AEJMC Network

Networking Home for Divisions and Interest Groups

Shared web space for AEJMC DIGs

Archives for October 2022

PLCD Current Officers

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Serving the Political Communication Division
for the 2022 – 2023 term

Head
Mallory Perryman, Virginia Commonwealth University

Vice Head/Program Chair
Megan Duncan, Virginia Tech

Secretary
Briana Trifiro, Boston University

Research Chair
Oluseyi Adegbola, DePaul University

PF&R Chair
Maria De Moya, DePaul University

Teaching Chair
Lindita Camaj, University of Houston

Second Research Chair
Josephine Lukito, University of Texas Austin

Midwinter Conference Chair
Ying Zhu, Kent State University

Midwinter Conference Junior Chair
Alexander Moe, SUNY Brockport

Communication Officers
Olushola Aromona, LeMoyne-Owen College
Leo Shan

Graduate Student Liaisons
Brittany Shaughnessy
Jessica Sparks, University of Florida
Kimberli Conro, Colorado State University

CTAM Current Officers

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Serving the Communication Theory and Methodology
for the 2022 – 2023 term

Head
Magdalena Saldaña, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Vice Head/Program Chair
Rosie Jahng, Wayne State University

Research Chair
Lindsey Sherrill, University of North Alabama

PF&R Chair
Slgi (Sage) Lee, University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Teaching Chair
Judith Rosenbaum, University of Maine

Web Master
Jill Wurm, Wayne State University

Membership Chair and Barrow Scholarship Chair
Isabelle Freiling, University of Utah

Newsletter Editor
Namyeon Lee, University of North Carolina Pembroke

Social Media Director
Michael Vosburg, North Dakota State University

Communication Methods and Measures Social Media Director
Kathryn Thier, University of Maryland

Graduate Student Liaison
Ava Francesca Battocchio, Michigan State University

Graduate Student Liaison
Sang Jung Kim, University of Wisconsin Madison

Communication Methods and Measures Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Liaison
Lijiang (L.J.) Shen, Pennsylvania State University

AEJMC: Membership Vote Results

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The vote on the proposed tiered membership dues structure was open from September 29 – October 12. The voting period has now closed and the tiered membership dues structure has passed!

AEJMC had 573 members vote with 421 yes votes (73.47%) and 152 no votes (26.53%).

The tier structure, including the new prices for membership dues, will go into effect on Monday, October 17.

Since the change in membership dues structure passed, members will need to approve the necessary amendments to the bylaws to support this fee structure change. They will receive an email next week with the proposed bylaw amendments and a link to an online discussion, along with additional information about the new tiered membership dues structure.

AEJMC President, Dr. Deb Aikat said: “We are gratified that AEJMC members have approved the new membership fees, which are more equitable and affordable for all.”

If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Caldwell, AEJMC Executive Director, at amanda@aejmc.org. Thank you!

Mapping the State of Mental Health of Media and Communication Scholars

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Recent evidence on the state of mental health among academics paints an alarming picture. Faculty members and PhD students around the world run a high risk of developing mental health issues, such as psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, at some point in their career. Many of them seek professional help either through their institution or on their own as the availability of institutional support structures varies greatly across universities.

Overall, studies consistently point to a much higher prevalence of mental health issues among academics compared to most other working populations. COVID-19 has intensified work-related stress for many scholars, but the problem clearly predates the pandemic. The structural conditions of academic work, such as high publication pressure, fierce competition, and a culture of constant evaluation, are known to contribute to unhealthy levels of occupational stress.

Despite such growing awareness of mental health issues in the academic world generally, we know relatively little about the situation in the field of media and communication studies more specifically. To address this deficiency, AEJMC – together with several other international associations of scholars – participates in a joint endeavor to map the state of mental health in scholars of media and communication.

The first step in this effort is an online survey administered to media and communication scholars in late September and early October 2022. The aim of the survey is to gauge the scale of mental health issues in our field, identify structural conditions that produce greater vulnerability, and point to potential ways of improving the situation. The study was initiated and is coordinated by Thomas Hanitzsch and Antonia Markiewitz (both from LMU Munich) and Henrik Bødker (Aarhus University).

Start the survey https://survey.ifkw.lmu.de/AMHiMCS/ (active until October 18, 2022).

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