Theme Sessions

2022 Detroit Conference Theme Sessions

AEJMC would like to invite you to join us at the 2022 Conference in Detroit, Michigan. Highlighted below are some of the conference theme sessions and workshops.

View Tuesday, August 2 (Pre-Conference Workshops)

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Don't Let Teaching Overwhelm You: Creating Inclusive Classrooms While Protecting Balance

This panel addresses how scholars and students can co-create inclusive classroom environments. Specific discussions include: (1) the two-way influence of parenting and professional lives at different stages of academia; (2) the welcoming of diverse religious and/or spiritual experiences; and (3) other concerns that emerge from the intersection of family and/or religion with gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or class. Panelists consider how students can implement their deepened understanding of inclusivity in the classroom to more authentically communicate with audiences in their future, desired professional fields (including, but not limited to, advertising, public relations, and journalism). (RMIG, CSWM)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Sports Journalism Practice and the Field of News

This panel will detail how changes and innovations in sports journalism over the last decade or so have impacted the field of journalism at large. It will examine how the newsroom's "toy department" is actually a lab for innovation with significant influence over the field as a whole. (NOND, SPRT)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Creating an “ace” publication: Serving a niche community through magazine production.

This panel will welcome an array of topics on how faculty can successfully lead students to produce digital and/or print magazine for niche communities under limited time or resource constraints. Panelists will talk about topics ranging from organizational structures, funding, student and administrative buy-in, software, timelines, and technology. (COMJ, MMAG)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Media in the Age of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Panelists explore the impact of automation, robotics and AI on the media, including processes of news reporting and media production as well as consumption. (MMEE, CTAM)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Preparing for Careers Beyond Academia After the Ph.D.

As the number of available tenure-track positions declines in some disciplines and some colleges and universities delay hiring because of financial effects of the COVID pandemic, interest in alternatives to academic careers appears to be growing among media-focused Ph.D. students. The panel will look at how doctoral students can prepare for careers outside the university by talking to Ph.D. graduates who have found positions in technology fields. How did these scholars approach their primary immersion in research and teaching during the course of their Ph.D. studies with a view to staying relevant for multiple job markets? What advice do they have for Ph.D. candidates exploring what are sometimes referred to as “alt-academic” careers in the digital era? Digital technologies have transformed how society’s core communication platforms operate. Within those worlds, research depth is of immense value but must function and thrive within the constructs of a resource-process-outcome formula that is often shifting, ephemeral and collides with many of the foundational mechanics of a PhD immersion. How do we bridge those worlds of understanding on how research operates and is valued off-campus? What are the ingredients of being market-ready? (GSIG, ICIG)

10:30 a.m. to12:00 p.m.

Masculinities in the Media: Current Research Trends of Masculinity in Pop Culture Entertainment

The proposed research panel will encompass a variety of methodological approaches to examining current research trends of representations, as well as repercussions, of masculinity in pop culture entertainment. The panelists intentionally represent a diversity of voices and expertise from intersectional identities and AEJMC divisions/interest groups. Panelists include associate professors, assistant professors, and a graduate student.

Masculinity is grounded in the cultural construction of what it means to be a man and often measured in characteristics that are socially constructed as desirable for men; such as physical strength, autonomy, self-confidence, assertiveness, and sexual prowess. These social constructions are often mediated through pop culture and can help socialize boys and men in particular gendered ways that are policed through behaviors and rhetoric of homophobia, misogyny, objectification, and violence. Movies, television shows, video games, music, and social media can reify rigid and exaggerated patriarchal gender roles (e.g. John Wick, Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Bro Country, Grand Theft Auto video game series, etc.). On the other hand, media can also help to subvert ideas of toxic masculinity and provide counter portrayals (e.g. Queer Eye, Fatherhood, Moonlight, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Bretman Rock, Lil Nas X, etc.)

This panel will focus on mediated representations (in all capacities) of masculinity and the possible implications for audiences. Theories and concepts of hegemonic masculinity, gender role conflict/strain, machismo, joteria, and intersectionality will be discussed. The panelists will particularly focus on the show Cobra Kai; the video games Resident Evil 8 and Grand Theft Auto 5; the movies John Wick and Moonlight; automobile television and internet advertisements; and Tik Tok influencers Bretman Rock and Adam Martinez (Rosa).

Attendees of the panel will learn about the intersectional representations of masculinities in pop culture entertainment (both the positive and negative), the implications of (mis)representations of masculinities in media for boys and men, and the use of new media entertainment to create counter-hegemonic representations of masculinities. (MCSD, LGBTQ)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Creating an “ace” publication: Serving a niche community through magazine production.

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Transmedia Storytelling and Content Strategies in a Convergence Media Environment

Transmedia storytelling is the practice of designing, sharing, and participating in a cohesive story experience across multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms - for entertainment, advertising and marketing, or social change. With the increasing popularity of video-sharing social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, DouYin, as well as the advanced technologies, like AR, VR, and XR, the media and advertising industries have incorporated those platforms and technologies and implemented new strategies of transmedia content creation and distribution to promote brands and products.

