AEJMC News March 2024

VOLUME 57.3 | MARCH 2024
2024 CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Wajahat Ali
Page 2
Image courtesy of www.wajali.com
Vote for Our Leadership
AEJMC Election
Page 4
Apply Now
Student Fellowship
Page 11
Train for Administration
Call for IDL Fellows
Page 8

PAGE 2 | AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024
From the President
SUBMIT YOUR PAPER. SHARE YOUR VOICE ON A PANEL.
OR JUST ATTEND AEJMC TO SEE KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAJAHAT ALI!
By Linda Aldoory, American University
2023­24 AEJMC President
Now more than ever do we need to invest in the professional
training ground for academics who study and teach young voters
and future leaders about free speech, media representations, political
communication, journalism ethics—in other words, we
need to support AEJMC and attend the Philadelphia conference.
Every day, my university is being asked to take a position. Every
day, university administrators are trying to manage media claims
about them. And every day, academics are mired in the debates
on our campuses about academic freedom and student right to
free speech.
AEJMC’s theme for its conference this year is Representation and
Voice — The Future of Democracy, for good reason. First, of
course it’s an election year, and as mass communication, media
and journalism teachers, we will be involved in electoral and
media questions about representation in voting and politics and
how citizenry is co­opted in election years by media. Second, it’s
time to reflect on our own representation and engagement in
matters of importance at AEJMC – what does it mean to come to
a conference in person these days, post­pandemic; what’s the
value and should members have a voice for changes that improve
AEJMC’s future in equity and social justice? Third, what is
AEJMC’s representation and voice in the training and education
of future leaders in academia and practice?
The keynote speaker for Philadelphia was selected for good reason
also, and is central to this year’s theme. Wajahat Ali, renowned
journalist, actor, comedian, and Daily Beast columnist, is
author of the book, Go Back to Where You Came From, and other
helpful recommendations on becoming American, and co­host of
the “Democracy­ish” podcast. His essays and interviews have appeared
in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington
Post, The Guardian, and New York Review of Books. Ali uses
humor and sarcasm, and his own family’s experiences, to address
the challenges with representation, inclusion and diversity in
media and politics. He defines himself as a “recovering attorney,
and tired dad” as well as journalist and essayist. Ali includes a
short bio on his website:
Born in the Bay Area, California to Pakistani immigrant
parents, Ali went to school wearing Husky
pants and knowing only three words of English. He
graduated from UC Berkeley with an English major
and became a licensed attorney. He knows what it
feels like to be the token minority in the classroom
and the darkest person in a boardroom. Like Spiderman,
he’s often had the power and responsibility of
being the cultural ambassador of an entire group of
people, those who are often marginalized, silenced,
or reduced to stereotypes… Ali has spoken at many
organizations, from Google to Walmart­Jet to
Princeton University to the United Nations to the
Chandni Indian­Pakistani Restaurant in Newark, California,
and his living room in front of his three kids.
Ali makes some folks uncomfortable, though his sardonic and
savvy humor helps people share a laugh together. My question to
AEJMC members is, are we ready for something different and
daring? Are you ready to invest in making this professional training
ground a little uncomfortable, and engage in conversations
about whose voice is being heard at AEJMC? In one of his op­ed
pieces for The New York Times, Ali wrote, “Ultimately, living in a
pluralistic society requires reciprocity and respect, even if we occasionally
make one another uncomfortable” (NYT, June 23,
2023). In Philadelphia, I hope Ali helps spark conversations about
what is being represented in media and in politics today and
what is our responsibility in this arena as journalism, media and
communication mentors, teachers, and scholars?
As Ali explains on his website, our societies are “currently marked
by deep division, deafening hate, political polarization and growing
mistrust.” While media contribute to these troubling challenges,
Ali believes that there still exists a genuine desire to
connect and empathize with others and he calls on the journalists
and media workers to overcome their own bigotry, fear and
harmful stereotypes. Ali asks: “How can young people, communities
of color, and those left on the sidelines emerge as the
co­protagonists of the American narrative using their authentic
stories? And what does it mean to be an ally to these groups?” …
In his talk, Ali will show “an emergent generation how to use
their personal stories for social change, and why it matters now
more than ever.”
