The History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication will honor Dr. Jinx Coleman Broussard as the Donald L. Shaw Senior Scholar during the division’s Awards Gala on Aug. 3. Broussard is the Bart R. Swanson Endowed Memorial Professor in the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University.

Established in 2020, the award honors a scholar who has a record of excellence in media history that has spanned a minimum of 15 years, including division membership. It is named in honor of the pioneering journalism theoretician, distinguished journalism historian and former head of the History Division, who taught for almost half of a century at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

“We are gratified by the quality of the nominees for this prestigious award, which is only in its second year,” the judges said. “In a wonderful field of nominees, Dr. Jinx Broussard stood out as the perfect choice for this significant award. The depth and breadth of her research, as well as the scholars she has helped to support and inspire, have left an indelible mark on the study of media history. She is a rock star among rock stars, and we are thrilled to select her for this honor.”

Broussard was excited to hear she had won the award.

“I am incredibly honored to receive an award of this magnitude that is named after someone who made a tremendous contribution to journalism and mass communication. I had no idea when I began to conduct research on the Black press while seeking to break new ground in media history, the work would lead me to this recognition.”

She added, “I am ecstatic and grateful to be so recognized and to know that my colleagues and those who conduct impactful scholarship hold me in such esteem. For this, I thank them.”

Broussard left the professional public relations world for higher education in 1997. She teaches public relations, strategic communication, mass communication theory, media history, and pedagogical courses at LSU. Earlier this year, she was named a recipient of the LSU Distinguished Faculty Award. She received the LSU Rainmaker senior scholar award the previous year. In 2018, she won the Scripps Howard Foundation/AEJMC National Teacher of the Year. The History Division also notified her in 2019 that it would name an excellence in teaching award after her: Jinx Coleman Broussard Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Media History.

In 2019, she was the co-author of Public Relations and Journalism in Times of Crisis: A Symbiotic Partnership, released by Peter Lang Publications. Six years before that, she wrote African American Foreign Correspondents: A History, was published by LSU Press and won a national award. She also penned Giving a Voice to the Voiceless: Four Pioneering Black Women Journalists, was published in 2004 by Routledge. Additionally, she has written or co-written several book chapters and journal articles.

The totality of her research was honored with the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University 2019 Guido H. Stempel III Research Award.

Broussard noted, “My passion for removing the veil of obscurity; and uncovering, examining and presenting untold stories will continue as I seek to mentor and motivate others to do the same.”

Some of the scholars nominating Broussard recognize her contribution as a mentor.
Division member Erin Coyle was among the scholars who nominated Broussard, noting that she shared many traits of Donald Shaw.

“Both are innovative scholars who have enriched the field of mass communication history with their extensive bodies of scholarship,” Coyle wrote in her nominations letter. “Dr. Broussard has published three books, six book chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed articles. Her excellent research addressing women, African-Americans, foreign correspondents, and public relations has broken new ground in our field.”

Dr. Broussard will receive a plaque and check for $200 during the division’s Awards Gala in conjunction with the AEJMC annual meeting.