UC Professor to Present Research at National Journalism Conference Panel on Race and Gender

The University of Cincinnati’s Jeff Blevins was invited to speak at a prestigious national conference about his published research on the history of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy on minority broadcast ownership. He will present his findings at one of the panel sessions at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9.

Blevins, head of the Department of Journalism in UC’s McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, received this invitation based on his research on the history of the FCC that was recently published in scholarly journals and presented at conferences including UC’s Diversity Conference in March 2013. Leading the AEJMC panel, titled “Media Ownership, Women and Minorities: Why Gender and Race Matter,” will be current FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn. 

“The group will discuss issues surrounding minority media ownership from the perspective of policymakers, activists, historians, as well as women and minorities,” Blevins said. “Although, a healthy ‘public sphere’ requires a diversity of voices to facilitate democratic deliberation, U.S. media ownership is concentrated in a few hands, and female and minority owners are especially underrepresented. Why is this the case, what are the implications, and what can be done about it? The panel will address each of these questions.”

He argues that the minority broadcast ownership is more than a policy or political issue. Blevins believes that citizens should have a voice in what is broadcast on public airwaves and that corporations should not have complete control over what is publicized on media channels.

“It is a battle for the belief that a truly democratic medium needs to be truly diverse and recognition that unbridled market forces do not necessarily provide this,” Blevins said.

Diversity is a key element within his argument and is one of the main reasons Blevins chose UC to continue his career. The UC2019 Academic Master Plan lists diversity as one of its principles in making UC a first-choice university for students, faculty and staff.

“UC’s commitment to the ideals of diversity and inclusiveness is one of the primary reasons why I decided to come here and head its new Journalism Department,” Blevins said. “My own commitment to diversity is both personal and professional. I became personally aware of the value of inclusiveness and understanding about race, gender, and in my case, social class early on in life. As a child and young adult my social interaction was primarily shaped by poverty.  On a professional level, diversity has a special importance in higher education, and is one of the foundation principles of U.S. media policy, as well as one of the primary values by which academic programs in journalism and mass communication are assessed.” 

Blevins has served as a federal grant reviewer for the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The $4.7 billion grant program targeted “unserved and underserved” areas of the U.S., such as rural and minority communities.

The nonprofit AEJMC is the largest professional association for journalism teachers and scholars working to promote the highest standards in education, a wide variety of research and diversity in the classroom, and to uphold freedom of communication.