Make plans now to hear Ali and other engaging speakers during
our Aug. 8­11 Philadelphia conference. The conference website is
now open with registration details and information for submitting
conference papers at https://community.aejmc.org/conference/home.
Deadline for submitting papers is April 1. We look
forward to your joining us in Philadelphia!

AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024 | PAGE 3
Call for Editor:
Journalism & Communication
Monographs
Applications must be received by April 1, 2024
Journalism & Communication Monographs is seeking to
hire a new, innovative editor with fresh ideas in advancing
the journal.
Responsibilities include working with authors to develop
sound, broad­reaching, ambitious proposals; providing
beneficial feedback on proposals; working with authors to
develop publishable monographs; coordinating four issues
per year; handling all correspondence relative to the publication;
soliciting commentaries by prestigious scholars;
cooperating with the AEJMC Central Office on business
and budget matters affecting the journal; reporting to and
working with the Publications Committee on the continuous
development of the journal; and preparing an annual
report. The editor will work with the production and promotion
representatives of the publisher.
Editors are appointed for four­year terms and receive an
annual honorarium of $5,000. The editor will receive additional
funding to support an editorial assistant and
travel.
Applicants must be AEJMC members in good standing.
They should also be able to write and edit clearly and concisely;
possess a strong commitment to diversity, equity,
and inclusion; have an understanding and appreciation of
a broad range of research methods; have extensive knowledge
of the literature of mass communication; and be
housed in a department or school that is eager to cooperate
in this publishing venture with special reference to
such considerations as office space, travel, use of equipment
and provision of student and/or staff assistance.
Applications must be received by April 1, 2024, via email,
to Teri Finneman, Publications Committee editor’s search
subcommittee chair, at finnemte@gmail.com.
Applicants should submit a CV and a two­page letter that
outlines interest in the position, qualifications, and what
institutional support the applicant would have. Finalists
will be asked to provide an official letter of support from
their institution.
Anyone with questions can contact Finneman for more information.
AEJMC NEWS
Newsletter for the Association for Education
in Journalism and Mass Communication
www.aejmc.org
AEJMC 2023­2024 Board of Directors
AEJMC President
Linda Aldoory, American University
President­elect
Teresa Mastin, Michigan State University
Vice President
Bey­Ling Sha, California State University, Fullerton
Past President
Deb Aikat, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
PF&R Committee Chair
Genelle Belmas, University of Kansas
Research Committee Chair
Gregory Perreault, University of South Florida
Teaching Committee Chair
Shearon Roberts, Xavier University of Louisiana
Publications Committee Chair
Scott Reinardy, University of Kansas
Council of Divisions Chair
Meredith D. Clark, Northeastern University
Council of Divisions Vice Chair
Avery Holton, University of Utah
Council of Affiliates Chair
Karla Gower, University of Alabama, Plank Center
ASJMC President
Johnny Sparks, Ball State University
ASJMC President­elect
Emily Metzgar, Kent State University
Commission on Graduate Education Chair
Patrick R. Johnson, Marquette University
Commission on the Status of Minorities Chair
Kathleen McElroy, University of Texas at Austin
Commission on the Status of Women Chair
Carolyn Nielsen, Western Washington University
AEJMC/ASJMC Executive Director
Amanda Caldwell
AEJMC STAFF
AEJMC/ASJMC Executive Director
Amanda Caldwell — Amanda@aejmc.org
AEJMC/ASJMC Assistant Director
Felicia Greenlee Brown — Felicia@aejmc.org
Conference & Events Coordinator
Cassidy Baird — Cassidy@aejmc.org
Website Content/Graphic Designer
Kyshia Brown — Kyshia@aejmc.org
Project Director
Lillian S. Coleman — Lillian@aejmc.org
Communications Director
Samantha Higgins — Samantha@aejmc.org
Membership Coordinator
Saviela Thorne — Saviela@aejmc.org
AEJMC News, a publication of AEJMC, is published four times a year.
AEJMC membership includes a subscription to AEJMC News.
