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Mass Communication Division
National Communication Association
June 2006

Published three times annually by the Mass Communication Division of NCA.
Publications Editor - Adam Earnheardt, Youngstown State University

Newsletter Contents:

• Welcome from the Chair

• Research Committee Report

• Mass Communication Division Annual Business Meeting Minutes

• Nominations for Teaching and Service Awards

• Candidates Sought for Legislative Assembly Election

• NCA Launches Online Career Center

• Editor's Notes

• MCD Leadership Directory

Welcome from the Division Chair

Hello and a happy summer to all new and returning members of NCA’s Mass Communication Division (MCD)! We hope you’re finding time to rest before gearing up for the fall term and November’s conference in San Antonio.

MCD has had an excellent year. Our conference program is packed with high-quality papers and panels that address this year’s conference theme, Creating Sites for Connection and Action. According to the theme description at NCA’s website, "'site' may... be regarded... as a metaphor for all the places in the world where communication does its work and leaves its mark. In postmodern times, electronic as well as physical space serves as home to sites." Given that so many of our members study mass media processes and effects, our work is particularly germane to this year’s theme. We expect MCD papers to garner a great deal of attention at the conference.

Of course, our exciting program did not produce itself. Many thanks to our members for submitting such excellent work, and special thanks to Vice Chair J. Emmett Winn and Research Chair Glenda Balas for their tireless efforts in assembling an outstanding conference program. Thanks also to immediate past chair Mehdi Semati for serving as on-call consultant and cheerleader throughout the process, and to Adam Earnheardt, our web wizard and publications editor, for his patience. When I signed on as chair I had no idea that my first child would be born less than a week after the February submissions deadline. I served as a reviewer and managed to submit my reviews the day before my daughter arrived; since then my wonderful co-officers have handled the process with minimal demands on me, and for that I am deeply grateful. However, I am eager to get my hands dirty with MCD business once again, which is why it’s such a pleasure to be penning this welcome – and why I thank Adam for his patience, as he had to wait for it.

November is not that far away. For more information about our exciting upcoming conference program, the business meeting agenda, awards, the 2007 call for papers, position openings, and so on, please check our division website this fall. Note that the division site is separate from NCA’s website. You can find our newsletter, The Gatekeeper, at this site, plus division-relevant information and links. The web address is http://www.clarion.edu/ncamass/. Bookmark it!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and look forward to seeing you all in San Antonio. In the meantime, please stay in touch to share your ideas and thoughts about the division and the conference program.

Warmly,

Kristen Harrison
Chair, NCA’s Mass Communication Division
krishar@uiuc.edu

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Research Committee Report
J. Emmett Winn, winnjoh@auburn.edu

The research committee offers the following report concerning competitive paper and panel submissions to the Mass Communication Division for the 2006 convention to be held in San Antonio.

The MCD received many competitive paper submissions. All competitive papers were assigned to three reviewers, with a vast majority of submitted works receiving this number of completed reviews. All accepted papers were scheduled into 28 thematic panels. Our thanks to all competitive paper reviewers who volunteered to help with this year’s paper competition. Your expertise and professionalism made the competition a success.

The Research Committee created a Top 3 Student Paper session in addition to the traditional Top 3 Paper session for the MCD. The following is a listing of the Top Paper award winners from this year’s competition – congratulations to all the authors:

Top Three Student Papers:

Indymedia: Emergent Global Media Infrastructures
Ted Coopman (University of Washington)

Media Diversity: The Analysis of the Search Engines and Source Diversity in the Internet
Kim McCann (Bowling Green State University)

Developing a Scale for Measuring Past Television Exposure
Karyn Elizabeth Riddle (UCSB)

Top Three Papers:

The rhetoric of objectivity in the documentaries Berkeley in the Sixties and The Weather Underground
Kristen Hoerl (Auburn University)

Video game play and the role of frustration: How playing non-violent video games can lead to aggressive effects.
Chad Mahood (Univ of California, Santa Barbara), Dan Linz (University of California, Santa Barbara)

Post-soul media consumption: Documenting age differences in African Americans' consumption of Black-oriented media
Catherine Squires (University of Michigan), Travis Dixon (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Kai McKeever Bullard (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Nicole Martins (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), James S. Jackson (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

A total of 20 panels were submitted to this year’s competition, with 11 being granted slots at the conference (55% panel acceptance rate). Each panel submission was reviewed by 3 reviewers. The accepted panels were well received by the reviewers and reflect the diverse interests that are embodied within the Mass Communication Division.

We wish to thank everyone who submitted competitive papers and panels for the upcoming National Communication Association conference. In addition, many thanks to all who volunteered their time and expertise to review the various works submitted to the MCD. The MCD was able to fill all of its 41 assigned slots and this speaks well to the health and vitality of our association.

