Time to Vote!

 

Platform for AEJMC Vice President Campaign

As part of my campaign for AEJMC vice president, I am sharing my platform below. My vision for AEJMC focuses on three interconnected priorities: strengthening global perspectives, facilitating diverse views, and fostering a sense of belonging. 

Elections will take place in March. Please consider voting for me if you support this platform. 

My Vision: A More Open and Welcoming AEJMC

AEJMC has been a constant companion in my academic journey for more than 25 years. It has shaped my scholarship, my teaching, and my professional identity, and it has provided an intellectual home and a community of colleagues whose work I deeply respect. I now look forward to giving back to this organization through leadership and service. My vision for AEJMC centers on journalism and media education, research, and professional responsibility within a more open and welcoming environment, while upholding the highest standards of academic rigor, ethical commitment, and professional excellence.

As media scholars, teachers, and practitioners, many of us were drawn to academia by curiosity and a desire to better understand the world and our role within it. As AEJMC vice president, I will encourage members to reconnect with that intellectual openness. AEJMC is, at its core, a community of learners, one that grows stronger as we remain curious, explore new ideas, and engage generously with difference.

An intellectually open AEJMC strengthens our mission as a scholarly community committed to rigorous inquiry, innovation, and public relevance. Intellectual openness invites diverse theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and ways of knowing, particularly those from underrepresented regions and lived experiences. By fostering spaces where ideas can be debated thoughtfully and respectfully, AEJMC enhances the quality and credibility of our research, prepares members to engage complex global and societal challenges, and cultivates a sense of belonging among those who may otherwise feel marginalized. In doing so, AEJMC positions itself not as a gatekeeper of static knowledge, but as a vibrant, forward-looking intellectual home.

To advance this vision, I will focus on three interconnected priorities: strengthening global perspectives, facilitating diverse views, and fostering a sense of belonging.

1. Strengthening Global Perspectives

AEJMC must deepen its global engagement. Our scholarship, teaching, and leadership should reflect the realities of an interconnected world in which journalism and media operate across borders, cultures, and political contexts. Global perspectives challenge U.S.-centric assumptions, expand whose knowledge counts, and strengthen the intellectual rigor and relevance of our field. They also prepare students to work in media environments shaped by migration, digital technologies, misinformation, and struggles for press freedom worldwide. For AEJMC, embracing global perspectives is not simply about inclusion. It is about relevance, ethical responsibility, and leadership in a global media landscape.

Key initiatives include:

• A Virtual Global Collaboration Network: AEJMC should strengthen relationships with international organizations, including the International Communication Association (ICA), the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), and the World Journalism Education Council (WJEC). These partnerships could support joint conferences, shared resources, mentoring, and global research networks, particularly benefiting early-career and international scholars. Strategically, collaboration with peer associations strengthens AEJMC’s global standing and positions us as a leader in shaping the future of journalism and media education worldwide.
•  Expanded Commitment to WJEC: I am especially interested in broadening AEJMC’s participation in the WJEC. Greater engagement would create opportunities for joint projects, leadership exchanges, and shared advocacy, amplifying AEJMC’s voice in global discussions on press freedom, media literacy, and journalism education standards.
• A Global Fellows Program: This program would support a small cohort of international members, especially from the Global South, for one to two years, providing membership, conference support, and mentorship. Emphasizing reciprocal exchange, fellows would contribute to teaching, research, and global dialogue while building long-term relationships that strengthen AEJMC’s global inclusivity.
• Support for Global Scholarship: I will continue to support initiatives such as translating research abstracts in AEJMC publications to increase accessibility for non-English-speaking scholars, students, and practitioners. Conversely, we should also encourage engagement with scholarship produced in languages other than English to broaden our global vision. Our journals could include a section titled Global Views that contains translated abstracts from non-English-language scholarship.

2. Facilitating Diverse Views

Strengthening global perspectives must go hand in hand with facilitating diverse viewpoints. Journalism and media thrive on multiple perspectives, experiences, and ways of knowing. Diverse voices challenge assumptions, enrich scholarship, and ensure that our research, teaching, and professional practices reflect the communities we serve.

Inclusion strengthens decision-making, stimulates innovation, and prepares students to work ethically and effectively in complex media environments. Embracing diverse voices is therefore essential to AEJMC’s relevance and leadership.

I will support this work by:

• Uplifting Commissions and Committees: I will highlight and support the work of AEJMC’s four commissions and the Standing Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Justice (DEIAJ). I am committed to supporting the work of the newly established DEIAJ committee and ensuring its efforts are meaningfully integrated into AEJMC leadership.
• Continuing Support for the Institute for Diverse Leadership (IDL): As a beneficiary of the IDL, I understand its impact in preparing scholars for leadership roles and will continue to advocate for this essential leadership pipeline.