This panel is designed to invite academic scholars and industry practitioners to address the critical issue: how to engage creative transmedia storytelling and content strategies, and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action. (MMEE, CTEC)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Engaged Journalist: Paradoxes, challenges, and opportunities for journalistic engagement with audiences

This panel takes an inclusive, equitable, and international approach to exploring issues journalists increasingly face as they engage, for better or worse, more with news audiences. Specifically, this panel invites scholars, many with extensive backgrounds in newsrooms, ethnographies, and journalistic work, to discuss and present on how journalists are at once being asked to humanize connections with audiences while also assuming most of the risk that goes with such engagement. Journalists and journalistic actors find themselves increasingly harassed and threatened in online and social media spaces both within and outside of newsrooms, increasingly report issues of mental health and wellbeing, note a lack of preventative and palliative care from news organizations, and are more frequently disconnecting from or leaving all together journalistic spaces. This panel explores how journalists wrestle with challenges of engagement through social media, technology, and within newsrooms as well as with audiences and what coping mechanisms they employ that may help them to avoid (or may lead to) burnout, disconnection from social media, technology, newsroom work, and audiences, and ultimately an abandonment of journalism practice all together.

Each of the panelists will engage the following areas with a brief presentation of current work (8-10 minutes) followed by an extended Q&A opportunity with the panel led by the moderator: Dr. Valérie Bélair-Gagnon will examine the added cost of digital harassment on journalistic well-being and labor; Dr. Errol Salamon will present research on the language that journalists’ unions have been incorporating into collective bargaining agreements since 2015 that could help protect journalists against burnout and online harassment; Antoine Haywood (ABD, UPenn) will discuss the types of audience engagement challenges community media-based journalists experience; Dr. Diana Bossio will discuss how journalists have been engaging with audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges and opportunities of using social media to fight misinformation surrounding Covid-19 and other salient issues; Dr. Letrell Crittenden will discuss barriers to engagement and trust-building with BIPOC communities and steps toward addressing them within newsrooms; and Dr. Logan Molyneux will discuss the tensions that arise in journalism as a result of social media practices and policy in newsrooms as well as their impact on journalists and the journalism profession. (NOND, PJIG)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

What Does “Gender Equality” Mean for Sports Media?: Discourses, Research Directions, and Practical Implications

"Over the last few years, questions about “gender equality” in sport have become increasingly visible in the media through cases such as the USWNT team’s fight for equal pay, facility issues at the NCAA basketball tournament, and the increasing participation of women at the Olympics. Previous research has examined various mediated aspects of the visibility of gender equality, including narratives of progress in journalism, implications of athletes’ social media use, the promotional strategies of international sport governing bodies, and advertisers’ intentional strategies to “sell” women’s sport. At the same time, women’s sports still remain underrepresented in mainstream media outlets.

This panel reflects on the main research findings related to gender equality in the media to critically interrogate the practical utility and limitations of these discourses in addressing social issues in sport. Further, the panel will propose theoretical and methodological considerations for future research. The visibility of gender equality is intertwined with broader cultural discourses. As such, the panel's discussion about research directions and implications for media practice transcend beyond the context of sport. (CSWM, SPRT)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

From MOVE to George Floyd and beyond: Covering Communities of Color in Times of Crisis

This panel will explore the unique challenges and benefits experienced by journalists of color who report on their own communities, especially when the political leadership and other major stakeholders are of color. Such was the case for the Black journalists who covered the 1985 Philadelphia bombing of MOVE, the Black back-to-nature group, by the City’s first Black mayor. And there are similar present-day stories such as the Kentucky AG not pursuing murder charges in the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor. (MACD, HIST)

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The present and future of ethics in student media

This session invites advisers for student-run media and ethics scholars to discuss the status of ethics training, coaching, and ethical orientations of student staffs. Panelist may offer insights for the status quo based on their experiences, suggestions for improvements, and provide resources for how to better use the student media experience as an ethics teaching site. (ETHC, SCHJ)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Covering #MeToo and Feminist Movements in the Global South

Panel Description: Four years after the revitalization of #MeToo in 2017, and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep the world, this panel addresses a critical research deficit in the Global South – studies about news coverage of feminist movements. Even before the second wave of the #MeToo movement emerged, #NiUnaMenos surfaced in Argentina, inspired other similar forms of resistance in Latin America. Other feminist movements also emerged in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Panelists will discuss their research, which focuses on several regions and countries around the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Southeast Asia. In addition, panelists will discuss a variety of methodologies and conceptual frameworks that could be used to study gender, violence, and media coverage and content, in addition to best practices regarding news coverage of #MeToo and other feminist movements. After short presentations by the panelists, the roundtable will be opened up to the audience to delve into the subject and contribute to the discussion.

Rationale for the Panel: The impact of propagating single story narratives about violence against women and societal safety in the Global South’s media proves difficult when editors are censored, and media outlets are shut down by reporting on these issues (Baker, 2018). Silence often becomes the defining factor in the media when reporting about #MeToo -related topics, and this behavior consequently shapes journalism practice in the Global South. To date, minimal research has examined how the #MeToo movement has impacted on the reportage about violence against women in the Global South. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated societal factors related to violence as well as constrained media environments, especially in the Global South. The panel seeks to bridge the gap between media scholars and practitioners. (INTC, ETHC)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Teaching Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Pedagogical Best Practices for Meaningful Learning in the ClassroomSocial justice issues have risen to the fore of American public discourse in recent years, influenced by widespread protest movements calling for profound social reforms following several high-profile extrajudicial murders of people of color at the hands of law enforcement.

As organized civil rights movements like Black Lives Matter grew and spread across the country, drawing renewed attention to widespread systemic racial inequality in the United States, many colleges and universities have begun to grapple with the question of how best to address diversity and equity issues in the classroom. These efforts have increased exponentially in the year and a half since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and many universities have put together inclusive teaching resources, including websites, seminars, training opportunities and committees focused on diversity in undergraduate education.

