The International Communication division is one of  17 divisions, 10 special interest groups and 2 commissions of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). The International Communication division focuses on the study of processes and effects of mass communication in the international arena. It also publishes The International Communication Bulletin.

Dear ICD Colleagues:

 

Greetings! As the new head of the division, I extend a warm welcome to all. The 2007 AEJMC Convention in Washington D.C. in August, and the World Journalism Education Congress in Singapore in June were two major events for the International Communication Division (ICD). Apart from assisting the Asian Media Information and Communication (AMIC) in the organizing the World Journalism Congress events, some of our members presented papers and moderated panel sessions. The events in Singapore and Washington D.C. were well attended. ICD has not only become an important division of the AEJMC, but some of its members are active in promoting global communications and journalism within and outside the United States.

 

During the ICD business meeting in Washington D.C., we deliberated and voted on a couple of initiatives. For example, it was agreed to increase the division membership fee to $ 25 for faculty, and maintain $19 for students. The editor of the ICD Bulletin reported that it was difficult to sustain printing costs at the current rates. Hence, members voted in favor of increasing the printing costs by $ 2. ICD members unanimously supported the appointment of Hong Cheng as the coordinator for Routledge, Taylor & Francis, Asian Journal of Communication, and Equid Novi. Hong had provided sound leadership and fulfilled many obligations for the division in the past several years. To facilitate the appointment process, members voted to make a slight amendment to the By Laws. One of my main goals is to appoint an adhoc committee on publications to deliberate on the ICD Bulletin. We would like to examine the content, structure, and format of the publication in view of the rapid changes due to globalization of media, geopolitical realities, and technological convergence. Along with these important issues, the adhoc committee will explore feasibility of production and distribution of the Bulletin in digital and electronic formats. This, it is believed, would enable us to reach a wider audience from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. I plan to constitute the adhoc committee of senior ICD members and former chairs in late September. I welcome your ideas and suggestions on the Bulletin or any matter relating to the division.

 

During the business meeting, tributes were paid to the late Professor Robert L. (Bob) Stevenson, a leading scholar in international and global communication who passed away last year. It was unanimously decided to name the top faculty paper in Bob’s name. Anne Cooper Chen committed a donation of $500.00 towards Bob Stevenson scholarship fund. The division also voted in favor of matching this by donating $1000.00 from the division account.

 

As the division prepares for the chip auction in St Louis, Missouri in December, I urge you to submit panel proposals. The panel proposal call will be placed on the ICD website (http://www.aejmcicd.org) in the next couple of weeks. Please plan on attending the AEJMC convention in Chicago in August 2008. Apart from submitting papers to the open competition, you may also participate as reviewers, enlist as discussants and moderators for particular panel topics and themes in which you have the expertise. We look forward to meeting with you at our business meeting during the Chicago convention.

 

Finally, It is my great pleasure to work with this year’s officers, including Elanie Steyn (vice chair), Marcie Hinton (research chair), Margaretha Geertsema (Markham chair), Amy Struthers (secretary), Seema Shrikhande (PF&R committee chair), Yorgo Pasadeos (ICB editor) and Amy Schmitz Weiss (CSW Liaison, and website/online editor). I, and other officers of the ICD would like to thank former Chairs, Maria Marron, Sundeep Muppidi, Robyn Goodman, Zeny Panol and Hong Cheng for their leadership over the past few years.

 

I will look forward to hearing from you,

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Sanjay

 

Dr. Sanjay Asthana
Head, International Communication Division, 2007-2008
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication