2019 MAC Division Spring newsletter

Minorities and Communication Division

Newslet ter Spring 2019

In Memoriam: Dean Lorraine Branham

By Mia Moody-Ramirez,Ph.D.

full potential” he added.

AEJMC lost a legend with the passing of Lorraine Branham, dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, on April 2, after a battle with cancer.

Branham was 66.

Branham’s former students/ MAC members highlighted her compassion and how she encouraged them to excel.

“Dean Branham was one of the first people to look at me and say, “No. You can do this,” Danielle Kilgo said. “It was quite a privilege to have been pushed in the moment by her. Her support, kindness and courage will never be forgotten.”

AEJMC MAC division members reminisced about their experiences with Branham and her legacy as a leader.

“She was the definition of transformative leadership – someone who made good things happen,” said Kathleen McElroy, Director, School of Journalism, Moody College of Communication. “I first met Lorraine when I was considering going to grad school and she was director of UT’s School of Journalism.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without her wisdom and support.”

“This is a big loss to our community and JMC leadership,” said Keonte Coleman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor for the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at Middle Tennessee State University.

Others emphasized Branham’s personality— highlighting her kindness, grit and energy.

“She took over Newhouse after I left, but she treated me like I was one of hers once I introduced myself at a conference. She and the Photo: Twitter impact that she was having on the SU community will be Chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of missed,” he added.

Race, Ethnicity and Communication.

“May we always remember Dean Branham’s outstanding leadership, kindness, and heartwarming smile, said Federico Subervi, Co-Editor-in-

“I truly hope that other academic leaders follow her prime example of valuing team work and nurturing faculty and students to achieve their

IN THIS ISSUE

6

Head’s Notes on IDL

8

MAC Kudos 1

“I will say that getting into Newhouse as a PhD student was thrilling enough, but knowing that Continued on page 3

14

Poindexter Call

SPRING 2019

Contents 1 3 5 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 16

Remembering Dean Lorraine Branham MAC Officers Dean Lorraine Branham’s last MAC Presentation MAC Head’s Notes: On the Institute for Diverse leadership Barrow call & ASJMC Workshop Highlight MAC Kudos ASJMC Winter Highlights MidWinter Highlights MAC Men of color Dr. Paula M. Poindexter Research Grant AEJMC MAC Social media guidelines reviewers needed

MAC NewsletTER Newsletter Liaison: Monica Flippin Wynn Layout & Design: Magen Davis & MAC E-Board Stay in Touch: Website: mediadiversityforum.isu.edu/MAC/ | Facebook: @mac.aejmc | Twitter: @MacAejmc

MAC Listserv: https://bit.ly/suKxcSo 2

a Black woman was the dean was powerful,” said Gina Gayle, a Ph.D. candidate in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“And when I met Dean Branham for the first time, I was impressed and in awe of her charisma and the way she made you feel at ease and at home...”

A newspaper journalist for more than 25 years, Branham began her career at The Philadelphia Tribune in 1976. The Philadelphia native also held positions at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Baltimore Sun, among other publications.

Branham was hired as dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2008. She was the first African American selected to serve in the position. She served as dean of the journalism school at the University of Texas at Austin prior to her tenure at Syracuse.

Branham’s sweet spirit and strong leadership skills will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Lorraine Branham Scholarship Fund at Klein College of Media and Communications at Temple University, 2020 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122.

Dean Lorraine Branham Tributes from AEJMC MAC Division Members I had the privilege and honor of working with Dean Branham for the past 11 years, and I cannot begin to express how heavy our hearts are here at the Newhouse School. As I told my students this morning, I hope you all have the opportunity to work for a boss like Lorraine. She was a visionary and a force for change, but also warm, funny, compassionate, supportive.

She expected greatness from us all, and did not put up with BS, but always had our backs. She fought for this School, its faculty, its staff, and its students in the face of significant headwinds, both financial and administrative. She was an important and powerful advocate for diversity and inclusion, but also for journalism, for innovation, for entrepreneurship, for internationalization, and for preparing our students to handle the disruptions we face now and the ones they will face in the future.