But the practice of teaching DEI is often complicated and fraught with difficulty for educators. In this panel, we bring together several experienced scholars and educators with demonstrated success in teaching DEI in the classroom, highlighting the practices that have engendered growth, learning and empathy among students. This work is central to the tenets of critical and cultural studies, which is explicitly committed to the amplification of marginalized and underrepresented groups and subcultures. (CCSD, MACD)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Future of Critical Research in Public Relations Practice and Pedagogy

Critical perspectives challenge existing assumptions, alter disciplinary and paradigmatic boundaries, and help critique practices, policies, and systems (Kuhn, 1970; Morrow & Brown, 1994, as cited in L’Etang, 2005). Without such critical work, public relations theory-building and practice would stagnate, failing to address an evolving world and increasingly diverse publics. L’Etang (2005) challenged critical scholars to continually “push back the boundaries of knowledge, explore and define the boundaries of the field, engage with methodological debates, engage with contemporary intellectual thought more broadly with a view to considering the implications for public relations” (p. 524). Similarly, Edwards (2012) defined public relations as “flow,” calling for scholars to further investigate cultural and social effects, history and power, boundaries, fluidity and evolution of public relations practice over time. As we approach a decade after Edwards’ (2012) defining of public relations as a flow with consideration for cultural, social, and political change – how do public relations and likeminded fields fare now and in the decade ahead? This panel features fresh perspectives from critical scholars across public relations and media studies fields who will discuss their latest critical research findings and insights – and implications for pedagogy. (PRDV, LGBTQ)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Depiction of Politics and Politicians in Comics, Memes, and Video Games

Visual communication meets politics and politicians. Political actors and content are presented in numerous visual forms. The panel will therefore discuss the depiction of

politics and politicians in various pop-cultural forms of representation and different regional manifestations. "Ronald Rump. The poor little rich brat," "Doonesbury on Trump," or even "Batman. The Golden Child" represent comics that portray Donald Trump as a political actor. In addition to comics, numerous memes are developing that quickly spread political issues on the Internet. Here, for example, "not bad obama" or "creepy joe" are worth mentioning. Video games also pick up on political actors, such as "Surgeon Simulator: Bush vs. Trump" or "Mr.President! Save Ronald Rump". (VISC, PLCD)

6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Covering #MeToo and Feminist Movements in the Global South

Four years after the revitalization of #MeToo in 2017, and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep the world, this panel addresses a critical research deficit in the Global South – studies about news coverage of feminist movements. Even before the second wave of the #MeToo movement emerged, #NiUnaMenos surfaced in Argentina, inspired other similar forms of resistance in Latin America. Other feminist movements also emerged in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Panelists will discuss their research, which focuses on several regions and countries around the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Southeast Asia. In addition, panelists will discuss a variety of methodologies and conceptual frameworks that could be used to study gender, violence, and media coverage and content, in addition to best practices regarding news coverage of #MeToo and other feminist movements. After short presentations by the panelists, the roundtable will be opened up to the audience to delve into the subject and contribute to the discussion.

(INTC, ETHC)

Thursday, August 4, 2022

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Memory Laws, Critical Race Theory, and Academic Freedom

Conservative political movements in various parts of the US have undertaken a systematic attempt to create laws that prohibit teaching Critical Race Theory, along with certain historical facts about people and places in an attempt to sanitize or erase the record. This panel will examine and discuss the genesis of this movement, the way institutions have responded to these laws, and the potential effects on teaching and academic freedom. This movement originated and developed as an outgrowth of the Heritage Foundation’s attempt to encourage conservative lawmakers in Republican-majority states to manipulate the educational environment through whatever means are at the disposal of legislators: whether that meant specific prohibitions in classrooms, restrictions on state-sponsored events, or the encouragement of sympathetic members of the public to confront school boards and city councils. This was all taking place on a fundamental misrepresentation of Critical Race Theory, the historical systematization of racism and genocide, and the re-imposition of colorblind interpretation of the work of the Civil Rights Movement. This panel will examine these issues and talk about strategies to correct the full historical record, and offer solutions that work against attempts to create “memory laws” built around flawed notions of the way race is discussed in classroom settings. Members of the panel will discuss how they have approached these issues in places where such laws have been passed, and also discuss how notions of academic freedom can be considered in spaces where the discussion o0f such topics is complex, but must also strive to teach students an understanding of the issues at stake, and how they can anticipate a linkage between education and media in the public sphere. This is relevant to the CCS division’s audience because these critical issues present a complicated environment for both teachers and students, and strategies to maintain a critical approach to history, race, and speech can provide valuable tools for educators to manage this complex terrain as it effects different parts of the culture. Students and teachers can learn from people who have struggled with such issues how to be successful at both discussing the problematic systematization of these issues, and giving students a more critical understanding of what is at stake, especially when these efforts assert that their own ideological intentions pretend to be non-ideological, and in fact accuse historically accurate and critically analytic forms of systemic and institutional analysis of being “brainwashing.” (CCSD, LAWP)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Innovations in Measuring Box Office & Beyond

