Convergence
Newsletter
From
Newsplex at the University of South Carolina
Vol. IV
No. 4 (October 4, 2006)
Commenting
on Convergence
By Melissa
McGill, editor of The Convergence Newsletter
Bringing
together various sources of information on the ongoing dialogues about
convergence, this issue features a list of frequently updated blogs addressing
convergence, as well as information on convergence conferences, encompassing
opportunities both to learn and to contribute.
The
assortment of blog sites listed in my article are ones that I have found
helpful in discerning current trends, analyses and news in convergence. Augie
Grant discusses blogs and some of the issues that go along with them, in
conjunction with blog research to be presented at the Convergence and Society Conference
at the University of South Carolina later this month. Paul Lieber, who will be
presenting at the USC Conference, briefly discusses his research on Selective
Disclosure in Strategic Communication, a sneak peek of what is to come for those
attending the conference. Michael Parkinson of Texas Tech University contributes
a call for papers for his university’s upcoming Expanding the Definition of
Convergence and Integration colloquium.
Blogs,
conferences, conferences about blogs…there is definitely a theme to be found
here.
View past
newsletters at http://www.jour.sc.edu/news/convergence/.
Melissa
McGill is working toward a Master of Mass Communications at the University of
South Carolina. Contact her at convergence-editor@mailbox.sc.edu.
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Feature
Articles
Navigating
the Blogosphere
Religion,
Blogs, and Journalism—Making Connections at Carolina
Selective
Disclosure in Strategic Communication: Ethical Justifications in a Convergent
World
Expanding
the Definition of Convergence and Integration Call for Papers
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Conference
Information
Convergence
and Society: Ethics, Religion and New Media
AEJMC
Midwinter Conference
Expanding
the Definition of Convergence and Integration
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Faculty
Position Announcements
Truman
State University
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Feature
Articles
Navigating
the Blogosphere
By
Melissa McGill, editor, The Convergence Newsletter
Apparently,
Microsoft Word spell checkers are the only people for whom the term blog is not
instantly recognizable (they think it should be “bog”). The abundant presence
of weblogs on every conceivable subject has made blog a household word and
makes getting information on the web easier than ever before. Within minutes,
you can find weblogs written by reporters at the nation’s
top newspapers, Iranian bloggers
commenting on socio-political issues or even students and professors working with admissions
at Wofford College, a tiny Southern liberal arts college.
But
navigating the blogosphere in search of the ones relating specifically to
convergence proves to be a more difficult task. Encountering this problem as I
began to work with this newsletter, I sought the help of Doug Fisher,
journalism instructor at the University of South Carolina (whose own blog was mentioned in last month’s
newsletter), to compile a list of substantive blogs that discuss
convergence regularly. I hope this list, though certainly not comprehensive,
provides a useful starting point in locating blogs of interest.
Confessions
of an Aca/Fan: The Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins
Henry
Jenkins, the Director of MIT Comparative Media Studies Program, blogs on media
convergence, participatory culture and collective intelligence, expanding these
concepts from his recently-released book Convergence Culture: Where Old and
New Media Collide.
Feeds are available.
Convergence
Culture Consortium at MIT (C3)
http://www.convergenceculture.org/weblog/
A
partnership between thinkers and researchers affiliated with the Comparative
Media Studies program at MIT and companies interested in convergence, C3
frequently updates a blog on convergence, focusing on three core concepts of
transmedia entertainment, participatory culture and experiential marketing. Sam
Ford, a Masters of Science candidate in Comparative Media Studies at MIT and
Henry Jenkins, the Director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program blog
most frequently. Feeds are available.
Corante
Media Hub
Calling
itself a “starting point for keeping abreast of the best writing and thinking
on the media industry,” the Corante Media Hub brings together the blogosphere’s
most respected writers of various fields. Including editorial and network
posts, the Corante Media Hub provides a sort of one-stop shopping for getting a
variety of observations on the “radical forces reshaping the media landscape.”
For a complete list of contributors, visit http://media.corante.com/bios.php.
Posts can be received through an RSS feed, via email or in a weekly “best of”
email.
Cyberjounalist.net
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/
This
extensive site is written, edited and published by Jonathan Dube in partnership
with the Online News Association. This site has several unique features including
a Great Works Gallery, highlighting examples of excellence in online
journalism, a Weblog Blog, focusing on the influence of blogs on journalism and
the J-Bloggers: CyberJournalist List of weblogs written by journalists, called "the
most comprehensive list of blogs produced by journalists" by Nieman
Reports. The site also includes Top Headlines, Citizen Media Monitor,
Convergence Chronicle and Business Bytes sections. Subscription methods include
email and RSS feeds.