The contents of this newsletter may not reflect
the editor’s views or the association’s policies.
ISSN# 07478909

PAGE 4 | AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024
AEJMC Election
VOTE FOR AEJMC’S NEXT LEADERSHIP
AEJMC 2024 ELECTION CANDIDATE PROFILES
AEJMC members are encouraged to vote in our upcoming election from February 29 through March 29.
AEJMC will use an online voting system. Eligible members will receive an email with a built­in link to the AEJMC ballot.
Response deadline is March 29. After March 29, the online system will be closed, and votes will be tallied. If you have not
received an email with your ballot link, contact Samantha Higgins (Samantha@aejmc.org).
Brief biographies of each candidate will be featured at: https://www.aejmc.com/home/2024/02/election­candidate­profiles/
2024 AEJMC Election Slate
President: No election. Teresa Mastin, Michigan State, will move up.
President­elect: No election. Bey­Ling Sha, California State, Fullerton, will move up.
Candidates for Vice President:
Shahira Fahmy
American­Cairo
Mia Moody­Ramirez
Baylor
Vice President: (Elect 1)
1. Shahira Fahmy, American­Cairo
2. Mia Moody­Ramirez, Baylor
Accrediting Council Rep: (Elect 1)
1. Dorothy Bland, North Texas
2. Christopher McCollough, Jackson State
Publications Committee: (Elect 3)
1. Alyssa Appelman, Kansas
2. Maha Bashri, United Arab Emirates
3. Stephanie Craft, Illinois
4. Robert Gutsche, Jr, Florida Atlantic
5. Keren Henderson, Syracuse
6. Vanessa D. Higgins Joyce, Texas State
PF&R Committee: (Elect 4)
1. Amy Jo Coffey, Florida
2. Erika Engstrom, Kentucky
3. Celeste González de Bustamante,
Texas at Austin
4. Holly Overton, Penn State
5. Mimi Perreault, South Florida
6. Jared Schroeder, Missouri
7. Neelam Sharma, Idaho State
8. Ingrid Sturgis, Howard
Research Committee: (Elect 4)
1. Lucinda Austin, North Carolina at
Chapel Hill
2. Valérie Bélair­Gagnon, Minnesota
3. Patrick Ferrucci, Colorado Boulder
4. Logan Molyneux, Temple
5. Newly Paul, North Texas
6. Cylor Spaulding, California State,
Fullerton
7. Jessica Willoughby, Washington State
8. Fan Yang, South Florida
Teaching Committee: (Elect 4)
1. Mas Biswas, Loyola, Maryland
2. Bob Britten, West Virginia
3. Hazel Cole, West Georgia
4. Harrison Hove, Florida
5. Jeremy Littau, Lehigh
6. Kim Marks Malone, Memphis
7. Laura Smith, South Carolina
8. Patrick Walters, Washington and Lee

AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024 | PAGE 5

PAGE 6 | AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024
Teaching Tips
AEJMC Standing Committee on Teaching
MEDIA LITERACY AS A WEAPON IN THE WAR
AGAINST DISINFORMATION
By Lisa M. Burns, Quinnipiac University
2023­2024 Member of the AEJMC Standing Committee on Teaching
I’m not a big fan of war metaphors. They’re often cliché and
overused. However, this language is useful when describing
the ongoing battle against disinformation. Thanks to technology,
we have more access to information than ever before.
But how much of that information is accurate? And how can
we assess the constant barrage of content we have literally at
our fingertips?
One of our best weapons is media literacy. Understanding
how to critically evaluate messages is crucial in an information
age. Yet only three states currently require media literacy
education at the K­12 levels: Delaware, New Jersey, and
Texas. California will join that list next year. This means the
majority of college students have no formal media literacy
training. So, it falls to us as journalism, media, and communication
educators to pick up the slack. But how many of our
universities require a media literacy course for all students?
And are we doing enough to incorporate critical thinking
about media content into all of our courses, not just at the
intro level?
