Western States Communication Association

Media Studies Interest Group

February 22, 2015

Spokane, WA

Officers Introduced

  • CHAIR: Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager
  • VICE-CHAIR/PROGRAM PLANNER: Aaron Hess
  • SECRETARY: Louis Rumpf

Meeting called to order at 11:34 a.m.

Movedon to the 2014 minutes: Accepted

Thanked our Vice-Chair and Program Planner Aaron and asked him about the Reports and his General Feedback: e.g., amount of papers submitted, representation of PhD vs Students, yearly statistical tendencies within the MSIG, comparison with other groups, challenges, highlights, etc.

Reports (Aaron)

  • 45 papers were submitted (
  • 6 preformed program panels, 9 paper panels
  • 34 papers were accepted, 6 panels (100%) 11 were rejected (75.5% acceptance rate)
  • 15 total panels, slightly above average and as slightly higher than the 2011 (Monterrey) numbers and slightly lower than 2013 (Reno) and 2014 (Anaheim), (18 panels each). Overall submissions to WSCA were down this year.
  • Growing and well-represented.
  • Within these submissions: 9 debut papers, 28 were student papers, 17 non-student papers.
  • Always need more reviewers. Please sign up on the email list! Centralized “database” being formed with specialties.

There was no old business.We proceed with the presentation of the Diane Furno-Lamude Award. Congratulations! There were two separate checks for the two co-authors.

Winners of Top Papers for 2015 Spokane Convention Acknowledged

Diane Furno-Lamude Award/Top Paper

Pinning the Feminine User: Gender Scripts in Pinterest's Sign-Up Interface

Amanda Friz-Siska, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Robert W. Gehl, University of Utah

Top Student Paper

Camoface: A Study of Performances of Ruralism in Duck Dynasty

Jason Jordan, University of Utah

Top Debut Paper

Rhetorical Representations of Choice and Lifestyle Feminism in Grey’s Anatomy

Jennifer Roche Barnett, San Diego State University

Proceeded with the elections and announcedthe call for elections for the Secretary of the MSIG. Please keep in mind this is a 3-year service: the first and the third year are easier, the second is the most challenging, but the second year also allows for the true engagement with the Media Studies scholars.

Heldnominations of self-nominations: Mike Walker self-nominated

Nomination was seconded

Mike Walker, Arizona State University elected Secretary

Elected MSIG Officers for 2015/2016

Chair: Aaron Hess, Arizona State University

Vice-Chair/2016 MSIG Program Planner: Louis Rumpf, National University

Secretary: Michael Walker, Arizona State University

Proceed with new business:

- Called for reviewers. Please make sure to put your name, affiliation, and email address. Please make sure you clarify whether you are a faculty/staff member or a graduate student, and please specify your area of expertise and interest within Media Studies

- Have digital submissions again for 2016

- Discussed Emerging/Innovative Digital Media panel

- Also having Visual Comm Submissions discussed

- Reviewer list passed around and collected

Thank you very much!You will eventually be contacted via email.

Proceed to the announcements attendeeswanted to make.

Meeting Adjourned at 12:36p.m.