The Public Relations Division (PRDV) of AEJMC seeks submissions of proposals for panels for the 2023 AEJMC Annual Conference. Panel proposals should address one of the three areas of AEJMC: research, teaching, or professional freedom & responsibility (PF&R). Panels submitted to the PRDV should not be submitted to other Divisions or Interest Groups. Proposals are due Friday, October 7, 2022 by 5 p.m. ET.
Panel proposals should be submitted via the 2023 PRDV Panel Proposal Submission Form.
The form asks for:
- Panel title
- Panel type
- Suggested division/interest group/commission sponsorship
- Short panel descriptions must be 250 characters or less to conform with AEJMC program form limits and be blinded
- Long panel descriptions must be blinded
- Panelists & moderator bios and contact information (i.e., social media information and email address).
- Panelists & moderator headshots
Guidelines for Panel Proposal Submissions
- Diversity should be an important consideration of your panel planning. Consider diverse topics and diverse panelists—including racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, as well as geographic locations of panel participants, types of institutions, rank, and industry representation.
- Panels are encouraged to include practitioners who can speak to the practical application of the topic of the panel. Local connections in Washington doing work related to the panel topic are strongly recommended.
- Innovative topics and methods are highly encouraged, including topic areas in which the division has not recently held panels. (see list of recent panels that PRDV has programmed below)
- Panels submitted to the PRDV should not be submitted to other Divisions or Interest Groups.
- Panels that do not have a suggestion for co-sponsorship with another division should be of significant interest to the Public Relations Division. (Note: We are rarely able to program panels without a co-sponsoring division.)
- In accordance with AEJMC policy, panelists who have committed to the panel are required to attend and present at the 2023 conference.
Review Process and Timeline
- Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at 5 p.m. ET.: Panel submission deadline.
- Oct. 8-10: The PRDV Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) co-chairs and PRDV vice-head will conduct an initial non-blind review ensuring diverse representation of panelists—including racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, as well as geographic locations of panel participants, types of institutions, rank, and industry representation before panels are move forward in the review process. If a panel proposal is determined to lack diversity (per PRDV’s guidelines), the panel organizer will be required to submit an updated proposal for the proposal to move forward in the review process.
- Oct. 11-14: A committee of PRDV executives representing all three areas (PF&R, research, and teaching) and the PRDV vice-head elect will conduct a blind review of each panel proposal evaluating and ranking each one with regard to:
- clarity and depth of proposal description
- fit and alignment with the Public Relations Division, with consideration to having a diverse slate of panels representing all three areas
(PF&R, research, and teaching)
- innovation or creativity of the panel proposal
- identification of a new or innovative potential co-sponsor division match
- Oct. 19: The PRDV Vice Head uploads selected panel proposals to the conference site.
- Oct. 24-28: The PRDV Vice Head makes programming deals (according to AEJMC Council of Divisions guidelines) to secure panel sponsorship matches with DIGs.
**Please note that it is rare for any division to secure sponsorship matches for ALL panels that are submitted for consideration. Other DIGs will be approaching the PRDV for sponsorship matches with their panel proposals, as well.**
- Late October-December: AEJMC headquarters reviews information and creates the conference grid.
- Mid-January: AEJMC distributes the conference grid to the Vice Head, thus confirming panel programming. Formal proposal notifications will be sent to all submitters at this time. Panels that have secured a sponsorship match with another DIG will be asked to work with that co-sponsoring DIG to confirm/update panel information. Please note that panels that secure a sponsorship may be asked to modify panel details and/or speakers as part of the sponsorship deal. Again, maintaining flexibility is a key part of the process.
- Mar. 15: Deadline for final program copy for panels.
*Please note: The above listed dates are set by the AEJMC Council of Divisions. Dates may be subject to change.
Questions? Contact AEJMC PRDV Vice Head LaShonda L. Eaddy at leaddy@psu.edu
AEJMC Public Relations Division Panel Programming
2022 Conference
- Teaching Panel: Building Business Acumen: Integrating Business Instruction into the Advertising and Public Relations Curriculum for Career Preparation (ADVD and PRDV)
- PF&R Panel: Professors Pinch-Hitting as University Communicators, Public Health Strategists and Citizen Scientists: Navigating the Classroom and Politics at Universities in States Without Mask or Vaccine Mandates (SHER and PRDV)
- Research Panel: The Future of Critical Research in Public Relations Practice and Pedagogy (LGBT and PRDV)
- PF&R Panel: Secrets of Unbroken Chairs: How Women Leaders of Color Survive, Thrive, and Advance in the Academy. (CSW and PRDV)
- PF&R Panel: Hot Topics, Wicked Problems and Polarizing Politics: The Expanding Social Role of Public Relations (MCSD and PRDV)
- Teaching Panel: Does “Ungrading” Make the Grade? Alternative Writing Assessments to Improve Student Outcomes (ICIG and PRDV)
2021 Conference
- Teaching Panel: Amplifying Voices and Building Connections: A Discussion with HBCU Public Relations Educators (PRDV)
- Research Panel: Information Patrolling: The Why and How Questions and Answers to Counteract Pseudo Information for Social Institutions (MCSD and PRDV)
- Teaching Panel: Small Program, Big Impact: Public Relations at Small Colleges and Universities (PRDV and SPIG)
- PF&R Panel: Misinformation, Racism, and the Magnification of Health Inequities: Research Informing Publics and the Practice (and Vice Versa) (PRDV and SHER)
- Research Panel: Why Should Public Relations Care About Moral Psychology and Ethics of Care? (PRDV and ETHC)
2020 Conference
- Teaching Panel: Academia x Industry: Introducing Facebook Educators Portal for Public Relations and Social Media Curriculum (PRDV and CTEC)
- Research Panel: Virtual Reality: Reaching New Audiences Via Virtual Conferences & Podcasting (PRDV and HIST)
- PF&R Panel: Media Literacy in an Era of Sponsored Content, Native Advertising, and Content Marketing (PRDV and MAGD)
- PF&R Panel: #GirlBoss: Examining How Early-career Ad/PR Women Are Building Confidence and Paving the Way to Close the Industry’s Leadership Gender Gap (PRDV and CSWM)
- Research Panel: Advocacy, Strategic Communication, Journalism and Social Change: Disrupting Narratives (PRDV and CCSD)
- PF&R Panel: Public Relations and Religion: Nonprofit Religious Advocacy and Media Relations (PRDV and RMIG)