By: Julie Lane

The Public Relations Committee has developed a social media plan to facilitate member engagement and to raise AJHA’s public profile. Help us share with the world what you and your fellow journalism historians do. Here are a few ways you can do that:

• Follow AJHA on our new Instagram account (AJHAsocial) and our X/Twitter account (@AJHAsocial) if you are on either platform. Encourage colleagues and other interested people to follow us as well.

• Tag us on relevant Instagram posts and tweets you make from your personal accounts.

• Respond to prompts we post on Instagram and X/Twitter about your memories of AJHA conventions, recent journalism history articles you’ve read, your work in archives, etc.

• Suggest journalists, museums, libraries, and other related organizations for us to follow. Email your suggestions to julielane@boisestate.edu.

Thank you for your help as we work to enhance the AJHA public profile.

Meg Heckman is an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Media Innovation at Northeastern University. Her most recent book is a biography of newspaper publisher and leader in the twentieth century Republican party, Nackey Scripps Loeb (Political Godmother: Nackey Scripps Loeb and the Newspaper That Shook the Republican Party, University of Nebraska Press, 2020). Heckman's current work examines health journalism written by women in the mid-twentieth century.

How did you become involved with AJHA?

I first learned about AJHA nearly a decade ago but didn’t get involved until the pandemic when I presented some research in progress at an excellent virtual conference. It was such a great way to connect with new colleagues during an otherwise difficult time.

How does your professional experience as a journalist inform your teaching and/or research?

I spent roughly a dozen years as a reporter and, later, the digital editor at the Concord Monitor, New Hampshire’s capital city newspaper. That experience helps me teach core skills such as interviewing, newswriting and editing, but my time in the newsroom also taught me how to lead teams, manage projects and communicate expectations—all things that are crucial to successful teaching!

What topics or questions are you pursuing in your current research?

I have a few projects in the works right now, but the big one involves documenting how women journalists in the 1940s and 1950s shaped the evolution health/medical journalism. Outside of media history, I’m also involved in various efforts to encourage institutions of higher education to do more to help rebuild the local news ecosystem.

What question(s) do you wish fellow researchers or colleagues would ask about your work and/or interests?

My fellow media historians tend to ask great questions and share great advice, but I would love more opportunities to discuss how digital tools are reshaping the research process and our understanding of media history.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of academia?

Staying active and getting outside as much as possible are key to my mental health. I also enjoy cooking and spending time with my family.

By: Natascha Toft Roelsgaard

The benefits of academic conferences are vast and many. They offer opportunities to build valuable connections with other scholars, discover emerging trends and topics in the field, and serve as a safe space to share and receive feedback on research projects—and who doesn’t love a chance to explore a new city?

Attending academic conferences is also an important stepping stone for graduate students, expanding their professional network, fine-tuning research ideas, and improving presentation skills. But attending can be costly. That’s why the AJHA auction, our annual fundraiser to support student travel, is so important. Last year, the auction, led by Jon Marshall, raised more than $2,700; this year, the committee hopes to raise $3,000.

All money raised helps fund the Michael S. Sweeney Graduate Student Travel Stipend, which supports students whose papers have been accepted by reducing the cost of attending the conference.

Claire Rounkles, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Missouri and past stipend recipient, said that such financial support is vital for first-generation students like herself to attend. With the Sweeney Travel Stipend, Rounkles has attended several AJHA conferences, presented research papers and works in progress, and served on a panel.

“As a broke graduate student, receiving financial aid to attend the annual conference has helped me in more ways than I can mention. The opportunity the conference provides students to engage with scholars and to learn how to present is invaluable,” Rounkles said. “Besides the opportunity to advance my research, I have also fostered connections that have helped me in the job hunt. Any effort to continue the Sweeney Travel Stipend will help future scholars and advance the legacy Mike Sweeney held of promoting students to be the best they can be.”

To support student conference travel, you can donate an item or bid on one—or do both. Use this form to donate items or packages. It will ask you to briefly describe your item, upload a photo, and suggest a starting bid. Not sure what to donate? We are looking for historical books, magazines, newspapers, journalism history-related trinkets and tokens, such as coffee mugs, t-shirts, cameras, messenger bags, and glasses. Maybe you have a package of local goods or university merch you are willing to part ways with, and our members always get excited when wine and spirits are in the mix.