Most of our information about the world comes from mediated
sources – and there’s SO much of it. Recent technological
advances, particularly in artificial intelligence, have drawn
attention to issues that media educators have been grappling
with for many years. The news (ironically) has been filled with
stories about disinformation, from AI­generated nude photos
of Taylor Swift to a deepfake robocall using President Biden’s
voice telling New Hampshire residents not to vote in their primary.
The 2024 presidential election is already being impacted
by disinformation campaigns. Hyper­partisan media
outlets, sophisticated “fake news” sites run by foreign hackers,
attacks on the credibility of journalists, and conspiracy
theories promoted by candidates make it increasingly difficult
for citizens to determine what to believe and which sources to
trust. While education isn’t a panacea, it can help arm students
with an awareness that disinformation is real and tools
to help them sort out reliable information from the clickbait.
So, how do we tackle such an overwhelming problem? We
need to teach the next generation of media and communication
professionals to be ethical content creators who think
about the impact their work has on society. This means incorporating
discussions of disinformation into courses at all
levels so students know how to confront and disarm disinformation.
There are some great resources out there, like the
Poynter Institute’s MediaWise program, which teaches students
how to spot disinformation and verify sources. I’ve used
their materials in my introductory Media Industries and Trends
class and my upper­level Political Communication course.
We also need to expose as many students as possible to
classes where they can learn to be more savvy media users
and consumers. This means getting our courses into the general
education offerings. Future nurses, engineers, and accountants
will benefit from these skills as much as journalists,
filmmakers, or public relations professionals. The need for an
informed citizenship in a democracy should be a compelling
argument for administrators to provide resources to support
expanding offerings to students outside of our majors. My
brilliant colleague at Quinnipiac, Dr. Kearston Wesner, recently
created a new gen ed class called “Is AI Taking Over?:
Disruption, Disinformation, and the Future of Communication.”
She organized the course material around a series of
questions that ask whether we can trust our eyes, ears,
friends, and reality in an era of deepfakes, vocal cloning, fake
news, ChatGPT, and the metaverse. She also asks students to
consider who’s watching, listening, and tracking them. These
are important questions impacting everyone. But even this
great course will only reach a limited audience unless we hire
more faculty qualified to teach it.
As journalism, media, and communication educators, we are
on the frontlines of the war against disinformation. Admittedly,
it’s a daunting battle. But we need to stay the
course. What we teach matters, now more than ever before.
We have to fight for more resources to support courses on
media literacy and communication skills across the curriculum.
And we must remind administrators that our faculty
have unique expertise and should be part of campus­wide
conversations about topics like the impact of AI. To all of my
colleagues in the trenches, keep fighting the good fight.

AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024 | PAGE 7
Calling all Ph.D. Students, Graduates, and Early Career Faculty
Take our 10­minute survey to share your insights on how journalism & mass communication Ph.D. programs can better
prepare students for the job market and as early career faculty. This IRB­approved study is led by Dr. Raluca Cozma (Kansas
State University) and Dr. Amanda J. Weed (Kennesaw State University).
Ph.D. students, recent graduates, and early career faculty (up to 3 years) are encouraged to participate. No personally
identifying information will be collected in the survey.
Complete the 10­minute survey at
https://kennesaw.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vyekzZHqRoq3BQ
Deadline to participate is Sunday, March 10, 2024
Contact the Primary Investigators with questions: Raluca Cozma cozma@ksu.edu • Amanda J. Weed aweed2@kennesaw.edu
Visit AEJMC DIG Websites
hosted by the AEJMC Community
All AEJMC Division, Interest Group and Commission websites are hosted by our community. Unlike the AEJMC
Community website, which is open only to AEJMC members, the DIG websites are public facing and open to
members and non­members to view. Visitors are able to view DIG award calls, AEJMC DIG conference paper
calls, newsletters, officers and information related to the groups. In addition, when AEJMC members are logged
in, they will also have easy access to the AEJMC Community, including the member benefit of participating in
their DIG group’s discussion page. Link to DIG websites from this AEJMC website page:
aejmc.com/home/about/groups

PAGE 8 | AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024
Call for Applications:
2024­25 Institute for Diverse
Leadership in Journalism and
Communication
Background:
The purpose of the Institute for Diverse Leadership in Journalism
and Communication is to increase diversity in administrative
and other senior­level positions in journalism and
communication education. The Institute’s
objective is to identify, recruit,
mentor and train future
leaders and administrators. The Institute
is co­sponsored by the Association
for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication (AEJMC) and the Association of Schools of
Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC).
