AEJMC Rescinds 2019 Presidential Award

August 31, 2020

The following statement has been issued by the Board of Directors of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

Recently published information resulting from a journalist’s FOIA request suggests that AEJMC’s 2019 Presidential Award designee Will Norton engaged in communication, including responding to highly questionable communication from a third party, that does not align with AEJMC’s Code of Ethics, particularly two core values:

• Justice: AEJMC members strive for fairness, impartiality, and distributive justice in our relationships with peers, students, and other stakeholders. We celebrate and promote diversity.”
• Caring: AEJMC members act with respect, sensitivity, consideration of others, compassion, and mercy. We try to protect others from abuse and coercion.

In a duly called meeting, a quorum of the AEJMC Board of Directors met with some members of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) Board and, after discussion, the AEJMC board voted to rescind the award.

The AEJMC Code of Ethics is available here: http://www.aejmc.com/home/2011/03/ethics-preamble/

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