AEJMC Resolution Two 2022

New Voices Laws

CONTACT:
Samantha Higgins, AEJMC Communications Director, 803-798-0271

Deb Aikat, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AEJMC president

Resolution Two: 

Whereas, in its mission the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC), as part of its “Professional Freedom and Responsibility” goals, works to promote freedom of speech and the press as embodied in the First Amendment; and

Whereas, the association encourages its members to promote and defend those rights vigorously; and

Whereas, in 2022, Hawaii became the 16th state to adopt a New Voices law, which restores and protects the freedom of Hawaii’s student media; and

Whereas, Hawaii’s HB 1848 ensures that student journalists alone determine the content of school-sponsored media, including but not limited to video, audio, print and digital outlets, and are protected from censorship except in narrow, well-defined circumstances while protecting student media advisers from retaliation for refusing to illegally censor their students’ work; and

Whereas, similar laws have been or are currently being considered by a number of state legislatures, including New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia; and

Whereas, First Amendment rights of student journalists are now protected by state law in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the state of Washington.

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that AEJMC take an active role in supporting the passage of New Voices laws through its Elected Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility and the AEJMC Scholastic Journalism Division, one of the association’s original divisions; and

Be it further resolved that through units such as the AEJMC Law and Policy Division, AEJMC strongly encourages research and teaching about New Voices laws and student press freedom in courses in the law of mass communication required in programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, as well as in other courses as appropriate.

<AEJMC 2022 Resolutions

AEJMC Resolution Four 2022

Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws

CONTACT:
Samantha Higgins, AEJMC Communications Director, 803-798-0271

Deb Aikat, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AEJMC president

Resolution Four: 

Whereas, as part of its mission the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC) promotes the implementation of a multi-cultural society in the classroom and curriculum; and

Whereas, the association works to defend and maintain freedom of communication in an effort to achieve a better-informed public; and

Whereas, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an intellectual and social movement begun in legal studies in the late 1980s based on the idea that racism is inherent in law and legal institutions insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between white and non-whites; and

Whereas, mass communication educators are charged with preparing students who can produce news and strategic communication content related to CRT; and

Whereas, courses that focus on mass communication theories and research should include CRT as one potential approach to producing scholarship; and

Whereas, state legislatures recently have considered legislation that bans or limits Critical Race Theory from being discussed in classroom settings, including those at universities; and

Whereas, Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) accrediting standards mandate continuing education for faculty in diversity, equity, and inclusion;

Whereas, to achieve compliance with those accrediting standards, units are expected to demonstrate the impact of faculty professional development aimed at enhancing their ability to teach courses related to diversity, equity, and inclusion;

BE it resolved that AEJMC divisions and interest groups be encouraged to continue sponsoring research and teaching panels and programming that educates members about what Critical Race Theory is and its application to education and research in mass communication; and continue to educate faculty members about ways to respond to legislation that serves to restrict viewpoint diversity in the classroom;

AND AEJMC members or mass communication units should provide faculty training on educating students about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion which may include CRT.

<AEJMC 2022 Resolutions

AEJMC Resolution Three 2022

The 40th Anniversary of the Death of Vincent Chin and Anti-AAPI Violence

CONTACT:
Samantha Higgins, AEJMC Communications Director, 803-798-0271

Deb Aikat, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AEJMC president

Resolution Three: 

Whereas, as part of its mission, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) promotes the implementation of a multi-cultural society in the classroom and curriculum; and

Whereas, as part of its “Professional Freedom and Responsibility” mission works to address issues of marginalization, systemic racism and unequal treatment of underrepresented groups; and

Whereas, the association held its 2022 Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, the same city where 40 years ago on June 19, 1982, 27-year-old Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, was brutally attacked with a baseball bat by two White men seeking to incite racist hatred of anyone who appeared Japanese, because of the rise of Japanese car companies that they believed put U.S. autoworkers out of jobs; and

Whereas, after four days in a coma, Chin, the only child of Chinese immigrants Lily and Bing Hing “David” Chin, died; and

Whereas, Chin’s killers, Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz, pleaded guilty to state charges of manslaughter and only received a $3,000 fine each and three years’ probation; and

Whereas, the brutal murder and the lenient sentence, and Lily Chin’s courageous pursuit for justice and visibility in their aftermath, galvanized the Asian American civil rights movement, which continues today with an added degree of importance because of the recent rise in Anti-Asian violence; and

Whereas, between March and August 2020, more than 2,500 Asian Americans reported being attacked by people blaming them for the COVID-19 pandemic because of its origination in Wuhan, China; and

Whereas, more Americans should be aware of Vincent Chin’s death and its role in the Asian American movement;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that AEJMC as an organization take an active role in standing with organizations such as the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF), and the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) in working to cover stories about and combat the rise of Asian Americans being singled out in incidents of violence and ongoing systemic racism facing those in the larger Asian American Pacific Islander community. And;

Be it further resolved that AEJMC commends 2022 media efforts to address the underrepresentation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment’s (CAPE) My Life: Growing Up Asian in America; Jeff Yang, Phil Yu and Philip Wang’s RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now; and ABC News’s “Soul of a Nation” Together As One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage. And:

Be it further resolved that AEJMC, through its divisions and interest groups, offer programming and resources at both regional and national conferences that empower journalism and mass communication faculty to include Vincent Chin and the stories of other Asian Americans overlooked and under-addressed in their teaching and curricula.