The Institute for Diverse Leadership in Journalism and Communication
seeks applicants from historically marginalized
and underrepresented groups as the program is dedicated
to increasing the diversity of chairs, deans, directors, and endowed
chairs in journalism and communication education.
Applicants MUST BE current AEJMC members. Applicants
must be associate or full professors interested in administration
and/or journalism and communication practitioners
who have moved into the academy and have a
minimum of three full­time years in an academic setting.
The IDL Jennifer McGill Fellows will participate in Institute
activities while continuing to work at their home campuses.
The Institute program involves four group sessions during
the fellowship year, two of which will happen during AEJMC
conferences. Fellows and their home institutions are expected
to cover costs associated with travel to those two
AEJMC annual conferences, which most members normally
attend. Travel for the other components below will be
funded by the Institute.
Components:
There are three key components of the Institute:
• Workshop Sessions — Mandatory workshops for fellows
will be held at the AEJMC 2024 Philadelphia Conference,
the 2025 ASJMC Winter Workshop, the 2025
ACEJMC Spring Meeting, and the AEJMC 2025 San
Francisco Conference. Workshops will cover a variety of
administrative issues, including fundraising, leadership
styles and accreditation.
• Mentor Program — The Institute will match each fellow
with a current administrative mentor. The mentoring
relationship consists of monthly contact via telephone
or email, and a week­long visit to the mentor’s campus
for a first­hand look at administrative duties at a journalism/communication
program.
• Networking — Institute fellows are introduced to current
administrators during social and programming sessions
at their workshops. Mentors introduce fellows to
other administrators to help the fellows begin to establish
networks of resources.
Application Process: AEJMC expects the selection process
to be competitive. Applications for the 2024­25 year of the
Institute should include ONE PDF file that includes the following
parts:
Part I. An “Institute Application” that answers the following
questions:
1. How has your lived experience and/or background informed
your leadership?
2. Why would this program be valuable to you now — at
this stage of your career?
3. What skills and past leadership experience do you have?
4. Why would you like to become an administrator or
have a leadership position in higher education?
5. How would you address DEI issues as a leader?
6. What would you like to learn from the program if you
were selected?
7. What do you see as the most pressing issue for JC administrators
today, and what two ideas do you have
that would help?
Part II. A vita, maximum of five pages. Vita should include:
• current position, rank and number of years of teaching;
• summary of professional experience;
• leadership positions and significant service contributions
to department, university, AEJMC and other academic
associations;
• maximum listing of 10 publications, presentations and
awards (total of 10 for all three).
Part III. Two letters of recommendation. One letter should
be from your immediate chair or dean, and one should
come from another person familiar with your work. The
letter of nomination from the immediate chair or dean
must indicate the institution will provide funding for the
candidate to attend the two required AEJMC annual conferences
if the person is selected for the program.
The complete packet should be converted to a PDF and
emailed to: lillian@aejmc.org. The file should be called:
AEJMC_Institute_(your last name). All application materials
should be received by 5 p.m. Eastern time on Monday,
April 15. Only complete applications will be considered. The
selection process is very competitive. Up to eight fellows
will be selected for the 2024­25 class. Notifications will go
out mid­May. Direct questions to Lillian Coleman at
lillian@aejmc.org, or Amanda Caldwell at
amanda@aejmc.org. Type “Institute Inquiry” in subject
line.

AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024 | PAGE 9
2024 Senior and Emerging Scholar
Grants Announced
Four AEJMC members have been awarded 2024 Senior and
Emerging Scholar grants. Kalyani Chada, Northwestern, and
Renita Coleman, Texas­Austin, have been awarded Senior
Scholar grants, and Yee Man Margaret Ng, Illinois Urbana­
Champaign, and Benjamin Toff, Minnesota, have been
awarded Emerging Scholar grants. Each Senior Scholar research
project received a grant of $5,000, while Ng’s Emerging
Scholar research project received $3,450 and Toff’s received
$3,500.