On Thurs. July 29th Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney for the day-and-date release of Black Widow on Disney+. Her argument was that by releasing the movie simultaneously on both platforms, box office revenue was cannibalized, and therefore her bonuses, that were dependent on box office performance, were lower. This case illustrates a greater challenge for media managers, which is how to measure the performance of a film, when box office revenue doesn’t account for streaming service success. Furthermore, how should streaming service success be defined? The number of users who add a subscription as a result of the film being released? The number of users willing to pay a premium in addition to a subscription fee? This panel will explore new ways of measuring the success of video content in a world where the box office metric has been compromised. (MMEE, BAMJ)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Denial and Deathbed Pleas for the COVID-19 Vaccine: Seeking New Theoretical and Practical Ways to Address Information Misinterpretations and Manipulations

Health and science communicators have understood for some time that the deficit model of communication (Simis, Madden, Cacciatore et al., 2016), which assumes increased information will be processed rationally and lead to greater scientific understanding, is an insufficient conceptualization of how many people actually process medical and health information. The conversations around vaccinations and mask use throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has transparently shown that ecological, sociological, and psychological factors challenge rational processing. Variables related to risk communication: trust in the message source, group identity and emotion play into the acceptance and processing of science and health risks (Lin, Savoia, Agboola et al, 2014). The purpose of this panel would be to discuss promising new theories concerning public relations efforts and health journalism practices in communicating science and health communication with a focus on source trust, group identity and emotion. Panelists will draw from their current research projects on health communication and professional work in journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic to bridge the research-practitioner knowledge base.

This panel provides perspectives from researchers and practitioners, who can offer theoretical insights from professional experience and draw connections to approaches in academic research, with a keen eye toward health inequities. Based in regions of the country whether

there was strong resistance to public health measures, our panelists offer a diverse array of insights along with their interdisciplinary perspectives from journalism across platforms (daily newspapers, TV, social media, and long-form magazines) to advertising and public relations

professionals. Thus, we expect this panel should appeal to a ComSHER audience. (SHER, CTEC)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Designing and Teaching the Combined Law & Ethics Course

Several journalism and strategic communication programs have adjusted their curriculum by combining the media law and media ethics courses into one, which can be a challenge for instructors who may have a specialty in one area or the other. For Law & Policy Division members, many of us our thrust into teaching a combined course despite limited experience in the literature and pedagogy of media ethics. How much law and how much ethics should these courses include, and what are some best practices in designing courses and creating assignments to capture the breadth of these two essential topics for AEJMC programs? This teaching panel brings together instructors who have created and taught these classes in small and large programs, focusing on the central themes these courses should have and addressing the challenges of fitting as much as possible into one class. (LAWP, SPIG)

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Relational Journalism at Work in Detroit

In the midst of the disruptions and distrust that have plagued traditional media in recent years, and a degree of polarization rarely seen in American history, a new style of journalism is emerging: relational journalism. Relational journalists view their communities not as an audience or customers but as people trying to get common problems solved. They see themselves not as experts controlling the latest information but as participants in a vast ecology of local information – and as partners, at times, with community members in the production of news and features. They see their facilitation of community dialogue as every bit as important as their actual posting of stories.

Exemplars of relational journalism are hard at work in Detroit and the surrounding area. The Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund supports diverse, community-centered news efforts that engage residents in reporting. Outlier Media is a non-profit, service-journalism outlet in Detroit that aims to give citizens “the information they need to create change in their own communities.” City Bureau, the Chicago-based “J-school of the streets,” is collaborating with WDET in Detroit with Detroit Documenters, a project to train engaged citizens in public-affairs reporting. And the Detroit Free Press, Michigan’s leading newspaper, is rethinking its approach to responding to local residents’ information needs. (COMJ, MACD)

10:30a to Noon

Designing and Teaching the Combined Law & Ethics Course

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

CREEM: The legacy of America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine

In the rock magazine scene of the ’70s and ’80s, Detroit’s CREEM Magazine carved out an important niche. Seriously funny, simultaneously erudite and lowbrow, CREEM helped transform rock criticism. An editorial appeared in an early issue in which the founders wrote: “We are a rock ’n’ roll magazine, with all that that implies. Our culture is a rock ’n’ roll culture. We are rock ’n’ roll people.” This panel will examine CREEM’s high-energy legacy through the eyes of scholars and practitioners. (ESIG, MMAG)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The power of narratives in the information war

“Narratives” of news events have provided researchers a way to explore how journalists frame events and to delve into deeper elements, such as identity and culture, that are consciously or unconsciously integrated into news stories. Similarly, scholars have suggested that narratives play an important role in disinformation (Allenby, 2017). By creating a fictional event that confirms certain groups’ impression or wrapping lies with a kernel of truth, disinformation manipulators forge weapons of narratives that interfere with elections or target certain groups. In this panel, we explore further how the weapon of narratives is molded and how they wield power. The panelists will discuss this issue from their research fields. For example, how identities are combined with narratives and exert influence, how disinformation operations use narratives and how journalists could counter them, and how narratives became a battlefield of China and the US during the pandemic. In addition to approaching the issue from information producers’ angle, panelists would also examine the topic from audiences’ viewpoints, discussing how audiences perceive media’s narratives. (CCSD, PLCD)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m

Secrets of Unbroken Chairs: How Women Leaders of Color Survive in the Academy

In August 2021, a surprise Netflix hit series, The Chair, showcased the all-too-familiar challenges for women of color in the academy, from navigating the tenure process and student expectations to managing relationships with colleagues and family members. This diverse panel of WOC leaders will share mentoring advice based on personal and professional experience, as well as scholarly and industry research. Topics include: progressing toward tenure, developing leadership capacity, handling interpersonal conflict, maintaining a personal life, supporting anti-racism, transforming academic cultures, combatting stereotypes, lifting up your sisters, and channeling fury into finesse. (PRDV, CSWM)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m

Twenty Years after 9/11: How have depictions of Muslims and Islam in US news media evolved over the past two decades?

