AEJMC’s History Division is hoping to host an informal half-day preconference, on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and invites proposals from our membership.

The focus of the conference will be in on transnational, comparative media histories—i.e. on internationalizing media histories, with an additional focus on bringing diverse and representative voices into conversation.

Along those broad lines, the Division welcomes nontraditional ideas, including teaching and writing workshops, interactive and high-density research panels and conversations with authors. The organizers hope to offer the chance to participate remotely or in person. Immediately after the preconference, we will host the Division’s awards gala.

We have space for up to four or five distinct sessions. One will be headed by Dr. Shearon Roberts, our honorary academic host at Xavier. The organizers are planning to make this free to members, or to charge only a minimal fee to offset any food costs if a hybrid or in-person option is possible.

For those interested in proposing a session, please do so in no more than 300 words, and include a title, contact info, and the names of confirmed participants, in a Word document or PDF, by Monday, Feb. 1, to Will Mari, AEJMC History Division chair, at wmari1@lsu.edu or wtmari@gmail.com. Please copy Cayce Myers, vice chair, at mcmyers@vt.edu, and Maddie Liseblad, research chair, at madeleine.liseblad@mtsu.edu.

Once we gauge the level of interest/the received proposals for the Division, we hope to proceed with more details.

Please let Will know if you have questions. Thank you!