Expression on Campus About
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Magazine of the National Communication Association March 2018 | Volume 54, Number 1 FREEDOMOF EXPRESSION ON CAMPUS ABOUT Spectra, the magazine of the National Communication Association 2018 NCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NCA), features articles on topics that are relevant to In this issue President Communication scholars, teachers, and practitioners. Spectra is one means through which NCA works toward accomplishing its Ronald L. Jackson II, University of Cincinnati mission of advancing Communication as the discipline that studies First Vice President all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication Star Muir, George Mason University through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. MESSAGE FROM 2 Second Vice President THE PRESIDENT NCA serves its members by enabling and supporting their Kent Ono, University of Utah professional interests. Dedicated to fostering and promoting 2018: A Year of free and ethical communication, NCA promotes the widespread Immediate Past President Transformation and Relevance appreciation of the importance of communication in public and Stephen J. Hartnett, University of Colorado, Denver 7 By Ronald L. Jackson II, Ph.D. private life, the application of competent communication to AN INTRODUCTION improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use Diversity Council Chair FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT of knowledge about communication to solve human problems. Justin Boren, Santa Clara University ON CAMPUS 4 The views and opinions expressed in Spectra articles are those Publications Council Chair 8 Public Presence: of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Bonnie J. Dow, Vanderbilt University FREE SPEECH AT BERKELEY: NCA Hosts Anti-Bullying Communication Association. THEN AND NOW Summit for Dallas Educators Research Council Chair By David Henry, Ph.D. All NCA members receive a Spectra subscription. The magazine Mindy Fenske, University of South Carolina Teaching and Learning: also is available via individual print subscription for non-members New Internationalization at the annual cost of $50; to subscribe, send an email to Teaching & Learning Council Chair Initiatives [email protected]. Shannon VanHorn, Valley City State University In Our Journals Spectra (ISSN 2157-3751) is published four times a year (March, Finance Committee Chair 14 May, September, and November). ©National Communication Ronald Shields, Sam Houston State University THE VARIOUS THREATS Association. All rights reserved. TO FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS Finance Committee Member By Howard Gillman, Ph.D. and Marnel Niles Goins, California State University, Fresno Erwin Chemerinsky, J.D. Finance Committee Member 19 ADVERTISING IN SPECTRA Raymie McKerrow, Ohio University YOUR INVITATION IS WITHDRAWN: For information about placing an advertisement in Spectra, Interim Executive Director THE CONTROVERSIAL please visit www.natcom.org/advertising. Trevor Parry-Giles SPEAKER CONTROVERSY ADVERTISING IN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Deadline for May Issue: March 15 SPECTRA STAFF Deadline for September Issue: July 15 DID YOU KNOW Director of External Affairs and Publications ? Submit text-only ads online at www.natcom.org/postjob/. Wendy Fernando 20 In his 1953 “overview” of Payment information must accompany ad order. [email protected] DEFENDING CRITICAL AND ACTIVIST SCHOLARS IN THE the Communication discipline, th Visit www.natcom.org/academic-professional-resources/nca- Contributors NEOLIBERAL ACADEMY: 40 NCA President career-center/advertise-nca for information on submitting graphic LaKesha Anderson A SOCIAL MOVEMENT Karl Wallace said: ads. NCA accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Jenna Sauber PERSPECTIVE and purchase orders. “…The field as a whole, as we Design By Dana L. Cloud, Ph.D. have sketched it, has a political Questions? Contact [email protected]. Krystyn MacGregor 26 responsibility to a society which, NCA supports continued efforts to eliminate discriminatory hiring practices. YES, IDEOLOGICAL BIAS IN among other things, has always Advertising and Permissions All employers are asked to identify the inclusion of sexual orientation in ACADEMIA IS REAL, AND stood fast for freedom of their affirmative action statements. Advertisers must provide information Aaron Tuttle COMMUNICATION SCHOLARS thought and discussion.” about the availability of spousal and domestic partner benefits, which will appear with all online and print advertisements. NCA is not responsible for Cover Art MUST HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM verifying the accuracy of advertisements. Shutterstock.com/razorbeam By Andrew M. Ledbetter, Ph.D. 2 March 2018 National Communication Association 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT We must use our voices to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We must use our voices to ensure 2018: A Year of Transformation that our collective humanity is valued. We must use our voices for those who are vulnerable, lest we surrender our and Relevance collective freedom, capacity, and authority to speak. By Ronald L. Jackson II, Ph.D. It takes no compromise to give people their rights… support her educational advancement. We launched the The second stream of public dialogue gravitates around interrogate repressive state politics, and to hold accountable it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes first Legacy Training Seminars, where Communication freedom of expression. Given our expertise, NCA ought our elected officials. Those of us with the privilege to ‘‘ no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no scholars train the public on a range of topics pertaining to be visibly at the center of national conversations about speak must strategically assert our voices. We must use survey to remove repression.”—Harvey Milk to our expertise. We invited the public to our first freedom of speech. When people talk about “freedom our voices to speak up for those who cannot speak for Lyrical Justice spoken word poetry slam event, and we of expression” or “freedom of speech,” they focus on themselves. We must use our voices to ensure that our If you’re like me, you begin each year approaching it as a saw members of the Dallas community attend and be modes of expression and types of speech. Our primary collective humanity is valued. We must use our voices new chapter, with new opportunities for growth. The same energized and enlightened by social justice-inspired focus ought to be on freedom that is ethically responsible. for those who are vulnerable, lest we surrender our could be said for NCA. As NCA President, I envision 2018 poetry. This is just the beginning. We can do more. Saying what you want to say, regardless of whom it harms, collective freedom, capacity, and authority to speak. as a year of transformation that can be catalyzed by two Building on this momentum, in 2018 I’d like for us is arguably not what constitutes freedom. In fact, it might The presumption here is that we all value freedom. very important streams of public dialogue: addressing to collectively consider how NCA might further apply be considered indiscretion. Doing what you want to do, Some of us imagine freedom as something individuals attain human problems and freedom of expression. our communication expertise to solve human problems. regardless of whom it impacts, is also not necessarily for themselves. Yet, I would maintain that the freedom Our mission states that the National Communication What does it take for NCA to become a public asset? What what constitutes freedom. That may be characterized we seek, the freedom we publicly yearn for as a society, Association “promotes the widespread appreciation of mechanisms need to be in place for this to happen? What as recklessness. The conversation about censorship has is not as individualized as we’d like. It is far too simple the importance of communication in public and private kinds of expertise can be deployed to solve problems we been fascinating. The typical refrain regarding the First to presume that as long you personally feel free to avoid life, the application of competent communication to see publicly, and how do we partner with others to extend Amendment has been something like, “I may not like thinking about oppression, that you are free. The social improve the quality of human life and relationships, and our reach and get the word out about the work we do? what you say, but I protect your right to say it.” Although movement protests we have witnessed around the world the use of knowledge about communication to solve These are only a few questions we should consider. I suspect we all personally value free speech, we should are demanding that the state apparatus permits citizens to human problems.” Although we are an association I have developed a two-year Task Force to not value or honor speech or behavior that exercises experience freedom in an enduring way so that vulnerable comprised of Communication scholars, educators, and explore developing a new Center for Communication, indecency, disregard, disrespect, or harm toward others. communities can be at peace. The achievement of peace practitioners, we are also, as the last line of our mission Community, Collaboration, and Change, with a goal We can civilly disagree on any number of issues, offers a sense of collective freedom that is deliberately alive. statement indicates, an organization that is dedicated to of deploying our communication expertise to assist but just as NCA’s Credo for Ethical Communication Freedom is a peculiar condition. The structural using what we know