Mass Communication Division - National Communication Association

Vol. 19, No. 1
February/March 2014
Published three times annually by the Mass Communication Division of NCA.
Publications/Web Editor - Nicholas David Bowman, West Virginia University

Welcome back, MCD members, to the newest issue of The Gatekeeper. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our previous chair, Dana Mastro, for all of her work during her leadership. I would also like to thank Nick Bowman, MCD's publications and web editor, for his tireless efforts to publish our division's newsletter.

I hope that you all have your eye on the March 26 (11:59 PM PACIFIC) deadline to submit to the 2014 NCA centennial convention. One of the best aspects of MCD is our diversity. We welcome all kinds of scholarship, from a variety of approaches to a variety of topics. Make sure to get your submissions in!

And while you're at it, please select MCD as one of your membership divisions when you renew your NCA membership this year. The more members we have, the more benefits we all enjoy - such as more representatives at NCA Legislative Assembly and the choicest times and rooms for our division's sessions during the convention.

Until we meet in Chicago, make sure to keep up with MCD events and happenings, by continuing to check the Gatekeeper online, join the discussion on the MCD Facebook page, and keep in touch by adding the hashtag #ncamcd to your tweets that would be relevant to our members!

Jennifer Stevens Aubrey
Chair, Mass Communication Division
University of Arizona
jlsa@email.arizona.edu

Pittsburgh -- The Eastern Communication Association is actively soliciting submissions for a logo redesign. As the oldest Communication Studies organization in the United States, ECA represents scholars in the Eastern US as well as from locations around the world. We need a new visual brand to coincide with our second century of operations, and we need your help! Consider an entry, and pass along word to your friends. Between now and 15 March 2014 we are actively soliciting new logo designs - you can read the details at: http://bit.ly/1e7w7BV

Wittenberg, Ohio -- If you have students interested in popular culture, marketing, or the media industries, please encourage them to visit www.powerofcomics.com/fieldstudy for information about a field study program at this summer's Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA.

The one-week program (July 23-27, 2014) engages students as participant-observers of Comic-Con International, studying the intersection between mass marketing and fan cultural practices through ethnographic research. Comic-Con is the perfect backdrop to delve into this crossroad as hundreds of vendors and over 125,000 fans gather there to exchange symbolic meaning - and currency! And while Comic-Con features comic books, manga, and graphic novels, students interested in all manner of popular culture can find something of interest to study at the Con, including anime, sci-fi, gaming, film, television, and much, much more. You can see more information about the Con itself at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/.

Students will also have the rather unique opportunity to make a public presentation of their observations and tentative conclusions at the end of the week as a part of the Comic Arts Conference held in conjunction with Comic-Con. The field study is sponsored by Wittenberg University and taught by Matthew J. Smith, Professor of Communication, who can be reached at msmith@wittenberg.edu.

Norman, Okla. -- Dr. Katerina Tsetsura of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at U of Oklahoma looks for collaborators for the five-year comparative research project on media transparency. The project will expand and enrich global media transparency research by developing a theoretically grounded and methodologically solid framework that will result in a series of comparative studies on media transparency worldwide. For more information please visit http://www.euprera.org/?p=118.

Contact Dr. Katerina Tsetsura at tsetsura[at]ou[dot]edu for more information or to express your interest in joining the international research team.

Call for Papers
The George Gerbner Conference on Communication, Conflict, and Aggression
May 30-31, 2014
Budapest, Hungary
Deadline: 07 March 2014
NOTE: Some browsers are unable to display Hungarian characters in this message, so those words are reproduced without accent in brackets

Inspired by the life and work of Budapest native and renowned Communication and Media scholar Dr. George Gerbner (1919-2005), the Budapest College of Communication and Business invites scholars, researchers, practitioners, students, and other interested parties to submit paper and panel proposals for presentation at the George Gerbner Conference on Communication, Conflict, and Aggression. This conference will take place from Friday, May 30 to Saturday, May 31, 2014 in Budapest, Hungary. The goal of the conference is to bring together individuals with a common interest in aggressive communication, antisocial behavior, and conflict so as to foster international relationships that lead to research collaboration and knowledge exchange. The inaugural Gerbner Conference, held in May 2010, and the subsequent conferences in 2012 and 2013, featured presentations by scholars from 14 countries over 4 continents.