All donated items will be uploaded to Give Butter, which is the same app we used last year. While some items will be live auctioned during the conference, most bidding will happen on the app. So, keep your eyes peeled and bid early and often!

Natascha Toft Roelsgaard is an assistant professor of journalism at Muskingum University in Ohio. She serves on the AJHA Auction committee. 

By: Earnest Perry

In the 50^th anniversary edition of Journalism History, I discussed the importance of scholars participating in the peer review process. In the time since that article posted online, I have been asked to review two submitted articles and various conference papers. I must admit that I turned down a few. My administrative job and family obligations keep getting in the way. When former Intelligencer editor, Autumn Linford, asked me to address the issue in an issue of the newsletter, I said yes, but immediately thought, “what more could I say that would convince my fellow scholars to participate in the peer review process?”

I cannot stress enough how reviewing has helped me keep up with the latest research. I get excited when I read newly discovered material from archives that have not been explored or comments from oral histories that provide a unique perspective to historical events. I get the opportunity to engage with research that moves the scholarship forward, but also keeps me grounded in the present.

As a civil rights scholar, my goal has been to connect the complex history of the Black Press to the communities it served and the relationship it fostered with others fighting the long struggle. The more recent manuscripts I have reviewed challenged many of the conclusions I and other “seasoned” scholars have espoused in our careers. This is a good thing. It has provided me with ideas for future research and materials to be used in the classroom. This is not a benefit I saw coming from the peer review process, but I will gladly take it.

In the current environment where history is being challenged and, in some cases, restricted, it is comforting to see that the research continues. As a reviewer, I see the first drafts of scholarship that connects the past to the present. It also provides a glimpse into possible futures based on evidence, something that practitioners desperately need. Journalism educators spend a lot of time teaching the Who, What, When, Where and How, but the Why gets little attention. I see a lot of the Why in the manuscripts I review. It reminds me of the importance of what we do as history scholars and educators. As reviewers, we help strengthen the scholarship. It is another reason to participate in the peer review process.

Participating in the review process not only provides access to the latest research, but it can also lead to knowledge of the editorial process. I had the privilege of co-editing a special issue of Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. That opportunity came about because of the relationship I forged with the journal editor and my co-editor as a manuscript reviewer and author. I learned a lot about the editorial process after the reviews are in. The experience has helped me to be a better reviewer and appreciate the work it takes to actually publish the research we produce.

As a young scholar, I initially focused more on why my work was not good enough “as is” than the advice provided to make it better. Conversations with the journal editors changed my perspective. It also led to me becoming a reviewer, serving on editorial boards, being elected to and serving as chair of both the research and publications committees of AEJMC. Being a reviewer has made me a better scholar, teacher and mentor. It has been one of the most beneficial service roles of my career.

Earnest L. Perry Jr., Ph.D. is Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research at the Missouri School of Journalism.

By: Tom Mascaro

When Donald Trump supercharged his campaign against journalism, I immediately thought of Bill Porter’s class, Assault on the Media: The Nixon Years (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1976). Porter was my professor at Michigan in the mid-1980s. I wrote to the press and suggested they reissue and update the book to address 21^st century threats to democracy.

I am happy to report that book is coming out this month (June 2024), and I’m honored to appear as Porter’s co-author. Porter, who died in 1999, was an old hand at covering the “awkward dance” of presidents and reporters. But he was adamant in his defense of journalism as an institution of democracy. Using that thesis, I revisited his book, analyzed his findings and concerns from a half century ago, added new history, and expanded the original “Documents of Significance” to include memos of Patrick Buchanan and H. R. Haldeman, primary sources revealing Nixon’s illegal mission to scuttle LBJ’s peace initiative in October 1968, the GOP’s plan to create a television network in the White House, and excerpts from academic papers and court cases. I curated Haldeman’s diary entries to reveal the gatekeeping, framing, and agenda setting practices of the Nixon administration, hoping to prod some new scholarship that pairs media studies with presidential/government studies employing the same theories.

