[ecrea] Trust, Truth, and Performance: Diverse Journalisms in the 21st Century

Workshop

Trust, Truth, and Performance:
Diverse Journalisms in the 21st Century

Description:

This expert workshop aims to bring together 
scholars to discuss how different styles of 
journalism configure the ?rules of truth? in a 
manner that appears to generate trust and loyalty 
with audiences.  While there is a fairly striking 
consensus amongst academics about the meshing of 
news and entertainment in the 21st century; 
problematization of the meta-narrative of 
objectivity; and dissolution of dichotomies like 
hard and soft news, there remains a diversity of 
opinions about the seriousness of these 
developments and pragmatic solutions for 
traditional journalistic outlets.  This 
corresponds to disagreements over the purpose of 
news, entertainment, and infotainment; conceptual 
confusion about rationality and emotion; and the 
degree of threat that the shifting technological, 
commercial and communicative landscape poses to 
the profession.  This workshop seeks to stimulate 
debate on these developments with an eye to 
addressing methodological and theoretical 
challenges presented by the appearance of a host 
of diverse journalisms in the 21st 
century.  Specifically, the organizers seek 
papers that address questions of trust, truth, 
and performance in the media, building upon 
existing conceptualizations of the role of the media.
The past few decades have seen a sharp rise in 
news products that deviate sharply in tone from 
the sort of ?hard? journalistic ideal epitomized 
in 20th century-Anglo-American discourses of 
professionalism.  From the rise of alternative 
media, to personalised blogs by journalists, 
talk/news radio, and a slew of ?infotainment? 
broadcasting such as panel shows, cable news 
magazines, and satirical news it is commonly 
accepted that the boundary between news and 
entertainment is evermore blurred.  Similarly, 
both academics and journalists have problematized 
?objectivity?, the hallmark of 20th-century 
professionalism, to such an extent that claims of 
achieving this in reporting now appear naively 
optimistic or hopelessly misguided.  Are 
different media systems, which were less beholden 
to the Anglo-American ideal of objectivity, 
finding the transformations impacting the 
industry less traumatic or are debates about the 
future and best practices of the profession also hotly contested?

Papers of an interdisciplinary nature are 
welcomed.  Submissions that address the following 
aspects ? and the research challenges they present ? are encouraged:

   * The relation between ?trust? and ?truth? in 
both traditional and emerging journalism outlets.
   * The impact of style and performance in news production and presentation.
   * The assertions of media tabloidization, 
informalisation, and personalisation.
   * The influence of new media on trust and competing truth-claims.
   * The rise of alternative journalistic genres and forms.
   * The democratic impact of audience 
fragmentation vis-à-vis new forms of journalism.


Guidelines:  Those wishing to participate may 
submit completed papers, early-stage drafts, 
works in progress, or abstracts.  Please ensure 
all submissions contain a working abstract (to a 
maximum of 500 words).  Participants are advised 
that the organizers, in conjunction with the 
Groningen Research Institute for the Study of 
Culture (ICOG), wish to combine a selection of 
essays from the workshop into an edited 
collection.  Participants will have six months 
following the workshop to revise their papers for possible inclusion.

Deadline: Abstracts, along with contact 
information, should be submitted to 
<mailto:(c.j.peters /at/ rug.nl)>(c.j.peters /at/ rug.nl) by 
July 31, 2009. When your proposal is accepted, 
full papers are expected by November 20, 2009.

Date: Dec. 9th ? 11th, 2009.
   * Wednesday evening the workshop will host a 
fairly informal dinner, as participants will no 
doubt be arriving at different times.  The 
workshop runs Thursday and Friday, with a more 
formal dinner on Thursday evening.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers:

   * Professor Stuart Allan, Bournemouth University
   * Professor Chris Atton, Edinburgh Napier University
   * Professor Brian McNair, University of Strathclyde

Workshop Coordinators:  Professor Marcel Broersma 
and Dr. Chris Peters, Groningen Center of 
Journalism Studies, University of Groningen



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Nico Carpentier (Phd)
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Free University of Brussels
Centre for Studies on Media and Culture (CeMeSO)
Pleinlaan 2 - B-1050 Brussels - Belgium
T: ++ 32 (0)2-629.18.56
F: ++ 32 (0)2-629.36.84
Office: 5B.401a
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European Communication Research and Education Association
Web: http://www.ecrea.eu
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E-mail: (Nico.Carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
Web: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
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