Editors
Weblog
This site
was launched by the World Editors Forum with the goal of providing a “unique
rendez-vous point” for editors and senior news executives to discuss and be
informed of new media issues and their effects on journalism. This blog is
divided into a News section and an Analysis section. Topics in the News section
include editorial quality, newsroom management, citizen journalism, print and
online convergence and anything else related to “the newspaper renaissance.”
The Analysis section features more in-depth posts including personal views.
Posts can also be divided into categories such as citizen journalism,
multimedia convergence or ethics to pinpoint your specific interests. RSS feeds
are also provided.
E-Media
Tidbits
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31
E-Media
Tidbits, through Poynter Online, is a group weblog focused on online
media/journalism/publishing. Updated daily, this blog features short blurbs,
“tidbits” if you will, on current happenings in the industry. Posts are
available through RSS feeds and daily e-mail newsletters.
MediaShift
A
self-proclaimed “guide to the digital media revolution,” MediaShift tracks new
media (including blogs, podcasts, citizen journalism, wikis, news aggregators,
etc) and their impact on society and culture. More nifty features are “The
Week’s Top 5: People, Trends, and Tech on our Radar” which highlights recent
happenings and “Your Take” which encourages readers to respond with their
response to an important media-shifting question of the week.
Vincent
Maher – Media in Transition
This blog
by Vincent Maher, the head of the New Media Lab at Rhodes University, South
Africa, discusses media convergence with an emphasis on blogging and citizen journalism.
Feeds are available.
Blogs
such as these provide insight into convergent journalism as well as providing
up-to-date information and news. Where textbooks explain concepts, blogs tell
the stories behind the concepts, discussing them from a more personal
standpoint. The impressions and interpretations found in blogs deepen the understanding
of both the novice and the expert.
This list
is merely a starting point and as such, I anxiously await your response to
these blogs and suggestions for others worth noting. Please e-mail convergence-editor@mailbox.sc.edu
with other recommended blogs focused on convergence for possible inclusion in a
future article.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Religion,
Blogs, and Journalism—Making Connections at Carolina
By
Augie Grant, executive editor, The Convergence Newsletter
In
preparing the agenda for the Convergence and Society conference that USC will
be hosting October 19-21, the biggest surprise was the number of papers
submitted dealing with blogs. I had expected a few papers on the subject, but
did not expect that I would have enough papers to fill an entire session on
blogs and religion.
These and
other papers on blogging that will be presented at the conference demonstrate
the popularity and utility of blogging, but they also represent a challenge to
those studying convergent journalism: Where do you draw the line between
bloggers and journalists?
The
complication is that many journalists have taken to blogging. The motivations
are as varied as the blogs: some traditional journalists use their blogs to
communicate additional information that may not make it into print or on the
air, some use their blogs to solicit input and reactions from readers, some use
blogs to deliver opinions that would not be appropriate to publish as part of
news stories, etc.
The
problem is that the blogosphere is not limited to either journalists or
non-journalists. Rather, the work of professionally-trained journalists may
appear side-by-side with the ideas and creative output of individuals who know
little or nothing about the process or practice of journalism.
Because
they may perceive their musings as the equivalent of those of journalists,
these members of the public may further begin to think of themselves as journalists.
From a legal perspective, it will be interesting to see where the courts
ultimately draw the line between journalists and members of the public who are
sharing their observations—or whether a line will be drawn at all.
This
conundrum creates an opportunity for journalists and journalism educators to
explicitly share journalistic principles and ideals in an effort to model the
responsibilities of journalists that separate them from the public. (The word
"training" is the first word that came to mind in describing what
some bloggers need, but the immediate realization was that those bloggers who
could benefit most from such training are probably also the ones who are least
likely to take advantage of it.)
The
second opportunity that emerged from this conundrum is the opportunity to
establish professional standards for journalists' blogs. The nature of these
standards is beyond the scope of this article, but questions to be addressed
might include: To what degree should a journalist be encouraged or allowed to
share their personal opinions on subjects or people that they are reporting on?
Does it make a difference whether the blog is found on or linked to the Web
site of the journalist's employer? Do the same high standards of editing and
fact checking applied in journalism also apply to journalists' blogs?