<AEJMC 2022 Resolutions

AEJMC Resolution One 2022

Educational Gag Order Legislation and Academic Freedom

News Release:

December 8, 2022

CONTACT:
Samantha Higgins, AEJMC Communications Director, 803-798-0271

Deb Aikat, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AEJMC president
Gabriel B. Tait, Ph.D., Ball State University, AEJMC PF&R Committee chair

MASS COMMUNICATION EDUCATORS URGE LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE GAG ORDERS

COLUMBIA, S.C.– As state legislatures gear up for their 2023 legislative sessions, members of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), with support from leaders of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC), overwhelmingly oppose any legislation restricting topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“The academic freedom of a teacher to speak and associate freely as exemplars of open-mindedness and free inquiry is of utmost importance,” said Gabriel Tait, a Ball State University professor who leads the committee that oversees First Amendment issues for AEJMC. “We believe our collective voice can send a strong message to those who would create a chill on the great work that media educators do in making our society more inclusive and diverse,” Dr. Tait adds.

In recent years, more than 50 so-called educational gag order (EGO) bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. This month, AEJMC members overwhelmingly passed a resolution opposing educational gag order legislation that restricts training on “prohibited” or “divisive” concepts, and imposes government dictates on teaching and learning.

“For more than 110 years, AEJMC has thrived as a resolutely non-partisan, interdisciplinary organization fostering excellence in education, research, and professional freedom,” said AEJMC President Deb Aikat, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “We, as educators, foster academic freedom and cherish its impact in our classroom and beyond.”

AEJMC, among the nation’s largest organizations of journalism and mass communication educators, students, and media professionals, vigorously defends the right of free expression, in alignment with its Professional Freedom and Responsibility mission. In fact, one of the standards of academic work environments is an individual faculty member’s freedom to educate in a manner most appropriate for the curriculum designed for the discipline or craft.

AEJMC and ASJMC are primed to assist in continuing to advocate for academic freedom and free expression in the classroom.

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) is a nonprofit scholarly organization with more than 2,000 members in about 40 countries who teach and research journalism, public relations, advertising, digital media, film, and media literacy. Founded in 1912, AEJMC is the oldest and largest alliance of communication educators and administrators at the college level. AEJMC’s mission is to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education, to encourage the broadest possible range of communication research, to promote the implementation of a multicultural society in the classroom and curriculum, and to defend and maintain freedom of communication in an effort to achieve better professional practice, a better-informed public, and wider human understanding. For more information about AEJMC, please visit www.AEJMC.org.

Resolution One: 

Whereas, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) vigorously defends the right of free expression as one of its core areas of professional freedom and responsibility; and

Whereas, the association, through its Elected Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility (PF&R), focuses on the standards and work environments of teaching and research; and

Whereas, one of the standards of academic work environments is an individual faculty member’s freedom to educate in a manner they determine is most appropriate with the curriculum designed for their profession and understanding of the discipline or craft; and

Whereas, the academic freedom of a teacher to speak and associate freely as exemplars of open-mindedness and free inquiry is of utmost importance; and

Whereas, according to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), more than 50 so-called educational gag order (EGO) bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the U.S., including the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee; and

Whereas, educational gag orders restricting training on “prohibited” or “divisive” concepts chill academic and educational discussions and impose government dictates on teaching and learning;

Be it resolved:

1. That AEJMC go on record opposing such legislation that creates a chilling effect on academic freedom and freedom of communication;
2. That the AEJMC president, working with the Elected Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility, make a public statement about the issue of Educational Gag Order Legislation and the importance of academic freedom;
3. That AEJMC, through its Elected Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility, work with organizations such as the AAUP in remaining vigilant on efforts to restrict free speech in the classroom; and
4. That AEJMC work with the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) to develop best practices and guidance for deans, directors and chairs to support faculty in responding to legislation that may impact classroom

<AEJMC 2022 Resolutions

AEJMC 2022 Resolutions

AEJMC members approved resolutions during the 2022 year.

December 8, 2022

Four resolutions recently put forth by the AEJMC Standing Committee on Professional Freedom and Responsibility (PF&R) and voted on by AEJMC members have all overwhelmingly passed. The vote for all of the 4 resolutions closed Nov. 17.

AEJMC has developed a strategic, multi-pronged approach on releasing the four resolutions in conjunction with action items for each resolution.

The first resolution regarding educational gag order legislation and academic freedom involves a news release distribution to AEJMC members and appropriate media organizations; collaborations between AEJMC and other organizations such as the AAUP to remain vigilant on efforts to restrict free speech in the classroom; and a partnership with ASJMC to develop best practices and guidance for deans, directors and chairs to support faculty in responding to legislation that may impact the classroom.

Information regarding the other three resolutions will follow as they are released during the next month.

• Resolution One: Educational Gag Order Legislation and Academic Freedom
• Resolution Two: New Voices Laws
• Resolution Three: The 40th Anniversary of the Death of Vincent Chin and Anti-AAPI Violence
• Resolution Four: Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws

< AEJMC Resolutions