Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Encyclopedia
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, or AEJMC, is a major international membership organization for academics
in the field, offering regional and national conferences
and refereed publication
s. It has numerous membership divisions, interest groups, publications and websites. Its major journal
, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly was formerly titled Journalism Quarterly. It also publishes the quarterly, refereed Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, formerly Journalism Educator, and the refereed Journalism & Mass Communication Monographs, formerly Journalism Monographs.
The current editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly is Dan Riffe, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
. The current editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Educator is Dane S. Claussen, School of Communication, Point Park University
. The current editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Monographs is Kathy Brittain Richardson, Department of Communication, Berry College
.
In the United States
, many university
journalism
departments — particularly at Midwestern, Western and Southern state universities — evolved into schools or colleges of mass communication
or "journalism and mass communication." In addition to studying practical skills of journalism, public relations
or advertising
, students also may major in "mass communication" or "mass communication research." The latter is often the title given to doctoral degrees
from such schools, whether the focus of the student's research
is journalism practice, media economics
, history
, law
or media influence
.
Departmental structures within such colleges may separate research and instruction in professional or technical aspects of newspaper
and magazine
publishing
, radio
, television
, and film
. Mass communication research topics include media institutions and processes, such as diffusion of information, and media effects, such as persuasion or manipulation of public opinion. Outside of media history and communication law
, research methods in mass communication fields have leaned toward empirical research
, experiment
al studies and quantitative methods, such as public opinion poll
ing and content analysis
of news media
. However, qualitative research
, including ethnographic
case studies
, interviewing, and focus group
s, has growing support in some specialties. Critical-cultural theory
is less popular than in other "communication studies
" programs.
Such programs are accredited by the ACEJMC Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
The International Communication Association (ICA) and National Communication Association
(formerly the Speech Communication Association) include divisions and publications that overlap with those of AEJMC, but AEJMC historically has stronger ties to the mass communication professions in the United States.
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
in the field, offering regional and national conferences
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
and refereed publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
s. It has numerous membership divisions, interest groups, publications and websites. Its major journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly was formerly titled Journalism Quarterly. It also publishes the quarterly, refereed Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, formerly Journalism Educator, and the refereed Journalism & Mass Communication Monographs, formerly Journalism Monographs.
The current editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly is Dan Riffe, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. The current editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Educator is Dane S. Claussen, School of Communication, Point Park University
Point Park University
Point Park University is a liberal arts university located in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as Point Park College, the school name was revised in 2004 to reflect the number of graduate programs being offered....
. The current editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Monographs is Kathy Brittain Richardson, Department of Communication, Berry College
Berry College
Berry College is an American accredited, private, four-year liberal arts college located in Mount Berry, unincorporated Floyd County, Georgia, north of Rome. It was founded in 1902 by Martha Berry.-Location:Berry College is located on U.S...
.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, many university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
departments — particularly at Midwestern, Western and Southern state universities — evolved into schools or colleges of mass communication
Mass communication
Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
or "journalism and mass communication." In addition to studying practical skills of journalism, public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
or advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, students also may major in "mass communication" or "mass communication research." The latter is often the title given to doctoral degrees
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from such schools, whether the focus of the student's research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
is journalism practice, media economics
Media economics
Media economics embodies economic theoretical and practical economic questions specific to media of all types. Of particular concern to media economics are the economic polices and practices of media companies and disciples including journalism and the news industry, film production, entertainment...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
or media influence
Media influence
Media influence or media effects are used in media studies, psychology, communication theory and sociology to refer to the theories about the ways in which mass media affect how their audiences think and behave....
.
Departmental structures within such colleges may separate research and instruction in professional or technical aspects of newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
and magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. Mass communication research topics include media institutions and processes, such as diffusion of information, and media effects, such as persuasion or manipulation of public opinion. Outside of media history and communication law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, research methods in mass communication fields have leaned toward empirical research
Empirical research
Empirical research is a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empirical evidence can be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively...
, experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
al studies and quantitative methods, such as public opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
ing and content analysis
Content analysis
Content analysis or textual analysis is a methodology in the social sciences for studying the content of communication. Earl Babbie defines it as "the study of recorded human communications, such as books, websites, paintings and laws."According to Dr...
of news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
. However, qualitative research
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such...
, including ethnographic
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
case studies
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
, interviewing, and focus group
Focus group
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging...
s, has growing support in some specialties. Critical-cultural theory
Culture theory
Culture theory is the branch of anthropology and semiotics that seeks to define the heuristic concept of culture in operational and/or scientific terms....
is less popular than in other "communication studies
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
" programs.
Such programs are accredited by the ACEJMC Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
The International Communication Association (ICA) and National Communication Association
National Communication Association
The National Communication Association is the largest national organization to promote communication scholarship and education. A non-profit organization that has over 8,000 educators, practitioners, and students who work and reside in every state and more than 20 countries...
(formerly the Speech Communication Association) include divisions and publications that overlap with those of AEJMC, but AEJMC historically has stronger ties to the mass communication professions in the United States.