Mapping the State of Mental Health of Media and Communication Scholars

Recent evidence on the state of mental health among academics paints an alarming picture. Faculty members and PhD students around the world run a high risk of developing mental health issues, such as psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, at some point in their career. Many of them seek professional help either through their institution or on their own as the availability of institutional support structures varies greatly across universities.

Overall, studies consistently point to a much higher prevalence of mental health issues among academics compared to most other working populations. COVID-19 has intensified work-related stress for many scholars, but the problem clearly predates the pandemic. The structural conditions of academic work, such as high publication pressure, fierce competition, and a culture of constant evaluation, are known to contribute to unhealthy levels of occupational stress.

Despite such growing awareness of mental health issues in the academic world generally, we know relatively little about the situation in the field of media and communication studies more specifically. To address this deficiency, AEJMC – together with several other international associations of scholars – participates in a joint endeavor to map the state of mental health in scholars of media and communication.

The first step in this effort is an online survey administered to media and communication scholars in late September and early October 2022. The aim of the survey is to gauge the scale of mental health issues in our field, identify structural conditions that produce greater vulnerability, and point to potential ways of improving the situation. The study was initiated and is coordinated by Thomas Hanitzsch and Antonia Markiewitz (both from LMU Munich) and Henrik Bødker (Aarhus University).

Start the survey https://survey.ifkw.lmu.de/AMHiMCS/ (active until October 18, 2022).

AEJMC Calls

AEJMC COVID Coping and Narratives Project

This project will be a featured in the Exhibit Hall at the AEJMC 2022 Detroit Conference in August.

The AEJMC COVID-19 Narratives Project is an oral history StoryCorps-like project around our experiences with COVID-19 as media and communication teachers, scholars, and professionals.

This will involve an interactive exhibit online and in the AEJMC Conference Hall during the Detroit Conference- (look for the launch of social accounts and the #aejmccovidnarratives).

We invite all AEJMC members and potential members to participate by sharing their experiences, collaborations, challenges, and joys during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We will be recording short audio and video stories and have a space for participation with photos, words, and phrases or other representations you feel comfortable sharing with the group. These can be attributed or deidentified to the degree you wish to share your experiences. This can be done in pairs or on your own, over email or in person at the conference.

There will be an oral history agreement and informed consent agreement which participants can opt in or out of.

In addition, we are looking for graduate students to participate in the research and curation of this project during the event. If you are interested, we provide free conference registration for graduate students who provide support. We are grateful for the support of AEJMC in this endeavor and to provide this support space during the conference.

For more information, contact CSW vice head Mimi Perreault ()

2022 Senior Scholar Grants

AEJMC Members Can Apply for 2022 Senior Scholar Grants

The AEJMC Senior Scholar Research Program will award up to two $5,000 grants to senior scholars to fund innovative and timely research projects in journalism and mass communication.

Senior scholars who are AEJMC members may submit proposals for these grants in the fall of 2021, and selections will be announced by early January 2022.

The AEJMC Senior Scholar Research Program is designed to support researchers in a wide area of study. These funds may sup­ port research assistants, travel to research centers or relevant locations, or pay for supplies and services associated with the re­ search. This program seeks to recognize senior (typically tenured) scholars who aim to engage in extended research projects. For at least one of the two awards, priority will be given to a project that requires travel. Members holding an endowed professorship or an endowed chair are not eligible to apply.

Proposals should outline the applicant’s significant research project. Proposals may also be submitted by a team of scholars who would share the award if selected.

AEJMC will showcase initial results from the projects selected for the 2022 grants at a special session at the AEJMC 2022 conference in Detroit. In addition to the $5,000 grant, AEJMC will also provide $750 for each selected proposal to assist scholars with travel expenses to that conference.

Deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, Oct. 1, at 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time. All application materials should be emailed as one attachment to Lillian Coleman at (attachment MUST have a document suffix, such as .doc, .docx or .pdf). All material should come in ONE file in the order outlined under the “Application Process” section of this call. Incomplete proposals will NOT be reviewed.

PROPOSAL CRITERIA

• The proposed topic should center on Journalism and Mass Communication and related disciplines. Topics in related disciplines should also include a central element within mass communication.
• Applicants must be current AEJMC members. Check your membership status before you submit your proposal. Proposals submitted by non­members, or members whose memberships are not current, will be eliminated from the competition.
• Only one proposal per person will be considered. (If you submit as part of a team, that is the only proposal you may submit.)
• The program is looking for proposals from senior faculty members teaching full­-time (preferably tenured).
• The proposal should include a demonstration of past research success and the likelihood that this project can be completed by February 2023.
• For the proposals selected, a five-­page interim report is due to AEJMC by July 15, 2022, and will be part of the 2022 conference session. Applicants should submit proposals for projects on which they would be able to make significant progress by that time.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications should contain five sections and include the following materials:

1. A cover sheet that lists the following information: (a) name, address, telephone number and email address; (b) a 200­word bio of applicant(s); and (c) a 300­word abstract of the project.
2. A proposal written for a general mass communication scholarly audience, of no more than 1,500 words (excluding endnotes) describing the project, which must include the following: (a) scope and purpose of project; (b) how the project will expand knowledge; (c) detailed description of the project, including methods, survey information (if used), etc.; (d) current status and timeline for completion; (e) anticipated outcomes; (f) a list of potential publication venues for the finished project. (Proposals that exceed this word count will NOT be reviewed.)
   
3. A one­-page, detailed budget that fully explains the expenses necessary to complete the project. Maximum grant amount is
   $5,000. Funds may not be used for university indirect costs or PI stipend. If project will cost more than the maximum grant amount, explain where you will get the remaining funds to complete the project.
4. One letter of support from your immediate supervisor. For proposals with more than one author: if co­authors are in same department at the same school, one support letter is sufficient, but if co­authors are at different colleges/universities each must have separate letter of support.
5. A three-­page vitae — edit it so it is only three pages. If project has more than one author, each author must submit a three­-page vita.

All proposals will undergo peer review by JMC scholars. After a competitive judging process, applicants will be notified of the status of their proposals by early January 2022.

Questions about the program should be directed to Lillian Coleman at

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