The Association for Education in Journalism (AEJ) is a national organization concerned with the improvement of journalism education. Its principal activities are setting teaching standards, fostering research, and promoting press freedom and responsibility. The AEJ publishes, by itself or with others, Journalism Quarterly, Journalism Monographs, Journalism Abstracts, and Journalism Educator.
The AEJ was founded in 1951. It succeeded the American Association of Teachers of Journalism (AATJ), founded in 1912. The AEJ had two co-founding member organizations: the American Association of Schools and Departments of Journalism (AASDJ) and the American Society of Journalism School Administrators (ASJSA), founded in 1917 and 1944, respectively. The AASDJ and the AATJ had a long history of cooperation, dating from the early 1920s. Although the former is an organization of institutions which have met specified standards, and the latter was an organization of journalism teachers, they often held joint meetings, collaborated on publications, sought standardization of courses, and took notable steps in the accreditation of journalism programs. The ASJSA was created partly as a response to the accreditation efforts led by the AASDJ. Before the formation of the AEJ, some individuals held membership in both the AATJ and the AASDJ or moved from one to the other during their careers in journalism education. The AASDJ, along with several other journalism groups, was instrumental in forming the National Council on Education for Journalism (1939), later renamed the American Council on Education for Journalism (1945). This Council, with the support of the AEJ, still acts as the accrediting body for journalism programs in the United States.
The AEJ is the principal national organization concerned with journalism education. Its members are university faculty and students (with some secondary school teachers), as well as individuals from the government and the news media. In addition to its two co-founding affiliates, the AEJ has also attracted other member groups: the American Newspaper Guild, the Magazine Publishers Association, Sigma Delta Chi, the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers, and the Junior College Journalism Association. Because of the diversity of its constituency, the AEJ has become involved in an increasing number of activities related to mass communications. Its committees and divisions deal with many aspects of the field, from newspaper, magazine, photo and broadcast journalism, to advertising, public relations, and international communications. The AEJ is also concerned with the nature and quality of mass communications research, teaching standards, job placement for members, and the status of minorities and women in journalism. Notable efforts have been made to recruit minorities through summer internships at New York University. This project has been financed through AEJ's Journalism Council, Inc., founded in 1970. Aid is also extended to foreign students through AEJ participation in such programs as that of the Asia Foundation.
The AEJ holds annual conventions, usually in conjunction with the AASDJ and the ASJSA. Additional meetings and activities are conducted throughout the year by AEJ committees and special interest divisions. Administration of AEJ affairs is conducted by the executive committee, chaired by the AEJ president; representation of the diverse membership interests is vested in the Advisory Board. Coordination of activities, working with outside sponsors on their projects with the AEJ, conducting annual membership surveys, maintaining official records, and arranging for hotels and meeting rooms, are handled by the executive secretary (a position created during a major AEJ reorganization in 1966) at the AEJ central offices, located at Northern Illinois University since 1974. This same individual also serves as the executive secretary of the AASDJ.