This international conference will focus on aggressive communication and behavior, conflict, and other types of antisocial communication and behavior across contexts. Specific topics include, but are not limited to: media violence, media coverage of crime and violence, violence in advertising, political violence, workplace violence and aggression, unethical leadership, aggression in instructional settings, war rhetoric, peace and conflict communication, verbal aggression, crime, oppression, injustice, incivility, assertiveness, argumentativeness, disagreement, bullying, indirect aggression, psychological abuse, anger, frustration, hostility, deception, child abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence, youth violence, school violence, gang violence, sexual violence, discrimination, conflict styles, conflict resolution, the origins, causes, and predictors of aggression, and the management and prevention of aggression.

Interested individuals are invited to submit an abstract (in English) of 200 to 500 words describing their individual presentation or panel idea to Rebecca.Chory@mail.wvu.edu by March 07, 2014. Decisions regarding the acceptance of papers and panels for presentation at the conference will be made by April 01, 2014. Completed papers should be sent to Rebecca.Chory@mail.wvu.edu by May 12, 2014. With the authors' permission, top papers will be published in the journal Kommunikáció, Média, Gazdaság [Kommunikacio, Media, Gazdasag](Communication, Media, Economics), which is published by the Budapest College of Communication and Business, or in an edited book. One scholar will also be honored with the Gerbner Award. The conference registration fee is expected to be approximately 50 Euros.

Co-organizers of the conference are Dr. Jolán Róka [Jolan Roka], Vice Rector for Research and International Relations at the Budapest College of Communication and Business, and Dr. Rebecca M. Chory, Professor of Communication Studies at West Virginia University and 2009 Fulbright Scholar at the Budapest College of Communication and Business. For more information, please contact Jolán Róka [Jolan Roka] at jroka@bkf.hu; +36-20-366-5023 (tel); Budapest College of Communication and Business; Nagy Lajos király útja [kiraly utja] 1-9; 1148, Budapest, Hungary; or Rebecca M. Chory at Rebecca.Chory@mail.wvu.edu; 304-293-3905 (tel); P.O. Box 6293, 108 Armstrong Hall; West Virginia University; Morgantown, WV, 26506; USA.

Call for Papers
"Brain, Mind and Media: Neuroscience Meets Media Psychology"
Special issue of Journal of Media Psychology
Guest Editor: Rene Weber
Deadline: 31 March 2014

Media Psychology is emerging as a transdisciplinary research field. Scholars from Psychology, Communication, Pedagogy, Cognitive and Computer Science are aiming at a deeper understanding of why and how people use media and how today's media landscape influences the human mind and our social lives. While scholars in other sub-fields of psychology have long begun to integrate neuroscientific reasoning in studying the human mind, it is only recently that neuroscientific perspectives have entered the field of Media Psychology. Meanwhile, however, an increasing number of researchers can be identified employing such perspectives in the investigation of media uses and their psychological effects.

In view of the growing importance of Neuroscience in understanding the human mind and behavior, the Journal of Media Psychology, published by Hogrefe Publishing, is issuing a call for a special issue entitled 'Brain, Mind and Media: Neuroscience Meets Media Psychology'. One of the goals of this special issue is to showcase studies applying a neuroscientific perspective to important questions in Media Psychology and Communication Science, including but not restricted to:

Submissions should be original articles. Manuscripts can be data driven or not but must address an important research question in Media Psychology and demonstrate substantive findings or a substantive theoretical perspective. Manuscripts should not be focused primarily on methodological issues or on demonstrating a particular approach. However, slightly advanced methods sections with a pedagogical tone are encouraged. Manuscripts with a primarily methodological perspective should be submitted to a companion special issue published in Communication Methods and Measures, published by Taylor and Francis Publishing (Special Issue Editor Rene Weber).

Manuscript preparation and submission: Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal's author guidelines (available on the journal's website at www.hogrefe.com/periodicals/journal-of-media-psychology/). Papers should be clearly labeled as submissions intended for this special issue and must be submitted through the journal's online manuscript management system (www.editorialmanager.com/jmp/). Articles will be peer reviewed and a decision rendered within 90 days, with a target publication date in the first issue 2015.

Questions about this special issue can be directed to Rene Weber, Special Issue Editor, at renew@comm.ucsb.edu, or to Gary Bente, Editor-in-Chief, at bente@uni-koeln.de. A .pdf of the call can be downloaded here.