The Senior Scholar Grants Program supports AEJMC researchers
in a wide area of study and seeks to support senior (typically
tenured) scholars engaged in extended research projects.
The Emerging Scholar Grants Program is designed to develop
and nurture AEJMC’s most promising emerging scholars (most
likely at the assistant professor level) by providing funding for
research or teaching projects.
The call for applications for the next (2025) Senior and Emerging
Scholar Grants programs will be issued in July.
SENIOR SCHOLAR PROJECTS
Kalyani Chadha
Associate Professor
Northwestern
“Digital Alternative Journalism in India: Analyzing an
Emergent Phenomenon and Its Implications for the
Indian Public Sphere”
Renita Coleman
Professor
Texas­Austin
“Expanding Affective Intelligence Theory: How
Voters’ Feelings of Disgust toward the Candidates
Affect Voting Intention in 2024”
EMERGING SCHOLAR PROJECTS
Yee Man Margaret Ng
Assistant Professor
Illinois Urbana­Champaign
“The Twitter Exodus: Negotiating the Transition
from Twitter to Mastodon among Journalists”
Benjamin Toff
Assistant Professor
Minnesota
“Evaluating Differences in Trust Toward Audio­ versus
Text­based Modes of News”
Call for Nominations
2024 Gene Burd
Urban Journalism
Award
Do you know of a great urban
journalist?
As it has for the last several years, AEJMC
is partnering this year with the Urban
Communication Foundation in the awarding
of the Gene Burd Urban Journalism
Award. This $5,000 award recognizes highquality
urban reporting or critical analysis
relevant to city problems, programs, policies,
and public priorities in urban life and
culture. The award, for a journalist with a
distinguished record of work in urban journalism,
will be presented at AEJMC’s annual
conference in Philadelphia in August.
The recipient will be selected by a joint
panel of Urban Communication Foundation
representatives and AEJMC members.
Nominations must include a letter of nomination,
a brief resume for the individual,
and four supporting materials (e.g., links to
articles or other media work, endorsements,
or other appropriate information).
Electronic submissions only — in the form
of email with attachments — should be
sent to Lillian Coleman at
Lillian@aejmc.org.
The deadline for nominations is April 30.
This award is named after Gene Burd, retired
professor of Journalism at the University
of Texas, who endowed the Urban
Communication Foundation.
For further information, please contact
Bob Trumpbour (chair, Burd Awards Committee)
at rct4@psu.edu.

PAGE 10 | AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024
AEJMC 2024 Conference
Job Interviews to be held at AEJMC’s 2024 Philadelphia Conference
The Job Hub will be available for attendees at the AEJMC Conference in Philadelphia, August 8­11, 2024. The service provides
the opportunity for employers and prospective candidates to connect and interview during the conference.
AEJMC Job Hub — Candidates
The AEJMC Job Hub connects candidates with employers trying to fill journalism and mass communication education position
openings. Candidates may review a private listing of position openings for participating employers.
To participate, the candidate:
• must be a current member of AEJMC
• must be registered for the AEJMC 2024 Conference
• must email resume in a PDF file for participation.
• PDFs should be emailed between April 1 and May 15, 2024.
There is NO REGISTRATION for the Job Hub service DURING the conference. Late registrants will not be accepted. Email your resume
to kyshia@aejmc.org — type AEJMC Job Hub 2024 Candidates in the subject line of your email. Do not submit support
materials – they can be given to employers if they request it.
AEJMC Job Hub — Employers
The AEJMC Job Hub provides schools with a private listing of qualified candidates seeking employment opportunities in journalism
and mass communication education. Candidates also review position openings for participating employers. Employers
should prearrange interviews with registered candidates during the week of the conference. Interview times may happen anytime
during the conference in safe locations that both the candidate and employer agree upon. As a courtesy to participating
employers, a limited number of interview rooms at the conference hotel will be available for a short time block during the conference.
