from Bill Cassidy, Newspaper Division program chair

Do you have ideas for Newspaper Division programming for the 2009 AEJMC Convention in Boston? Proposals for Newspaper Division panels are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Time, on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

We are living in a time of great change, concern, intrigue and opportunity regarding the newspaper industry. While the current climate of uncertainty is great fodder for a multitude of ideas, here is a guide designed to get the ball rolling as you think of possible proposals:

• The impact of interactive and participatory journalism on legacy newspaper organizations
• Economic challenges facing newspapers
• The industry shift toward online media
• The changing roles and conceptions of journalists working for newspaper online operations
• Evolving content genres
• Changes in newspaper ownership
• Analysis of the 2008 election coverage
• Implications of newsroom staffing cuts in an era of downsizing
• The future of editing
• Newspaper and Web design
• Covering natural disasters
• Instructional technology--best models and practices
• News subgroups in newsroom cultures
• Diversity and fairness issues
• War coverage

As you think of panel ideas, please consider whether your contribution would be of interest to another AEJMC division or interest group. If we can get other groups to co-sponsor panels with us, the panel has a better
chance of being accepted.

The full list of AEJMC's 17 divisions and 10 interest groups are available at
http://www.aejmc.org/_about/divisions.php and
http://www.aejmc.org/_about/groups.php

Panel proposals must include

1. A working title and panel description
2. A statement of whether the panel would be a Teaching, Research or
Professional Freedom and Responsibility panel. PF&R panels focus on free
expression, ethics, media criticism and accountability,
racial/gender/cultural inclusiveness or public service
3. Suggestions for divisions or interest groups that might be interested in
co-sponsoring the panel
4. A statement of why the topic is important
5. A brief description of issues the panelists could discuss
6. Names or descriptions of possible panelists. If you have specific people
in mind, please identify them. Firm commitments are not needed, but it helps
to know if those people would be willing to serve. If you don’t have names,
say what type of panelist you are aiming for – a scholar with a particular
expertise or someone from a particular industry, for example. AEJMC tracks
diversity among panelists, moderators and discussants. Please keep that in
mind when planning.
7. Your name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address.

Virtually all Newspaper Division panels are presented with the cooperation of another AEJMC division or interest group. If your panel is chosen for presentation, you will need to work with a representative from the co-sponsoring group to make sure that the interests of both divisions or interest groups are represented on the panel.

Funds for travel reimbursement are available for panel participants who are not AEJMC members. The deadline for those requests is late January and funds are limited. Please try for local panelists or AEJMC members who you expect will be attending the convention anyhow whenever possible.

If you have questions about the panel proposal process, please let me know. If you have a sketchy idea for a panel but aren't sure what to do with it, I’m happy to help you flesh it out.

Please send proposals to:

Bill Cassidy
bcassidy@niu.edu
Department of Communication
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
815.753.1711
Fax: 815.753.1709