Southeast Colloquium

The 2005 Southeast Colloquium was a success for the RTVJ division. Three papers were presented:

George Daniels (University of Alabama), “Using Consonance to Evaluate Viewpoint Diversity in Alternative Newscast Strategies: A South Carolina Case Study” (Top Paper Award winner)

Katherine A. Bradshaw (Bowling Green State University),
James C. Foust (Bowling Green State University), and
Joseph P. Bernt (Ohio University), “Sources of Pressure on Local Television News Anchors about Their Appearance”

Nancy McKenzie DuPont (Loyola, New Orleans) and Mary Blue (Loyola, New Orleans), “The Real Fear Factor: The Role of Fear in Television News Coverage of a Major Hurricane.”

Our division members and several others who attended the colloquium also enjoyed a very interesting and thorough introduction to the Peabody Archives, which are housed inside the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Dr. Horace Newcomb (pictured) led the discussion. Everyone in attendance came away with a very favorable impression about the collection and the potential it has for our on-going or future research. If you are interested in learning more about the archives, consider contacting Horace Newcomb, hnewcomb@uga.edu. There also is information available through the University of Georgia libraries web site, http://www.libs.uga.edu.

There were almost 90 registered attendees at the colloquium. The division received seven total paper submissions (with 3 out of 7, or a 43% acceptance rate), and each paper was blind-reviewed by at least two judges. My thanks go out again to those who submitted papers and to those who fulfilled this valuable service role as a judge.

The colloquium will be hosted in 2006 by the University of Alabama, March 2-4. Denise Dowling, who succeeds me as division head, has asked me to serve as the division’s paper chair for next year’s colloquium, and I have accepted her offer.

One short sidebar to the colloquium: The next time you see Dana Rosengard, please ask him about being carded inside “The Grill.” Had the folks who produce the MasterCard spots been there, they would have had another of their “priceless” moments. That’s about the only way to describe the look that came over Dana’s face at the time the young, unshaven waiter asked him for some identification. Of course, those of us who ordered only an iced tea did not have the chance to prove how young (or is it old?) we are!

San Antonio convention

Final exams (for those on the quarter system) and spring break (for many) are right around the corner. I hope that this short period is a time for rest…and one that allows you to complete the research you intend to submit to the division for possible presentation at the 2005 AEJMC San Antonio convention August 10-13. As always, April 1 is the deadline for paper entries.

Dale Cressman at Brigham Young is the division’s research chair and submissions should be sent to him. (For more information, but not for submissions, e-mail Cressman@byu.edu.) The AEJMC uniform paper call is available on the AEJMC web site. You also can find specific information there regarding the RTVJ requirements for paper entrants.

One last thought about papers: If you are not submitting a paper, then please give strong consideration to serving as a judge. This is an incredibly valuable service component to our division, and it allows those faculty and students who submit research to receive constructive criticism about their papers.

Denise Dowling, the division’s vice chair, and I had a very successful trip to San Antonio in early December. (And, yes, the photograph of the Moretti family that is part of this newsletter confirms that there was some time for fun and frolic!) Denise and I finalized our programming needs for the convention. The division will either sole- or co-sponsor seven panels. (Go to "Where the Chips Fell" in this Static.) We also will have four research paper sessions and one scholar-to-scholar slot. In sum, Denise and I are excited about the prospects for our members to showcase their knowledge and expertise in the panel and paper sessions. My thanks to all of you who are organizing or taking part in a RTVJ sponsored panel this year.

Thoughts on Other Matters

There have been several recent events involving broadcast journalists and the broadcast news industry that warrant our attention as educators and researchers. In no particular order, I am referring to:

• CBS News “Memogate” and the dismissal of four CBS News employees;
  
  
• The retirement of Tom Brokaw as the long-time anchor of the “NBC Nightly News” program;
  
  
• The impending retirement of Dan Rather from the “CBS Evening News” anchor desk;
  
  
• The rumors about the potential for radical changes to the makeup of the CBS Evening News program;
  
  
• The reports that Ted Koppel might abandon the Nightline desk and become host of “This Week”;
  
  
• The continuing media fascination with high-profile court cases (i.e., Scott Peterson and Michael Jackson).