This panel will explore whether experts think the portrayal of Muslims has changed in the last two decades in US news media and, if so, how and discuss whether Islam is connected with terrorism in the minds of non-Muslim Americans. The twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks and the current geopolitical environment of the Middle East and Central Asia make this topic relevant. Also, this year's AEJMC conference takes place in Michigan, where cities like Dearborn and Detroit have some of the largest and historic Muslim populations per capita in the US. According to a report released by the research institute *Muslims for American Progress, "as of 2015, the state's estimated Muslim population is 273,734, comprising 2.75 percent of the total population, which is more than double the national average in the US” (2015). The panelists include a scholar of Islam and media, a local Detroit imam, a local journalist who writes about religion, and the director of a US-based Muslim research institution—all of whom can speak about the topic from qualified yet distinctive perspectives. Racially, the panelists are diverse and include a Black American, South Asian American, Arab American and a White American. There is one female speaker on the panel. (RMIG, CSMN)

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Elevating the Voices of Female-Identified Scholars: Moving toward Academic Cosmopolitanism

The Covid-19 pandemic has not only exacerbated the lack of women’s voices in the news—there is also a worrying marginalization of women in terms of experts, expertise and essentially knowledge production in many fields, including the field of Communication Studies. This is most strongly witnessed in debates on countering power asymmetries that shape the field. While issues of sexism and gender bias are well-known and discussed, they remain largely unmitigated because of structural and institutional inequities in academia on a global scale. Such inequities manifest in multiple areas including access to journals, linguistic challenges, publishing opportunities, promotion and hiring decisions, citation patterns, access to speaking and grant opportunities that shape the power structure of the field. These inequities become particularly “stubborn” and exacerbated when moving toward academic cosmopolitanism. Existing research shows that women from the Global South are disproportionately affected as Communication Studies has historically been mired in the politics of whiteness securing its global supremacy, which disenfranchises knowledge generation practices in the Global South. This panel aims to enable a scholarly discussion that pushes the field of communication to new areas of epistemology from a global feminist perspective. We aim to elevate the voices of female-identified scholars that have encountered some of the issues mentioned above. As such, this round table puts together a group of female scholars from all over the world, to invite them to discuss new lines of inquiry that are of relevance to distinctive areas in media and communication studies--pushing the boundaries of Communication Studies by enabling an approach toward academic cosmopolitanism research. Rationale for the Panel: This panel builds on previous efforts to elevate voices of female-identified scholars in Communication Studies. It takes those efforts further by enabling a scholarly discussion that pushes the field of communication to new areas of epistemologies from a global and intersectional perspective. It takes into consideration gendered inequities (i.e., lack of fairness and justice) disproportionately impacting female-identified scholars in the Global South by elevating those historically marginalized voices in the debate about the future of Communication Studies research. (INTC, CSWM)

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Yellow Peril, Perpetual Foreigner, or Model Minority?: How Historic Media Narratives Reverberated in 2020-21’s Epidemic of Anti-Asian American Violence

The Perpetual Foreigner/Yellow Peril and Model Minority narratives have deep roots in Asian American history, starting with the Chinese laborers who comprised the first significant wave of Asian immigration in the mid-1800s. The notion that Asian Americans could be hardworking and submissive – yet also dangerous and alien – can be traced from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 through the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in World War II, whereas the Model Minority Myth has been leveraged by the dominant culture, often as a cudgel against Black Americans, since the mid-20th century.This panel will explore how these stereotypes persisted in the media coverage of the 2020-21 incidents of violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, not only dehumanizing Asian Americans, but also distorting the prevalence of Black perpetrators in hate incidents. (MACD, CSMN)

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Politics of Content Moderation: Deplatforming Right-Wing Users and The Emergence of Alternative Social Media

A decade ago, corporate social networking media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were widely perceived as platforms that democratized public communication. The opportunity structures for holding public representatives accountable and creating a space for open public dialogue have led some scholars to conclude that social platforms have taken on the ‘Fifth Estate role.’ However, such optimism of social media’s positive role in democratizing the public sphere was short-lived. Populist politicians, white supremacists, extremist actors, and supporters of far-right groups proliferated social networking platforms to spread their toxic ideology and narrow political agenda. Technological affordances such as lower barriers of communication, anonymity, and the potential to reach a broad audience have enabled such right-wing actors to easily disseminate propaganda, share fake news, mobilize support, recruit new members, raise funds, troll opponents, and connect with like-minded individuals located in disparate geographical locations.

Responding to calls for moderating such hate speech, corporate social networking sites have initiated new policies that sought to delete such harmful content from their platforms. Implementation of these policies had led to the removal of several prominent right-wing users in various countries. Widely known as ‘de-platforming,’ the practice of banning individuals from social media for violation of platform rules has led to tensions between right-wing populists and corporate social networks. For instance, Republicans accused social media companies of ‘left-wing bias’ when they removed former U.S. President Donald Trump from their platforms for inciting the mob violence that led to the attack on the U.S. Congress. Similarly, in Nigeria, the government indefinitely suspended Twitter after the platform deleted an offensive tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari. Likewise, far-right actors in India, Poland, and Hungary have accused corporate social media of ‘censoring right-wing views’ and promoting ‘liberal agenda.’