3. Fostering a Sense of Belonging

Intellectual openness flourishes when members feel connected, respected, and valued. My vision is for an AEJMC where members not only participate but truly feel they belong.

To encourage belonging, I propose:

• Monthly Virtual Fireside Chats:  A new series, “Fireside Chats: In Conversation with AEJMC Leadership,” would create regular opportunities for open dialogue, collective reflection, and mutual accountability in an informal, accessible setting.
• A More Engaging Community Portal: The AEJMC Community Portal is a step in the right direction. I will advocate for expanding its functionality to support sustained, year-round engagement, networking, mentoring, and collaboration beyond the annual conference.

I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve AEJMC in this leadership role. I bring a deep commitment to intellectual openness, inclusive leadership, and global engagement shaped by more than two decades of participation in this organization. I would be honored to earn your trust, your support, and your vote as we work together toward a more open, welcoming, and intellectually diverse AEJMC. Together, we can ensure AEJMC remains vibrant, engaged, and deeply supportive of all our members.

First review of "Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives"

I saw the first review of my textbook, "Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives," published in the well-regarded journal "Journalism," this morning. Dr. Mercy Ette wrote a thorough and supportive review. 

A few excerpts:

"Margaretha Geertsema-Sligh’s Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives offers new insights from transnational and intersectional perspectives and prioritises discourses from the Global South."

"This timely and comprehensive textbook therefore explores the intersection of gender and journalism. It also presents a nuanced exploration of how gender undergirds both the production and representation of news, revealing the systemic ways journalism perpetuates gender inequalities across diverse socio-political, cultural, and professional contexts. Grounded on empirical data from 92 countries - 56 from ‘developing countries’ and 36 from ‘developed countries’ - the book challenges Western-dominated paradigms and underscores the need for a more inclusive and globally informed approach to journalism studies. It's ambitious geographical scope offers a rich comparative perspective, extending knowledge beyond the Anglo-American domain."

"By weaving together theoretical discussions, relevant empirical data, and case studies, Geertsema-Sligh broadens readers’ understanding of women’s participation and representation in journalism and news." 

Running for Vice-President of AEJMC

Some very exciting news to share today: The nominations committee of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) accepted my nomination to run for vice president next year. Voting will take place in late April, with results expected in July. If elected, this will be a four-year commitment to AEJMC's leadership team.

Attending the AEJMC conference in San Francisco earlier this year

New Books Network Podcast Now Available

My 50-minute podcast discussion with Nina Bo Wagner from the New Books Network is now available at https://newbooksnetwork.com/journalism-and-gender. Nina and I discussed a range of topics from my book, "Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives."

From NBN: Drawing on intersectional and transnational feminist frameworks, Journalism and Gender offers a sweeping account of the role gender plays in journalism across more than ninety countries, with a particular focus on the Global South. Geertsema-Sligh traces the evolution of women’s participation in the field, the persistence of male-dominated newsroom cultures, and the ways women and gender minorities are represented in coverage of politics, war, and violence.

The book also explores gender in international media development, media activism, and journalism education—highlighting how feminist and intersectional approaches can drive meaningful change in the industry. Designed as an accessible and interactive textbook, it supports students with summaries, discussion questions, and online learning tools that deepen engagement.

Wagner and Geertsema-Sligh talk about the global challenges faced by women journalists, the barriers to leadership, and the role of education in transforming newsroom cultures. Their conversation offers a nuanced and hopeful look at the future of journalism and gender equity worldwide.

Textbook Chapter Published in Media Report to Women

I am happy to see a chapter from my textbook published in the Fall 2025 edition of Media Report to Women. 

Book talk at Hong Kong Baptist University

I had the privilege of discussing my book, "Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives," with journalism graduate students at Hong Kong Baptist University on Zoom last night, at the invitation of Professor Cherian George. I enjoyed the opportunity to share my work and answer questions about journalism and gender.

Late Fall on Butler's Campus

Fall came late this year, but Butler's campus looks beautiful. Looking forward to a couple of quiet days over Fall Break. 

Planning a Study-Abroad Course for May 2026

I am currently planning a study-abroad course for Butler students in May 2026. The course, titled "Media and Culture in the UK," will allow students to learn more about Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and the BBC. We will visit the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford, the School of Journalism, Media, and Culture at Cardiff University, and the Department of Journalism at City St. George's University of London. Looking forward to this opportunity! 

Works in Progress Presentation at Butler University

I had the opportunity to discuss my current research project, an edited collection titled "Journalism and Gender: Perspectives from the Global South," with colleagues in the College of Communication at Butler University today. After circulating a call for chapter proposals in Spring 2025, I selected 29 chapters to be included in my proposal to a publisher. I received positive feedback from three reviewers last week and hope to move forward with this important work.