The May 2010 issue of "Telematics and Informatics. An
interdisciplinary journal on the social impacts of new technologies"
is now available and presents a special issue on COMMUNITY MEDIA - THE
LONG MARCH.
The new generation of media technologies and the success of the
so-called 'Web 2.0' platforms has put at the centre of academic and
industry discussions the participatory potential of internet-based
media. 'Old' participatory platforms, alternative and community using
traditional broadcasting or print outlets, though, have a long history
of close involvement of their audiences in practices that have put
communities' communicative needs at the centre of their everyday work
and fought for the democratization of media systems. Despite their
financial and organisational weaknesses as individual stations or
projects, community media are being increasingly recognised as the
third and distinct sector of broadcasting by recent policy and
regulatory developments in Europe and across the globe.
The contributions presented in this issue present the opportunities
and challenges that are characterising the sector at this time, as the
switchover to digital broadcasting platforms, and the need of constant
presence at the European Union and Council of Europe levels to make
sure that community media are considered with equal dignity among
other broadcasters in media policy debates. Practice-based accounts
also show the contribution of community media to intercultural
dialogue, an impressive range of interactions with civil society
organisations present in their communities, and the potential of
giving voice to local and diasporic communities through innovative
combinations of FM and web-based broadcasting. Finally, this special
issue also shows evidence of the important role that civil society
plays in the production of situated knowledge along, and in
collaboration with, ongoing academic research in this area of study.
Guest Editors: Nico Carpentier & Salvatore Scifo
Contributors: K. Jakubowicz, H. Peissl, O Tremetzberger, N. Jimenez,
S. Scifo, M. Sandoval, C. Fuchs, L. Hallett, A. Hintz, M. Santana, N.
Carpentier, S. Tenner, A. Borger, N. Bellardi, T. Kupfer, F. Diasio
and S. Milan
Online access: <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/07365853>
More information on Telematics and Informatics available at
<www.elsevier.com/locate/tele>
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Jan Servaes
Editor-in-Chief, Telematics and Informatics
c/o Department of Communication
415 Machmer Hall
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003, USA
Tel: +1 (413) 545-4314
Fax: +1 (413) 545-6399
(telematicsandinformatics /at/ gmail.com)
www.elsevier.com/locate/tele
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