close together at the same time so that we can meet together either at the start or end of the biz meetings and then also meet individually with our own group. So please, send me your thoughts on that.
6.) I'm not very tech savvy, but we've been trying to get a syllabus exchange for several years now. During an assessment review with AEJMC last week I asked if they could offer any help on getting such an exchange going and they suggested a web site. I don't think my school would sponsor such a site, but does anyone else have any ideas?
So it seems as if I asked more questions than offered anything. But let's talk.
Thanks for your time and patience.
Joe
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