One
reason I'm looking forward to the Convergence and Society conference later this
month is to get a few answers to these questions from research papers on the
subject that will be presented by Serena Carpenter and Janet Kolodzy. But I'm
just as eager to hear the four other presentations that deal specifically with
blogs and religion so that I can look for common threads and patterns that may
help make theoretical connections between blogs and more traditional media.
There are
more than two dozen other reasons I'm looking forward to the
conference—with each paper or presentation providing insight into the
three interconnected themes of the conference: ethics, religion, and media
convergence. Theme sessions on each of these topics with explore these topics
in depth, identifying commonalities and connections across the themes. Other
sessions relate research on new media, theoretical perspectives on convergence,
the evolution of community journalism, and, of course, issues in teaching
convergent journalism.
I'm
looking forward to seeing many of you at the conference. In the meantime, The
Convergence Newsletter Editor Melissa McGill will be contacting many of the presenters at
the conference, inviting them to prepare brief summaries of their research that
can be shared in future editions of this newsletter.
Grant
is an associate professor and Newsplex Academic Liaison at the University of
South Carolina.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Selective
Disclosure in Strategic Communication: Ethical Justifications in a Convergent
World
By
Paul Lieber, presenter, Convergence and Society: Ethics, Religion and New Media
and assistant professor, University of South Carolina
While commonly used and completely legal, selective disclosure
remains a controversial practice in strategic communication. This practice
persists even in an
age of media convergence, where information is abundant and access to it,
seemingly, only a click away. Does this ease of access offer greater leeway for
communicators to invoke selective disclosure to its information-empowered
audience? Related, can information truly be withheld in a digital age powered
by Google, blogs and global information exchange? The purpose of this research
was to explore just that: the ethics of strategic communication, selective
disclosure from a convergence perspective.
The first
part of this research examined public relations history, hoping to gain a
better perspective on industry standards of disclosure from the days of field
creation to the present. As the vocation sought more mutually beneficial
relationships with its publics, ethical information obligations gained greater
saliency. Industry codes were likewise examined both to highlight disclosure
allowances plus penalties for improper communication practice. None of these
codes, it was discovered, possess sufficient enforcement methods to curtail
rampant disclosure conduct. Carr’s (1968) concept of bluffing as ethical business
strategy and Bok’s (1989) justification for lying with good intention added
further insight to selective truth telling usage. Carr viewed the practice in
line with poker strategy; Bok preferred ethical intent in favor of outcome.
Such
practices, however, were not without consequence. Three Mile Island, the Ford
Explorer/Firestone debacle and Air Canada’s stock plunge incident were listed
as instances of selective disclosure practices gone horribly awry. In all three
instances, target publics – meant to benefit from strategic communication
– were instead literal victims of deliberate over-concealment.
Borrowing
from Air Canada, the research then examined partial truth telling in other
fields from a media convergence context. Air Canada highlighted the U.S. Federal
Trade Commission’s Regulation Fair Disclosure (RegFD): financial legislation,
an arguable by-product of digital information access and its accompanying
communication expectations. Civil engineers were spotlighted for similar
selective truth telling challenges, faced with having to weigh public safety
concerns versus a duty to employer. In short, preventative bridge closures
might save lives but at a cost of widespread panic plus traffic nightmares.
As could
be expected, justifications for selective disclosure varied widely across
disciplines. System Theory (Cutlip, Center & Broom, 2000), Resource
Dependency Theory (Pffefer and Salancik, 1978), Political Special Interest
Theory (Berry, 1989), and Economic Theory (Williamson, 1975) were grouped
together under a greater ‘issue advocacy’ umbrella to better explain these
justifications. The Australian Computer Society Code
of Ethics (2002) and The Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
of the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR) (Barrass,
2002) were similarly noted for their attention to selective disclosure conduct.
Once again, such codes were found to be unenforceable.
A broader, general analysis of subjective communication ethics,
however, uncovered surprising support for selective disclosure. Returning to
public relations theory in particular, from this new perspective the
Attorney-Adversary Model (Barney & Black, 1994), Deaver’s (1994) 4-stage
Truth Continuum and Petrick’s (1997) management-centric guidelines (combined with
classical ethical theory) provided a handful of solid roadmaps to ensure proper
usage of selective truth telling practices.
Research conclusions were mixed. While selective disclosure
remains an unpopular practice in public relations, the field’s various models
and theories ethically justify its usage. Moreover, this practice
simultaneously remains common across several other vocations and their codes,
an everyday reality for finance, engineering, business and computing. Finally,
none of the analyzed, theoretical models specifically address information
availability and/or convergence issues when suggesting appropriate disclosure
practice. In sum: more research and/or modern models are sorely needed.