Assault on the Media can be purchased from the University of Michigan Press website and the publisher is offering a 30% discount when code UMS24 is used at checkout. Exam copies or copies for media reviews are also available.

Tom Mascaro is professor emeritus in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University. He currently serves on the board of directors for the AJHA.

We have reached some of the best months of the academic calendar—summer break. This May to September stretch is full of vacations, family events, and getting back to that book you started reading last fall. It is also chocked full of study abroad courses, conferences, research trips, and completing the final edits on your latest manuscript—all of which your fellow AJHA members want to hear about.

Has your research led to an exciting revelation or brought you new challenges? Do you have fascinating stories from a recent archive trip or tips on navigating research? Maybe you just published a book or have one upcoming that you would like to promote. Or, are you retooling a syllabus for a class this fall or tried a new lesson in the classroom this year that helped students understand media history in a new way (or was not as successful as you hoped)? The Intelligencer wants to publish your research essays, book announcements, and reflections on teaching. Have another idea? Send your pitches, completed essays, or questions to the publication’s editor, Karlin Andersen Tuttle, at kja30@psu.edu.

An upcoming conference in Ghent, Belgium will examine the lives and work of lesser-known journalists whose careers shaped the industry and reported on some of the world’s biggest news stories. Liberas, an archive organization based in Belgium and dedicated to the history of liberalism, will host “Forgotten Journalists: Lived experiences and professional identities in the past” on June 6 and 7, 2025, in conjunction with Ghent University, the Laboratory of Journalistic Practices and Identities, and the Center for Archives on Media and Information. The conference aims to “make visible those whose work has been underestimated, or whose journalistic (or partly journalistic) careers have been neglected.” The two-day event will also include keynote presentations from scholars including Noah Amir Arjomand (University of California), Marie-Eve Thérenty (Université de Montpellier III), and AJHA member Will Mari (Louisiana State University). Abstracts are due on August 30, 2024, and travel grants will be provided to two early career researchers attending the conference from outside of Europe. More information about the conference is available on the Liberas website.

The American Journalism Historians Association is seeking nominations for three board positions and second vice president.

Board members serve for three years. The second vice president will ascend to first vice president after one year and then to president the following year. Board members and officers are expected to attend board meetings at the annual convention.

A nominee to the Board of Directors or to any officer position must be a member of the AJHA for at least one calendar year immediately preceding the date of the election. No more than one person from an institution can serve on the Board at one time.

To make nominations and to vote in an election, an individual must be a member of AJHA.

Those who wish to nominate candidates may do so by sending an email with the nominee's name, contact information, and affiliation to Election and Nominations Committee Chair Cathy M. Jackson, cmjackson@nsu.edu.

Please confirm the candidate's willingness to be nominated before sending the name to Cathy.

You should send a brief bio and photo of the nominee along with a statement of why the person wants to serve.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. ET, August 1, 2024.

This year, voting will occur electronically, which means members do not have to come to the convention to vote. A write-in option will be available.

By Tracy Lucht, AJHA President

Grades are posted. Graduates have walked. Gowns have been hung. That can only mean one thing: It’s time to gear up for AJHA’s annual conference. I am eager to see the papers, panel proposals, and research in progress everyone submits by June 1. Don’t forget about grants and awards. The local committee is on their game, and Dave Davies is doing vocal warmups.

Last year’s auction, led by Jon Marshall, was a smashing success and raised a record $2,758 for the Mike Sweeney Travel Stipend. This year, Jon and committee have set a fundraising goal of $3,000. Can we do it? I think we can.

The first step is to donate items or packages. Use this form, which will ask you to describe your item, upload a photo, and suggest a starting bid. You may use your name or remain anonymous. Help us promote the item by telling us what is special about it or why people should bid.

As you start thinking about what to donate, consider packaging smaller items together around a common theme. The hope is the sum will be greater than the parts. The idea is not to spring-clean our shelves or closets but to think about what will excite bidders. I haven’t finalized my package yet, but I have a theme in mind. For larger items, consider how you will get the item to Pittsburgh and how a winning bidder will get it home. AJHA does not ship items (although you could offer to do so as part of your donation). Larger items should be distinctive enough to stand alone.