We are a better, stronger school for having had Lorraine Branham as our dean, and our students noticed. At a brief memorial here yesterday, one of our students, a woman of color, talked about how important it was to see someone who looked like her on stage at the freshmen convocation, leading one of the top communication schools Continued on page 4

MAC Officers Head

Mia Moody-Ramirez

PF&R Chair

Newsletter Editor

Leticia Williams

Monica Flippin-Wynn

Baylor University mia_moody@baylor.edu

NOAA/Howard University williams.leti@gmail.com

Lindenwood University mflippinwynn@lindenwood.edu

Vice Head

Teaching Standards Chair

Webmaster

University of Alabama gdaniels@ua.edu

George Daniels

Grambling State University morganfieldr@gram.edu

Robbie Morganfield

Masudul (Mas) Biswas

Faculty Research Chair

Graduate Liaison

Social Media Coordinator

Melody Fisher

Aqsa Bashir

Loyola University, Maryland mkbiswas@loyola.edu

Miriam Hernandez

Mississippi State University mfisher@comm.msstate.edu

University of Florida aqsabash@ufl.edu

City University of Hong Kong hdzmiriam@gmail.com

Graduate Research Chair

CSW/MAC Mentorship Program Liaison

Social Media Coordinator

Danielle Kilgo Indiana University dkilgo@iu.edu

Midwinter Coordinator

Kathleen McElroy

University of Texas at Austin kathleen.mcelroy@austin.utexas.edu

Rebecca Britt

Miya Williams Fayne

Northwestern University miyawilliams@u.northwestern.edu MAC Grant Program Chair

Sydney Dillard

University of Alabama mailto:rkbritt@ua.edu

DePaul University sdillar2@depaul.edu 3

Memorium from page 1

in the country, because it gave her a model to strive for. Dean Branham understood that responsibility, but she also understood that the responsibility for helping all students see their future was not hers alone it is a responsibility the entire school (and university) needs to embrace.

Bradley W. Gorham, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Chair, Communications Director, Media Studies Master’s Program S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University

As a journalist, journalism educator and dean, Lorraine Branham was an amazing leader, trailblazer and drum major for justice. I first met her at a NABJ Convention in the 1980s. I loved her laughter and wit. She was a diversity champion and passionate about inclusion.

Her legacy lives on in the many journalists, students, educators and others that she helped over the years. We owe her much gratitude.

Rest in Peace Lorraine, my friend.

Many prayers are with your family.

Her legacy lives on in all the lives she touched and mentored.

Dorothy Bland, MBA Former Dean of the Mayborn School of Journalism University of North Texas

First and foremost, Lorraine Branham had a big heart—a heart for people and a heart for journalism. Her love for both was evidenced by her dedication to mentoring, her commitment to diversity and by the tremendous impact she had on the journalism field.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have known Lorraine as a friend

and as a colleague. While it was not the last time we spoke, the last time we saw each other was in Singapore at the World Journalism Congress. There, we worked hard and we played hard—thanks to Lorraine’s tremendous leadership and organizational skills. Lorraine, for certain, left more than a mark on this earth, she left a print—a blue print of how to be a great leader and still have a heart for people. I express my heartfelt condolences to Lorraine’s family. She was loved and she will be missed.

Anita Fleming-Rife, Ph.D. Founding CEO at AmericaOne Diversity and Inclusion Solutions, LLC Author/ Researcher/Speaker

I first met Dean Lorraine Branham in 2002 when she interviewed to become the new Director of the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. During the job interview and throughout the 17 years that I knew Lorraine, she was a fierce advocate for diversity in newsrooms and journalism education. Yes, Dean Branham was a trailblazer as the first AfricanAmerican executive editor at the Tallahassee Democrat, first AfricanAmerican School of Journalism director at the University of Texas at Austin, and first African-American dean at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, where I received my Ph.D., but from my perspective, when you talk about Lorraine Branham’s legacy, it’s her advocacy for racial and ethnic diversity in newsrooms and journalism education that stand out. In reality, Lorraine’s trailblazing experiences in the journalism profession and journalism education reinforced the urgent need for diversity, enhanced her credibility as an advocate for diversity, and gave her access and insight that most of us don’t have.

That’s why I asked Lorraine to bring that insight to a chapter in my 2008 edited book, Women, Men, and 4

News: Divided and Disconnected in the News Media Landscape.

In the chapter, “Color and Content: Why the News Doesn’t Mirror Society,” Lorraine critiqued the news media’s diversity failings and posed a disturbing question: “What if the new forms of media and the new products being created end up being just as lacking in diversity as the current newspapers?” She then drew on her 25 years as a working journalist and at the time, four years in journalism education, to share her roadmap to increasing journalism education and newsroom diversity and “improving attitudes about the importance of diversity.” Her seven suggestions are as relevant today as they were in 2008 when Women, Men, and News was published: •

Journalism programs need to teach diversity across the curriculum. Every class…needs to stress, explain, and teach the importance of diversity.

