The History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication will present its award for Outstanding Master’s Thesis in Journalism and Mass Communication History in 2022, recognizing the outstanding mass communication history thesis completed during the 2021 calendar year.

The award will be presented during the member awards gala at the 2022 AEJMC Conference.

Any master’s thesis on a topic in mass communication history will be considered, regardless of research method. Submissions must be in English. The thesis must have been submitted, defended, and filed in final form to the author’s degree-granting university between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. Membership in the AEJMC History Division is not required to submit.

Candidates for the award should submit the following materials:

• A cover letter with the thesis author’s contact information. 
• A letter of nomination from the thesis chair/director or the chair of the university department in which the thesis was written. The letter should concisely describe the scope and significance of the thesis, including its contribution to the knowledge base of the discipline.
• A blind copy of the full thesis (including abstract) in PDF form. IMPORTANT: Please make sure that all identifying information—including author, school, and thesis advisor/committee names—have been removed from all parts of the document. Be sure to check not only the title page but also the abstract, dedication/acknowledgements, bio page, and other pages that such identifying information often appears in academic theses.
• A blind copy of a sample chapter, submitter’s choice, from the thesis, identifying information removed, for first-round competition. This should also be in PDF form.

Nominations, along with all the supporting materials, should be sent to AEJHistoryThesisAward@gmail.com no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific on March 1, 2022 (this is a deadline extension).

Questions should be directed to Dr. Amy Mattson Lauters, chair of the AEJMC History Thesis Award Committee, at AEJHistoryThesisAward@gmail.com

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication History Division is soliciting entries for its annual award for the best journalism and mass communication history book. The winning author will receive a plaque and a $500 prize at the August 2022 AEJMC conference in Detroit, Michigan. Attendance at the conference is encouraged as the author will be invited to be a guest for a live taping of the Journalism History podcast during the History Division awards event. The competition is open to any author of a media history book regardless of whether they belong to AEJMC or the History Division. Only first editions with a 2021 copyright date will be accepted. Entries must be received by February 15, 2022. Submit four hard copies of each book or an electronic copy (must be an e-Book or pdf manuscript in page-proof format) along with the author’s mailing address, telephone number, and email address to:

Gwyneth Mellinger, AEJMC History Book Award Chair  
James Madison University  
54 Bluestone Drive, MSC 2104  
Harrisonburg, VA 22807  
mellingx@jmu.edu

If you have any questions, please contact Book Award chair Gwyneth Mellinger at mellingx@jmu.edu.

The Joint Journalism and Communication History Conference, co-sponsored by the American Journalism Historians Association and the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, is accepting submissions for its 2022 conference, to be held virtually via Zoom.

This free, one-day, interdisciplinary conference welcomes faculty, graduate students, and independent scholars researching the history of journalism and mass communication. Topics from all geographic areas and time periods are welcome, as are all methodological approaches. This conference offers a welcoming environment in which participants can explore new ideas, garner feedback on their work, and meet colleagues from around the world interested in journalism and mass communication history.

When: Friday, May 13, 2022, 9:00am to 5:00pm Eastern (U.S.) time

Where: Virtual (Zoom)

Proposals for paper presentations, research-in-progress presentations, or panels are all welcome. Your proposal should detail your presentation topic and offer a compelling rationale for why this research would interest an interdisciplinary community of scholars.

• Papers are completed research studies. The paper should be attached to the submission (as a Microsoft Word document or PDF) along with an abstract of up to 500 words.
• Research-in-progress (RIP) proposals are projects that are currently underway and that would benefit from collegial feedback in a conference setting. The JJCHC eagerly welcomes such work and prides itself on being a forum for generative thinking and feedback. RIP proposals should be described in an abstract of up to 500 words.
• Panels are pre-constituted presentations from multiple scholars working on similar topics or using similar methodological approaches. Panels generally consist of 3-4 scholars. To submit a panel proposal, please include an overview of the panel along with abstracts for each of the individual projects/presentations. The overview and the individual abstracts each may be up to 500 words.

Submissions should be emailed to JJCHC2022@gmail.com. Please remove any identifying information from your abstract and attach it to your email as a Microsoft Word document or a PDF. In the body of your email, please include your name, preferred email address, and institutional affiliation and title/rank (if applicable). If you are submitting a panel proposal, please include that information for all panel participants.