(Guest Editor: Rene Weber| Department of Communication - Media Neuroscience Lab - University of California Santa Barbara)

Call for Chapters
Social Media: Pedagogy and Practice II
Deadline: 1 May 2014

The organizers of the Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop are issuing a new call for the second edition of Social Media: Pedagogy and Practice. The second edition, Social Media: Pedagogy and Practice II, will contain all new chapters that examine how interactive technologies can be applied to teaching, research and other areas within communication. Its ultimate purpose is to continue to bring relevant cutting-edge research about developments happening in the world involving social media.

Interested contributors can write on any number of topics including, but not limited to, the following:

Potential authors should submit a 3-6 page chapter proposal by May 1, 2014 to Dr. Kehbuma Langmia (Howard University) at klangmia@howard.edu as well as Dr. Tia C. M. Tyree (Howard University) at ttyree@howard.edu. Accepted proposals will be notified by June 15, 2014 and given specific formatting guidelines on their full-length chapter submissions. Deadline for final chapters will be January 31, 2015.

For more information about the Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop or Social Media: Pedagogy and Practice, please log on to www.socialmediatechnologyconference.com.

Call for Papers
Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop
September 25 & 26, 2014
Howard University, Washington, D.C.
Deadline: 1 May 2014

The fourth annual Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop will bring together scholars and professionals who are experts in the area of social media to share their perspectives on the shifting paradigm in the academia, governmental and non-governmental organizations orchestrated by digital and social media in this era of technological determinism. This two-day intensive conference will combine panel discussions, posters sessions, roundtables and hands-on workshops designed to enlighten scholars and practitioners about social media and provide them with the knowledge to create and effectively utilize social media in different contexts.

As social media continue to influence all areas of our lives, it is important to examine and debate not only the use of various social media tools in different contexts, but how they change the manner in which individuals, academics, business owners and the government make use of this media. The purpose of this call is to solicit work focusing on what drives technology triggered by social media electronic platforms. Respondents can send in papers, workshop themes, panels and poster proposals that address a myriad of topics, including:

Paper, Poster and Roundtable Submissions
Respondents should submit a one-page proposal that includes an overview of the study as well as brief review of the literature, methodology, sample and findings. Under this category are two special roundtables for those in the academic field. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in a “Research in Progress” roundtable as well as a “Teachathon” roundtable, in which participants can share best practices in teaching social media. All respondents in this category should send an abstract and one-page proposal through EasyChair.com at https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smt2014 by May 1, 2014. Presenters will be notified by mid-June on the status of their proposals, and a full 3-5 page paper should be submitted for the conference proceedings by September 1, 2014.

Workshop Submissions
Respondents should submit a proposal addressing the purpose of the workshop, details about the technology, social media trend or tool to be explored as what attendees will gain from attending it. The proposal should include a list of the confirmed guests or those who will be solicited for the panel as well as their biographies or resumes. All respondents in this category should send an abstract and proposal through EasyChair at https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smt2014 by May 1, 2014. Presenters will be notified by mid-June on the status of their proposals, and a full 3-5 page paper should be submitted for the conference proceedings by September 1, 2014.

Panel Submissions
Respondents should submit a proposal addressing the purpose of the panel and specific issue(s) to be covered. The proposal should include a list of the confirmed guests or those who will be solicited for the panel as well as their biographies or resumes. All respondents in this category should send an abstract and one-page proposal through EasyChair at https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smt2014 by May 1, 2014. Presenters will be notified by mid-June on the status of their proposals, and a full 3-5 page paper should be submitted for the conference proceedings by September 1, 2014.

Cost
The registration fee for the two-day conference is $100. Students pay the reduced rate of $50. All presenters, attendees and workshop participants are required to pay the conference fee.

Contacts
Dr. Tia C. M. Tyree
Associate Professor, Department of Strategic, Legal & Management Communications,
Howard University
525 Bryant Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20059
ttyree@howard.edu
(202) 806-5119 (Office)

Professor Ingrid Sturgis
Assistant Professor, Department of Media, Journalism and Communications
Howard University
525 Bryant Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20059
(202) 806-5124 (Office)
isturgis@howard.edu

Dr. Kehbuma Langmia
Associate Professor, Department of Strategic, Legal and Management Communications,
Howard University
525 Bryant Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20059
klangmia@howard.edu
(202) 806-6364 (Office)

Dr. Pamela O’Brien
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communications
Bowie State University
14000 Jericho Park Road
Bowie, MD 20724
pobrien@bowiestate.edu
(301) 860-3703 (Office)

Communicating Gender features original research examining the role gender plays in communication. It encompasses a wide variety of approaches and methodologies to explore theoretically relevant topics pertaining to the interrelation of gender and communication both in the United States and worldwide. Please follow Lexington Books submission guidelines at https://rowman.com/page/LexAuthRes or contact a series editor below for more information or to discuss your project.