•

Instructors who teach skills courses should create assignments that force students to get out of their comfort zones and into diverse communities.

•

Encourage and support student chapters of NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA, etc. You would be surprised how many minority students are turned off by journalism and decide to change careers while in journalism school. I believe that these kids need support and encouragement by minority journalism professionals and others to stay the course.

•

Encourage student chapters of SPJ to work closely with the minority journalism organizations and to hold programs that help its members better understand the importance of diversity.

•

Offer workshops and seminars to train students how to cover minority communities with sensitivity.

•

Bring minority and women

(“Color and Content: Why the News Doesn’t Mirror Society” by Lorraine E. Branham (Chapter 16) in Paula Poindexter, Sharon Meraz, and Amy Schmitz Weiss, Women, Men, and News: Divided and Disconnected in the News Media Landscape. New York and London: Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2008, pp.

298-299) Paula M. Poindexter, Ph.D.

Memorium from page 4

professionals in as speakers as often as possible.

Minority students need role models and white students need to see examples of diversity in the newsrooms they will soon enter.

•

Work harder to recruit minority students. Adopt a modified ASNE goal for your program. What would your program look like if it mirrored the state’s minority population? Work toward it.

Professor, School of Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin, AEJMC Past president, Past Mac Head

Lorraine Branham’s Last MAC Panel Presentation Reflects Her Legacy

By George L. Daniels AEJMC MAC Vice Head A big part of the legacy of Lorraine Branham is her recognition of the importance of keeping up the fight for diversity in the nation’s newsrooms.

That was reflected in one of her last AEJMC panel presentations, which was given at the AEJMC Annual Conference in Chicago in 2017.

Actually, Branham was a stand-in for Wayne Dawkins, the author of Black Journalists: The NABJ Story, a history of the National Association of Black Journalists. She gave a PowerPoint presentation prepared by Professor Dawkins that included her as one of the longtime members of what today remains the nation’s largest organization of journalists of color.

She told the story of being invited by Acel Moore, who helped start the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists in 1973, a forerunner of NABJ when Moore set up an organizational meeting in Washington, DC in 1975, “I was married and I had a three-year-old kid,” Branham said. “I often regretted not being able to find a babysitter and be around for what was an historic moment for black journalists.”

In her last MAC panel presentation in 2017, Dean Lorraine Branham (Syracuse) recalled how the National Association of Black Journalists got its start in a session entitled ”Where Do We Fit in: The Beginnings of NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA and NAJA”

While she was not one of the original 44 people at the D.C. meeting in 1975, she knew many of those trailblazers personally.

we needed to be in management,” she said. We needed to be making decisions about who got hired who covered what assignments”

She recalled how the late Bob Maynard and his wife Nancy Maynard ran the Summer Program for Minority Journalists (SPMJ) at the University of California, Berkeley. She was an SPMJ participant in 1976.

As she concluded her talk, she referenced the continuing dilemma of having media organizations, that in her opinion in 2017 were less focused on diversity and more on trying to survive and make a profit in a very different business environment.

At times during her 2017 AEJMC presentation, Branham broke away from the PowerPoint slides and was reflective on her 25 years as a full-time journalist and the ongoing fight for diversity.

“We find ourselves re-fighting the same battles and re-educating media owners about the importance of diversity”

“After we became reporters, we realized that if we were really going to have influence in the newsroom, 5

Head’s Notes Singing the Praises of the Institute for Diverse Leadership

By Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D.

level.

One of the complaints that new administrators have is they don’t feel prepared for their new position. The Institute for Diverse Leadership (IDL) in Journalism and Communication is doing its part to make sure participants feel more comfortable climbing the ladder in academia.

Our first meeting was held in August at the annual AEJMC Conference in Washington DC. During this gathering, we participated in several workshops with topics including the management of different personalities and the importance of identifying and cultivating different leadership styles and skills.

Lawson-Borders, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Communications at Howard University. She has offered a wealth of knowledge. I have learned more about trends in journalism education, how to engage and motivate scholars and students, and the importance of being flexible and amenable to different personalities.