The deadline for proposal submissions is March 15, 2022. Authors will be notified as to whether their proposal was accepted no later than April 13, 2022. Please direct any questions to one of the conference co-chairs: A.J. Bauer (ajbauer2@ua.edu), Matthew Pressman (matthew.pressman@shu.edu), or Rich Shumate (rich.shumate@wku.edu).

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the 1972 break-in at the Democratic headquarters at the Watergate complex, which precipitated some of the most heralded investigative reporting in American history and a classic journalism book and film, All the President’s Men. To mark this milestone, American Journalism is soliciting submissions of abstracts for original research on the history of investigative reporting in the United States. Submissions may examine reporting on the Watergate scandal itself, such as analysis of period journalism, the legacy of that coverage, and the production of All the President’s Men, or any aspect of investigative reporting before or after Watergate, no later than the year 2000.

Authors should submit an abstract of 300 words to americanjournalismeditor@gmail.com by 11:59 p.m. March 1, 2022. Submissions will be refereed by a panel of media historians who will judge entries based on the significance of the research, methodological clarity and rigor, grounding in appropriate literature, and writing style. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by April 1, and selected authors will be invited to submit full-length articles of 6,000 to 10,000 words, including endnotes, by July 1 for a special issue to be published in Fall 2022.

Deadline for Abstract Submissions: March 1, 2022 Announcement of Selected Abstracts: April 1, 2022

Deadline for Articles: July 1, 2022

Expected Commencement of Publication: Fall 2022

For more information or questions about submissions and potential topics, please contact AJ editor Dr. Pamela E. Walck at walckp@duq.edu or associate editor Dr. Nick Hirshon at nickhirshon@gmail.com.

Nominations are open for the Donald L. Shaw Senior Scholar Award. This History Division honor will recognize an individual for excellence in journalism history research who has a minimum 15-year academic career and a record of division membership. To apply, the nomination packet should include a cover letter that explains the nominee’s research contributions to journalism history, a CV, a brief biography, and a minimum of two letters of support. Self-nominations, with the accompanying supporting materials, are welcome. Letters may be addressed to Committee Chair Amber Roessner.If you have been nominated in the past two years, you do not need to reapply since your nomination remains in the pool. Email nominations to aejmchistory@gmail.com by 11:59 p.m. Central Time March 15.

The 47th annual AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, scheduled for March 17-19, 2022, will take place as a hybrid event. You are welcome to join us at University of Memphis or via Zoom. 

Do you have some research in progress you would like to workshop? A paper ready to roll? What about a panel idea that is so current you can’t wait to make it happen? You don’t have to wait until Detroit. Authors are invited to submit their work for the 47th annual AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, March 17 -19, 2022, at the University of Memphis and online. 

Planned as a hybrid conference, submitters will have the option to present in person or online. Panels will be conducted in person and shared on the conference platform. 

Six AEJMC divisions will participate in the annual event: Electronic News, History, Law and Policy, Magazine Media, Newspaper and Online News, and Visual Communication. And there is an Open division as well, so everyone is welcome to participate.

In addition to the research competition, the conference will host a session about academic citizenship to help graduate students and early-career scholars learn some of the skills of presenting at a conference, reviewing research, and networking. We’ll also have a session with Great Ideas For Teaching presentations.

Come to the home of blues and birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll! You will be just in time for the start of spring, so, you can drink iced tea and eat Memphis barbecue while enjoying the warm spring Southern breeze, live music on Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studios, Stax Records, the Rock and Soul Museum, and maybe even see an Elvis or two.

Acceptance of papers to colloquium competitions does not prevent authors from submitting to AEJMC divisions for AEJMC’s annual conference in Detroit. Graduate students are especially encouraged to submit their work.

Click here for the paper call and additional info.

Proposal Submission Deadline: December 1, 2021 (early submissions appreciated)
Chapters Due: May 1, 2022

Dr. Hans Schmidt of Penn State University is inviting chapter and essay proposals for the book Issues Facing Contemporary American Journalism: History, Context, and Perspectives being developed for publication by Routledge in the Journalism Insights book series (early 2023 publication anticipated).

Contributions could take two forms.

Chapter Submissions: Chapter submissions would address a historical background of the chapter topic, as well as historical and contemporary issues, challenge, and context related to this topic. Completed chapters should be 3500-4500 words in length.

