Last summer, the History Division launched a membership survey, its first effort in quite some time to learn about what the members think about division activities and the value it delivers. We’re working on the best way to share the results from the survey, but I wanted to use this issue of Clio to share some of the highlights and to discuss how these responses might impact our programming this year. This column is a bit longer than the ideal 400 to 500 words I was taught in undergrad, but our survey covered a lot of territory (and elicited some thoughtful comments and feedback).
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A Word from the Chair: November 2025
For the last few months, one question has loomed large in my teaching, research, and, to some extent, my sense of self: What is the role of history in the field of journalism and mass communication? Students ask it, non-history colleagues ask it, grant reviewers and journal reviewers ask it, my friends and family ask it, and I’m pretty sure my dog would ask it if given the opportunity. But it’s not just one question that follows me around – it’s the follow-up, too: Why does history matter? Why bother?
I’ve long struggled with articulating why history matters to journalism and mass communication, in part because to me, it has always seemed so obvious. As with many media historians – and those media scholars whose research engages historical questions and uses historical methods to some degree – I’ve always been drawn to the idea of exploring what once was. It can be hard for me to articulate why history matters without deploying cliché after cliché. There’s a cyclical nature to history and contemporary events, I’ll say. History matters because context matters, I’ll write. If we don’t try to understand the messiness of the past – in all its ugliness and complexity – how can we possibly make sense of what’s happening now or understand what’s at risk?
Continue readingA Word from the Chair: September 2025
First off, thanks to all of you for an engaging and successful annual conference in San Francisco. Thanks to everyone who attended, who reviewed, who submitted, who volunteered to organize a panel, and who served in some capacity to the division throughout the year. So many smiles, so many great conversations, and so much learning. It has been a great year, and a lot of that is due to engagement from membership across the division.
As I type out this final column, I am reminded that the work of the division continues year-round. Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen is set to take over leadership and has a many great initiatives planned, as well as a leadership team squarely focused on the important role history plays in the discipline and the value of our members within AEJMC. This is a team with great ideas for the growth of the discipline and the value of membership, and I think we all will benefit from their tenure.
Continue readingA Word from the Chair: July 2025
Colleagues, I hope your summers have been restful and regenerative. It is hard to believe that we are just weeks away from the annual conference in San Francisco. There is a spectacular history program planned, and all my gratitude to Caitlin Cieslick-Miskimen (Idaho) and Jason Guthrie (Clayton State) for the tireless work they’ve put into this program over the past several months. The state of the division is strong, thanks in no small part to the service of this leadership team and the exceptional quality of contributions to research, teaching, and PF&R demonstrated across the program.
As you finalize your schedule for the conference, please make plans to join us for the Division’s awards gala on Wednesday, August 6, at 7: 30 p.m. to mingle and to celebrate this year’s award winners. We will also take time to commemorate and honor the memory of our dear friend and former Journalism History editor Pam Perry. The fellowship of the gala is one my favorite parts of AEJMC, and it sets a great tone of community and connection felt during the rest of the conference.
Continue readingA Word from the Graduate Student Liaison
Graduate Students: Welcome!
Looking over the History Division report for this year, one statistic stands out: fourteen graduate students will present at AEJMC 2025 in San Francisco, a significant increase in participation from emerging scholars. I cannot think of a better time to welcome new thinkers to the crucial work of history than in this precarious moment for higher education, mass communication, and democracy. So, to our new (and returning) graduate student members: Welcome! We’re particularly glad you’re here.
This summer, I’ve reflected on my time as a student and experiences with AEJMC following recent admission to doctoral candidacy. (Sort of without a choice), Dr. Amber Roessner took on an ambitious twenty-something as a mentee when I blew into her Journalism as Literature course at the University of Tennessee nearly a decade ago. She quickly perceived my interest in historical research and continuing my studies at some point in my career, encouraging my decision to apply for graduate programs. Her first piece of advice: go work with this year’s Donald L. Shaw Senior Scholar Award winner Dr. Janice Hume. An important second piece of advice: check out the History Division of AEJMC.
Continue readingA Word from the Chair: May 2025
I’m writing this on the last day of exams, before graduation here at Lehigh, and am struck by just how much has happened this year. First off, my gratitude to a fantastic leadership team and to our membership for remaining a dynamic, supportive, and generally fantastic scholarly community.
As the summer starts, we usually spend time catching up on things, usually responsibilities, that need to be done. But, as you close the book on this year, I’ll ask you to start thinking about next year, and how you might like to give back to AEJMC, the History Division, and your broader scholarly community.
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A Word from the Chair: January 2025
It’s early January and I am writing this column in the week following the passing of former president Jimmy Carter. It is the lull after the holidays, I’m prepping for the coming semester. The news is constantly on in the background, and I’ve been struck by a sentiment I’ve heard more than a few times as experts, journalists, political reporters and consultants, and friends of President Carter reflect on his presidency and post-presidency.
Often, they say something along the lines, “Jimmy Carter ended up being right,” and the reporter or interviewer will pause, ask what is meant by that, and there will be a few minutes’ discussion casting an event from the Carter presidency in a new light. It is a bit of a strange moment for a listener, to hear the notion that Carter was a failed president suddenly come up for reconsideration, as if the historical narrative told to us born after his presidency was suddenly up for revision.
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A Word from the Chair: November 2024
Greetings colleagues! It was so wonderful to see so many of you in Philadelphia, a city near and dear to my heart and our nation’s founding. The History Division is strong, and our research and teaching are more important than ever.
Though things have been quieter than during the conference flurry, we have been busy. Program Chair Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen has been pulling together a wonderful slate of panels; thanks to all of you who submitted ideas. The range of proposals engaged deeply with the 2025 conference host city, San Francisco. The call for 2025 will be live in the New Year, and keep an eye out for requests to review. Awards calls are coming together and we will be seeking nominees very soon. All of these activities persist thanks to the service from all of you, and perhaps the most valuable gift we can give the organization.
Continue reading2024-2025 Executive Committee
Brian Creech (Lehigh)
Division Chair
Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen (Idaho)
Vice Chair (Program Chair)
Autumn Linford (Auburn)
Second Vice Chair (Research Chair)
Jason Guthrie (Clayton State)
Professional Freedom and Responsibility Chair
Bailey Dick (Bowling Green)
Teaching Award Committee Chair
David Mindich (Temple)
Book Award Committee Chair
Matt Pressman (Seton Hall)
Senior Scholar Committee Chair
Elisabeth Fondren (St. John’s)
Covert Award Committee Chair
Carolina Velloso (Minnesota)
Membership Committee Chair
Maddie Liseblad (Cal State Long Beach)
Publications Committee Chair
Lisa Burns (Quinnipiac)
Mentorship Program Chair
Alexis Little (Georgia)
Graduate Student Liaison
Rachel Grant (Florida)
Immediate Past Chair
Notes from the History Division Business Meeting
Chair Rachel Grant (Florida) offered a welcome to the 35 members in attendance. Minutes from last year’s division business meeting were approved unanimously.
Leadership presented an overview of the division’s work during the past year: updating the AEJMC Community page for the division, maintaining the website minus a web administrator, continuing to expand international reach and membership, and celebrating 50 years of Journalism History, the division’s journal. There were no questions. Maddie Liseblad voiced the need for a website administrator.
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