Strategic Plan

The AEJMC Strategic Plan

“AEJMC could be the most influential academic association among media practitioners and media policy makers. We are the largest association of media scholars. We are more successful than we have ever been. For 95 years, our members have helped shape the understanding of the field for those who practice it . . . We know our fields and our disciplines face challenges. We know we should offer leadership in shaping the future of our field. Individually, we have taken steps to respond. The strategic planning process gives us the chance to decide how our Association should lead.”

— AEJMC President Charles Self, “The Challenge of Shaping Change” from AEJMC News, November 2007

AEJMC Strategic Directions

Direction 1: Transform teaching, scholarship and service to promote storytelling, innovation and engagement across platforms
Possible Strategies:
• Inspire continuous learning
• Embrace emerging roles
• Integrate journalistic values and communication expertise into digital products
• Encourage entrepreneurship
• Connect audiences and engage citizens in communities
• Recognize data and analytic patterns
• Appreciate unique dynamics of the evolving digital landscape

Direction 2: Become Primary Resource for Scholarship
Possible Strategies:
• Help Members Enhance Their Research and Teaching
• Create Support for Scholarship Online
• Be Clearinghouse for Journalism and Mass Communication Resources
• Enhance Regional Conventions, Local Chapters
• Build Caucuses among Groups

Direction 3: Strengthen Identity, Image and Influence
Possible Strategies:
• Enhance Web Presence
• Expand Expertise and Influence in the Academy, Industry and Public
• Strengthen Brand and Increase Awareness
• Improve Academy Prestige
• Revisit, Clarify, Update the Mission and Core Values
• Expand All Services Year-round
• Evaluate Elected Opportunities for Members

Direction 4: Engage Globally and Multiculturally
Possible Strategies:
• Create Council for Global interaction among professionals and academics in the United States and other countries.
• Enhance AEJMC journals and the convention to better reflect global concerns and issues
• Create a Council for Multi-cultural or “under represented” groups among academics and professionals in the United States
• Create a Council of AEJMC Units Working on Issues of Marginalized Groups

Direction 5: Develop Financial Strategies
Possible Strategies:
• Generate additional revenue to create financial independence from dues
• Reallocate or reduce operating expenditures

Direction 6: Develop Membership Programs   
Possible Strategies:
• Promote Graduate Student Membership
• Promote International Membership
• Promote Professional Membership
• Retain Members
• Develop teaching and research programs

July 2017

AEJMC Strategic Plan Progress Report

View a list of activities created/implemented as a result of the plan.

Directions Approved

The AEJMC membership approved the eight proposed Strategic Directions during the Chicago Convention in August 2008. A 12-member Strategic Plan Implementation Committee began work on specific objectives and tactics after the approval. The first two programs created as a result of the Strategic Plan were the Emerging Scholars Research Grants and the Presidential Comments process.

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