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Mass Communication Division Annual Business Meeting Minutes
Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, aubreyj@missouri.edu

Minutes of the November 2005 Mass Communication Division Business Meeting
National Communication Association

Saturday, November 19, 2005
Sheraton Hotel, Back Bay Ballroom D, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA
2:00-3:15 p.m.

Mehdi Semati (Chair), presiding

I. Call to order
Mehdi Semati called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m.

II. Introduction of Mass Communication Division Officers
Jim Walker (Immediate Past Chair), Kristen Harrison (Vice Chair), Heather Hundley (Secretary), Jennifer Stevens Aubrey (Secretary Elect), J. Emmett Winn (Vice Chair Elect), R. Lance Holbert (Research Committee Chair), Glenda Balas (Research Committee Elect), Stan Tickton (Legislative Assembly at Large), Cindy Long (Nominations Committee)

III. Secretary Heather Hundley distributed minutes from the 2004 meeting. The minutes were approved with two corrections. One was to spell Cindy Lont’s correctly; the other was to spell Stan Tickton’s name correctly.

IV. Reports and announcements from Mass Communication Division Committee officers

A. Nominations Committee, Cindy Lont
Lont explained procedures for elections. She allowed nominations from the floor for each of the following positions/committees: Vice Chair Elect, Secretary Elect, Research Committee, Nominations Committee, Publications Editor, Representative to the NCA Nominating Committee, Graduate Student Representative, NCA Resolutions Committee.

Election Results:

• Vice Chair Elect R. Lance Holbert

• Secretary Elect Dana E. Mastro

• Research Committee Sharon Mazzarella

• Nominations Committee

  • Jennifer Stevens Aubrey (Chair)

  • Andy Billings

  • Cynthia Hoffner

  • Meghan Sanders

  • Stan Wearden

• Publications Wizard Adam Earnhardt

• Rep. to NCA Nominating Committee Cindy Lont

• Graduate Student Representative Jakob Jensen

• NCA Resolutions Committee Keren Eyal

B. 2005 Convention Program Report, R. Lance Holbert and Kristen Harrison
The committee received 140 paper submissions, and 96 were accepted, representing a 66% acceptance rate. A total of 25 panel proposals were submitted to the committee, and 10 were accepted. A total of 45 slots were allocated to the division.

Holbert had three issues of interest. 1.) For the 2005 conference submissions, there was a bigger effort to recruit reviewers. This resulted in having reviewers reading 2-4 papers each, instead of approximately 10, which was the rate for the 2004 conference submission. 2.)For the 2005 conference, there were two top paper sessions. One was for faculty papers, and the other was for the student papers. 3.) For the 2005 conference, there was an increase in student submissions. Of the 140 papers submitted to the division, 74 were student papers. It was not known if this was a trend or an anomaly.

Harrison told members that some chairs/respondents for the panels were notified late, but that this scheduling issue was not under the Vice Chair’s control. Harrison’s advice to division members was that if they volunteered to be a chair or respondent, they should assume that they will likely get placed.

C. Report on MCD Publications, James Walker

Walker suggested to the division that the publications editor and the web wizard positions be formally combined. He suggested that the division might want to consider by-laws before making this change.

D. Top paper awards, Lance Holbert

Top Competitive Papers in Mass Communication:

“The Implications of Aversive Racism and Social Identity on the Influence of Television Exposure on Evaluations of Latinos” by Dana Mastro, University of Arizona; Maria A. Kopacz, University of Arizona

“Reassessing Communications Research’s Potential Contribution to Communications Policy: The Case of Media Ownership and the Diversity Index” by Philip Napoli, Fordham University; Nancy Gillis, Fordham University

“Minorities in Prime Time: A Look at Occupations and Occupational Prestige” by Nancy Signorelli, University of Delaware

Top Student Papers in Mass Communication:

“The Nouveau ‘Reach’: An Ideological Analysis of Class and Consumerism in Reality Television” by Lisa Glebatis, University of Texas, Austin

“’The Daily Show’ with Jon Stewart: A Citizen’s Guide to Journalism and Politics in the 21st Century” by Karen McCullough, Penn State University

“Action Movie Arabs and the National Interest or ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love American Empire’: U.S. Popular Culture and U.S. Foreign Policy” by Nessim Watson, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

E. Mass Communication Division Teaching Awards, Emmett Winn

Two teaching awards were given:

• Mary Beth Oliver, Penn State University

• Joshua Meyerowitz, University of New Hampshire

F. Legislative Assembly Report, Mehdi Semati

Discussion focused on four topics. 1.) NCA is considering adopting standards and procedures for a certificate in communication. They will continue discussion next year. 2.) NCA has started the process of developing the Journal of International Intercultural Communication. It will be three years until it is in print form. 3.) NCA is developing “commzine”, a web-based presence for the communication discipline. It will be a place for non-academics to learn about communication in a non-expert language. It is still in development. 4.) NCA is considering the issue of open access to communication scholarship, meaning making NCA journals available online free of charge. NCA has taken a “wait and see attitude” on this issue.