The best part of the program Last year around this time, I In February, we attended the 2019 was the week I spent shadowing contemplated whether I would ASJMC Winter Workshop. During Dean Lawson-Borders at Howard apply for the IDL program. I knew this meeting, which convened in University. I was able to sit in on it would be beneficial because it Houston, we heard from various meetings, guest teach, tour the offers training for women campus and meet with and people of color various administrators. This who want to go into is a wonderful program for leadership positions. It’s people like me who are website states that it is contemplating their next step “dedicated to increasing in academia. I will become the number of people of the chair of my department color and women who this summer. I now feel better serve as chairs, deans, prepared to take on this next directors, and endowed phase of my career. chairs in journalism and communication I am grateful for this education. Additionally, opportunity and looking the Institute seeks to forward to completing the elevate the number next few months of the IDL Moody-Ramirez is shown here at a luncheon that Dean of women and people program.

Gracie Lawson-Borders organized in celebration of of color who hold Women’s History Month to honor the female deans at professorships and Howard University IDL is sponsored by AEJMC occupy educational and and ASJMC. The Institute professional board seats was created in Spring 2015. An with journalism and communication speakers. Topics included fundearlier version of the Institute, organizations, as well as those who raising, trends in journalism called the Journalism and Mass take leadership positions in higher education and hiring tips.

Communication Leadership Institute education.” for Diversity (JLID), existed from Later this spring, we will attend 1999 to 2009. It was developed I was nervous about the competition the ACEJMC Accreditation Council by then presidents Marilyn Kern(nine selected out of 31 applicants) meeting in Chicago. Here, we will Foxworth (AEJMC) and Shirley and time commitment. Fortunately, learn more about the accreditation Staples Carter (ASJMC). a mentor encouraged me to apply, process. and I am glad I accepted this advice. IDL has been invaluable Throughout the program, we For more information on the for this phase of my career. I would are paired with a mentor to offer program, please visit the IDL recommend the program for guidance in making the transition website: https://www.aejmc.org/ anyone who is interested in J-school to an administrative position. I was home/scholarship/idl-program/. administration on the collegiate fortunate to be paired with Gracie 6

Barrow Scholarship Call for Applications Dear MAC & non-MAC doctoral students: A reminder for the AEJMC Barrow Minority Scholarship. Deadline is May 1st, 2019.

Minorities and Communication (MAC) Division of AEJMC. To be considered for this scholarship, please provide the following: (1) a letter outlining research interests and career plans, (2) a curriculum vitae, and (3) two letters of recommendation. The letter and CV should be sent via email to Dr. Magdalena Saldaña, Barrow Minority Scholarship Chair, at magdalena.saldana@uc.cl.

This scholarship is designed to aid doctoral students to complete their dissertation research and academic studies. Racial or ethnic minority students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and are enrolled in a Ph.D. program in journalism or mass communication are encouraged to apply. It includes a cash award and a free one-year membership in the Communication Theory and Methodology (CT&M) Division and the

The letters of recommendation should be sent directly by the recommender to the same email address.

Moving Up the Ladder at Home: 2019 IDL/ASJMC Winter Workshop

By Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D. “Moving Up the Ladder at Home,” is a move that many departments are considering amidst budget cuts and other trends, panelists stated during an Institute for Diverse Leadership (IDL) training session held in conjunction with the ASJMC 2019 Winter Workshop.

The Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) sponsored the 2019 Winter Workshop in Houston from Feb. 28 to March 2.

Panelists were Associate Dean Earnest Perry of the University of Missouri, and Associate Dean Diana Martinelli of West Virginia University.

The two highlighted hiring trends including a narrowing of the gap in internal hires.

“If your department is doing well and the person under consideration knows the culture, hiring from within may be attractive,“ Martinelli said.

“It will cost less and not involve a search firm.”

Hiring from within can boost the morale of a department, she said.

People realize they may have the opportunity to advance.

However, sometimes external hires are needed if the department is at a standstill, Martinelli added.

“If you need fresh blood, or there is a void, an external person may be

Diana Knott Martinelli, Associate Dean and PR Sequence Head at Reed College of Media at West Virginia University and Earnest Perry, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies at School of Journalism at University of Missouri the best option,” she said. “External people are not afraid to shake things up. They are not tied to loyalties and they can help raise the department’s profile.”

In other highlights, Perry emphasized the importance of taking faculty lines seriously.

“If you have a failed search, you are likely to lose the line,” he said. “It is more important than ever to do your research when making a new hire.”

Retention is also important, Perry added.

“Once you make the hire, the work begins,” he said. “You need to make 7

sure they feel included.”

Another trend in hiring is to place the responsibility of the final decision on administrators. The search committee presents the person’s strengths and weaknesses to the chair and dean; however, administrators make the final decision, Perry added.

Finally, doing your homework on potential job applicants is important.

“I always call references and other deans,” Perry said. “I need to know about the true person. You can’t afford to make a mistake on a hire.

