Seth C. Lewis

I’m excited to announce this publication as the lead article to the latest issue of Journal of Communication, the flagship journal of the International Communication Association: Carlson, M., Robinson, S., Lewis, S. C., & Berkowitz, D. A. (2018). A case study of journalism studies results in the postulation of six conceptual commitments that define its core ontological and epistemological premises: contextual sensitivity, holistic relationality, comparative inclination, normative awareness, embedded communicative power, and methodological pluralism. And so, the “Iowa Group” was formed: in February 2016, Matt Carlson (Saint Louis University), Sue Robinson (University of Wisconsin), and I (representing University of Minnesota at the time) drove exactly four hours each to centrally located Iowa City, where we met up with Dan Berkowitz, a longtime traveler in this line of thinking and our host at the University of Iowa. Later, we settled on six interrelated commitments that speak to core dimensions of journalism studies: As we say in the paper: “None of these dimensions is unique to journalism studies.

I learned this week that I’ve been elected as the next vice chair of the Journalism Studies Division of ICA (International Communication Association). The Journalism Studies Division, which has grown tremendously in its roughly 15 years, becoming one of the largest ICA divisions, has been such a central part of my progression from PhD student to professor during the past decade, so I’m excited to give back and help the division move forward. I’m excited to work with such a great Journalism Studies leadership team: the outgoing chair Henrik Örnebring, the incoming chair Keren Tenenboim-Weinblatt, secretary Nina Springer, and the newly elected graduate student representative Alla Rybina. My goals in helping the division move forward include: (1) balancing concerns about quality with the need to include a broader range of voices, particularly from regions less represented at ICA annual conventions; (2) expanding mentoring initiatives for graduate students and early-career scholars; (3) developing forms of outreach to help members stay better connected to the division outside of the conference; (4) exploring ways to improve the standing of journalism studies, by more effectively communicating to journalists, funders, and other scholars who we are, what we do, and why our work matters; and (5) continuing to provide space for important conversations about journalism and its future.

Threats from mis/disinformation, fake news, and propaganda are problems not only of supply but also of demand—we need to better understand social and psychological forces that contribute to the take-up of such material, in addition to the economics of clicks and currency of likes that drives much of this information profusion and media confusion. Now more than ever, amid declining trust in professions and institutions, it matters to understand dynamics of trust, verification, misinformation, propaganda, and the social spread of information. This course will focus on two key areas: (1) an explanation of key cases and controversies—from fake news to the complicated role of Facebook and other platforms—that shape how people perceive matters of fact, and which are relevant for journalism, public relations, advertising, and other media domains; and (2) an introduction to data literacy and numeracy, or the ability to apply basic numerical and statistical concepts. Identify and interpret key debates regarding objectivity, propaganda, mis/disinformation, news literacy, verification, trust and accountability, and other concerns relevant to media work and media life.

I have included here my talk in PDF form and below: Three Cheers for a Steve Reese Style of Advising Remarks on the occasion of Stephen D. Reese receiving the 2017 Deutschmann Award for Excellence in Research But a Steve style of advisor is in no particular hurry, not because he doesn’t care about his students — on the contrary, because he knows that the hard work of thinking, of thinking with a depth and intensity that perhaps is only possible during the dissertation phase of one’s life, will pay dividends throughout a scholar’s career. Cheer #3: A Steve Style of Advisor has a sense of balance and perspective Now, amid all that talk of productivity, you should know that no one has more clearly cautioned the field against hyperactivity than Steve Reese. And most important is what will not show up in his CV: that Steve Reese has a real sense of purpose in life, a healthy balance of work and family life, a scholarly career grounded in spiritual depth.