In response, right-wing forces created their own social platforms, which help banned individuals re-connect with their contacts, continue spreading disinformation and promote extreme views. Among such right-wing social media are GAB, GETTR, BitChute, Parler, and MeWe, which are widely used by conservatives in the United States. In India, the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has promoted Koo--a platform considered an Indian alternative to Twitter. Similarly, far-right actors endorse Albicla in Poland and Hundub in Hungary, citing them as much-needed correctives and right-wing alternatives to ‘left-leaning’ Silicon Valley-based technological companies.

This diverse panel aims to bring together scholars from across the world to discuss the implications of these alternative social media for public discourse and democratic dialogue. More specifically, this panel aims to deliberate on the following questions: What are some of the prominent topics discussed on these alternative social platforms? What communication needs of far-right actors do these right-wing social media serve? Do these platforms lead to further radicalization of their users? Do de-platformed far-right users retain their audience on these alternative social media? How do right-wing social media re-shape online communication? How do corporate social media companies balance their policies and the expectations of far-right governments in various countries? What economic and political pressures shape the content moderation efforts of corporate social media companies?

Given the close relationship between new media technologies and the success of populist politics, this panel discussion is likely to contribute to a new understanding of the media mobilization efforts of far-right actors across the world. This scholarly dialogue will also shed light on the implications of such parallel discursive spaces for the larger public discourse. (CTEC, PLCD)

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Teaching with Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality

As Covid-19 creates the need for alternative teaching modalities, instructors with experience in applying augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) within the classroom are becoming more in-demand. This teaching panel will bring together instructors with experience in AR & VR, to demonstrate how they’ve applied these technologies within their classrooms in new and exciting ways. (MMEE, SHER)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Beyond the classroom: Leveraging co-curricular experiences to equip underserved students to compete for the best jobs.

Many students have access, means and familiarity to leverage their college experiences to secure interviews and thus been viewed as “good candidates” for jobs. Many do not, especially those students that may be first generation college students, come from financially strapped backgrounds, non-traditional students because of age or military service or otherwise are unfamiliar with the industry’s desire to see more than just GPAs or choice of major when considering candidates for highly competitive jobs. Many underserved students do not know of or realize that co-curricular activities can provide a leveling of the playing field to position them with advantages to not only be prepared for, but also appear as ideal future pros ready to excel. This panel will seek to address how professors can recruit, mentor, and provide demonstratable career preparation through co-curricular activates beyond classroom learnings to help underserved students appear as and truly be attractive candidates beyond just labels associated with DEI. By exploring co-curricular pathways such as student competitions, awards and recognition, and signature industry supported scholarships and internships, panelists will offer concrete opportunities and best practices for leveraging co-curricular opportunities for underserved populations AND how to promote student involvement and success to translate to actual job interviews and hires for those underserved student populations. (ADVD, INTC)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Reporting the “Real World”: Encouraging Journalism Students Toward Off-Campus Stories and Sources

Many student journalism assignments focus on campus events and stories. Student media often prioritize news about students, campus administration and faculty. How can journalism professors incentivize and encourage off-campus reporting and storytelling? What assignments and methods help students leave the campus bubble and interview local community members about off-campus community news? This panel will explore best practices for encouraging student community journalism, including reporting on diverse local communities and older demographics not commonly found on college campuses. (COMJ, PJIG)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Covid-19 pandemic perspectives on media, technology and culture in South Asia

Relevant to the 2022 AEJMC conference in Detroit, this interactive panel will examine theoretical approaches in international communication to enhance our conceptual understanding of media, technology and culture in South Asia. With over one-fourth of the world’s population, South Asia has emerged as an important region for politics, security, health, culture, media and other relevant issues across the repertoire of our field. South Asia constitutes the nine-county region of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This panel brings together leading scholars and AEJMC members to explore diverse theories and robust sub-themes relating to impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on media, technology and culture in South Asia in our 21st century digital age. This panel builds on emerging concepts and introspection of established media and journalism theories to re-consider them for the unique histories and political, social and economic conditions of South Asia. This panel, Covid-19 pandemic perspectives on media, technology and culture in South Asia, offers comprehensive theoretical perspectives to benefit media professionals, media researchers, and social scientists who wish to explore the impact of media, technology and culture in a region of the world that has witnessed profound transformations, including a dramatically altered landscape of media and technology. (INTC, CTEC)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A Continuing Source of Confusion: Branzburg v. Hayes at 50

In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Branzburg v. Hayes that the First Amendment press clause did not shield journalists from subpoenas requiring them to identify their sources to grand juries. An enigmatic concurring opinion cast doubt on the breadth of the holding, leading many lower federal courts to find that a journalist's privilege existed in other situations. The Court has never clarified its ruling, and efforts in Congress to pass a federal shield law -- as 40 states have done -- have stalled, in part because of the difficulty of defining who is a journalist in the Digital Age. Meanwhile, surveillance tools deployed after 9/11 have made it relatively easy for authorities to identify leakers of classified data without subpoenaing the press, leading to a rash of prosecutions in recent years. The prosecutions raise troubling questions about journalists' ethical obligations to protect their sources. At this point, does one of the Supreme Court's most controversial First Amendment cases needs clarification from the Court, or is it simply moot? (LAWP, HIST)