The stakes are high.”

MAC Kudos in Higher Ed. Bland has more than 25 years of media experience and is professor at the University of North Texas. Bland served a five-year term as dean of the Mayborn School of Journalism, which ended in the spring of 2018.

MACD Educators Who Encourage Students to Excel Crain’s NewsPro Noteworthy Journalism Educators

Her research interests emphasize media management, marketing, digital and social media and diversity. Her classes teach students how to critically evaluate media portrayals of gender, race, class, disability and sexuality, as well as how to cover and cope with crisis and trauma while reporting.

Congratulations to Sharon Bramlett-Solomon, Ph.D., who was named one of Crain’s “News Pro” magazine 2019 10 “Noteworthy Journalism Educators.” Each year, the publication recognizes inspirational professors who are nominated by members of RTNDA, SEJ and BEA. Bramlett-Solomon is an associate professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Arizona State University. She brings much experience to her role as educator.

She has worked for newspapers, public relations firms and in radio, with reporting stints with the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Louisville CourierJournal. She has received numerous teaching, research and service-award honors, including the Barry Bingham Fellowship from the National Conference of Editorial Writers Foundation, awarded annually to a journalism educator dedicated to advancing diversity in college journalism education. She is also a recipient of the Professor the Year Award from the Newspaper Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is the author of “Race, Gender, Class and Media: Studying Mass Communication and Multiculturalism.”

Scripps Howard Foundation’s Teacher of the Year Award Congratulations to LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s Jinx Coleman Broussard, Ph.D., the recipient of the 2019 Scripps Howard Foundation’s Teacher of the Year Award. The national competition recognizes excellence in teaching in several areas, including innovative teaching practices, influence on curriculum, mentoring of students and faculty scholarship as it relates to teaching, leadership in educational activities and ongoing industry engagement inside and outside the classroom.

Broussard is a full professor and the Bart R. Swanson Endowed Memorial Professor at Louisiana State University.

Broussard is currently managing editor of AfricanAmerican content

Bramlett-Solomon’s research focuses on the effects on audiences of media depiction of race and social class. She has published and presented more than 100 scholarly papers in this area, as well as articles on media and aging.

Diverse Education’s Top 35 Women in Higher Ed. Congratulations to Prof. Dorothy Bland who was honored in the Diverse Education’s Top 35 Women 8

want to partner with Tait he can be reach at gbtait@ bsu.edu

for the Manship School’s Media and Diversity Forum. Her research interests include the black press, representations of racial and ethnic minorities, media history, alternative media, crisis communication, public relations strategies and tactics, and the civil rights movement.

Baylor University Journalism, PR & New Media Department Chair Congratulations to MAC Head Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., who has been named the new chair for the department of journalism, public relations and new media at Baylor University. She is the first AfricanAmerican chairperson at Baylor University.

2019 Educator of the Year Congratulations to ACEJMC Executive Director Patricia Thompson, Ph.D., who won the 2019 Educator of the Year award from the Southeast Journalism Conference at its annual convention in February. Thompson is an assistant dean at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism and New Media.

Moody-Ramirez will begin her new role this summer after longtime chair Dr. Sara Stone retires on May 31.

She has been the department’s graduate program director for six years.

The program has more than doubled during her tenure.

Thompson has been involved in journalism accreditation for more than 20 years as both a journalist and journalism educator. She has served two terms on the ACEJMC national committee and as a member and chair of the organization’s appeals board.

Moody-Ramirez was the recipient of the 2018 Barrow Award, and the Outstanding Woman in Journalism award, given for excellence and high standards by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

MACD Research Projects & Presentations

MACD Promotions and Transitions Ball State’s First Professor of Diversity and Media

Reshaping the News: Community, Engagement, and Editors

In January, Gabriel Tait, Ph.D., moved to Ball State University’s Department of Journalism to become its first professor of diversity and media. He will work with graduate and undergraduate students to increase their cultural awareness and competence regarding issues of diversity in the journalism, public relations, and broadcasting.

Congratulations to George Sylvia, Ph.D., on the publication of “Reshaping the News: Community, Engagement, and Editors” (Peter Lang Publishing Group, 2019). The book is the culmination of a six-year search for an economic resolution to the digital business conundrum facing the newspaper industry

Regarding this new position Tait says, “It is my responsibility to promote diversity awareness and sensitivity among our students. It is my calling to amplify these diverse voices, which more realistically represent American culture within the media.” If there are any MAC members that

Sylvie is an emeritus associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Continued on page 6 9

Singing Praises from page 6

2019 AEJMC Midwinter CSWM Top Paper Congratulations to MAC Vice Head George L. Daniels. His paper was chosen as the Commission of the Status of Women top abstract for the 2019 AEJMC Midwinter Conference. Daniels is an assistant dean in the College of Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama, and he teaches courses on journalism and creative media. His research interests include diversity in the media workplace and diversity in journalism and mass communication education.

