*Making Media Public: Global Crises and Local Opportunities*
*Conference Call for Papers and Presentations
*
Traditional ways of making media are in crisis and steadfast models are
threatened with extinction: media giants teeter on the edge of bankruptcy,
local television stations are being closed, thousands of media workers have
been laid off, and community radio and television are poorly supported. At
the same time, new media are increasingly embraced by publics that, linked
through social networks, produce and distribute an increasing range of their
own content. Old media meet new technology, traditional policies meet global
political and economic challenges, and the future of journalism is under
intense debate. In this volatile climate, the need to develop new media
models and policies is urgent.
This conference, which is being held in Toronto at York and Ryerson
Universities from 6-8 May 2010, will bring together a range of media
publics, including local media producers, media and academic workers,
students, policy makers, researchers, journalists, media activists and
public organizations, to address the following questions: If the old models
aren?t working, what are the possibilities for reorganizing media production
in Canada? What opportunities and challenges does the current political
economic climate pose for independent, autonomous and community media? How
can mainstream media workers and their unions influence media development?
What are essential public policy tenets, and what kinds of new policies can
be forged?
The conference offers a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas
and strategies, to critique current models of media production, to
problem-solve, and to envision new ways to democratically facilitate
people?s participation in media decision-making. The goal is to help ?make
media public? ? that is, to develop and build media models that address
local concerns, that are sustainable, autonomous and independent, and
involve a wide range of participation that reflect the daily political
economic, social and cultural experiences of communities in Canada.
The conference is focused on four interrelated themes: history, labour,
policy, and alternative/independent and community media. Submissions are
invited on these themes and others that address the goal of ?Making Media
Public.? Participation may include:
- Multimedia presentations
- Panel suggestions
- Formal papers and reports, both academic and non-academic
- Informal presentations/displays of existing projects and initiatives
Deadline for submissions: *1 December 2009*. Submissions should take the
form of a proposal/outline of your contribution (500 words maximum), as well
as contact information and organizational affiliation, if any. Please email
submissions as an attachment to (mmp2010 /at/ yorku.ca).
--
Nicole Cohen
PhD Candidate
Graduate Program in Communication and Culture
York University, Toronto