Additional information, including time blocks and room names will be emailed to participating employers. Rates for
programs using the service during the conference will be $175 for first position and $125 for each additional position. Position
openings for participation will be uploaded between June 15 and July 15. The upload link will be live from the Job Hub page on
the AEJMC Conference website on June 15. Email your Job Hub questions to kyshia@aejmc.org.

AEJMC NEWS, MARCH 2024 | PAGE 11
2024 AEJMC­MCSD
Diversity and Inclusion Career Development
Fellowship for Graduate Students
Applications due by Friday, April 12, 2024
Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 AEJMC­MCSD Diversity and Inclusion Career Development Fellowship for
doctoral and master’s students from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups. Sponsored by the AEJMC Committee
on Career Development and Mass Communication and Society Division, this fellowship is established to help with
those graduate students’ career preparation (which includes, among other topics, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility).
We welcome applications from students currently enrolled in journalism, media, mass communication, and media
studies graduate programs, who will continue to be enrolled as graduate students in the 2024­2025 academic year.
Twelve fellowships are offered. Each fellow will receive a travel grant (up to $1,200 for expenses on attending the 2024
AEJMC Convention), plus a complimentary conference registration. Mentorship from the AEJMC Committee on Career Development
and Mass Communication and Society Division also will be provided to fellows during the 2024­2025 academic year.
Please apply via this Qualtrics link: https://txstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bI6xYgLeC1oXZGK
no later than 11:59 P.M. (Central Daylight Time), Friday, April 12, 2024.
The application should include:
• A 250­word essay to highlight the applicant’s career goals
• Applicant’s resume/CV
• One reference letter
Please ask your reference to use this link to submit a reference letter:
https://txstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bI6xYgLeC1oXZGK
Selections will be made by May 15, 2024. The following will be considered as positive factors in the selection of successful
candidates:
• Evidence of outstanding academic accomplishment and potential for continued achievement as scholars and/or media
professionals
• Explanation of how earning a fellowship would help you as a member of a historically marginalized and underrepresented
group better address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the professoriate and/or
media industries
Fellowship recipients will be required to attend the career development pre­conference workshop to be held by the AEJMC
Committee on Career Development and are encouraged to attend other career development­related sessions during the
2024 AEJMC Convention. Fellows also are expected to participate in the career development mentorship program jointly offered
by the Committee on Career Development and the Mass Communication and Society Division during the year. (Details
on the career development mentorship program will be provided to selected fellows.)
For questions related to this fellowship application, contact Dr. Herman Howard (Jarvis Christian University), chair of the
AEJMC Committee on Career Development, at (hhoward@jarvis.edu).
Attention AEJMC Student Members
Did you know each AEJMC group has a conference paper call for students?
View the Paper Competition page on the AEJMC 2024 Conference website to link to each call
and submit your paper today. Visit: community.aejmc.org/conference/paper­competition/papercall

AEJMC News
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AEJMC Sponsors Freedom to Learn Webinar May 13
The Elected Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility (PF&R) is pleased to announce its “Freedom
to Learn” AEJMC Webinar on Monday, May 13, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
Educational gag orders and other restrictions on speech at universities have been passed by state
legislatures around the country with great speed. This webinar will feature two representatives from
PEN America and the American Council on Education (ACE) who will help AEJMC members learn how
they can become actively involved in responding to threats to free expression in their own states.
Jacqueline Allain is PEN America’s program coordinator for Freedom to Learn while Heidi Tseu is assistant
vice president for national engagement at the American Council on Education.
Jacqueline Allain
The one­hour webinar will survey the national landscape of these laws and explore the potential consequences
of these threats to free expression, American democracy, and institutions of higher education.
Two years ago, AEJMC members passed a resolution on educational gag order legislation and academic
freedom. Among other things, the resolution called for AEJMC to work alongside other organizations
in remaining vigilant on efforts to restrict free speech in the classroom.
The AEJMC Webinar Series is a member benefit. All current AEJMC members will receive an email to register for the webinar.
After registering, members receive a confirmation email containing information to join the webinar.
Learn more: www.aejmc.com/home/events/webinars
Heidi Tseu