Daniels spent eight years as a local television news producer in the Richmond, Virginia, Cincinnati, and Atlanta media markets in the US. Following his production career, he pursued a master’s and a Ph.D. degree in mass communication from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

Photo Highlights: 2019 ASJMC Winter Meeting The AEJMC MAC Division was wellrepresented at the 2019 ASJMC Winter conference. Shown here are highlights from various sessions.

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AEJMC MAC Division members had a great time at this year’s Midwinter Conference. Here are a few highlights.

Thanks to all who participated!

The MAC Division was well-represented at the 2019 AEJMC Midwinter Conference which was held March 1-2 at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

With both a discussion panel and research panel presentations, there was plenty of content related to our division’s core areas of minorities and communication.

Events kicked off Friday morning (March 1) with a panel on the “Lessons from #Racist rants.” Panelists Gwen Nisbett from University of North Texas and Meta Carstarphen from University of Oklahoma gave their perspectives. Dorothy Bland moderated this session.

The Top MAC Division abstract was among papers presented on a research panel entitled “Media Discourse and Framing in Race and Identity.” The top paper was “Doesn’t Beto look Hispanic when you see him on TV? A test of co-ethnic voting in the 2018 Texas Senate Election.”

A total of 11 papers were presented on three research panels at the two-day conference.

On the second day, MAC members gathered for a private lunch to talk about some of the opportunities for leadership in the MAC Division. For newcomers, it was an opportunity to learn more about how to get involved in AEJMC overall.

And, for veteran presenters, it was a chance to get reacquainted and re-energized about the future of the division.

As of this writing, we are looking forward to seeing many of the papers presented at the Midwinter Conference submitted for the annual conference in Toronto this summer.

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MAC Tackling Important Topics, Working with Different Units in Toronto Program

By George L. Daniels MAC Vice Head and Program Chair While many of us await decisions on papers submitted for the annual competitive research paper competition, the MAC Division has THREE pieces of advice as you start making plans for upcoming annual conference in Toronto: 1) Don’t Leave Early 2) Join Us for Lunch on Friday and 3) Prepare for Provocative Panels We know traveling to Toronto may be a little more expensive than other convention sites. But, the MAC Division promises to make your trip well worth the investment. When booking flights and reserving hotel rooms, it’s useful to know when some of the key MAC events will take place during the week.

First and foremost, we’re cohosting a pre-conference on Tuesday, August 6 from 1 to 5 p.m. this year with the Media Management Economics and Entrepreneurship Division.

Topics to be addressed include minority media ownership and diversity, the nuts and bolts of teaching entrepreneurship, and best practices in teaching diversity to future entrepreneurs.

The cost for this pre-conference is only $20. But, space will be limited. You’ll want to claim one of the 30 slots as soon as registration opens later this month.

Don’t Leave Early As you’re making your travel plans, book your travel so you can stay until the final day of the

conference. On Saturday, August 10, the MAC Division is the sole sponsor for an invited research session where participants will present their original research related to digital advocacy efforts (using online and/or social media) directed to, or led by, ethnic communities.

It takes place on Saturday at 11 a.m. But it concludes by 12:30 p.m. So there will still be time to catch an afternoon flight home.

Join Us for LUNCH on Friday Make sure you purchase the $50 ticket for the MAC/Scholastic Journalism Luncheon, which will take place on Friday, August 9th at 11:30 a.m. As we’ve done in past years, MAC will team up with Scholastic Journalism as they present their top diversity award, the Robert P. Knight Multicultural Recruitment award.

This formal luncheon takes onsite at the Toronto Sheraton and immediately follows the AEJMC Business Meeting.

At the same event, the winner of the Lionel C. Barrow Jr. Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education will give remarks. And, we’ll also recognize the Barrow Minority Doctoral Scholarship Winner.

The MAC Division supports these last two awards that recognize our division’s founder, the late Dr. Lionel C. Barrow.

Prepare for Provocative Panels For the first time, the MAC Division is teaming up with the LGBTQ Interest Group in offering a pair of sessions on different days of the conference.

