Colleagues, Here’s what the AEJMC website says about this council: “The AEJMC President’s Advisory Council allows the association’s president to weigh in on important issues that are central to the association’s mission. A three-member subcommittee of the Standing Committee of Professional Freedom and Responsibility helps inform and advise the president of important issues. Members of the Council include AEJMC President, <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Carol Pardun, University of South Carolina, and:
* <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Marie Hardin, Pennsylvania State University
* <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Paul Lester, California State University-Fullerton
* <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Julianne Newton, University of Oregon”
As a two-term member of PF&R, I guess I missed the process of selecting this subcommittee. I’ll have to check my notes from the Boston meeting.
“If the Council feels that an issue merits comment, the group may discuss it, using the mission statement as a guide, and the president will decide whether a statement is merited. Requests for participation of the president on behalf of the membership may also come from any AEJMC constituents, including but not limited to individual members, officers, interest groups, divisions, standing committees, taskforces or the various members of the Council of Affiliates. Those requests should be made by email or letter, addressed to the sitting president.
A record of the president’s public statements and appearances – whether in interviews, by press release, in written form or press conference – will be archived by the AEJMC central office and may be found in the general news release section at <http://aejmc.org/topics/newsroom> aejmc.org/topics/newsroom.
The President’s Advisory Council is an AEJMC Strategic Planning Initiative, and was <http://aejmc.org/topics/newsroom/2009/08/aejmc-endorses-creation-of-issues-advisory-council/> endorsed by the AEJMC membership at the Boston Business Meeting, August 7, 2009”
Here is one possible way we can respond—through a resolution: “Any AEJMC member can propose a resolution, and each year the Resolutions Committee of the Professional Freedom and Responsibility Committee shepherds resolutions submitted by AEJMC members or divisions and interest groups to the floor of the business meeting.”
Perhaps MAC & CSM can author a joint resolution. Perhaps we can solicit support from other divisions. Whatever we do or however we chose to respond is fine with me. Let’s not let this go without comment.
Once again, here are the four topics of PAC “comments”:
06/07/10 – <http://aejmc.org/topics/2010/06/aejmc-obamas-promised-change-lacks-transparency/> AEJMC: Obama’s Promised “Change” Lacks Transparency
01/26/10 – <http://aejmc.org/topics/2010/01/aejmc-supports-net-neutrality/> AEJMC Supports Net Neutrality
11/03/09 – <http://aejmc.org/topics/2009/11/students-investigate-old-conviction-prosecutor-investigates-students-aejmc-urges-subpoena-quash/> Prosecutors Investigate Students; AEJMC Urges Subpoena Quash
10/07/09 – <http://aejmc.org/topics/2009/10/aejmc-supports-free-flow-of-information-act/> AEJMC Supports Free Flow of Information Act
Lastly, in one of my previous posts, I mistakenly typed “Baltimore” instead of “Boston” as the site of last year’s convention—I was there and should have proofread more carefully.
Dwight
Dwight E. Brooks, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
School of Journalism
PO Box 64
College of Mass Communication
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
615 494-8925
Fax: 615 898-5682
[log in to unmask]
mtsujour_header6.png
From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Anita Fleming-Rife
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 9:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fw: Re: AEJMC: Obama's Promised "Change" Lacks Transparency
Anita Fleming-Rife
BE WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE THOSE WHO MIND DON'T MATTER AND THOSE WHO MATTER DON'T MIND.
--- On Tue, 6/8/10, Anita Fleming-Rife <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Anita Fleming-Rife <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: AEJMC: Obama's Promised "Change" Lacks Transparency
To: [log in to unmask], "Jannette L.Dates" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 10:14 AM
Thanks for the background on the president's advisory council. I am in agreement with you Dwight, why some issues over others. Add to your list of issues--one that I believe is clearly more relevant to AEJMC--the forced retirement of Helen Thomas. We can also add to that list Arizona's senate bill 1070, which the governor has just signed into law. It prohibits teaching ethnic studies courses in schools that receive state funds.
I also agree with you Jan that maybe we should "re-evaluate the system for having the president and her/his advisors make statements attributable to the entire organization."
Anita Fleming-Rife
BE WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE THOSE WHO MIND DON'T MATTER AND THOSE WHO MATTER DON'T MIND.
--- On Tue, 6/8/10, Dates, Jannette L. <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Dates, Jannette L. <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: AEJMC: Obama's Promised "Change" Lacks Transparency
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 8:20 AM
Dear Dwight:
Thank you. I feel as you do. You have very eloquently and succinctly written and spoken about this issue—and I am in complete support of your response. Why choose some “issues” over others, you ask? Clearly, the issues you listed are as important to journalism and journalism educators as the one raised by AEJMC’s leadership regarding President Obama’s press conferences. We may need to re-evaluate the system for having the president and her/his advisors make statements attributable to the entire organization. I am embarrassed to have my name associated with this. These statements about President Obama do not reflect my views at all.
Jannette L. Dates
Dean
John H. Johnson School of Communications
Howard University
525 Bryant St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20059
202-806-7694 or 6113
From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dwight E. Brooks
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 7:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: AEJMC: Obama's Promised "Change" Lacks Transparency
Anita & Colleagues,
This is the result of the President's Advisory Council that was formed last year. This is something Carole Pardun wanted to do and spoke on during the business meeting last August in Baltimore. While the statement does not necessarily offend me, I find the choice of topic for the release dubious at best. I can think of lots of equally or more demanding issues on which AEJMC could have taken a position: I may be mistaken but this is the first stance for the committee. If it is the first, it has failed miserably in my opinion. If not, I'd like to see any previous statementsBut why not:
1. Fox news as abandoning the practice of journalism in favor of right-wing advocacy?
2. A statement on the hypocrisy of the tea parties?
3. The Arizona immigration law
4. The ongoing lying and hypocrisy of the Republican members of Congress (and some Democrats too)?
5. Heck, there is a proposed bill in Michigan that would bar journalists from covering certain politics events without taking some sort of test or obtaining a "license"--a true slap at First Amendment rights of journalists. (I've just brought this to the attention of the PF&R Committee)?
6. Did I mention the Arizona immigration law?
7. Sarah Palin--when has she held a press conference?
8. That Rand Paul guy in Kentucky and his position on civil rights?
9. BP (and its response) and the oil spill in the gulf? Or was this penned two months ago?
My last question is, what do we say/do in response to this? Can committees within AEJMC respond to its own leadership or issue its own position statements? I don't know who is on this so-called presidential advisory committee, but there statement does not represent my concern or perspective and I am approaching outrage when I think about all of the more central issues that were ignored over this false outrage over Presicent Obama's lack of pressers.
Dwight
Dwight E. Brooks, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
School of Journalism
College of Mass Communication
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Tel: 615 494-8925
e-mail: [log in to unmask]