I sincerely thank CSM and MAC leadership and membership for this 
collaborative response.  I've been out-of-town and processing e-mail on a 
limited basis for the past several days.  I just caught up on reading 
e-mails and comment responses to the press release.  I concur with most 
sentiments and action proposals, and support:

1.  a joint resolution officially approved by both memberships and signed 
by CSM and MAC Heads.

2.  a formal invitation from CSM and MAC Heads for select AEJMC entities to 
consider supporting said resolution, particularly the Newspaper division, 
Radio-Television Journalism division, and the Standing Committee on 
Professional Freedom and Responsibility.

3.  a resolution that centers on latitude and process for presidential 
communications; and demographic and intellectual diversity of the PAC in 
terms of divisional affiliations, research paradigms, comprehensive and 
doctoral institutions, small and large programs, etc.

4.  a formal request from CSM and MAC Heads for Dr. Pardun and PAC to 
submit a written response to MAC/CSM concerns by a specified date.

At 05:12 PM 6/10/2010 -0400, Dr. Linda F. Callahan wrote:
>Dear Colleagues:
>I spoke with AEJMC President Carol Pardun today. I shared with her the
>sentiments expressed by CSM & MAC members regarding President Obama and
>Transparency.
>
>She is going to provide a written response to our conversation after
>speaking with Advisory Board members; however, this is a summary of her
>response as to why the news release was sent.
>
>1. It was a difficult decision that was discussed for several months.
>2. The release was not politically focused.
>3. "From our investigation, facts are clear that he hasn't had full press
>conferences as often as he should have."
>4. Despite the fact that he has had numerous press conferences and uses
>social media, "he's driving the communication channels instead of giving
>access that would allow reporters to do their jobs."
>5. She has received a lot of emails thanking them for "having the guts" to
>do the news release.
>6. She was shocked and surprised that some have suggested the news release
>was politically motivated.
>7. She was even more shocked and surprised that some have suggested that
>racism might have been a factor.
>8. They did not expect this response and did not expect this to be
>controversial.  They thought that net-neutrality would have been a
>controversial issue, but not this.
>
>NOTE ABOUT # 6, 7, 8.
>[I did not bring up "politically motivated" or "racism."  So, someone prior
>to our conversation had raised those issues.  As for #8, I suggested that
>more diversity on the Advisory Board could have caught this problem].
>
>MAC Chair Jennifer Woodard and I have spoken. We decided that we would
>hold-off on the joint resolution until we receive a written response from
>Carol and the Advisory Board.  She will send the response to me with the
>understanding that I will share it with CSM & MAC. (CSM is an oversight body
>of AEJMC).
>
>Thank you very much for your feedback.
>Linda Florence Callahan, Ph.D.
>Chair, Commission on the Status of Minorities
>Professor
>Journalism & Mass Communication
>North Carolina A&T State University
>Greensboro, NC 27411
>
>
>
>
>WARNING: This e-mail correspondence is subject to Public Records Law and 
>may be disclosed to third parties.
>
>
>--

Camilla Gant, Ph.D.
Director/Associate Professor
Mass Communications
University of West Georgia

678.839.4933  Office
678.839.4926 Fax