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One session focuses on how podcasting by organizations such as National Public Radio (NPR) and its affiliates has been a mechanism for telling diverse stories within the GLBT community. Another panel features scholars from both the U.S. and Canada who have used community-based research to shine the light on the transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) communities.

These panels provide an important opportunity to showcase people of color who are operating in these areas exemplifying intersectionality.

The President of the Native American Journalists Association Bryan Pollard will headline a session on Friday August 9th entitled “Can Journalists of Color Change Newsroom Culture?”

MAC is teaming up with The Critical Cultural Studies Division to tackle the topic of integrating diversity and social justice issues while teaching important journalism and media skills.

And, for the second year in a row, we are pleased to collaborate with the Small Programs Interest Group on a panel. Last year in Washington, DC, we focused on ways that small programs meet the diversity standard for accreditation. In Toronto this summer, we’ll spotlight faculty who have made great careers at small colleges and universities.

Look for more details (including times, dates and participants) for our MAC Division programming coming up in our next newsletter, which will publish in early July.

University of South Carolina's Augie Grant poses for a photo with MAC members (L to R) Gabriel Tait, Ball State; George Daniels, Alabama; Ken Campbell, South Carolina; Keonte Coleman, Middle Tennessee State; Kim Smith, North Carolina A&T and Phil Jeter, Winston Salem State (Retired)

COMMENTARY: MAC’s Men of Color Refl ect Diversity at Southeast Colloquium

By George L. Daniels Of all the academic conferences that I attend, the AEJMC Southeast Colloquium is the one that I’ve attended the longest, since before I entered graduate school in 1997.

The most recent Colloquium was hosted at The University of South Carolina in Columbia. And, for the first time, the Minorities and Communication Division was represented by AT LEAST eight men of color in various roles—host, presenter, research paper judge, moderator/discussant, research paper award winner, etc.

We should note that this year’s Colloquium was co-scheduled with the Media & Civil Rights History Symposium, a biennial gathering hosted by USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

I noticed upon arrival at the opening reception that I was having a conversation with two African American males before walking up to another African American male and they didn’t know each other. Later I thought “Now, that’s never happened at this conference before,” Most of time, there is one or two black men at the entire conference.

For years, AEJMC has made racial

and ethnic diversity a priority. But, inevitably the women of color outnumber men of color.

This is not to discount or overlook the many females from racial minority groups who presented at the conference. Our MAC Division has people from all races and ethnicities. But, I just thought it was important to recognize the eight (8) “brothers” who are all members of the Minorities and Communication Division who had a role in the 44th AEJMC Southeast Colloquium: Ken Campbell, Professor and Organizer of the Media and Civil Rights Symposium. Dr. Campbell also moderated the Luncheon where the Ronald T. and Gayla D. Farrar Award in Media & Civil rights history was presented.

Keonte Coleman, assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University, presented his paper “JMC Deans of Color Lead with a Purpose: A Qualitative Study” George L. Daniels, assistant dean at University of Alabama, won top paper in Newspaper and Online News Division for “Autopsy of Dow Jones News Fund’s Adviser Update: A Content Analysis of Scholastic Journalisms’ Community Newspaper,” which he co-authored with Ph.D. candidate Will Heath.

Daniels also presented “The Power of Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalists in Convening Community Journalism Conversations.”

Kim Smith, associate professor at North Carolina A&T, presented his paper “Surviving R. Kelly: African American Women Frame an Accused Pedophile through Tweets (RIP)”

Phil Jeter, retired professor and media historian from Winston Salem State, served as a judge for the Farar Christoph Mergerson, Ph.D. Award.

Candidate from Rutgers University, Gabriel Tait, assistant professor presented his paper “Bombs in the at Ball State University, presented Mail and the Tree of Life Shooting: “Visual Semiotics, Framing and How American Newspapers Agenda Setting Analysis of Christine Covered Acts of Domestic Terrorism.

Blasey Ford in Time and Twitter” Ernie Fears, associate professor a paper he co-authored by MAC at University of South Carolina, Head Mia Moody-Ramirez and moderated a session on “Sights and Dorothy Bland, a MAC member.

Sounds of the Struggle.”

He also served as a moderator and discussant.

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Dr. Paula M. Poindexter Research Grant The Minorities and Communication (MAC) Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication is accepting applications for the Dr. Paula M. Poindexter Research Grant. The grant honors the tireless work of Dr. Paula M. Poindexter, former MAC division head and former AEJMC president. Dr. Poindexter’s commitment to the division, AEJMC and the academy are invaluable.

