Association for Journalism Education

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CALL FOR PAPERS: AJE Annual Conference 2022 – Educating Generation Z

Jonny Greatrex

Association for Journalism Education: Annual Conference, June 23 & 24, 2022

VENUE TBC

Theme: Educating Generation Z: challenges, changes and anticipating the future of journalism education

The 2022 AJE annual conference will focus on Educating Generation Z. The Pew Research Centre specifies 1997 as the starting birth year for GZ and tentatively suggests 2012 as an endpoint.

These dates are chosen because of the exposure of this cohort of young people to new technological developments (social media, AI, AR, VR); their experience of significant socioeconomic and cultural trends and events (the 2008 global financial crash, #MeToo #BLM, QAnon, WikiLeaks, the rise of populism and the Covid pandemic); and their having grown up in a post 9-11 world facing an accelerating climate crisis.

This young and mobile group is often described as being ‘better educated’, ‘well-behaved’, ‘stressed’ and ‘depressed’ in comparison to previous generations. 

The changes to the professional field of journalism, as well as the large cultural shifts seen over the last 20 years provides the perfect setting for journalism educators to come together and problem solve some of the pressing issues facing us. Papers could address, but are not limited to the following areas: 

·      Journalism and the climate crisis

·      Journalism and social justice 

·      Activist Journalism

·      Solutions journalism/constructive journalism 

·      Artificial intelligence/machine journalism

·      Augmented Reality

·      Virtual Reality

·      Tik Tok journalism

·      Instagram and journalism

·      Gender Pronouns / Gender Identity

·      Covering transgender issues

·      ‘Bedroom’ journalism

·      Confessional journalism

·      Post-Covid recovery

·      Trolling online

·      Entrepreneurial journalism

·      Student journalists’ mental health and resilience

·      Journalism and empathy

·      Pedagogical approaches to journalism education in this changing world

Paper abstracts will be peer-reviewed. Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words and a cover sheet with a brief biographical note, your institutional affiliation (where relevant) and your contact details (including your email address). Abstracts should be sent to:  assjrned@gmail.com

Please address any queries to the same address in the first instance. Closing date for proposals: April 22, 2022, by 4.30pm.