The History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) is celebrating fifty years of continuous publishing of its journal, Journalism History. Published since 1974, Journalism History is well respected as the oldest peer-reviewed journal of mass media history in the United States.
“Journalism History has served as an excellent research journal for media historians to document the impact of mass media from various time periods, perspectives, and cultures,” said Rachel Grant (University of Florida), chairwoman of the History Division. “In a time where the importance of history is being questioned, the History Division is proud to promote quality research.”
Journalism History was the vision of Tom Reilly, a professor at California State University, Northridge. Founding editor Reilly launched the journal as an independent publication in the spring of 1974. In 1985 his colleague Susan Henry took over editing duties. The journal moved to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1991 when Barbara Cloud became its editor. Nine years later, in 2000, the journal moved to Ohio University under the editorship of Patrick Washburn. He shepherded the journal until 2012 when his colleague Michael S. Sweeney took over. It is thanks to Sweeney that the journal is now a publication of the AEJMC History Division. He approached the division to adopt Journalism History as its official academic journal.
Sweeney stepped down in 2018. Gregory Borchard (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) edited the journal from 2018 to 2021 when current editor, Pam Parry (Southeast Missouri State), took over. Parry will officially step down in August 2024, and Perry Parks (Michigan State) will take over as the eighth editor in the journal’s history.
Journalism History has experienced tremendous growth in the last couple of years under the tutelage of editor Parry and Teri Finneman (University of Kansas), a former chairwoman of the History Division’s Publications Committee. Today the division supports its journal with a continuously updated website, newsletters, and fresh podcasts. The journal recently conducted a diversity analysis of all its research articles, and offers grants to stimulate research related to broadcasting, strategic communication, certain periods in history, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, and disabilities. There is also an effort to improve the journal’s international presence, both in terms of submissions and reviewers.
“Journalism History is well positioned for another fifty years of publication,” said Maddie Liseblad (CSU Long Beach), current chairwoman of the division’s Publications Committee. “I am sure Tom Reilly would be proud of what his journal has become and its planned future direction.”
The History Division will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Journalism History in several ways. The journal will have selected open access articles throughout the year, starting with one from the first publication year, Maurine Beasley’s “Pens and Petticoats: Early Women Washington Correspondents” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00947679.1974.12066751). Beasley is one of Journalism History’s most published authors. The Journalism History podcast will also repromote some of its most popular shows, including the #1 downloaded Why Does Journalism History Matter episode. In addition, the journal will have a special commemorative March issue, with items from key people who have contributed to Journalism History throughout the decades. The journal’s milestone birthday will also be celebrated at the AEJMC conference in August.
Journalism History welcomes content about traditional journalism as well research with historical angles on visual communication, public relations, advertising, scholastic journalism, media diversity, sports media, the business of journalism, media technology, oral history, media law and ethics, and documentaries. The journal also encourages cross-disciplinary and global collaboration so that the content of the journal increasingly reflects media history outside of U.S. borders and across disciplines.
For more information about the journal and how to submit, visit https://journalism-history.org/.