Over the summer, the auction committee will upload items to Give Butter, the same app we used last year. You’ll be hearing about auction items in the weeks before the conference. The final step is to download the app, if it’s not already on your phone, and bid away. Like last year, a couple of the items will be live-auctioned, but all other bidding will happen on the app.

Bid early, bid often, have fun.

When I am asked about this organization, one thing I always mention is our mentoring and support of emerging scholars. Most of us can personally attest to the value this group has added to our careers. The convention is where the magic happens, and we certainly don’t want graduate students to miss out. Let’s hit that $3,000 goal and show our support.

On other matters:

I want to thank the board and committee chairs who have worked hard this year to move forward with some important messages and initiatives. AJHA issued a statement opposing state legislation that censors the teaching and learning of history. Many of us work at public institutions in states where DEI programs, scholarship, and concepts are under attack. Please know AJHA sees, supports, and values you.

In addition, we hosted a webinar for graduate students on turning a class project or thesis into a conference paper submission, and the public relations committee launched a new social media strategy to increase our visibility. Thanks to all who made these things happen—and to all of you who make this organization so vibrant.

How did you become involved in AJHA?

My advisor, Richard Kielbowicz, now retired from the University of Washington, encouraged me to get involved, along with AEJMC’s History Division and ICA’s Communication History Division—now I try to encourage all of my students, in turn, to get involved with these and other organizations. You’re stronger together and that goes with the weird twists and turns of any academic career—better to do it with friends and colleagues along the way. And it’s easier to pass good stuff onto the next generation when you’re part of an institution such as AJHA, AEJMC or ICA.

What’s with this interest in the “materiality” of media history? And transitions? And why books?

I’m really interested in the “things” of media history, as explored by the work of scholars such as Brian Creech, Susan Keith, Florence Le Cam, Juliette De Maeyer, Rachel Plotnick, Michael Stamm, Perry Parks, and others. As part of that, I’m interested in the messy nitty-gritty of analog-to-digital transitions and their impact on news workers, and the related fate of technology tools, from software to hardware. I’ve written A Short History of Disruptive Journalism Technologies, which is about the computerization of the newsroom in the 1960s through the 1990s, The American Newsroom: A History, 1920-1960, which is a social history of that space, along with very early analog-to-digital precursor technologies, as well as Newsrooms and the Disruption of the Internet, which is about, well, the internetization of the newsroom from the 1990s through the 2010s. I’m happy to email anyone a PDF copy of my books, I feel that books can help researchers tell more nuanced (and think thus more true) stories and I suspect that this is a reason why so many media historians write them. But articles are important, too, as they can be where single incidents, people, processes or particular technologies can be explored in depth.

How do you fund your research? Where would you point grad students or early-career scholars toward, resource-wise?

I try to keep a close eye on H-Net and its various announcements, as there are archival grants advertised there. I try to look at a particular library and its collection and see if there’s a fund for outside researchers to visit—you’d be surprised how many of the latter are out there and how easy it is to apply to them (from places that are private like BYU and Duke to public like the NYPL and here at LSU). It’s good, too, to apply to institutional opportunities like AJHA’s McKern or the Cokie Roberts Research Fund for Women’s History—the only way not to get something is not to apply! I’d try to not let a letter get in the way of an application, either—I’m happy to write one for anyone wanting to come down to LSU.

What’s one thing you wish your fellow scholars knew about media history?

I really want the actual, and positive, reality that media history is a growing, healthy field to be front of mind. It’s easy to get discouraged in the academy, with the fate of one’s discipline, but as the former chair of the Media History Division at AEJMC and someone who’s been active in both AJHA and ICA, along with other organizations, such as the Radio Preservation Task Force, this is a great time to be studying, teaching, and publishing about media history—take heart, people!

What hobbies/interests do you have outside of academia?

My family and I love to go hiking, camping and Ruth and I love to go dancing with friends; Ruth’s field work brings us to fun places, and so we also enjoy traveling as a family (and whenever possible, we bring our dog, Roux, along—and you may have seen him with us from time to time).