Lieber will present his complete paper at USC's Convergence
Conference October 19; copies are available upon request by emailing: lieber@sc.edu
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Expanding
the Definition of Convergence and Integration Call for Papers
A
research colloquium at Texas Tech University April 19 & 20, 2007
Papers
invited include research proposals or completed research that addresses any of
the following:
Papers
will be discussed, not presented, in a round-robin format that encourages
collaboration and development.
Papers
are invited from:
Top
papers in the top three categories will receive up to $1000 in travel
assistance.
Deadline
for submission is December 1, 2006
Papers
should be addressed to:
Michael
Parkinson
College
of Mass Communications, Texas Tech University
PO Box
43082
Lubbock,
Texas 79409
OR
For more
information, see
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/masscom/about/newsstories/convergentcallpapers.pdf
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Conferences
University
of South Carolina College of Mass Communication and Information Science and the
Ifra Newsplex
Convergence
and Society: Ethics, Religion and New Media Conference
October
19-21, 2006
Columbia,
SC USA
http://newsplex.sc.edu/newsplex_con06.html
Since
September 11, 2001, ethics and religion have emerged as important topics in the
study of new media. At this conference, the moral implications of emerging
media are addressed at the levels of society, culture, and the media
professions. It is a forum for scholars, media professionals and theologians to
discuss converging media from the standpoint of competing values.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
AEJMC
Midwinter Conference
December
1-3, 2006
New
Orleans
http://www.aejmc.org/convention/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Texas
Tech University Call for Papers
Expanding
the Definition of Convergence and Integration
April 19
& 20, 2007
Lubbock,
Texas
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/masscom/about/newsstories/convergentcallpapers.pdf
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Faculty
Position Announcements
Truman State University
Division of
Language & Literature
1. Two
Positions: Communication-Journalism
– Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Truman
State University announces
two tenure-track positions in Communication-Journalism beginning Fall
2007: Assistant Professor of Communication.
Teaching
Responsibilities: Teaching
a full-time course load in a combination of print, broadcast, and
convergent/new media writing and production, and other journalism courses; as
well as advising student media on a rotating basis
Required
Qualifications: Ph.D.
in Communication or related area in hand before start of Fall 2007 semester;
evidence of teaching effectiveness; evidence of excellent communication skills;
evidence of scholarly activity
2. Communication
– One-Semester Full-Time Temporary Instructor in Journalism
Truman State University announces a full-time,
one-semester, temporary position in Communication-Journalism during the Spring
2007 semester (January 8 – May 5): Temporary Instructor in
Communication.
Teaching
Responsibilities: Teaching
three or four sections of journalism/media courses in some combination of Media
Writing (print and broadcast), News Reporting (print and broadcast), Magazine
and Feature Writing, Publication Design, and/or History of American Journalism
Required
Qualifications: M.A.
in Communication-Journalism or related area; evidence of teaching
effectiveness; evidence of excellent communication skills
See www.truman.edu
for more information and complete position announcement, or send letter of application, vita, graduate and undergraduate transcripts (copies acceptable
for now), a statement of teaching philosophy and commitment to the liberal arts
and sciences and student development, three recent letters of recommendation,
names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three references, and evidence of
teaching effectiveness to:
Dr. Heinz Woehlk, Dean
Division of Language and Literature, MC 310
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO 63501
Reviews will continue
until the position is filled.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Publisher
and Editorial Staff
The
Convergence Newsletter is free and published by The College of Mass Communications and
Information Studies at the University of South Carolina.
Executive
Editor
Augie
Grant, Ph.D.
Editor
Melissa McGill
convergence-news@mailbox.sc.edu
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Copyright
and Redistribution
The
Convergence Newsletter is Copyright © 2006 by the University of South Carolina, College of
Mass Communications and Information Studies. All rights reserved.
This
newsletter may be redistributed in any form - print or electronic - without
edits or deletion of any content.
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---------------Submission
Guidelines/Deadline Schedule
The
Convergence Newsletter provides an editorially neutral forum for discussion of the
theoretical and professional meaning of media convergence. We welcome articles
of all sorts addressing the subject of convergence in journalism and media. We
also accept news briefs, calls for papers and conference announcements. Our
audience is both academics and professionals and the publication style is APA
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Please include your name, affiliation and contact information with your
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If you
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The
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should be submitted at least 10 days prior to the publication date. Any
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