Requirements: • Separate applications have been made for the faculty and student-only applications.

• To be considered for the student grant application, investigators must be current students as of June 1, 2019. Student research applications with faculty members will not be disqualified.

• All applicants must be current MAC members as of June 1, 2019. You can check your membership status by contacting AEJMC Membership Director Pamella Price at aejmcmemsub@aol.com.

• Research must be related to racial minorities in the United States and communication. The term “racial/ ethnic minorities” has been defined to include Latina/os, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Therefore, proposals examining how these groups present images, news and/or other information about themselves, as well as those examining how issues and/or perspectives related to race/ethnicity and diversity are featured in mainstream or other specialized media, would generally fall into this division’s area of interest. Our division also welcomes proposals for research on teaching or pedagogy related to minorities in communication. Grant proposals employing any scholarly method of inquiry are invited.

• There is no limit on the number of investigators per proposal, but each investigator cannot submit more than one proposal.

• Current members of the Minorities and Communication executive board for 2018-2019 are not eligible to apply for this grant.

• This year’s faculty grant includes $500 in research support. The student grant includes $250 in research support. The research grant may be used to cover some or all of the cost of such scholarly expenses as archives, travel, costs for surveys and transcriptions, traveling to an archive, or paying for an online survey service or to photocopy documents.

• Applications must be submitted through the form below before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, June 1, 2019.

Late applications will not be accepted. All applications will be blind reviewed.

Student Grant Application Faculty Grant Application Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria: 1. Research relevance to the MAC Division 2. Theoretical or conceptual insight 3. Appropriateness of methodological approach 4. Overall impression and research impact The results will be announced at the Minorities and Communication business meeting at the AEJMC annual conference in Toronto, Ontario. One student and one faculty submission will be awarded funding.

Grant recipients must provide a report on how they used grant funds by July 1, 2019.

The committee reserves to right to not award a grant winner in any given year. For questions, please contact Dr. Danielle Kilgo at dkilgo@iu.edu or Sydney Dillard at SDILLAR2@depaul.edu.

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Purpose: These MAC Division social media guidelines were created to be a reference tool for the MAC Division members and friends who share online content. They provide general guidance for sharing content on social media platforms.

MAC Division Social Media Audience: The audience for MAC Division social media content includes AEJMC members, supporters, and professionals and educators.

MAC Division Platforms: The MAC Division currently has two social media platforms: Twitter and Facebook.

Social Media Best Practices

AEJMC Minorities & Communication Division Social Media Guidelines

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We encourage members to post announcements about their professional and research activities; relevant opportunities for faculty, research, practitioners and students; and news topics and articles for discussion.

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In accordance with the scope and focus of the Minorities and Communication Division, posts should be related to research, the academic profession, teaching, and service work.

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The emphasis of the MAC division on racial and/or ethnic minorities should be considered when posting, and we encourage the discussion of ideas, concepts and perspective that are inclusive and intersectional.

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Communication should be conducted in a professional manner. Please refrain from using profanity, racial epithets or vulgar language.

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We encourage engagement among MAC group members and with other AEJMC groups. Please appropriately tag people and groups in posts and provide links where people can find more information when possible.

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Users should avoid posting commentary online about any particular individual, member or idea that they would not say in person to another individual, member or during a discussion of an idea.

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Respect copyright laws. Only post content that you are authorized to share.

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If you are unsure about the relevance of your post, please feel free to message MACs social media coordinators on Facebook or contact them via email to ask for their input.

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If your post falls outside of the aforementioned guidelines, MAC admins reserve the right to remove it and require that your future posts receive approval. If any group member repeatedly posts inappropriate content, they will be removed from MAC’s Facebook group.

--Danielle Kilgo --Miya Williams Fayne --Mia Moody-Ramirez --George Daniels

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AEJMC Reviewers Needed

Melody Fisher, Ph.D., and Danielle Kilgo, Ph.D., this year’s AEJMC research chairs, are attempting to implement a new strategy for creating a reviewer pool for the MAC research paper competition. The two hope this will be a start to improve our reviewing process in the coming years (for reviewers and for chairs)!

If you are interested in reviewing for next year’s competition, please fi ll out the google form listed below. This will help our division collect information about your areas of expertise. Fisher will also send out an email with this information.

We are hoping to recognize reviewers for their work, and in exchange for their service, we are willing to issue a formal letter.

Information about this opportunity is available toward the end of the form. If you have questions, send an email do Kilgo at dkilgo@iu.edu.

THANK YOU in advance! https://bit.ly/2PBNiHd

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