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.
August 29, 2011
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
August 13, 2011
Done with AEJMC11? Not so fast... help me brainstorm
I know, I'm tired too, but while it's still in your noggin' help me, the new program chair for COMJIG, think about what kind of programs you'd like to see us support and plan for next year in Chicago. I met this morning with the other program chairs and started talking with some of them about the programs and partnerships that we can co-sponsore for next year. I will be asking in a more formal way for proposals for programs in a few weeks, but I thought I'd take a moment and scrawl down my own ideas and hope that it encourages others to share as well.
Remember a couple of things:
- We'll be in Chicago, home to a great assortment of community-related media of all kinds and home to the Chicago School, whose research contributed mightily to our undsertanding of community media.
- It is the 100th anniversary of AEJMC and they want to mark that milestone.
So, here are a few of the ideas I have -- many based on what I've learned at AEJMC this year.
- Theory and Community Journalism: I would love to see some kind of panel focusing on what the big theoretical ideas and questions are in community journalism. Everyone seems interested in commununity as a concept now. I'd love to see us lead the way. This comes after having completed co-editing Foundations of Community Journalism with Bill Reader (working with MANY COMJIG members) and in talking with Chip Stewart, editor of the new peer-reviewed journal, Community Journalism, who stressed the need to list the key questions that need to be explored in community journalism right now.
- Chicago school scholars and their contribution: A look at either one or all of the amazing scholars that added so much to our understanding of ethnic media (Park) and the relationships between communities and media (Janowitz). Jack Rosenberry wrote a chapter on this for our book, so maybe he's a good pick for a panel on this.
- International perspectives on community journalism. I'm very excited about this idea because my own research has moved toward this area. It could either be a more broad look at how culture contributes to the norms of community media or a look at more specific case studies such as the role of community radio in devleoping nations (where COMJIG's Al Cross might be able to help). The new program chair in ICD seems most receptive to these kinds of collaborations. If we had the funds, I'd love to bring some people over from some of the South African community radio stations, but that's a pretty steep price tag. I'd also like to entice community radio scholar Tanja Bosch of Cape Town to pay us a visit and share what she knows (Ohio U. graduate, by the way).
- Ethnic community media in Chicago: I almost want to say, just like we did last time, because the panel hosted by Liz Hansen of Eastern Kentucky in Chicago was just perfect. I would like to do it again. Maybe it needs another wrinkle.
- Communities of interest? Are there opportunities to partner with either GLBT or Religion to look at these issues. The door is open.
My hope is that that an emphasis for COMJIG in 2012 is to emphasize our scholarly interests, which should not be hard to do with so much great resarch being done by so many people.
So, this is raw and doesn't even have hyperlinks at the moment, but I thought I'd make an attempt to at least start the conversation.
Remember a couple of things:
- We'll be in Chicago, home to a great assortment of community-related media of all kinds and home to the Chicago School, whose research contributed mightily to our undsertanding of community media.
- It is the 100th anniversary of AEJMC and they want to mark that milestone.
So, here are a few of the ideas I have -- many based on what I've learned at AEJMC this year.
- Theory and Community Journalism: I would love to see some kind of panel focusing on what the big theoretical ideas and questions are in community journalism. Everyone seems interested in commununity as a concept now. I'd love to see us lead the way. This comes after having completed co-editing Foundations of Community Journalism with Bill Reader (working with MANY COMJIG members) and in talking with Chip Stewart, editor of the new peer-reviewed journal, Community Journalism, who stressed the need to list the key questions that need to be explored in community journalism right now.
- Chicago school scholars and their contribution: A look at either one or all of the amazing scholars that added so much to our understanding of ethnic media (Park) and the relationships between communities and media (Janowitz). Jack Rosenberry wrote a chapter on this for our book, so maybe he's a good pick for a panel on this.
- International perspectives on community journalism. I'm very excited about this idea because my own research has moved toward this area. It could either be a more broad look at how culture contributes to the norms of community media or a look at more specific case studies such as the role of community radio in devleoping nations (where COMJIG's Al Cross might be able to help). The new program chair in ICD seems most receptive to these kinds of collaborations. If we had the funds, I'd love to bring some people over from some of the South African community radio stations, but that's a pretty steep price tag. I'd also like to entice community radio scholar Tanja Bosch of Cape Town to pay us a visit and share what she knows (Ohio U. graduate, by the way).
- Ethnic community media in Chicago: I almost want to say, just like we did last time, because the panel hosted by Liz Hansen of Eastern Kentucky in Chicago was just perfect. I would like to do it again. Maybe it needs another wrinkle.
- Communities of interest? Are there opportunities to partner with either GLBT or Religion to look at these issues. The door is open.
My hope is that that an emphasis for COMJIG in 2012 is to emphasize our scholarly interests, which should not be hard to do with so much great resarch being done by so many people.