G. Discussion of By-Laws Committee, Mehdi Semati & James Walker

Suggested that the division might want to form a committee to review the division’s by-laws and make any updates and adjustments. The division moved to form such a committee. The committee will be comprised of three most recent past chairs: Mehdi Semati, James Walker, and Betsy Perse, and two at-large members. The committee will act by email during the year and will propose actions to vote on next year’s meeting.

V. Installation of new offices, Mehdi Semati
Semati installed the new officers.

VI. Report on 2006 convention program, Emmett Winn
The theme for next year’s convention is “Creating Sights for Connections”. The final online call was available on December 7, 2005. The deadline for submissions was February 15, 2006. Questions for competitive papers should be directed to Glenda Balas, and questions for thematic panels should be directed to Emmett Winn.

VII. New Business, Kristen Harrison
Nancy Signorielli suggested that we nominate a person from MCD to the NCA Legislative Council.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m., followed by a reception.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, Secretary

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NCA's Mass Communication Division Invites Nominations for Teaching and Service Awards
Lance Holbert, holbert@UDel.edu

The MCD Teaching Award is designed to recognize excellence in teaching, using the term "teacher" in a broad sense. In order to be considered, the nominee must be a member of NCA and MCD, have taught for over ten years, and have been recognized for their teaching excellence by their department, unit, college/university, or other group or association. This includes, but is not limited to, awards, merit evaluations, student recognition, etc. Self-nomination is encouraged in addition to nominations by others. The nomination packet may not exceed 25 pages and should include (1) a single, detailed letter of nomination addressing the qualifications of the nominee; (2) the teacher's curriculum vitae; (3) three letters of recommendation; and (4) representative publications or presentations dealing with teaching and/or curriculum, course outlines/syllabuses, innovative teaching ideas or tools, teaching evaluations and citations, evidence of mentoring and/or advising, or other forms of recognition pertaining to the nominee.

The MCD Service Award is designed to recognize exemplary service in the field. In order to be considered, the nominee must be a member of NCA and MCD, have served the NCA and MCD in a number of capacities, and have evidence of exemplary service to several of the following: NCA, MCD, the profession, the community, the department, the college or university. The nomination packet may not exceed 25 pages and should include (1) a single detailed letter of nomination addressing the qualifications of the nominee; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) three letters of recommendation; and (4) evidence of service.

To be considered for either award, send five copies of the packet to Lance Holbert, Vice Chair Elect, Department of Communication, University of Delaware, 250 Pearson Hall, Newark DE 19716. Faxed or electronic submissions will not be accepted. If you have any further questions concerning the awards or the nomination process, please contact Lance at holbert@UDel.edu or 302.831-1893.

Nominations should be received by July 15, but later applications will be considered as time allows. Over the summer, an award committee will discuss the nominations. The award committee will consist of the immediate past chair, chair, vice-chair, vice-chair elect and secretary of the MCD. The final decision will be made by September 1. The award recipient will be contacted and asked to attend the MCD Business Meeting during the NCA annual convention to receive the award. The MCD reserves the right to not give any awards.

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NCA Nominations Committee Seeking Members for Legislative Assembly Election
Cindy Lont, clont@gmu.edu

The NCA Nominations Committee is seeking NCA members who are interested in running for three open slots on the Legislative Assembly. We are also seeking nominations for NCA 2nd Vice President which, three years later, becomes NCA President. Anyone interested in either position, contact Cindy Lont, George Mason University, who serves as the Mass Communication Division Representative on the NCA Nominations Committee.  Interested?  E-mail Cindy Lont at clont@gmu.edu.

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NCA Launches Online Career Center
(courtesy natcom.org)

NCA invites all members to visit the online Career Center, careers.natcom.org. This new service was designed to better facilitate searches for communication positions and is available at no cost to job seekers. If you have trouble accessing this link, please click here.

The NCA Career Center brings job seekers and employers together in new ways. In particular, job seekers can engage in active and reactive job searches using the many new features: Searchable Database, Job Alerts via Email, and a Resume Bank.

In response to concerns and wishes expressed by members, NCA developed a system that allows for greater functionality and flexibility for all.

Click here to read more.

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Editor's Notes

Deadline for Next Newsletter

Please send publication, promotions and other news of interest to MCD members to Publications Editor, Adam Earnheardt, Youngstown State University (acearnheardt@ysu.edu). Deadline for the next newsletter is October 1, 2006.

Convention Reminder

Mass Communication Division members are encouraged to attend the 2006 NCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, November 16-19, 2006. The 92nd annual convention will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, and the Hilton Palacio del Rio. As always, we anticipate big crowds for our panels. The MCD portion of the program is loaded with outstanding mass communication research. For more information, visit the NCA convention web site.

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NCA MCD Officers (2005-2006)

Please submit changes to Adam Earnheardt, Publication Editor at acearnheardt@ysu.edu.
 

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