Essay Submissions: Essay submissions would address tangential perspectives, first-person experiences, or topics related to each primary chapter. Completed essays should be 1200-2000 words in length.

Chapters topics include, but are not limited to, the following.

• A Free Press: A Confusing History and Uncertain Future (U.S. focus)
• A Free Press: A Confusing History and Uncertain Future (International focus)
• Journalistic Objectivity: A Gold Standard or Myth?
• The Challenge of War and Conflict Reporting
• Reporting on Terrorism and the War on Terror
• The Challenges of Pandemic Reporting in an Era of Hyperpartisanship
• Environmental Reporting and the Problem of Mis(Dis)information
• The Return of Fake News
• Local News in Crisis
• Can Journalism Survive Social Media?
• Enduring Inequities in Journalism: Gender in Sports and News
• Covering Activist Athletes
• Reporting on Social Justice Movements
• Reporting on Crime and Criminal Justice: Challenges and Biases
• Citizen Journalism: A New Approach?
• Moving Forward: Directions for a Sustainable Model for Journalism

Chapter/essay proposals should include:
(1) Author credentials
(2) Identify if proposal is for a chapter (3500-4500 words) or supplementary essay (1200-2000 words)
(3) Topic (Please select a topic from the list above, or propose another topic.)
(4) A 200-300 word (approximately) description of what you plan to develop in either the chapter or essay.

For more information, or to submit a chapter or essay proposal, please email the primary author and editor, Dr. Hans Schmidt (hcs10@psu.edu). The deadline for chapter and essay proposals is December 1, 2021. Early proposals are appreciated and will be reviewed as soon as they are received. The deadline for chapter and essay submissions is June 1, 2022.

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication History Division is soliciting entries for its annual award for the best journalism and mass communication history book. The winning author will receive a plaque and a $500 prize at the August 2022 AEJMC conference in Detroit, Michigan. Attendance at the conference is encouraged as the author will be invited to be a guest for a live taping of the Journalism History podcast during the History Division awards event. The competition is open to any author of a media history book regardless of whether they belong to AEJMC or the History Division. Only first editions with a 2021 copyright date will be accepted. Entries must be received by February 1, 2022. Submit four hard copies of each book or an electronic copy (must be an e-Book or pdf manuscript in page-proof format) along with the author’s mailing address, telephone number, and email address to:

Gwyneth Mellinger, AEJMC History Book Award Chair
James Madison University
54 Bluestone Drive, MSC 2104
Harrisonburg, VA 22807

mellingx@jmu.edu

If you have any questions, please contact Book Award chair Gwyneth Mellinger at mellingx@jmu.edu.

The steering committee of the twenty-ninth annual Symposium on the 19th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression solicits papers dealing with US mass media of the 19th century, the Civil War in fiction and history, freedom of expression in the 19th century, presidents and the 19th century press, images of race and gender,
sensationalism and crime in 19th century newspapers, and the antebellum press and the causes of the Civil War.
Selected papers will be presented during the conference Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 11–13, 2021.
The top three papers and the top three student papers will be honored accordingly.
The Symposium will be conducted via ZOOM (for both speakers and participants). If possible, it will also be conducted in person.
The purpose of the November conference is to share current research and to develop a series of monographs.

This year the steering committee will pay special attention to papers and panel presentations on the Civil War and the press, presidents and the 19th century press, news reports of 19th century epidemics, and coverage of immigrants, African Americans, and Native Americans. Since 2000, the Symposium has produced eight distinctly different books of readings: The Civil War and the Press (2000); Memory and Myth: The Civil War in Fiction and Film from Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Cold Mountain (2007); Words at War: The Civil War and American Journalism (2008); Seeking a Voice: Images of Race and Gender in the 19th Century Press (2009); Sensationalism: Murder,
November 11–13, 2021, via ZOOM and in person
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga August 31, 2021.

Papers should be able to be presented within 20 minutes, at least
10–15 pages long. Please send your paper (including a 200–300
word abstract) as a Word attachment to west-chair-office@utc.edu
by August 31, 2021.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. David Sachsman
George R. West, Jr. Chair of Excellence in Communication
and Public Affairs, Dept. 3003
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
(423) 645-5330, david-sachsman@utc.edu
https://new.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/communication/west-chair