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Hot Topics, Wicked Problems and Polarizing Politics: The Expanding Social Role of Public Relations

Racial justice, COVID-19, climate change, immigration, voting rights. Such issues were once beyond the comfort zone of most companies when contemplating public engagement on controversial issues. Although strategic issues management still requires a delicate balance of risks and benefits, the calculus has changed with stakeholders demanding higher levels of corporate social performance. At the same time, public expectations for business to play a bigger role in solving shared global problems is rising as trust in government leadership declines. As companies and CEOs become more involved in taking public stands on contested issues, public relations professionals must provide strategic counsel that helps companies decide whether, when and how to engage publicly on social and political matters. This panel will explore the expanding role and responsibilities of public relations professionals in corporate social advocacy, social issues management, CEO activism and political public relations. (PRDV, MCSD)

4:30p to 6p

Reporting the “Real World”: Encouraging Journalism Students Toward Off-Campus Stories and Sources

Friday, August 5, 2022

8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Best of the Web and Best of Digital

The “Best of the Web/Best of Digital” competition is an annual web and app design contest for members of the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication. There are eight categories (both large and small schools) to accommodate submissions ranging from individuals and small groups to department- and institution-wide projects. Judging will be done by web and app design professionals and academics with a background in web and app design and technology. Communication Technology (CTEC) and Visual Communication (VisComm) Divisions of the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (AEJMC) co-sponsor this great Web and app design contest competition every year and we invite you and your students to enter. Entries submitted to this competition should advance education or research in journalism and/or mass communication. The contest is open to faculty and/or students who work for or attend an institution that is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC) or are current (paid) members of the AEJMC. University and college staff are not eligible. The competition is offered as a collaboration between the Communication Technology and Visual Communication divisions of AEJMC. (CTEC, VISC)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

To Plead Our Own Cause: a Survey of Current Research on Black Journalists, Best Practices and Limitations

The year 2022 marks the beginning of some milestone anniversaries for several large-scale projects on Black journalists. For example, Pamela Newkirk’s “ Within the Veil: Black Journalists, White Media,” turns 20.Wayne Dawkins’ “Rugged Waters: Black Journalists Swim the Mainstream” turns 19 and Sharon Bramlett-Solomon’s study and report “Job Satisfaction Factors Important to Black Journalists” turns 29. Since these studies were published, there has been increase in research focusing on the unique stories, challenges and experiences of Black journalists working in both mainstream and Black Press newsrooms. This panel will not only shine a light on some of the more recent projects focusing on Black journalists, it will also provide space to discuss some of the best practices and lessons from these researchers while navigating this area of study. (MACD, ICIG)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Investigative vs. Mandatory Reporting: How Universities Weaponize Title IX Against Journalists (And How to Fight It)

Once lauded as a way forward for gender parity in both sports and the classroom, Title IX and its ancillary rules and regulations purport to prevent sexual assault and harassment on campus. But, recently, universities have weaponized Title IX by expanding the definition of “mandatory reporter” — from NPR journalists at university-affiliated stations to student media advisors. The results not only affect journalists but also affect survivors, who no longer enjoy the freedom to tell their stories when and how they see fit. For example, journalists for NPR Illinois, which is based at University of Illinois Springfield, were told they could not maintain confidentiality of survivor-sources. And in Texas, student media advisors face potential criminal liability and loss of employment if they decline to report instances of sexual assault confidentially shared with their students. These issues raise serious questions about not only press freedom, but also the expressive freedom and personal autonomy of women and other sexual assault survivors. This panel will outline the scope and elements of the problem and offer some concrete ways to address the issue both before and after it happens. (LAWP, SCHJ)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Flint and the water crisis: How to blend science, solutions journalism and reporting in the context of the tap.

Filthy water in Flint got the world's attention over the last several years. But as happens too often, reporting was muddled and too often simplistic about real causes and the science behind why it all happened, and why solutions were so challenging and slow-moving. This panel will pull in the perspectives of reporters whose boots on the ground were digging into what actually happened and not merely what national or international media assumed from a distance. This panel will be helpful for faculty teaching students to make science a sharper tool in their toolbelt as they take on environmental stories at the local, state or national levels. (SPIG, CCSD)

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

How much is this interview costing? Covering college athletics amid NIL

College sports is changing dramatically with the passage of name, image and likeness legislation, and reporters are now facing the real possibility that athletes may charge for their time and engagement. How journalists handle the changing marketplace of ideas will drive media moving forward. (SPRT, ETHC)

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

It’s Just How the Third-Party Cookie Crumbles: Considerations for Promising Consumer Insight Replacements

Google Chrome, which currently controls 64% of the global browser market, is phasing out third-party cookies in 2023. In response, Google has invited developers from around the world to contribute to its box of API’s designed to replace cookies. This new series of proposals, known as the “Privacy Sandbox,” focuses on other potential tracking mechanisms that allow for consumers to be tracked once third-party cookies have been phased out. This PF&R panel explores potential solutions for publishers, advertisers, ad tech companies, and marketers to improve consumer insights while also upholding consumer privacy in post-third-party-cookie-world. (MMEE, ADVD)

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The State of Black-Owned Broadcasting and the Rise of OTT

According to an FCC report in 2021, progress on the number of women and minority-owned stations has been anemic. This panel will discuss the state of minority-owned broadcast stations in the United States as well as the rise of OTT. The panel also will explore how entrepreneurs of color are faring in the industry as well as the outlook for the future. In addition to scholars, the panel will include a representative from WGPR, Detroit’s first Black-owned radio station. (CSMN, BAMJ)