So, this is raw and doesn't even have hyperlinks at the moment, but I thought I'd make an attempt to at least start the conversation.
August 12, 2011
COMJIG rewards best faculty, student research
New COMJIG Facebook group
As another way of reaching members, we've created a Facebook group.
We've trying to give you as many ways to access us as possible
We've trying to give you as many ways to access us as possible
August 03, 2011
Visualizing community
Though not strictly community journalism, I'd suggest reading Jonathan Stray's post on "Visualizing Communities."
It should make us all think what we mean when we say "community" (and I hope it also would get more folks to think about submitting research in some of these areas to COMJIG).
Plus, there are some great visualizations.
It should make us all think what we mean when we say "community" (and I hope it also would get more folks to think about submitting research in some of these areas to COMJIG).
Plus, there are some great visualizations.
See you in St. Louis
Just a reminder that we have a full range of programming for the COMJIG portion of AEJMC (no more alphabet soup, OK, I promise. really. honest. no foolin') in St. Louis next week.
To review:
Things start off Wednesday morning at 11:45 with a PF&R panel titled "Emerging News Ecosystems and the News," co-sponsored with the Newspaper Division.
Make sure to get plenty of rest because we have a full slate set for Thursday:
Our own Al Cross starts the day with "Going Digital, Going Mobile With Community Newspapers," a PF&R panel at 11:45 a.m.
That's followed by our Scholar-to-Scholar session at 1:30 and the refereed paper session at 3:15 p.m. Research Chair John Hatcher has more info on both of those.
At 5 p.m. is a panel titled "News With a View: Journalism in a Post-Objective World," co-sponsored with our good friends at the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG).
But that's not all. Oh no, not by a long shot, so we hope you packed a snack in lieu of dinner because the joint biz meeting with the folks from CCJIG is at 6:45 and then the COMJIG exec board meeting is at 8:30 p.m. (Last year, the CCJIG folks brought a cake to the biz meeting. Chocolate. What do we have to do to get them to bring one again this year? Hmmm?)
Friday winds down with a session at 5:15 p.m. called "We Handle the Rest: Taking the Load off Independent Photojournalists." It's a teaching panel co-sponsored with (naturally) the Visual Communication Division.
See you in St. Louis.
To review:
Things start off Wednesday morning at 11:45 with a PF&R panel titled "Emerging News Ecosystems and the News," co-sponsored with the Newspaper Division.
Make sure to get plenty of rest because we have a full slate set for Thursday:
Our own Al Cross starts the day with "Going Digital, Going Mobile With Community Newspapers," a PF&R panel at 11:45 a.m.
That's followed by our Scholar-to-Scholar session at 1:30 and the refereed paper session at 3:15 p.m. Research Chair John Hatcher has more info on both of those.
At 5 p.m. is a panel titled "News With a View: Journalism in a Post-Objective World," co-sponsored with our good friends at the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG).
But that's not all. Oh no, not by a long shot, so we hope you packed a snack in lieu of dinner because the joint biz meeting with the folks from CCJIG is at 6:45 and then the COMJIG exec board meeting is at 8:30 p.m. (Last year, the CCJIG folks brought a cake to the biz meeting. Chocolate. What do we have to do to get them to bring one again this year? Hmmm?)
Friday winds down with a session at 5:15 p.m. called "We Handle the Rest: Taking the Load off Independent Photojournalists." It's a teaching panel co-sponsored with (naturally) the Visual Communication Division.
See you in St. Louis.
August 02, 2011
Nominations sought for Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism
The Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues seeks nominations by Sept. 1 for the annual Tom and Pat Gish Award that recognizes courage, tenacity and integrity in rural journalism. The award is named for the couple, right, who published The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Ky., for almost 52 years. Last year’s winner was Samantha Swindler of the Tillamook Headlight-Herald in Oregon for her investigative reporting at The Times-Tribune in Corbin, Ky., and the Jacksonville Daily Progress in Texas. Earlier winners have been the Gishes; the Ezzell family, publishers of The Canadian Record in texas; and former publisher Stanley Dearman and Publisher Jim Prince of The Neshoba Democrat of Philadelphia, Miss. For more details see http://www.ruraljournalism.org/.
The Institute seeks nominations that measure up, at least in major respects, to the records of previous winners. Nominators should send detailed letters explaining how their nominees show the kind of exemplary courage, tenacity and integrity that the Gishes and other winners demonstrated in their rigorous pursuit of rural journalism. Documentation does not have to accompany the nomination, but will be needed in choosing finalists, and additional documentation may be requested or required. Letters should be postmarked or emailed by Sept. 1 and mailed to: Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, 122 Grehan Journalism Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY 40506-0042. For more information, contact Al Cross at 859-257-3744 or Al.Cross@uky.edu.
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