Diana Bartelli Carlin
Associate Vice President for Graduate Education & International Initiatives
Professor of Communication
Saint Louis University
dcarlin1@slu.edu

Nichola D. Gutgold
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Schreyer Honors College
The Pennsylvania State University
ngutgold@psu.edu

Theodore F. Sheckels
Department Chair and Professor of Communication Studies
Randolph-Macon College
tsheckel@rmc.edu

Call for Chapter Proposals
Studies in Contemporary Rhetoric
Deadline: Open

Lexington Books, a division of Roman and Littlefield Publishers, welcomes proposals for a series, Studies in Contemporary Rhetoric. Proposals should emphasize thought-provoking and accessible explorations in the uses of language and media from the middle of the twentieth century to the present. Subjects for these book-length projects may be varied, including but not limited to the suasory uses of national security rhetoric, political controversies and their uses, rhetorics of municipal leadership, etiquettes of communication in the digital age, news and entertainment as rhetorical forms, and altered patterns of address in computer mediated discourse. More detailed information can be found by downloading the following flyer [here].

Send queries or requests for proposal guidelines to Gary C. Woodward, Series Editor, at the Department of Communication Studies, The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, New Jersey, 08628-0718, woodward@tcnj.edu or Alison Pavan, Assistant Acquisitions Editor, Lexington Books, 4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706 apavan@roman.com.

Position Announcements
[Don't forget to check out the latest job openings on our Facebook page, updated frequently under the "Docs" menu]

Endowed Chair in Journalism
Associate or Full Professor
The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Oklahoma
Deadline: Reviews Underway

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma is seeking a senior scholar at the associate or full professor rank for an endowed chair in journalism to begin August 2014.

We are looking for an individual who can teach graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses in conceptual areas related to journalism - including but not limited to ethics, management, new technology, and history - as well as core conceptual/theoretical and methodological courses in the graduate program. The successful candidate would play an active role in mentoring students through master's theses and Ph.D. dissertations.

A Ph.D., substantial teaching experience and a substantial record of scholarly achievement are required. Professional experience in journalism is preferred.

Women and men of ethnically diverse backgrounds, including, but not limited to, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans, are particularly urged to apply. The university welcomes the creativity and unique contributions which diversity offers to students preparing to work in a diverse society.

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication was founded in 2000, after a generous gift from the family of Edward L. Gaylord, owner of the Gaylord Publishing Company. Building on its 100-year tradition of Journalism and Mass Communication education at OU beginning in 1913, the Gaylord College is intent on becoming one of the leading centers of mass communication teaching and scholarship in the United States. Gaylord College is fortunate to be housed in some of the world's finest educational facilities completed in 2004 and 2009. The College offers the BA and MA in advertising and public relations, electronic media, and journalism, a master's (MPW) degree in professional writing and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication.

The University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, a dynamic and growing part of the Oklahoma City media market. Norman has a diverse population with numerous artistic and cultural opportunities, a variety of restaurants and recreational activities, affordable housing, and an excellent public school system.

Applications for the search will be reviewed beginning February 15, 2014, and will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should provide 1) a letter describing their academic experience, teaching interests, and research plans for this position, 2) a complete curriculum vitae, and 3) names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references. Applications may be e-mailed in PDF form to kadams@ou.edu or mailed to: Gaylord Chair Search Committee, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Oklahoma, 395 W. Lindsey, Room 3000, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019-0270. The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply.

Instructor
Web Programming and Content Management
The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Oklahoma
Deadline: Reviews Underway

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma seeks to hire a three-year renewable-term instructor in web programming and content management.

The College seeks an experienced and forward-thinking multimedia journalist who can teach courses in web programming, web design and content management. The ideal candidate will have the ability to develop software applications for mobile media, work with large databases and create data visualizations. The ability to contribute to the college's graduate programs is a plus.