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A Global Meeting Place- Digital Space for African and African American Students

In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Klaus Schwab—founder of the World Economic Forum—maintains that humans are at the cusp of a technological revolution that will alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another and that this transformation will be at a “scale, scope, and complexity” that is unprecedented in human existence. Schwab argues that the Fourth Industrial Revolution differs significantly from the Third Industrial Revolution (electronics and information technology) in that it fuses technologies in such a way as to blur the “lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.” Similar to the revolutions that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution presents challenges and opportunities. Our proposed panel focuses on the opportunities that this revolution presents in the area of youth and social change. The proposed panel highlights efforts that two Morgan State University professors undertook to develop a digital platform that emboldens college students in the US and in Liberia to share content and conversations in digital cultural exchanges. Two of the panelists will detail the impact of their DePaul University’s Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) training in their effort to create a digital platform that equips college students in Liberia and in the USA to begin to know each other and to engage in conversations about politics, economics, and other current events while engaging in artistic cultural exchanges involving music and other art forms. Ultimately, the project interrogates how young people can use media in a global setting to help create change within themselves and within their local communities. (ESIG, INTC)

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Grant Funding 101 for Grad Students and Early Career Scholars

Are you a grad student looking to try and get funding for your dissertation but don’t know where to start? Are you an early career scholar trying to write your first grant? How do you know your idea is worth funding? How do you get it there? This panel gathers recent graduates and early career scholars who received funding for their dissertations. It also will include established senior scholars who can explain the kinds of grants that are out there, where to find them, and the process for applying. (GSIG, PCLD)

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Capitalizing on NIL: Feminist perspectives on Name, Image and Likeness

Since July 1, 2021, collegiate athletes in the NCAA have been able to capitalize on their name, image and likeness to varying degrees around the country. While this new change has opened up opportunities for female athletes to make money and build their brand, this change has also brought new challenges, with regards to representation, media coverage and equality. In this panel, we will discuss how women athletes are capitalizing on this opportunity and their future in the NCAA that traditionally undervalues women’s sport. (CSWM, LAWP)

2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Pros & Cons of Bias in Newsgathering & Media Content Creation

New organizations are in the process of reexamining their coverage of their communities, both historically and currently. Traditionally accepted tenets, such as objectivity and the view from nowhere have in practice led to coverage that privileges the dominant mainstream audience and excludes or marginalizes audiences outside the mainstream. This panel will explore how to teach students to balance the importance of journalistic objectivity with the need to recognize and deal with their own biases and biases among the community, with the goal of ensuring coverage that truly informs, contextualizes, and holds power to account. (CTEC, NOND)

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Yellow Peril, Perpetual Foreigner, or Model Minority?: How Historic Media Narratives Reverberated in 2020-21’s Epidemic of Anti-Asian American Violence

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

How the new field of Public Interest Communications can strengthen a Journalism Program’s focus on social good

Journalism students, just like professional journalists, are seeking journalistic jobs and internships outside of traditional newsrooms. How can we best prepare them? Public interest communication principles in journalism programs can help imbue students interested in both fields with skills critical to a well-informed, democratic society. This panel will explore how courses or methods in this nascent field can be effectively and ethically integrated into journalism curricula. Based on pedagogical innovations at their institutions, panelists will explore how to expand a curriculum based on journalism ethics and practices to benefit future communicators both within and outside of traditional newsrooms, including at nonprofits, foundations, and government entities. This panel will examine the many ways journalism and public interest communications intersect and how to use public interest communications to strengthen journalism practice and media communication overall. Panelists will highlight how an approach that emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion is key to both fields. Panelists also will identify how the fields diverge, explore how to ensure journalistic integrity, and discuss how to navigate pushback that may come from colleagues and other stakeholders concerned about this potential expansion of a journalism program. (CCSD, ETHC)

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Does "Ungrading" Make the Grade? Alternative PR Writing Assessments to Improve Student Learning Outcomes

In 2020, the book Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum, continued an ongoing conversation about innovative ways to evaluate student outcomes. As professors look to meet the needs of diverse student populations during a pandemic, conversations about creative approaches to pedagogy and grading have resurfaced. For PR professors, this panel will explore the concepts of “ungrading” by providing examples of it in practice, examine the impact of ungrading on students and the quality of their writing, highlight potential challenges, and discuss ways that alternative assessments can help improve students outcomes, particularly in PR Writing courses. (PRDV, ICIG)

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p .m.

Religious Newspapers in the 21st Century

Detroit is home to a great variety of religious communities and a vibrant publishing scene serving those communities. This panel will feature representatives from several of these publishers to discuss the importance of journalism in supporting these communities, as well as the challenges of publishing in the contemporary era. In 1999, The Muslim Observer became the first Muslim newspaper in the U.S., first focused on southeast Michigan. Its coverage has expanded its roster of reporters to include other regions. After nearly 150 years, in 2018, The Michigan Catholic ceased publication, ending its run as one of the oldest publications in the state. It continues online as The Detroit Catholic. Since 1942, the Detroit Jewish News has served its community by providing news and opinion, acting as an advocate for those in Michigan as well as the State of Israel. Panelists representing each of the above newspapers will share the publication’s history as well as how it balances its missions to be a voice for its religious communities, making it of keen interest to those in the RMIG. (RMIG, NOND)

Saturday, August 6, 2022

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