A bachelor's degree and significant professional experience are required; a master's degree is preferred.

Applications for the search will be reviewed beginning February 15, 2014, and will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should provide 1) a letter describing their teaching and professional experience, 2) a complete curriculum vitae, and 3) names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references. Applications may be e-mailed in PDF form to kadams@ou.edu or mailed to: Web Programming Journalism Search Committee, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Oklahoma, 395 W. Lindsey, Room 3000, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019-0270. The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply.

NCA's RFP Tracker identifies funding opportunities (including research grants, residential fellowships, travel funds, awards, etc.) for communication scholars. There are many grant opportunities for those interested in mass communication research. The RFP Tracker lists funding and fellowship opportunities for graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and people outside of the academy. Check out the RFP Tracker website at http://www.natcom.org/index.asp?bid=10977 and download the most recent report.

Jennifer Glicoes of the National Communication Association main office is looking for MCD members interested in serving as Subject Matter Experts to be contacted by news media organizations. If you are interested in this opportunity, please e-mail Jennifer (jglicoes@natcom.org) with the following information:

NCA MCD OFFICERS

2013-2014 MCD Officers
Chair Jennifer Stevens Aubrey Department of Communication University of Arizona 219 Communication Building Tucson, AZ 85721 jlsa@email.arizona.edu	Vice Chair Srividya Ramasubramanian Texas A&M University Department of Communication 211 Bolton Hall College Station, TX 77843 srivi@tamu.edu
Vice Chair-Elect Sumana Chattopadhyay Marquette University Diederich College of Comm. 403 Johnston Hall Milwaukee, WI 53233 sumanach@gmail.com	Past Chair Dana Mastro Department of Communication University of California-Santa Barbara 5004 Social Sciences & Media Studies Bldg. Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4020 mastro@comm.ucsb.edu
Secretary-Elect Lisa Barry LaGuardia Community College Department of Humanities 31-10 Thomson Ave E200 Long Island City, NY 11101 LBarry@lagcc.cuny.edu	Secretary-Elect Laramie Taylor Department of Communication University of California-Davis 394 Kerr Hall Davis, CA 95616 lartaylor@ucdavis.edu
Publications & Web Editor (expires '15) Nicholas David Bowman West Virginia University Communication Studies 108 Armstrong Hall Morgantown, WV 26501 Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu	Graduate Student Rep. Drew Shade Pennsylvania State University College of Communications 201 Carnegie Building University Park, PA 16802 dds195@psu.edu
Research Committee
Chair ('14) Brent Malin University of Pittsburgh Department of Communication 1109L Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh, PA 15260 bmalin@pitt.edu	Chair ('15) Meagan Sanders Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication 217A Journalism Building Baton Rouge, LA 70803 msand@lsu.edu
Chair ('16) Hugh Phillips Curnutt Montclair State University Communication Studies Life Hall 225A Montclair, NJ 07043 curnutth@mail.montclair.edu	Chair ('17) James Durbin University of Akron School of Communications Akron, OH 44325 jmd16@uakron.edu
Nominations Committee
Committee Chair (expires '15) Siobhan Smith University of Louisville Department of Communication siobhan.smith@louisville.edu	Committee Committee (expires '14) Kara Gould John Brown University Department of Communication 2000 West University Street Siloam Springs, AR 72761 KGould@jbu.edu
Nominations Committee (expires '14) Andrew Weaver Indiana University Department of Communication Radio-TV Center, Room 306 Bloomington, IN 47405 weaveraj@indiana.edu	Nominations Committee (expires '14) Tracy Worrell Rochester Institute of Technology 3041 Eastman Hall Rochester, NY 14623-5604 Tracy.Worrell@rit.edu
Nominations Committee (expires '15) Stephanie Young University of Southern Indiana Department of Communications 8600 University Boulevard Evansville, IN 47712 slyoung@usi.edu	Representative to the NCA General Assembly Adam Earnheardt Youngstown State University Department of Communication 1 University Plaza Youngstown, OH 44555 acearnheardt@ysu.edu
Representatives to NCA General Assembly
Legislative Assembly Stan Tickton Norfolk State University Mass Communication/Journalism 700 Park Ave., Unit 3249 Norfolk, Virginia 23504 stickton@nsu.edu	Legislative Assembly Shane Tilton Ohio University Electronic Media 250 Elson Hall Zanesville, OH 43701

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